“Stop Hitting Yourself” Again!
Rudes’ workshop for 2014 Lincoln Center premiere sells out
Austin Psych Fest in Angers
Levitation France debuts in our sister city
Ehrmegerd! Wendy Davis!
Senator to announce political future Oct. 3
Home Slice Makes Annual Pizza Pilgrimage
Sharing hundreds of slices was writer’s plum assignment
Better All the Time
Cabaret and musical legend Barbara Cook is still learning
Tom DeLay Conviction Overturned
2-1 decision of 3rd Court says state didn’t prove case
Just Like Heaven: UtopiaFest
Sixth year music gathering is worth the three-hour trek
The AggreGAYtor: September 19
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
Spraying the Great Lawn
PARD says herbicides applied are “extremely safe”
Small Screen, Big News
‘Mad Men’ split, plus Matthew McConaughey and more
The Circus Life of Michael Slattery
Shoulders frontman readies HAAM Day set and new LP
Church on Monday (& Tuesday)
Elias Haslanger’s fiery sect plays ‘Misty’ for you
Lawsuit Alleges Jackson Racially Profiled Before Fatal Shooting
Suit says APD detective executed civilian who fled from him
Donny Cates Is No ‘Buzzkill’
Local writer collaborates with Toadies drummer for new comic
Cookbook Review: ‘Bacon Nation’
Start your drooling engines
The AggreGAYtor: September 17
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
News Ticker: September 17
All the news that’s fit to blog
Evangeline Cafe Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Enjoy live music, price rollbacks, and plenty of fun
Farm and Food Leadership Conference
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance hosts annual conference Sept. 22-23
Austin Film Festival Drops 20th Anniversary Lineup
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ takes center stage
Peter Hook: Life in a Northern Town
Joy Division/New Order bassist resurrects two classic LPs
Chef Jason Stude Competes on ‘Chopped’ Tonight
Watch the show and taste one of Stude’s competition creations
Antone’s for Sale
Frank Hendrix leaving local music scene for oil speculation
DVD Watch: ‘Augustine’
Female hysteria, or just hot and bothered in Victorian times?
Fantastic Arcade Gets the Closing Party It Deserves
Devolver Digital and Wild Rumpus team up to let loose
Right Into the Danger Zone With the Danger Gods
Fantastic Fest and AFS present the kings of classic stunts
News Ticker: September 16
All the news that’s fit to blog
The Cosmic Psychos: Blokes You Can Trust
Aussie pub rock trio’s frontman Ross Knight in Q&A
The Aggie Defense Rests
Johnny Manziel’s big day can’t overcome Texas A&M’s defensive woes
The Eyes Of Texas Are Upon Whom?
Questions concerning leadership emerge out of Saturday’s tailspin
‘The Newsroom’ Made Me Wish Chivalry Was Still Dead
HBO show ends season 2 with a ride on the mansplain train
Geto Boys Recap
Geto Boys and Company Play Mind Tricks at Emo’s
The AggreGAYtor: September 16
What happened today in gay? Here’s your QILTBAG recap of queer news.
DVDanger: ‘Frankenstein’s Army’/’Hammer of the Gods’
Two different historic takes on the ‘squad on a mission’ tale
Greg Abbott and the Same Old Faces
The men behind the “too stupid to be governor” Tweet
Rough Trade Talk with Lucinda Williams
Onetime Austinite reflects on her milestone recording
Husband Charged With Missing Woman’s Murder
Police still need info on disappearance of Julie Ann Gonzales
Aaron Paul to Star in ‘Hellion’
Kat Candler feature snags ‘Breaking Bad’ co-star
From the Vaults: In the Driver’s Seat
Billy Bob Thornton steers ‘Jayne Mansfield’s Car’
News Ticker: September 13
All the news that’s fit to blog
This Old Haunted House
The House of Torment grows darker and across the nation
Farmers Market Report: Sept. 14-15, 2013
Fabulous fall tomatoes, Hatch peppers, cream peas, and IO Ranch Lamb
Joe King Carrasco Says Adios
No more wasted days and nights until next summer
Roller Derby Update 9/13/13
Tournament season, world titles and good news for Temple
Civics 101
Thursday 12 ‘CONSTRUCTING THE MUSLIM ENEMY: FROM THE CRUSADES TO 9/11’ Dr. Deepa Kumar, assoc. prof. of Media Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers, looks at how the “Muslim enemy” has historically been mobilized to suit the goals of empire. 7pm. Avaya Aud. (ACES 2.302, UT campus). Free. Friday 13 7TH ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL CAREER…
Best Old New Hostel
Austin’s latest alternatel is located right smack in the middle of the Dirty Sixth vortex, with some surprising upgrades for the budget-conscious traveler. Though outfitted in a clean, modern style, the features of its eponymous 19th century building are cleverly showcased throughout. With on-site laundry and breakfast included, this hostel gives travelers walking-distance access to…
Best Roving Street Festival
For three years running, HONK!TX has staged all-out musical warfare on the streets of Austin. Bringing the best community brass bands in the country (think klezmer, New Orleans brass, samba) together to collaborate and perform on stages and in both organized and spontaneous parades across these city streets. This volunteer-organized event, hosted by Austin’s own…
Best Multitasking ‘Mo
Forget LGBTQ and so forth. Jeremy has got the entire gay alphabet down. A is for the Alamo Drafthouse, which now hosts Homo Arigato!, a monthly film series created by von Stilb. M is for Mouthfeel, von Stilb’s DJ project magnifique for those who like their parties rated X. Q is for the Q, local…
Best Frozen Treat for Bobcats
Allow your taste buds to go on an exotic vacation at Rhea’s Ice Cream, located off the Square in San Marcos. The Texas State University alumna’s avocado-coconut ice cream can also put your mind at ease – avocados and coconuts contain multiple vitamins, right? So, what we’re saying is that this ice cream equals balance…
Best Bank for Your Buck
Imagine stretching the dollar so tight that it means stretching a single diaper an entire day. That’s the reality for too many low-income Austin families. At around $100 a month, and not covered under federal aid, diaper need ranks high for a family’s physical and emotional well-being. Austin Diaper Bank couldn’t have arrived soon enough.…
Coolest Summer Camp
Girls ages 10-17 come from around the state for a frenetic week of songwriting, headbanging, and self-esteem building; by the time they perform their original songs at the final showcase (held on illustrious local stages like Emo’s East), they have become a relentless tornado of confidence and optimism. Girls Rock Austin celebrated its fifth year…
The Thea Williams Memorial Award
Welcome to our inaugural Thea Williams Memorial Award for Distinguished Interns. We want to brag on two of our own, but first, a word on the lineage of this award. Thea Williams was an executive producer and journalist at KVUE and a gifted instructor of journalism at Austin Community College, where she treated students as…
Best Zumba Instructor
If you’re not taking Zumba classes, you’re missing out on a workout that doesn’t feel like work. If you’re not taking Zumba from Phil Amador at one of his many classes across town, you’re missing out on a workout that is more dance party than exercise class. With the power of his iPod, expressive face,…
Most Touching and Informative Homage
On the first floor of City Hall, retired Police Captain John N. Vasquez has placed his hand-carved figurines of every city of Austin employee who has died while serving the city. Each of the figures is in uniform – from firefighters to secretaries – with a plaque that identifies them by name. Mounted next to…
Best Vajazzling
Even with your pants at your ankles, Lorie Young and her staff will make you feel right at home in her Wax That! studio. She specializes in 15-minute Brazilians, but for those wanting a special adornment to surprise their significant others, she has quite the selection of Swarovski crystal patterns for your special lady parts.…
Best Way to Find the Perfect Fit
Selenia Rios and Erik Untersee, the founders of the Eastside custom denim boutique Traveller Denim Co., have a modest goal: to build themselves a lifestyle brand empire and to transform their corner of Austin into a haven for Austin designers. With their backgrounds in the film industry, in renovating kitchens, and in creating – from…
Best Theatre Director
Two hands, and not necessarily jazz hands. On the one hand, you’ve got that hardworking, Broadway-inflected Steakley with 22 seasons of ZACH theatre on his résumé, not least of which includes the advent of the new Topfer venue with the Steakley-helmed production of Ragtime inaugurating it to full glory. On the other hand, you’ve got…
Best Movie Theatre
Their range is Mariah Carey-esque: From rock ’em, sock ’em giant robots ruining the universe to the audible squees of Girlie Night and the occasional rarefied 35mm gem, cinephiles and pop culture junkies find common ground here. Plus, once you witness the Alamo peeps make good on their promise to throw out rude-ass chatterers à…
Best Coffee
Austin’s coffee scene is a buzzin’ thanks to Texan roasters like Cuvée and Tweed – both of whom supply Houndstooth with their addictive beans. Devotees of this nectar of the gods and our readers agree that the baristas at both locations (a second shop opened Downtown earlier this year) pour out the tastiest brews and…
Best Birthday Cakes
The Butt family business bakes a beautiful birthday cake. From fluorescent mastery of popular cartoons as accessories on tasty chocolate sheet cake to the more refined palate-pleaser of the Sensational Layered Devil’s Food Cake, H-E-B’s cakes are sweet and affordable. Whether wedding, tiered, sheet, round, layered, or towered, cakes are a Capital City Bakery specialty.…
Best Food Writer
Addie Broyles is certainly busy. In addition to her column in The Austin American-Statesman and the Relish Austin blog, she’s the special projects chair for the Austin Food Blogger Alliance and pens her own blog, the Feminist Kitchen. Community-driven and digitally hardwired, beloved Broyles is on a mission to make food a priority.
