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Zanzibar has a private elevator to transport you to the bar. (Zanzibar)
South by Southwest 2022 is right around the corner with sessions starting on Friday, so get ready for an action-packed 10 days. The tech, arts, film, music and culture festival attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees every year, so why not get creative when you get your grub on?
When looking for a place to eat in Downtown Austin, here's a few tips:
- Check inside the nearest hotel
- Look up in the high-rises
- Look for large patios
- When in doubt, head east!
Whether you’re attending the conference or just want to be near the action, these restaurants are in close proximity to all the festivities.
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Analog Bar + Bites | 301 W 17th St.
(Rachel Ayotte)
Located inside the Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District, Analog was created with inspiration from the city’s many food trucks.
With an interior bar, covered patio and rooftop patio with views of the Capitol, there is plenty of room to spread out after a day at the festival.
The restaurant serves dishes inspired by Texas culture, like fried green tomatoes, triple barbecue sliders and cocktails made with Texas-local Tito’s Vodka. During the festival, Analog will offer a special late-night menu available from 10 p.m.-midnight, including salted caramel popcorn, rosemary cashews, shrimp cocktails, dill pickled green beans and salami and brie sandwiches.
Corinne | 304 E Cesar Chavez St.
(Anne Burnett)
Serving upscale American comfort food, Corinne is one of the best areas for people watching after the festival with one of the largest outdoor patios on West Cesar Chavez Street. From the breakfast pecan praline french toast or housemade biscuits, to truffled bucatini or crab croquettes for later in the day, to craft cocktails to close out the evening, Corinne is open for all occasions.
Fareground | 111 Congress Ave.
(Dillon Burke)
With two full-service bars and six restaurants to choose from, Fareground is an upscale food court with options for everyone.
Choose from an array of noodles and potstickers at Little Wu, Israeli street food like falafels and schnitzel sandwiches at TLV, James Beard-nominated pizza and salads at The Market, plus more James Beard-nominated American fare like chicken sandwiches, burgers and salmon bowls from Henbit.
Every day at 5 p.m. at DRINK, you can find $4 house cocktails, beers and wines. Fareground also has weekend brunch offerings and is steps away from the Austin Convention Center.
Old Thousand | 1000 E. 11th St.
(Old Thousand)
If you find yourself on the east side, don’t miss out on Old Thousand, a mix of Chinese food and Texas flavors. Though you can get brisket fried rice or General Tso’s chicken, the menu is also very vegetarian/vegan friendly with options like mapo tofu or the Buddha’s Delight noodle bowl.
Unwind with a gin-based Red Lantern cocktail, given a red hue by hibiscus, cherry heering and cranberry bitters. Check in on Sundays for chicken and waffle brunch!
Reverly Kitchen + Bar | 1410 E 6th St
(Revelry)
Another east side option, Revelry’s specials will keep you fed and its spacious patio will give you a break from the crowds. On the menu are crispy chicken sandwiches with house pickles, angus beef burgers, Bavarian pretzels and more.
Its daily weekday happy hour, running all night Monday and from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, will get you $5 off wells and certain appetizers, $2 off house cocktails and wine, and $1 off beer.
Walton’s Fancy and Staple | 609 W 6th St.
(Walton's Fancy and Staple)
Your one-stop shop for a quick breakfast and latte, Fancy Lunch combo or flowers on the way to SXSW, Walton’s Fancy and Staple has you covered. Walton’s opens at 8 a.m., early enough to stop by on your way to the fest, and normally closes at 4 p.m. but stays open later from Thursday to Saturday for its 5:30-7:30 p.m. happy hour.
Stop by early in the morning for a breakfast taco or challah french toast, grab a gourmet sandwich for an afternoon pick-me-up or indulge in some $6 sips for happy hour.
Zanzibar | 304 E Cesar Chavez St.
(Anne Burnett)
Located in the same building as Corinne, the Austin Marriott hotel downtown, Zanzibar is a tropical oasis seven stories above the ground. With a lush rooftop terrace and pool to enjoy tiki cocktails or small plates beside, the bar has its own street-level elevator on San Jacinto Boulevard to take you straight up.
Through Monday-Wednesday of SXSW, Zanzibar will host a “Tiki & Chill” happy hour from 4-6 p.m., or you can pop in on Sunday for the “Sunday Staycation” special with tropical mimosas and $7 small bites.
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
