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Where To Eat After Swimming In Barton Springs
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
A spring-fed pool with constant 68-degree temperatures, cool rock formations, and its own salamander species that kind of looks like a tiny dragon—Barton Springs sounds like it was plucked out of a fantasy novel. It’s where half the city goes to cool down during the hot summer months. You’re not allowed to bring food, but fortunately, you’ll be just steps away from some iconic Austin dishes, wine bars, and great places to spend an afternoon.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
A slow-roasted rotisserie chicken might not be the first food that pops into your head after emerging from a 68-degree cold plunge, but don’t knock the combination until you’ve tried it. Of course, Lou’s does have more than just rotisserie chickens. There are also burgers, fried chicken, creamy frozen custard, and more. But rotisserie meats are our favorite thing to get here. Start with some smashed cucumbers, order a hibiscus paloma, then prepare to get your fingers messy with a half chicken dipped in jalapeño chimichurri or smoked paprika piri-piri.
Ask anyone who just came back from a trip to Austin about their highlights and you’ll probably hear some combination of the words “live music,” “Barton Springs,” and “margaritas.” While you may have to hum your own rendition of Willie Nelson’s On The Road Again to complete the trio, El Alma can help with the last two. Dry off, make yourself somewhat presentable, and then grab a seat on the rooftop patio. Order some queso and an avocadorita while you think about how you “just can’t wait to get on the road again.”
photo credit: Richard Casteel
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There are over 100 bottles of wine on the list at House Wine, and all of them are available by the glass, offering a level of flexibility we have yet to find outside of the many yoga studios dotting Town Lake. House Wine is located in a renovated house with a bunch of little rooms that provide a sense of much-needed intimacy after sharing a giant spring with 600 strangers. There’s also a small food menu with charcuterie boards, tinned fish plates, baked brie, and small tapas. Throw in a large, fenced-in patio that adds some serenity, Happy Hour, and live music most of the week, and it’s easy to see why House Wine is one of the few staples on Barton Springs Road that’s managed to stick around.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
The burger at the trailer Gimme Burger (parked at the 9-hole golf course Butler Pitch & Putt) is big, with a double wagyu patty that’s been smashed hard for edge-to-edge crispiness, a couple slices of american cheese, and lots of mustard. One of the best burgers in Austin, you can get it with fried okra, which we find way more fun to eat than a pile of fries. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of putting greens, or you don’t know the difference between a 9-iron and a tennis racket, Gimme Burger is enough reason to make the trek.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
The wings at Tommy Want Wingy have developed an intense following in Austin, with people clamoring for the crispy, frenched chicken wings. There’s no debate about flats vs drums here—all the wings start as a drumette before being cleaned into a lollipop with a little bone handle. Yes, they make you feel like a giant snacking on drumsticks. But they’re also crispy, well-seasoned, and easy to eat. Find the trailer parked on the patio of Barton Springs Saloon, which is also conveniently an excellent cold, dark, and cheap place to grab a drink.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
With a few exceptions, barbecue in Austin is largely a lunch game. And while a handful of spots are open late, it’s rare that those spots are also the ones worth going to. Terry Black’s is that exception—where you can get excellent smoked meats until 9:30pm or later every night of the week. And the fact that it’ll be open after a day of swimming at Barton Springs means you don’t have to float around a cold pool after eating your own weight in brisket. There’s usually a line here, but it rarely takes more than 20-30 minutes to get through.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
Located inside of The Carpenter Hotel—a place that very much feels like a Wes Anderson interpretation of a woodworkers home—Carpenters Hall is an all-day cafe serving “elevated comfort fare,” which mostly translates to fairly expensive pancakes, burgers, and avocado toasts. But as long as you’re OK with paying a small design premium to sit in the dining room or on the picturesque patio, we have yet to eat a bad bite here. Afterward, you can even purchase a pool pass and keep the water party going if your fingers don’t already look like the raisins in your granola bowl.
photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley
Nothing wraps up a day of swimming in the sun like a plate of sizzling skewers and homemade dumplings. And when you want that (and more) just a few short steps from Barton Springs, head to Zoé Tong. It’s a little upscale, but not so fancy that casual sneakers feel totally out of place—maybe just change out of the bathing suit. Start with some small bites, then fill up on tea-smoked duck, koji-cured porterhouses, and tingly mala-heavy lamb noodles. And if you want to keep the fresh-out-of-water vibes going, the cocktail menu features a handful of tropical-ish drinks, like sake and lychee slushies and green tea mojitos.