Best Website Design
The folks with KXAN.com have the whole website simplicity concept down – nothing flashy, just easy to navigate. Pretty much everything one could desire from a news site is in front of the eyes upon opening the page. Trending stories are located on the right-hand side, the weather forecast is large and catches the eye…
Best Day Trip – Wet
This iconic Texas stunner is the swimming hole that launched a thousand Google image searches. One part geological wonder and one part enchanted watery grotto, Hamilton Pool is a truly unique place to explore. As a historic preserve, the area is well-maintained and home to many species of bird and plant life. Swim under the…
Best Behind-the-Scenester
While one Davis was making headlines for voicing her opposition loud and clear, another Davis got her 15 minutes by whispering. Whether named by our readers as the “woman in white,” “the lady puppet master,” or “the woman at the state capitol who sustained the challenge to the vote after ridiculous falter challenges,” Karina Davis…
Best Bicycle Repair
It’s a real bummer when your bike is out of commission, kind of like when your best friend gets drunk and jumps off a roof and breaks their ass or their ankle, and suddenly you don’t have a pal to lurk around with for two months. At least when your bike breaks, you can take…
Best Antiques/Collectibles
Uncommon Objects is a real-life I Spy book, chock-full of faded old photos of lives long past, dusty books of questionable origins, estate gems once gifted as tokens of love everlasting, and the random “didn’t know I wanted it ’til I saw it.” Cramped yet cozy, this Congress Avenue treasure trove has the goods to…
Best Shoe Selection
Let’s not mince words: You’ll either need to “forget” your “good” credit card in the car, or bring a friend who is good at restraining you before you feast your eyes (and feet) on Nordstrom’s shoe selection. By all means buy, but when the mortgage is at risk because, GOOD GOD, there are so many…
Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
The Quran has been translated into Yiddish. The only commercially available U.S.-format DVD of Ettore Scola’s 1974 Italian film We All Loved Each Other So Much is copyrighted by Brigham Young University. It bears the cover title, C’eravamo Tanto Amati, in Italian rather than English. The first yield sign appeared in Tulsa, Okla., in 1950,…
Best Place to Take Your Stoned Boy/girlfriend for a Late Night Make-Out Session
Next time you’re stuck on southbound Airport Boulevard near 183, look to your right. You may catch a glimpse of Draka the Dragon, a 100-foot-long art car built on a Ford Econoline van and two flatbed trailers by artist Lisa Nigro and a team of metallurgists in 2000. Once a fire-breathing, wing-flapping titan, Draka, who…
Best Screen Play
The closest we ever got to a screen printer as children was homemade iron-on decals depicting the members of former boy band ‘N Sync. We’re still reppin’ the Lance Bass T-shirt, but the teens enrolled at the Mexic-Arte Museum’s Screen It! program have created unique calavera de azúcar (sugar skull) designs, among others, using Adobe…
Best New Fest
What konstitutes a krewe? The definition is fluid, but the Krewe du Bisoux (that’s “kisses” in Fraaanch), organizers of 12th Night Austin insist that, “Whatever brings your community together, decide what you are kings and queens of, and take the costuming from there.” Whether that’s a passion for the Passion, Cats, or a love of…
Best Fundraising Bake Sale (Crisis Edition)
First, Austin Baked for Japan following the devastating tsunami in 2011. Then, Austin Baked for Bastrop just a few months later to soothe the burn of the worst wildfires in Texas history. Then, after the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant leveled a chunk of the town of West, Texas, an intrepid team of Austin…
Best Big Lego Builder
You know how you make a model in Lego: brick by brick, layer by layer. But Evan Bacon, aka Bacon Bricks, isn’t following the instructions on the box. The 15-year-old is building a big name for himself with his full-scale plastic block creations. From life-sized superheroes like Batman and Superman to real-life heroines like a…
Best Defiant Roadside Intrigue
For a venture with a particularly digital immateriality, we were stunned to see this quizzically material advert, emblazoned with the publication’s URL and those two magickal triangles. We wouldn’t be surprised if many a driver cocked their headsicles in an “Oh my, what’s that?” motion. Hopefully, when they arrived at their destination they let their…
Best ‘To the Bat Cave!’
The sight of 20 million bats emerging from a cave has been called one of the greatest spectacles in nature, and it is less than 50 miles south of Austin. The world’s largest bat colony lives in Bracken Cave outside of New Braunfels. It is so large it appears on weather radar when the flying…
Best ‘It’ Girl
White wine, rainbows, springtime, Ursula. She’s tinsel on a tree. She’s everything that every girl should be. From playing in various bands like the sassy Mom Jeans, to making sure OkCupid and Fleshlight run so you can have your weekend fun, it’s amazing this socialite has the time to put her thing down, flip it,…
Best Car Wash Club
You could spend a lot of time with a hose in hand, buffing your baby, or a lot of coin at the gas station drive-through car wash getting your ridey tidy. But why? Mister Car Wash offers a monthly plan to keep your hoopty happy. You choose the package: Express, Full Service, or one of…
Best Vet Clinic and Pet Accommodation
Picture all the love and comfort of your grandma’s home mixed with a vet clinic. The extremely attentive staff of Hometown Animal Care may not be stuffing you with snickerdoodles and warm milk, or bugging you to pull up your pants as soon as you enter their doors – but they do provide a healthy…
Best Way to Recover
Is it possible to feel comfortable, confident, and pretty while recovering from breast cancer surgery? Ask Allison Schickel and you’ll get a resounding yes – and easily, with the Brobe. It’s a simple thing, really: a comfortable, front-closing bra attached inside a soft and comfortable robe. The cotton bra has pockets for ice packs, prosthetics,…
Best Visual Artist
Tim Doyle moved to Austin in 1999 “to fulfill a lifelong dream of not living in Dallas” (his words). Since that moment, Doyle has graced Austin with a screenprint-based artistic practice made up of equal parts comic book, fanboy geekery and wry, observational wit. Example: Doyle’s Shepard Fairey Obama poster homage featuring Optimus Prime instead…
Best New Bar
The battle for best new place to get your drink on has, this year, ended in a tie – between two very worthy winners. First up, we have Whisler’s, which has taken over the much-beloved Rabbit’s Lounge at East Sixth and Chicon Streets in the heart of East Austin. The drinks are cold and served…
Best Desserts
If you’re going to gain the freshman 15, Tiff’s Treats is the most delicious way to do so. Started by two college sophomores in 1999, Tiff’s is all about giving you that homemade, right-out-of-the-oven treat. Order cookies for yourself or a loved one, and they will hand-deliver and wrap your goodies in a purple bow.…
Best Bookstore
Since 1970, and for 364 days every year, this Downtown Austin book nook has been the spine of imaginations gone wild. Tending to more books than anyone could read in a lifetime – from international bestsellers to a remarkable showing of local authors, BookKids to MysteryPeople – plus almost daily events and a quirky collection…
Best Journalist
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super Yorkshire! You’ve seen Richard’s byline on everything from “Lege Lines” to his weekly genre film column, “DVDanger,” and maybe you’ve even seen him on the sidelines at a Roller Derby bout. The man is all over town and all over his beats, and we’re all over the…
Best Annual Festival
Since 2002, ACL has merged local acts like T-Bird & the Breaks with stratospheric stars like David Byrne and Elvis Costello in Zilker Park for three days every fall. Celebs are spotted sweating alongside dancing fans in the sea of thousands, surrounded by a perimeter lined with beer and local food vendors, and aftershows pepper…
Best Gear/Sporting Goods
If you love cool gear as much as you love doing cool stuff, REI is the go-to resource for outfitting your next excursion. In fact, just browsing at REI is so fun and exciting, when you leave the store it’s almost like you’re all ready to go home and relax instead of going out into…
Best Elected Official
How did a Fort Worth state senator become the most popular politician in Austin? By standing on her feet for 13 hours without a break, filibustering the GOP’s latest round of anti-women’s health bills. Davis knew what she was getting into – she did the same thing when Republicans tried to slash school funding in…
Best Car Wash
With a twitch of the nose, a wiggle, and a blink, this local institution has been making cars sparkle for decades, drawing in drivers with its kitschy Genie signs and fast, friendly service. But their real secret is their “Magic Touch.” We don’t know exactly what that is, either, but it sure leaves our burled…
Best Clothing/Accessories
If you’ve got that whole Champagne taste/Lone Star budget thing going on, this hotbed of hot shit is the answer to your prayers. Buffalo is brimming with affordable and awesome recycled fashion. You can find a little vintage, lots of neon, some sensible stuff to wear to work, off the chizzain scores from last season,…
Best Small Record/CD Store
Okay, vinyl heads, cool your jets. This beloved South Austin wax museum won’t be leaving its post anytime soon. These guys are at the top of their game, providing music lovers with an insane range of contemporary indie releases as well as a well-stocked back catalog of everything from prog rock, dancehall, early Nineties rap,…
APD Uproar Over OCD
Union says politics at play, brass says business as usual
Best Pocket Park
Two parking spots. That’s it. It took two parking spots, a couple of gutsy visionaries, a brilliant planting plan, and the idea that Congress Avenue should be put on center stage to make the pocket park at Royal Blue one of Downtown Austin’s premier business and social hotspots. The very best place to pull up…
Best Something Old, Something New
When the Hidden Room makes theatre, you’d best be prepared for either a blast from the past or future shock – Original Practices Shakespeare, staged with all-male casts in Elizabethan dress (and dresses), or experimental new plays with actors on different continents performing together via Skype, or audiences scanning QR codes to learn plot details.…
Best Parade for Spectators and Participants
Imagine all the people – over 92 entries, 2,000 paraders, and 70,000 viewers, by all estimates and accounts – at 2012’s Austin Pride Parade. The route emerges from San Jacinto east of the Capitol, onto 11th, then down Congress Avenue, a rollout of rainbow carpet headed down to the Fourth Street gay bar district. In…
Best Fundraising Bake Sale (Non-Crisis Edition)
