The Resy Hit List: Where In Austin You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Updated: Dec. 3, 2025

We asked our contributors to the Resy Hit List to share their top dining experiences in their cities this year — to choose 10 restaurants that define the state of great dining right now. Welcome back our Best of The Hit List for 2025.

2025 was a complicated year, with an onslaught of hurdles for Austin restaurants: rising prices of food, never-ending construction outside patios, and, of course, more than our fair share of 100-degree days. We’ve gotten past the “everyone is moving to Austin” moment and transitioned into the “can everyone make it in Austin?” phase. So this year’s list includes established restaurants that have stood the test of 2025 — like Lenoir and Eldorado Cafe — and new spots — like East End Ballroom and VanHorn’s — that are establishing a solid foundation.

These 10 standout restaurants defined the Austin dining scene with their creative programming, their bees-in-the-brain hot sauce creations, their loyalty to Austin’s taco traditions, and ability to withstand the challenges of 2025. We’re glad to get to celebrate them.

Restaurants:

1. LENOIR

• Location: Bouldin Creek
• Cuisine: American
• Price Range: $$$
• Description: We didn’t need Michelin to tell us that Lenoir was a beloved and slightly hidden gem in South Austin — though we were excited to see their well-deserved official recognition. For more than 13 years, they’ve offered a twist on local ingredients alongside a stellar wine program. The crab fingers in a creamy curry sauce, or the honeycrisp apple salad along with a glass of chilled red wine, are must-tries.

2. UPTOWN

• Location: East Austin
• Cuisine: American
• Price Range: $$
• Description: The theme of nostalgia carries throughout the walls of Uptown Sports Club. The regular menu offers favorites like crab and shrimp salad served with Ritz crackers and steak au poivre on Sunday nights with Frankie’s Supper Club.

3. Parish BBQ

• Location: Cherrywood
• Description: Parish made its way quietly onto the scene with a food truck. The brisket is made with Louisiana hot sauce and Cajun spices, and the house-cured ham is a standout along with flavorful sides.

4. East End Ballroom

• Location: East End
• Cuisine: American
• Price Range: $
• Description: A new acclaimed spot focusing on music and cocktails, offering steak frites, fried olives, and a pet-friendly atmosphere, perfect for meeting people and enjoying cocktails.

5. Small Victory

• Location: Downtown
• Cuisine: Cocktail Bar
• Price Range: $$$
• Description: A hidden speakeasy focused on classic cocktails and a casual atmosphere, offering light bites in a laid-back setting.

6. Paprika

• Location: Brentwood
• Description: Originally a food truck, now a counter-service restaurant known for its amazing tacos and vibrant hot sauce options.

7. All Day Pizza

• Location: Hyde Park
• Description: A welcoming spot for pizza lovers, known for unique pizza offerings like Pickle Pie slice and the Butter Chicken pizza for Diwali.

8. Eldorado Cafe

• Location: North Central
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Price Range: $
• Description: A key player in Austin’s Tex-Mex scene, famous for breakfast tacos and consistently crowd-pleasing dishes that keep loyalists returning.

9. VanHorn's

• Location: Downtown
• Cuisine: Steakhouse
• Price Range: $$
• Description: A new steakhouse offering a blend of classic steakhouse vibes with a casual Austin twist, known for its high-quality steaks and seafood options.

10. Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum

• Location: Clarksville
• Cuisine: Asian
• Price Range: $$
• Description: Known for its high-quality dim sum service, including scrumptious dumplings and weekend dim sum brunch options.

10 venues

This year’s selections showcase a range of culinary experiences that reflect Austin’s vibrant dining culture. From upscale experiences to beloved local spots, there’s something for everyone in this year’s Resy Hit List.