Started in May 2012 by pastry chef Jodi Elliott, these bake sales were originally intended to raise funds to upgrade Foreign & Domestic’s outdated and undersized ovens. Having reached her initial goal in record time, Elliott made the bake sales a going concern and donates 20% of quarterly proceeds to local charities that align with…
Best Everything and the Kitchen Sink Gaming Store
Whether you’re getting your retro-game fix, looking for that random wire, or just want to play for a bit, Gamerz Galaxy has you covered. Atari or Wii, n00b or 1337, all are welcome. Got something gamey to sell? They’ll take most anything that works. Got a scratched disc that needs a little TLC? They can…
Best Design Nerd Journal
Daniel Mejia and Jane Robbins Mize are relative newcomers to Austin’s literary scene, but in just a few short months the co-editors of the literary journal Foxing Quarterly have made a neon-colored splash in the pantheon of print. Created as a shrine to the materiality of the printed word, the journal has so far boasted…
Best Badass Way to Deter Grackles
Pigeons are called rats with wings, but few people take their presence personally. Even in large numbers it’s not hard to see them as a pack of feral toddlers, tottering and innocent. On the other hand, one look in a grackle’s cold eyes and it’s clear they would happily peck your eyes out for that…
Best Artistic Representation of a Filibuster
Folk music’s just storytelling, subjective history – three chords and a few verses that summarize an era. In late June, two days after Wendy Davis’ 13-hour filibuster heard ’round the world, local songwriter Silas Lowe came forth with “Didn’t She Stand (Here’s to Wendy Davis),” a quick-witted anthem iconizing the state senator as the face…
Best Cheap-Ass Massage
While the obvious draw to Foot Relax may be the price – $35 for an hour of what is actually a fully-clothed, full body massage – perhaps the best thing about the place is the silence. Unlike most spas, where private rooms facilitate conversation about your massage therapist’s struggles with his or her new gluten-free…
Best Way to Pay a Fine
Laid-back just like the part of town it serves, the Municipal Court South Austin Substation on Manchaca offers a much easier avenue for paying those pesky traffic tickets. It’s tucked away in the Cherry Creek Shopping Center on the Thrift Town side. Plenty of parking lets you get in and out with none of the…
Best Bed & Breakfast
Situated in Hyde Park, the historic Adams House is a perfectly placed home base for visitors to our fair city. After a breakfast of homemade pastries and quiche, guests can load up on snacks at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop before exploring Austin’s wealth of museums, green spaces, and tourist spots, then returning to the neighborhood for…
Best Bartender
Looking for a new bartender bestie? Then our readers have got the perfect fellas for you. Bobby Cook, king of the gay strip (and amateur strip-off), serves drinks with a wink and a smile at Rain. Over at the Workhorse Bar, Jason Shell is the drinking buddy you can always count on, ready and waiting…
Best New Club
Someone kiss the booking guys (Dave Pantano and Tony Castro) at Castros for hosting the most diverse assortment of queens Austin’s yet seen, from the atavistic antics of the Poo Poo Platter cabal to the swanky opulence of mama Nadine Hughes and family. That’s not even mentioning the ever-bountiful array of RuPaul’s alumni passing through…
Best Food Delivery
Using technology as an essential tool for sustainable change in the food industry, Greenling delivers local, organic food to your doorstep. Order online and Greenling will pick up, pack together, and bring you all the ingredients you need to cook a homegrown meal you can feel great about. Supporting local farmers and artisan food makers,…
Best Clothing
Thinking thrifty no longer means last season’s hand-me-downs for your little ones thanks to SparkleKids Upscale Resale. Looking more toward the Paxes and Suris of the world for inspiration, the racks here are streamlined for Pinterest-worthy photo shoots. Specializing in gently used boutique clothes, kiddos can be just as trendy as their fashion-forward parents, without…
Best Local App
You know that moment when you’re lying on your couch, binge-watching Buffy and you’re fresh outta cheezy poofs but there’s no way in hell you’re putting on pants to go buy more? Never fear, Lazy Austin! Favor App is here to help enable your bad habits. All you’ve gotta do is pop an order into…
Best Austin Holiday
Once a year, Pease Park becomes the Hundred Stoner Woods in celebration of Eeyore’s Birthday. All sorts of party animals come out of their gloomy place to drink milk and honey and be merry one sunny day a year. All tomorrow’s parties should be just like this spring fling of joy. Don’t forget your useful…
Best Golf
TopGolf is shaking up the sport à la Happy Gilmore – minus the beer bongs and Bob Barker brawls. This isn’t Bagger Vance territory, golf enthusiasts and their friends can practice their drive and short game while winding down with a few drinks on any given night. You can also challenge each other to specific…
Best Environmentalist
It’s easy to talk green. Longtime Hill Country Conservancy Executive Director George Cofer really makes things happen. From helping landowners preserve their property in its natural state to working with the city on comprehensive transport solutions, Cofer has a way of bringing everyone together in the green places we all love.
Best Computer Repair
Computer broke as a joke? Hey, don’t get your wires all frayed! Never fear because Discount E’s super team of techies are here to save the day. They are faster than a speeding modem and able to leap computer issues in a single bound. So, next time that villainous spinning rainbow wheel or hourglass of…
Best Comic Book Store
Batman fans, manga maniacs, Miyazaki lovers, Godzilla geeks, and every other Golden or Silver Age graphic novel devotee will find a home in this “BOA” Hall of Famer and multiple Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retail finalist. Since 1977, this Central Texas mecca for comics has been a haven for DC-vs-Marvel arguments, a pot o’…
Best Thrift Store
Our readers know what’s what. Never turn your nose up at Goodwill because it truly is amazing. With set prices for each type of clothing, all brands are created equal! Also, besides the huge selection of cheap clothing, you can walk out with a new desk, some golf clubs, a DVD player, and a painting…
City Council: Here’s Your Budget!
Council holds line on tax rate, juggles many line items
Best PoMo Place
When Charles Moore came to UT-Austin in 1985 to chair the School of Architecture, our city also became the beneficiary of a late, great work by the (still) undervalued postmodern architect. Take a tour, and you’ll witness diverse materials shimmying playfully up to one another, bookshelves and walls displaying significant architectural tomes and folk art.…
Best Spirit of Schroeder
Of all the Peanuts gang, Schroeder was the most dedicated; his devotion to Beethoven and the piano outshone even Charlie Brown’s unflagging commitment to baseball. We see a lot of that comic-strip prodigy in Michelle Schumann, and not just because she plays a mean toy piano (as she’s shown at her annual Happy Birthday, Mr.…
Best Place to Avoid a Scene
If the bustling bars of the once-upon-a-time neighborhood of Rainey Street or the once-not-entirely-bars-and-music venues of West and East (of the highway) Sixth are just too much to face, why not get away from the madding crowd and head just west of I-35 to the historic area known as “Dirty Sixth”? Sure, a recent visit…
Best Healthy Takeout
If you expect a fresh, all-natural Scottish salmon dish to be available at a convenient chain location, we might have said you were insane – before Snap. With six locations around town, Snap Kitchen is serving up some fine butter-free, premade meals, just as they’ve been doing for over three years now. And it’s good…
Best Fenced Playground for Small Humans
When the wiggles get the best of parents and children, the only sanity-saver is a super rad play area with a big fence. Designed as something fit for a space station, the Mueller playground boasts tethered flying saucers, spinning rings, swirling stand-ups, several slides, a sandbox, and more. With artsy structures perfect for climbing, benches…
Best Guide to Living Green
Everyone who’s serious about protecting our environment should own a (free) downloadable or print copy of The Austin Environmental Directory. Call us biased, but the 2013 edition is one of the best directories that activist Paul Robbins has published since starting this exhaustive endeavor in 1995. Appropriately, water is the theme of this year’s guide,…
Best Brandishing of the Burnt Orange
As evidenced by our annual winter tournament and nightly rallies on the home court, the Chronicle takes its volleyball seriously. So we took extra stock in the successes scored this season by UT’s volleyball team, a squad that went 29-4 last year and won the NCAA championship in December – the team’s second since the…
Best Austin, Texas, Rep
While many local politicians claim it, few can match Eddie Rodriguez’s commitment as a true man of the people. A real voice for the folks he represents, Rodriguez not only fights for East Austin’s District 51, but for all of us. Fully bilingual, he’s championed many causes including affordable housing, environmental justice, job training, equality,…
Best Daring Do
Want an unconventional, eye-catching do? Jen Rische is the stylist to go to, and she really lives up to her name as the “Hair Jedi.” Aside from her awesome personality and endearing laugh, she will give you one of the best haircuts you have ever had. If you want a design artfully shaved on the…
Best Way to Save Your Honey
Austin’s Bee Czar, Walter Schumacher, runs the CTBR (which operates under the nonprofit American Honey Bee Protection Agency) and gives honey bees a fighting chance through humane rescue and relocation. The king bee and his colony of workers give the extracted bees love and sanctuary, facilitate harvests of honey and bee pollen to make super…
Best Building (Under 10 Stories)
The most amazing thing about the Driskill is that after all this time, it still stands. Col. Jesse Driskill shuttered its grand portals less than a year after it was first opened in 1886 (the reason: Suze Orman wasn’t alive yet). Perhaps the closest Austin has since come to a “Driskill-less” Downtown was in 1969,…
Best Burlesque/Cabaret Performer
It’s one thing to bring a crowd to its feet. It’s quite another to bring it to its knees. Original founding member of Austin’s the Jigglewatts, Coco Lectric has “it” – that elusive, unquantifiable yet unquestionable something, that effusive spirit and smile that keeps her landing solidly at the top of the burlesque heap. No…
Best Party of the Year
It’s 10 full days dedicated to the freshest in music, film, and tech. Full-frontal, sensory overload, waking wet dreams for every audio/cine/technophile in sight. All the bands/films/tech gods you ever wanted to see, waiting for you just on the other side of the line. The cherry on top? The massive, citywide block party that the…
Best Food Trailer
Paul Qui and Motoyasu “Moto” Utsunomiya have taken Austin’s street food to a completely new level with their East Side King empire. Currently the Ssam and Chicken Karaage await drooling diners at Liberty and the Grackle, and a hidden gem location at Hole in the Wall offers an added ramen bonus. A South Lamar location…
Best Club for Teen Performers
This is how you play Ladder to Supah-Stardom, Maria’s Taco Xpress (Teen Edition): Start at the bottom, playing your best two songs at an open mic night. Make an impression and get invited back to play a 20-minute set as the featured artist of the next open mic night. Then, get all philanthropic playing at…
Best Local Blog
Much like the history of politicians, “BOA” voters can’t decide which local blog is the best. Comparing these two is like apples and Burnt Oranges: one provides an in-crowd look at Austin life, culture, and music; the other is a widely respected political blog dedicated to meaningful discussion and action. Of course, we won’t make…
Best Patio/Deck
The ridiculous view of Lake Travis from the patio of the Oasis is still worth an evening of beer ‘ritas, despite the almost barren water level. That view, paired with some Chicken Fireballs, seafood, and the sexy bodies of post-lake swimmers is a strange sort of sublime. They even have a sunset photo contest every…
Best Place to Camp
Krause Springs is what Texas summer is all about. This magical spring-fed swimming hole/swimming pool/campground boasts lush Cypress trees, a rope swing, sprawling grounds, clean facilities, and a BYOB policy. Waking up here really is spellbinding, so don’t blame us if you want to change your name to Unicorn Windchime Sunbeam and live under the…
Best Grassroots Movement
The bumper sticker goes, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” Perhaps that’s why so many of those standing with Texas women didn’t mind being called an “unruly mob.” When the powers that be refused to listen to an outpouring of public testimony against the sweeping abortion restrictions bill, there was little left to do than to…
Best Dry Cleaner
This town can get pretty down and dirty. So, it’s EcoClean’s job to wash away those late-night adventures (but you’ll always have the memories) in a safe and clean environment. From its humble beginnings in 1995 to the opening of its second location, EcoClean maintains its eco-friendly “wet cleaning” process and uses biodegradable detergents. But…
Best Computer Store
If you’re having a “Tigers and Snow Leopards and Mountain Lions, oh my!” kind of day, then there’s an Apple store a few miles away to keep the techno-cats at bay. If you’re in need of a PC genius, our readers know you can count on the brilliant and economical beasts at Discount Electronics. Both…
Best Video Game Rental/Purchase
Pick your poison. As every childhood is unique, so is everyone’s retro gaming addiction. Mom wouldn’t buy a Sega in the Nineties? Game Over Videogames can help with that. Their deep, next-level selection of consoles, titles, and accessories are offered by a staff that speaks fluent gamer. Ding!
Legislative Redistricting Proceeds Under a Cloud
2014 primaries will use 2013 maps
Best Real-Life, Locally Sourced Bar Rescue
Devotees of the storied Airport Bar & Grill and the beloved Bernadette’s may be in for a shock. While business owner John LaTouf completely stripped down and built back up the old building that housed both of those watering holes, he’s managed to maintain the mysterious character that kept folks loyal. We’re not talking some…
Best Visionary Change on the 40 Acres
Once the 20th century started, the clock pretty much stopped on what we had to look at besides buildings on UT’s campus – realistic statuary (chiefly of dead white guys) and little else. Since 2008, that’s all changed as Landmarks, the public art program directed by Andrée Bober, has been seeding the 40 acres with…
Best Place to Party With Fido
Austinites love their dogs, and one of the most fun places to take them is this Rainey Street outpost. Everyone knows the food is above your average hot dog, and the ample list of brewskies is epic. But what rules is the convivial vibe that includes our four-legged friends. Dogs are welcome anywhere in the…
Best How Many Licks Does It Take …
We never said we were mathematicians, but the coconut, peanut butter, and chocolate swirl ice cream at Lick has made us believe in the infinite (and delectable) possibilities of vegan food. Co-founders Anthony Sobotik and Chad Palmatier opened Lick in the fall of 2011 in an effort to bring the homemade ice creams (of the…
Best Imagination Hour
No one loves a good old-fashioned storytime experience more than kids, and at the flagship Whole Foods, it’s a sure bet that every Wednesday morning finds a gaggle of pint-sized poppets filling the mezzanine waiting for their weekly read. Phillip, the occasionally animal-eared children’s storyteller, leads them on epic page-turning adventures, delivered with the perfect…
Best Indie Press
Those watching Austin’s burgeoning print-based literary scene have been eagerly awaiting the first title from A Strange Object, the independent press formed eight months ago by former American Short Fiction editors Jill Meyers and Callie Collins. Literati, rejoice! This October, A Strange Object releases Three Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail, the debut…
Best Check Yourself Before You Rec Yourself
Sure, you’ll find a bevy of makeup-clad sororitybots on treadmills and bro-tank-wearing meatheads pumping iron, but the Texas State University Student Recreation Center’s variety of workout equipment and group classes are steps ahead of San Marcos-area gym competition. Facilities include a boxing room and racquetball/handball/wallyball courts. (There are just so many ways to hit things…
Best Badass
She’s no longer with us, but her spirit is alive and chanting at every protest rally for women’s reproductive rights and every pep rally to turn Texas blue. The 82-year-old activist suffered a stroke at the Capitol June 25 during Sen. Wendy Davis’ historic filibuster, and one of her favorite get well cards sent during…
Best Far-Out Friend in Flowers
She’s just like her name sounds: a total sweet pea, a perennial pal, your angel of efflorescence. Okay, D. Sweetpea isn’t always just sweet or tender. Sometimes she’s wild, frenetic, exotic, otherworldly. Just like relationships. And whatever the case – birthday bouquet, “I love you” lilies, anniversary arrangement, get-well gladiolas, floral flirtation, whatever – her…
Best Bargain Bling
Here’s our shopping list: pink rhinestone earrings (for cousin Claire), a peacock bracelet (for Brian, the Katy Perry fan), a fake Coach purse (for Andrea in IT), a bright blue big-face watch (for Tamicka), a creepy skull bracelet (for Jenn, because she is possessed), three sprays of hair extensions (also for Brian), a couple of…
Best Downtown View
You’ve already spent a splendid evening reveling in the beauty of the arts inside the theatre, but then you get the ideal nightcap: Walk outside the Long Center’s front entrance to be greeted by Downtown’s shining face, beautifully framed by that graceful arc of the terrace. If you’re lucky, the only thing separating you from…
Best Club Night/Theme Night
Held weekly at Barbarella, TuezGayz is a dance party extravaganza. DJ Glitoris will make sure you get sweaty nasty as he and his crew play all the electro-indie-homo jams that will “make your ass clap.” TuezGayz also offers some great drink specials so you can slurp down some liquid courage before you bust out that…
Best Place to Dance
Barbarella has the music and the dance floor space to have you shakin’ your ass ’til the break of dawn. Austinites of all flavors come together under these flashing lights and glittery disco ball, thanks in part to genius weekly theme nights like the Glitoris’ electro-pop-saturated TuezGayz and the rock & soulful Grits and Gravy…
Best Fries
There’s a reason the line is always out the door. From the local brews on tap to the impossibly rich shakes, Hopdoddy is sure to deliver a satisfying dining experience. But it’s their two staples – burgers and fries – that truly shine. Tuna and veggie burgers keep the non-carnivores content, while the Classic is…
Best Haircut
Our readers believe a barbershop that doesn’t offer beer with a cut is for the birds. Literally. In an attempt to attract women, Jayson Rapaport and Michael Portman started the rock club-esque party environment that is Birds Barbershop in 2006. Those very women they originally wished to attract, whose hair they wanted to fondle, did,…
Best Local Non-‘Chronicle’ Publication
We tip our caps to the Texas Tribune. It’s hard to believe that Evan Smith’s nonprofit news org is only now finishing up its fourth year, given how quickly it became a household name in Texas political reporting. (It doesn’t hurt that they’ve partnered with The New York Times as the Grey Lady’s go-to resource…
Best Public Art
Let us proffer a warning to you: Watch where you step in this outdoor polymorphic and polychromed playground. There are broken beer bottles, discharged spray cans, rusty rebar, and hard-edged, concrete lining sinkholes. Safety first, people. But we suggest watching your step for another reason, namely that the nature of the art here is ephemeral,…
Best Place to Skate
Happy 40th, Playland! We imagine your sheeny shiny skate surface in 1973, holding up the likes of teens on dates, holding hands, rolling to Melanie’s “Brand New Key.” Sure, nowadays we’re more likely to hear Ke$ha, but you know, the more things change … When we circumambu-skate around that mirrored quad, for a brief moment,…
Best Green Program
This genius compost recycling program was built on four core values: sustainability, community, simplicity, and creativity. When members sign up, they’re given everything they need to start turning their compostable waste into a rich resource. Then once a week, pedallers pick up the compost using specially designed compost-churning cargo bikes and haul it to neighborhood…
Best Florist
This “BOA” regular and Austin landmark has been helping Austinites make nice, make up, and make out since 1974. These beautiful bouquets can say “I’m sorry” or “I love you,” or even “just because,” or “get better.” Whether you want to bewitch or console, make amends or make a grand gesture, Freytag’s is our readers’…
Best DVD Rental/Purchase
Yes, Vulcan is versed in DVD, stocking the latest and greatest. But many of the cinematic world’s treasures can still only be found on VHS. A recent queer/punk rental, which included both DVDs and VHS: Mondo Trasho (D: John Waters, 1969), Thundercrack! (D: Curt McDowell, 1975), No Skin Off My Ass (D: Bruce LaBruce, 1991),…
Best Vintage
This North Loop neighborhood cornucopia of cool is chock-full of vintage household wares, retro baubles and furniture, and an ever-evolving inventory of whimsical midcentury chic. Plan to spend a day trying on costume jewelry, lounging in a pistachio-green wingback chair, and exploring the various nooks, crannies, curiosities, and delights.
Death Watch
The Texas death chamber gets back into gear
Best Roaming Artwork
Nic Patrizi serves up a powerhouse of homemade Italian recipes (culled from his family’s brick-and-mortar in Beaumont) behind the Vortex Theatre. Pastafarians have been flocking to this hidden gem like a moth to a flame, but the truck itself is a surprise gift to the sense of sight. Local artists decked out the exterior with…
Best Way to Lose Yourself
Losing is just half the fun in Austin-based Despair, Inc.’s “Lose Your Own Adventure” adult parody series. Let author Justin Sewell guide you through your homecoming in Dallas in the series’ first book installment, Who Killed John F. Kennedy? Even though you’re destined to fail, it’s all about the journey, not the numerous destinations, which…
Best Public Workshop
For those of you who have spent many sleepless nights figuring out how to form your own Grumpy Cat keychain, customize an apothecary table, heck, even sew up a wild animal onesie, the search to cure your insomnia is over. TechShop in Round Rock opened up last October and is happily serving the needs of…
Best Neighbor Comeback
Back in 2005, we gave Craig Long and crew a “BOA” for their little kitchen on the I-35 access road between a strip joint and an adult video store (“Best Green Light in a Red Light District”). Well, here we are, eight years later, with a less titillating title and a new location that feels…
Best Kid-trepreneurial Biz
What do you get when you cross an old family recipe and a precocious 8-year-old? The best darn lemonade in town, served up by the most inspiring entrepreneur we know. BeeSweet Lemonade was born when kid-trepreneur Mikaila Ulmer, then 4, came across a recipe for the sweet heat-beating treat in her 88-year-old grandmother’s cookbook. Mikaila…
Best Man on the Street
Shelton Green, the nearly 20-year veteran news reporter at Austin’s ABC affiliate, KVUE, has been here since 1995 and has reported on everything from cops to city politics, mayhem to music festivals. He’s the everyman on Austin’s streets, bringing his winning smile, charming personality, workhorse work ethic, and nose for news to every story he…
Best Extreme Indoor Activity
Riding a motorbike through a flaming hoop, climbing up a 20,000 foot cliff face and jumping out of a plane isn’t for everyone. But iFly Austin offers an awesome alternative for your inner daredevil impulses. Once you suit up in an aerodynamic jumpsuit, expert skydiving instructors take you into an enclosed wind tunnel where 150…
Best Campaign Theme for Wendy Davis
Who’d-a thunk it on a hot Tuesday night in July at the State Capitol, that overnight Texans would have a new hero in Sen. Wendy Davis? Inspired and emboldened by Davis’ superb appearance, the Bright Light Social Hour rushed home that night, wrote and recorded this compelling instrumental “Wendy,” and had it sitting in their…
Best Head Shrinker
First and foremost, she can tame your mane back into its most fabulous form, but Emory also has the gift of a great listener. She takes all of her clients’ needs and wishes to heart for their cuts, and she’ll listen better than anybody to your latest work frustration, romantic victory, or foodie find. And…
Best Crafty Cove
Picture this: an adorable bungalow on South First that houses a smorgasbord of vibrant fabric, quality threads and yarn, and a fantastic staff of genius seamsters to teach you how to make anything from felt tote bags to gorgeous summer dresses. The community vibe runs deep in this sanctuary, so feel free to share all…
Best Historic Site
The Texas State Capitol is one constant in this booming, ever-changing city. History is scattered in those expansive lawns, hiding tributes to our past as Texans. And swirling around the rotunda, with sometimes creepy smiles, the former governors stare down the Legislature, tourists, protestors, and an infinite number of sixth-grade classes, all sheltered by this…
Best Cocktail Menu
We get it, Austin; arcane ingredients and recipes pull a Symbionese Liberation Army and hold your whistles hostage. Your inner revolutionary-to-be wants a slow drip, drip, drip, drip of the absinthe-oriented menu at Peché or the low glow ambience and belly-warming concoctions of Brooklyn-import Weather Up. It’s clear you’ve got needs and dreams of a…
Best Scenester/Mover and Shaker
Maggie Lea’s got the right idea when it comes to uniting and innovating the city’s arts and culture scene. Not only does this former UT poli-sci buff curate the music and event roster at Cheer Up Charlie’s (and throw a notoriously mean party), but she’s also responsible for spreading the gospel of indie movies within…
Best Ice Cream/Gelato
While the flavors are ever-changing, at least one thing remains the same: As an application, potential employees are given a white paper bag to take home and bring back decorated. Jobs are given to creative and optimistic scoopers full of vim and vigor, and we think that performative oomph makes the cow-cream taste better.
Best Party Place
A gaggle of kiddos hopped up on birthday cake might start to resemble the titular games of this North Austin arcade, but at least here, there are 13,000 square feet of gaming goodness to keep them busy. It’s not just pinball, either: Skee ball, crane games, and modern first-person shooters ensure kids of all ages…
Best Local Podcast
You had us at the opening bars of Tori Amos’ “God,” Godless Bitches, a podcast dedicated to exploring the powerful nexus of feminist issues and atheism/secular culture. And no, Sally, yoga is not a secular practice. The brainchild of Beth Presswood, who does a bang-up impression of the most prayerful Southerner you’ve ever met, the…
Best Restroom
For the third year running our readers have chosen this swanky spot to do their … um … business. It’s the second year it has been chosed as a great place to take a swim. Don’t think us weird, but we picture you, reader, in the middle of a wild night: You’ve come into the…
Best Place to Tube
The laid-back Comal really is the ideal tubing river. The float is easy, the shuttles are convenient, and you can pick and choose your in-and-out points to create your most perfect lazy-day float. The banks are lined with Cypress, the water is cool, and you’ve got nothing to do but float, float on.
Best Legislative Movement
13 hours. That’s how long it took for a previously little-known Texas senator to become an international sensation. That she didn’t quite make it to midnight mattered very little in the end. By the time Sen. Donna Campbell called the third point of order, Davis’ filibuster had moved beyond being simple parliamentary procedure. It became…
Best Hair Salon
Located on the western edge of Hyde Park, Austin’s Mint Salon offers the best of both worlds in the beauty racket: The salon is hip yet comfortable, the stylists have impeccable taste while remaining friendly, fun, and approachable, and the location is conveniently located in a central urban strip but still feels like a neighborhood…
Best Farmers Market
Easy like Sunday morning at HOPE Farmers Market means strolling around Plaza Saltillo perusing a variety of local vendors specializing in colorful, flavorful uniqueness. Artisans, artists, farmers, and programs designed to improve and inspire community and education are all wrapped up in a bear hug and set to live, local music. Only in this East…
Best Bookstore
From their critically acclaimed author/speaker readings to their in-store book clubs, BookPeople lives up to their motto: “A community bound by books.” This is a haven for people to come and share their adoration for the written word. And in this space, surrounded by books and book lovers, for a little while nothing else in…
The Hightower Report
Wackos intend to cage themselves in Idaho
The Luv Doc: Hyperbolic Acid
Luv Doc, I think my co-worker might be the spawn of Satan. She is such a huge bitch. She is always bossing people around (even though she is not their boss), or trying to take credit for someone else’s work, or criticizing people behind their backs, or sucking up to our manager and telling lies…
Best Sign of Old Times
One of the most distressing facts about a city that so proudly touts its state of funkified whackadoo weirdness is its lack of original motor courts and roadside motels still in operation. There are the odd flophouses here and there, but let’s not go there. We can point to the twin beauts of SoCo, the…
Film Fanatics’ Favorite New Clubhouse
When they set up camp this spring in the underused Marchesa Hall & Theatre in Lincoln Village, the Austin Film Society made a sanctuary for the movie-mad to congregate and celebrate a shared passion. Whether it’s a visiting director giddy to show her film on 35mm, a sharp-as-a-tack programmer introducing an underseen gem, or the…
Best Sculptor of Male Anatomy
West-Coast transplant Gina Dominguez does dongs right, and with the various models given nicknames, like wigs in a wig shop, you can ride your Vixen Creations’ Goodfella or Outlaw or Maverick (What? No Goose?) all the way home. Although, seriously, safety first: This vixen’s creations are recommended for advanced players only. So hey, post-feminist, liberated…
Best Non-Awkward First Date
You still haven’t decided where to take your crush on a date?! Wipe off those sweaty palms, swallow that breath strip, and put away your small-talk cheat sheet: The Goodnight’s here to rescue you from Faceplantville, pop. 1. Offering great daily drink specials, fancy pizzas, and a truffle oil Five Cheese Mac that will make…
Best Kiddie Calm-Down
It is no secret that kids are full of energy, and the Little Yoga House is a perfect solution to help them focus some of it. The Little Yoga House has a multitude of programs for children of all ages that are designed to teach not only yoga, but also other valuable skills like how…
Best New Look for a Publication
Texas Highways magazine continues to evolve with a new look as it nears its 40th year of documenting the beauty and diversity of Texas. The redesign gives a fresh look to the familiar format. Using bolder and cleaner fonts with more white space increases the readability of the print edition, while the expanded departments offer…
Best Intimate Climb and View
Walk with care up the rocky stairs and gaze upon this amazing view of the Colorado River and the Golden Gate-esque bridge which crosses it. This romantic little hideaway is perfect for stargazing, snuggling, and just hanging around. Revel in the majesty of the galaxies, plains, and waters atop this lovely rock.
Best Delicious Legacy
That red neon bird flappin’ its feathers on the side of the Frisco is the signature of a local restaurant chain of Night Hawk diners owned and operated by one Harry Akin. Making his first burger in Austin in 1932, Akin came to Texas during the Depression, by way of Hollywood. A showman, but also…
Best Mini Horse Luv
When we’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned happy-cry, we know we can always turn to these two organizations to give us what we need. Both Hearts & Hooves and Minis and Friends specialize in training mini horses, as therapy animals then bringing them into the lives of children, adolescents, adults, and elders, some…
Best Free Hot Pink Fiat Abarth
Lisa Copeland, the general manager of Austin’s Fiat studio (that’s Fiat for “dealership”), led her sales team in selling more than 100 Fiat 500s in a single month. For this accomplishment, Copeland was promised via Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne a hot pink Fiat Abarth. And we hear a rumor that it’s outfitted with shag carpet…
Best Hotel
Part modern-upscale lodging for the hip and fabulous, part gathering place for local gadabouts and people-watchers, Hotel San José embodies Austin’s youthful ethos, all sleek edges and immaculately tended xeriscaping. With its weekly brunches, tarot readings, and live music amid the lush courtyards, the former motor court is the beating heart of the SoCo strip.
Best Drag Performer
Oh, pretty Paul. Every night before we go to bed, we say prayers to baby Jesus that we’ll wake up looking just like you. Rebecca Havemeyer’s Southern charm and blonde coiffure are just so darn perfect! And while Christeene is, well, a little rough around the edges, she does have a certain je ne sais…
Best Trivia Night/Pub Quiz
Here’s our advice to you, Geeks Who Drink n00b: Focus on the most important thing – your team name. And while “#shartweek” is hilarious, we heard two different teams think of the same name within the space of a week. No actual points are awarded for creativity in this field, but trust us, you could…
Best Intimate Dining
Owned and operated by husband and wife duo Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher, Lenoir is the perfect place to stare into your lover’s eyes over a three-course prix fixe menu. Designed by Chris McCray, using repurposed and recycled materials, Lenoir invites you to unwind al fresco under the twinkling lights of the wine garden or…
Best Restaurant for Kids
Why do Austin’s parents love Phil’s Icehouse as their family restaurant of choice? 1) Playscapes, 2) Amy’s Ice Creams, and 3) beer. ‘Nuff said. (OK, the burgers are pretty tasty, too, and who can say no to those amazing sweet potato fries?)
Best Local TV News
Extra! Extra! Read all about it. KXAN wins Best Local TV News award for the third year in a row. Public not surprised as they have been consistently on top of Austin’s issues for decades. Texans know who they can count on, wind, rain, or shine, good, bad, or ugly.
Best Sign
Every year, we are faced with the same quandary regarding our beloved South Congress landmark: dick joke or no dick joke? We’ve scoured the archives and decided against it for 2013. The Austin Motel and the careful and loving transformation it went through almost two decades ago is arguably the reason there is a SoCo.…
Best Pool/Billiards
I’m broke but I’m happy, but everything is gonna be fine, because I got one ball in the pocket and the other one is giving a high five down at the Grand. You don’t need to be a baller to play ball at Austin’s favorite pool hall. If you enjoy a nice rack and think…
Best Legislator/Lawmaker
How did a Fort Worth state senator become the most popular politician in Austin? By standing on her feet for 13 hours without a break, filibustering the GOP’s latest round of anti-women’s health care bills. Davis knew what she was getting into – she did the same thing when Republicans tried to slash school funding…
Best Landscape Services
When the natives are restless, who ya gonna call? If it’s a family member, we suggest dialing 911. But if it’s a plant, Fertile Ground Organic Gardens will help you pave (mulch and prune) the way to a new beginning. The business was started in 2001 by Houstonian Julie Donie as a way to prevent…
Best Furnishings/Home
We’ll admit it. On more than one occasion, we thought about hiding in Uptown Modern’s restrooms so we could live there after hours. We would eat popcorn on a beautifully refurbished Danish modern sofa, store our clothes in a Paul McCobb chest, and arrange lavish buffets on a rosewood credenza. Sure, we might get arrested,…
Best of Austin 2013
Given to Fly Best of Austin 2013 KATE X MESSER, SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 It’s like nothing we expected. Calendar editor James Renovitch, photographer John Leach, and I got to spend a morning with professional falconer Steve Oleson and his noble pal, Meego. We were charmed by this elegant bird of prey in ways we never…
Oops!
In the Sept. 6 story on the House District 50 race (“So Special: The Race to Replace Mark Strama”), we mistakenly listed Michael Cargill as a candidate; he did not file by the Sept. 4 deadline and instead endorsed Mike VanDeWalle. And in the “Candidate Snapshot” section of the story, we listed an endorsement of…
Riddick
In this third outing, the science-fiction antihero played by Vin Diesel is stranded on an inhospitable planet.
Best Thing on the Capitol Grounds Without a Dome
One steep hike up a grassy knoll on the east side of the Capitol grounds lands you in a 19th century “castle” that once housed the Texas Land Office. The function of the old girl now is as a de facto visitors’ center for the complex, if not the entire state; the Texas Department of…
Best Bar Keeping South Austin Real
A refurbished, historic stone cottage (former home of biker favorite Beverly’s) houses this neighborhood bar that really captures what’s left of the relaxed and funky old South Austin vibe. It attracts an eclectic crowd – from nearby junkyard workers and former Beverly’s regulars to lesbians, hippies, and neighborhood locals – thanks to its fantastic jukebox,…
Best Transition from SXSW-Austin to Austin-Austin
Even though some may argue that it’s gotten too big, or lost its indie edge, it’s hard to argue that South by Southwest isn’t fun. That said, even the most hardcore of us are ready to have our town back by Sunday. For the past few years, Uncle Doug’s Chili Dog Fest has been making…
Best Out-of-This-World Kombucha Flavors
Kombucha lovers will argue until their next homebrew batch ferments about which local ‘bucha is best. Some for breakfast, some for hangovers, all delicious. The creative concoctions of Kosmic Kombucha are handcrafted locally and boast fresh, nutritious ingredients. All the recipes are based with organic oolong and green teas, and the 14 (and counting) flavors…
Best Kids’ Social Club
There are many options from which to choose when it comes to summer camps for your kids. Amid the cacophony of expensive sleepaways to specialized sports camps to “throw ’em all in a pile and let God sort ’em out” day camps is a little oasis called Spilled Milk Social Club. Founded and operated by…
Best Pickup
What do Veronica Mars marshmallows, Adult Swim acolytes, and Transformers: Rescue Bots buffs all have in common? The tender attentions of the ATX Television Fest, that’s what. After a strong start in 2012, this homegrown festival came roaring back in its second season, drawing fans and industry folk alike with eclectic panels, sneak peeks, affectionate…
Best Ladies Day
Bellinis, nachos, and calamari are yesterday’s news when it comes to a girls’ night out. Got that urge to be the baddest chick crew in town? The fine people at Red’s understand that sometimes nothing helps blow off that 9-to-5 steam like some good ol’ target practice. Gun rentals are free all day Monday for…
Best Dressed Attorney
From a pink riverboat gambler’s suit to an African tribal ensemble to exquisite Asian embroidered jackets, Mark Mueller is a true peacock. Blessed with good looks and silver hair, Mueller, at 6 feet 2 inches, dresses any way he wants. Of course his wardrobe includes the impeccably tailored suits that are a requirement to practice…
Best Nails, Y’all
Megan Rosales may have won national press for her Wendy Davis nail art, but we’ve been a fan of her and her creations for a long time. A cartoonist at heart, Rosales creates such delightful designs that it was only a matter of time until the rest of the country caught up. If you are…
Best Helping Hand on a Foot
Here’s the mission of Mitscoots: Do more with your socks. That’s right, put your socks to work – employing others and changing lives. While volunteering with the homeless, Tim Scott and his wife heard over and over, just behind requests for food and water, this question: Do you have a pair of socks? And that…
Best Hotel/Motel Pool
For the third year running our readers have chosen this swanky spot to do their … um … business. It’s the second year it has been chosed as a great place to take a swim. Don’t think us weird, but we picture you, reader, in the middle of a wild night: You’ve come into the…
Best Film Series
Of all the film festivals in all the film joints in this town, our readers had to walk into the Paramount Summer Classic Film Series, again and again, for nearly 40 years. Every summer, the revered old movie theatre lovingly selects more than 125 movies, often paired into double features centered on clusters of themes…
Best Video Game Studio/Developer
One of the most well-known game developers in the industry, BioWare has been churning out blockbuster science fiction video games like the Mass Effect series and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which tested the ability of the medium to tell an intricate storyline. BioWare’s Austin office quickly became the crown jewel of Austin’s…
Best Pho/Noodles
This ultra hip joint is making ramen synonymous with soul food. Slurp their tasty broth and noodles to the rhythm of old school hip-hop and disco, or occasionally a Hall & Oates jam. There is a major rush during dinner, but don’t let this pressure you to skip the numerous craft beers or ice cream…
Best Shoes for Kids
It’s no surprise that our readers love this longstanding shoe emporium on the north side of town. Sandy’s stocks an extensive selection of high-quality kids’ shoes, from church shoes to sandals to brightly colored (or sparkly or sensible) kicks. The knowledgeable staff is always helpful and polite, and kids love to explore the jungle of…
Best Locally Produced TV Show
No need to get moody because you didn’t score free tickets to a taping of Austin City Limits. I’m sure millions of people by now have been in your shoes, since ACL began showcasing what seems like every major music artist since 1974 and is now the longest-running music program in TV history. You can…
Best Skyscraper
It’s dangerous walking Downtown. At any time, you might collide with city strollers stopping in their tracks to Instagram a shot of the FBT’s crystalline clarity. Also, from skyline vistas afar (take North Burnet Road headed south, for example), this jutting crown creates a unique profile, distinguishing itself from more recent additions that seek to…
Best Romantic Escape
Need a getaway? Fredericksburg is just 80 miles west of Austin and is a romantic’s oasis. With no shortage of bed & breakfasts and with over 30 wineries in and around the city, grab your partner and head to the Hill Country. Stroll hand in hand down Main Street, sipping your favorite brew. Pop into…
Best Local Politics Blog
Kid bloggers no more: As many of BOR’s alumni become movers and shakers in the Travis County Democratic establishment, over the last year Editor-in-Chief Katherine Haenschen and Publisher Karl-Thomas Musselman have recruited a new pack of progressive bloodhounds and investigative rabble-rousers. Right-wingers and bigots beware: These pups have teeth and a sharp sense of social…
Best Laundromat
Well, SpinZone, you’ve gone and done it again. What is it? The TVs out the wazoo? The old-school arcade games for the bored children? The free wi-fi? Maybe it’s all of those. We like the largest locally owned coin-op laundry biz in town title, honestly; and, of course, the whole same day wash-and-fold feature that…
Best Gardening Store
You can’t honestly call the Natural Gardener a simple gardening store. They do sell plenty of soil, compost, and organic plants from their nursery, but with their gardening and sustainable living classes, on-site butterfly garden, and open invitation to post up on the lawn for a picnic, Natural Gardener distinguishes itself as more than a…
Day Trips
Gerald weighs in on his best ‘Day Trips’
Drinking Buddies
Mumblecore pro Joe Swanberg successfully ups his game by using professional actors in this observational drama.
Best Wall of Sound
Once upon a time, the two-story house at the corner of East 17th and Alamo Streets in East Austin was nothing to write home about. Brown with darker brown trim and a line of half-dead bushes along the chain-link fence. But that was before Joe and Grace got their hands on the place and transformed…
Best Bar People
If you don’t know Becca, Paige, Kathi, or Janie then, frankly, you don’t know where to find the best time in town. These are the women of Quality Seafood – and, more to the point, perhaps, the women who make the experience of dining (and drinking) at the Quality Seafood bar the best way to…
Best Way to Heed Your Need for Speed
In just one short year, Austin’s new COTA track ranks among the most popular circuits in the world. Built in time for the inaugural Formula One race here last November, the track – from its wild elevation changes to chicanes and switchbacks – is something to behold. Since opening, the site has been host to…
Best PFG Milkshake
You may want to replace that beer with something a little bit more G-rated. I’m sorry, did I break your concentration? I didn’t mean to do that. Please, continue, you were saying something about best intentions? Hear us out. This is some serious gourmet shit. The chocolate chip cookies shake at the Alamo Drafthouse is…
Best Maker/Tinkerer
Inspired by Gever Tulley, who started the original Tinkering School in California, Kami Wilt has dedicated her career to giving children hands-on experiences in the interest of developing their creativity and confidence through art, glue guns, and power tools. Wilt, who also organized the 2013 Austin Mini Maker Faire, offers camps, classes, and parties through…
Best Purveyors of Gloss
There’s nothing like holding a magazine or newspaper in your hands. Hey, print media loyalist: We’re on your side. And so is Shweiki Media. Chances are, if you’ve picked up any of a number of free glossy publications available at coffee shops and other outlets between the Austin and San Antonio metro areas, you’ve encountered…
Best Natural High
There’s nothing like leaping from a tiny platform to really get your adrenaline going, but you’re in good hands with the folks at Trapeze Austin. Professional circus performers who moonlight as thoughtful teachers will have you turning flopping into flipping in no time, and always with smiles on their faces. So do yourself a favor,…
Best Great Society Robot Redux
When last we hung out with ol’ Beej, he was slung against a fence post, chawing a strand of hay (did we imagine this?), telling tales about this and that while rocking his Stetson, rancher blue jeans, and fave checked shirt, grandpa-style. Well, our guy from Stonewall must’ve caught a bit of the makeover bug…
Best Non-Toothy Reason to Sit in a Dentist’s Chair
We know we’re in good hands while Doc Milner performs dental maneuvers with picks or abraders or instruments that sound like something from a dubstep joint, but it’s the gorgeous view from his dental chairs that truly comforts us: wide, clear windows onto a wooded hillside where deer occasionally graze and avian brightness flutters its…
Best New Playful Second Street Addition
After more than a dozen years on the corner of 29th & Guadalupe, the tiny, twisted Toy Joy has sprouted wingz and landed their Hello Kitty gear and pregnant-lady keychains in the upscale Second Street district. And not a moment too soon, bringing some levity to all those “Downtown has no soul/what is happening to…
Best Motel
Every year, we are faced with the same quandary regarding our beloved South Congress landmark: dick joke or no dick joke? We’ve scoured the archives and decided against it for 2013. The Austin Motel, and the careful and loving transformation it went through almost two decades ago, is arguably the reason there is a SoCo.…
Best Jukebox
Come on down! You’re the next contestant on Jackpot Jukebox, brought to you by Casino el Camino. Whether you play at the classic or new location, you can win many fabulous prizes like Johnny Cash, Diamond Dogs, the Jimmy Castor Bunch(!), “Road Runner! Road Runner!,” and so many more than your brain can process as…
Best Artisan Food Company
If you like cheese like we like cheese – and, man, we really like cheese – there’s no better place to get your goat (or sheep or cow) than Antonelli’s, an artisan shop like no other in the ATX. The staff is devoted and expert, and their selection of delights – from the French Ossau-Iraty,…
Best Pizza
“Hey, pizza!” This independently owned and always bustling pizzeria offers the best New York style pizza in town, if not the whole dang state. Owned by married couple Jen and Joseph Strickland and friend Terri Hannifin, Home Slice is a SoCo must-taste. Pair the white clam pizza with an Austin Beerworks Pearl-Snap and fold that…
Best Sports/Rec Program
We all know what happens when kids are left to their own devices under the blazing hot summer sun. Luckily, for parents who want to prevent their sons and daughters from banding together to form savage, primitive tribes every time summer vacation rolls around, there is the YMCA. Kids build independence and self-confidence, make friends,…
Best News Website
We tip our caps to the Texas Tribune. It’s hard to believe that Evan Smith’s nonprofit news org is only now finishing up its fourth year, given how quickly it became a household name in Texas political reporting. (It doesn’t hurt that they’ve partnered with The New York Times as the Grey Lady’s go-to resource…
Best Statue
Ever dream of sitting down and shootin’ the hay with Willie Nelson? You just know he’d have some real killer advice. Well, with just a little imagination, we think that Willie’s statue in front of the Moody Theater is an excellent stand-in for the man himself. The next time you’re feeling blue, why not head…
Best Scenic View
Whether it be the big, blue Texas sky, the majestic Colorado River, the Austin skyline, or some pretty sweet McMansions, the Mount Bonnell view never disappoints. This is the perfect place to watch the sunrise or sunset as you soak in the breathtaking sights. Views like these are what make Texans proud!
Best March or Rally
The bumper sticker goes, “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” Perhaps that’s why so many of those standing with Texas women didn’t mind being called an “unruly mob.” When the powers that be refused to listen to an outpouring of public testimony against the sweeping abortion restrictions bill, there was little left to do than to…
Best Movers
Unicorns, whaaaaat? Seriously, though, this company does exist and strives to provide a level of service as rarely seen as their mascot IRL. They’ve done their homework and can expertly handle any moving job, large or small, at a competitive price. These are no amateurs, and they vow never to be all hoof.
Best Grocery Store
When artist Albert Bui titled H-E-Bs on his “Judgmental Austin Map” (“scary H-E-B,” “scarier H-E-B,” and “gimp H-E-B”), he may not have been prepared for the barrage of people who either defended or became embattled over the meme-moniker of their neighborhood H-E-B. But Bui certainly got one thing right, our neighborhoods aren’t only defined by…
Gay Place
Investitures, Queerlympics, Rope Bondage, and Cheerleaders peaceably coexist in your week of gay
Spark: A Burning Man Story
This doc’s not for burning.
Best Way to Show Your Love
It popped up just over a year ago, on the side of the brick building on East Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard that houses the United Way for Greater Austin: a bright blue/green mural with a slice of white bread and a pat of melting butter with the message, written on each element, respectively, “You’re…
Best Beer Recommendations
As hard as it is to believe, not every Austinite is a beer expert, though many may think they are. So, handing over the reins to the genuinely cool servers at Hopfields down on the Drag can be a lesson in trust. With a menu of what feels like infinity – everything from Big Bear…
Best West Campus Bar With a Rich History
Tucked between the frat houses and overpriced apartments, there lies a smattering of historic buildings, but one in particular caught our eye. Now a bar named Freedmen’s, this landmark dates back to 1869, when it was built by former slave George Franklin. Throughout their storied past, these walls have hosted everything from a church to…
Best Place for Breakfast and a Show
Sure, there are other breakfast spots in town known for plate-sized pancake goodness, but Counter Cafe is a fierce contender in any breakfast roundup. This tiny eatery – housed in the location of the last surviving GM Steakhouse – also whips up incredible chicken burgers, quail, and home fries that’ll have you in tears of…
Best Mother’s Little Driving Helper
It’s every new mother’s quandary: Your kiddo has finally fallen asleep, only you’re still in the car, and you don’t dare move them. How do you get that fresh-squeezed juice, lotto ticket, pack of batteries, six-pack of beer, and bag of chips? The team at the Cool Store has you covered with an old-school drive-through…
Best Somebody’s Got to Do It Job
It’s a messy job, eating all of that greasy meat, trying to decide which of the hundreds of Lone Star barbecue joints deserve to be ranked among the best in Texas and thus, the world. Last March that Herculean task fell to Daniel Vaughn when Texas Monthly magazine named him their first-ever barbecue editor. Arguably…
Best New Flow Fest
With help from the San Marcos Habitat Conservation Plan and the San Marcos River Foundation, three Texas State University alumni have created one of the RAD-dest ecological festivals for those who like to go with the flow. River Awareness Day debuted in August as the precursor to the Texas Wild Rice Festival, slated for this…
Best LGBTQ Time Travel
Due to the ongoing and tireless efforts of AHC archivist Tim Hamblin and volunteer Scott Hoffman (smartypants Purdue American Studies Ph.D.), the history center’s slowly but surely growing LGBTQ archive has a resource guide. What’s the big deal? Resource guides, also called finding aids, are the portals for us mere mortals wanting to find out…
Best of Both Medicinal Worlds
Who among us hasn’t wished there was someone really smart out there who could explain both the drugs in the M.D.’s tool kit and the alternative health stuff – the supplements and herbs the doc isn’t too sure about but lots of us actually prefer. Tom Schnorr, compounding pharmacist and certified clinical nutritionist, is that…
Best NKOTNB (New Kid on the Naughty Block)
In the grand tradition of human-centric, feminist sex-toy shops, Q Toys emerges on Austin’s scene triumphant. Quality vibes and toys are laid out smartly on clean shelves for you to test. Q Toys’ ingenious lube bar is the place to compare the relative merits of each: too sticky, too slick … just right! With in-store…
Best Clothing Designer
Peut-être que vous avez déjà entendu parler de Gail Chovan? Bien sûr que son atelier Blackmail à Austin est le meilleur endroit pour obtenir tous vos vêtements et accessoires d’une teinte noire. Mais, saviez-vous également qu’elle passe ses étés à Paris, en enseignant le stylisme à la Sorbonne? C’est vrai! On la vue là-bas. Et…
Best Karaoke Night
Unlike other places that just dabble in the Japanese-bred art of karaoke, Ego’s fully commits itself. Singers and saaaangers both find a home in this cozy space. Their book is not to be believed (we may or may not have sung Fannypack’s “Cameltoe”), and the crowd is lovingly heckle-free. So try out that Beyoncé-inspired vocal…
Best Austin Food Landmark
Already famous as a luxurious land of never-ending meat, riverside dining, and leisurely hammocks, it’s basically inevitable that the Salt Lick will one day rebrand itself as a barbecue-themed amusement park. To help the proprietors along in that process, here are a few suggestions for their new and improved name: Ribsland. Universal Sausages. Six Servings…
Best Restaurant Design/Interior
The neon lotus sign on South First marks the spot for this year’s top dining destination. Square communal wooden tables, wide windows, and an open kitchen – designed by local visionary and architect, Michael Hsu – set the stage for your visit to modern Thai-Australian cuisine. Reward your taste buds with to-die-for creations like the…
Best Teen Hangout
No matter what era you’re living in, teens, you enjoy cheap people-watching. We feel you. Nothing inspires more gratuitous peacocking than a hot day at this natural spring. Whether sitting on your towel on a hillside or taking a dip in the waters (some of you would never, we realize), you can take in the…
Best Radio Host/Deejay
Your morning commute is bezonkers, so stream some sanity with Jason Dick and Deb O’Keefe of 101X. Morning show success is beholden to on-air chemistry between deejays. Deb’s ineluctable charm and wit has real bite, and self-deprecating dudebro Jason is the perfect foil. It’s a morning show … con huevos and clotted cream.
Best Window Display
Despite the disparity in economies of scale (local atelier vs. national chain), the window designers working at these shops are c’est magnifique. First there’s Aaron Flynn, whose visual signatures (geometry, animalia, unjustifiably unexpected visual combos) are all over the heart of darkness we call Blackmail. And then there are the Anthropologie window dressers, who receive…
Best Social Bike Ride
Whether you’re a cycling Speedy Gonzales or Slowpoke Rodriguez doesn’t matter. If your bike has a basket, a bell that rings, and tricked-out things, or is a two-wheeled beater that scrapes when it brakes, get ready to roll. Make a new friend or 20, get into shape, tour the city, and sharpen your skills at…
Best News Story
13 hours. That’s how long it took for a previously little-known Texas senator to become an international sensation. That she didn’t quite make it to midnight mattered very little in the end. By the time Sen. Donna Campbell called the third point of order, Davis’ filibuster had moved beyond being simple parliamentary procedure. It became…
Best Pedicure/Manicure
When you need a pedicure complete with an exfoliating scrub and vanilla cupcake-scented paraffin wax treatment, Embellish is your place. The affordable and natural nail care salon offers organic facials complete with embellishments such as a yam and pumpkin enzyme peel and an alpha hydroxy fruit pulp and paprika glycolic treatment. Watch your favorite rom-coms…
Best Hardware Store
One of the many great things about Breed & Co. is even before you hit the aisles a’searchin’ for that widget-wadget that will magically fix your toilet, there’s someone preempting your frantic search, greeting you and asking if you need help. And trust us, you need help. We know we need help. The experience here…
Point Austin: Of Caps and Handcuffs
At budget time, there’s no substitute for wrestling the numbers
Jayne Mansfield’s Car
This Billy Bob Thornton vehicle hits the skids with its confessional monologues and confrontational encounters, even though Robert Duvall provides some redeeming moments.
Best Alamo Drafthouse Yet
Once a lone outpost in Downtown Austin, the Alamo Drafthouse’s initial experiment in moviegoing has grown over the years into a thriving enterprise, multiplying many times over within Austin and across America. Yet rather than seizing on a winning formula and engraving it in stone, owner Tim League and his colleagues keep tweaking the model…
Best Coffee Ceremony
Owners Woinee Mariam and Solomon Hailu serve up their Ethiopian fare with tons of love and care, and bring all that authenticity and attention to their coffee ceremony as well. Guests are taught the history of this sensory stimulating ritual with frankincense and roasted beans wafting in the air. The coffee is lush, rich, and…
Best Cinema/Brew House Combo
Cinemas featuring full menus and adult beverages are kind of an Austin tradition, but Flix is a worthy contender up north with one very important trick up its sleeve. These guys serve up some awesome in-house brews, including a Luna Rosa Wit fragranced with coriander and blood oranges. Sink into your movie seat, pull up…
Best Affordable Fajitas
Strangely, in a town bursting at the belly with Tex-Mex cuisine, the two most important criteria for optimal fajita enjoyment are rarely found in the same place at the same time. Most restaurants have fajitas, but often the best ones strain the wallet, while the cheap ones cause indigestion. The exception is Taquerias Arandinas, which…
Best Taco Window
Just when we thought that there was nothing new to love about tacos. At Taco-Mex’s (should be patented) taco window, you put a li’l money in, hot tacos come out, you cover them with salsa, and you stuff them in your mouth. That’s all there is, that’s all you need. Now with an additional brand-spanking-new…
Best Nature Education for Kids and Families
Founded on the principles outlined in Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, Austin Families in Nature is a club dedicated to, well, getting families out into nature in an effort to build community, promote creativity and curiosity, and reconnect families in the midst of busy lives. Under the direction of Heather and David…
Best Technicolor Tease
Austin and Provo, Utah, both have the distinction of being the next place that Google Fiber is settling its RGB+Y behind, or so Austinites found out with a well-placed billboard on northbound I-35. You know the scenario: It’s 6 o’clock and you’re headed home from your daily grind in South Austin, and as you ready…
Best New Water Activity
Finally! A way to enjoy the beauty of Lady Bird Lake … and never get wet. Austin Water Bikes prides itself on helping Austinites explore the lake without worrying about getting drenched or falling in the water. The eponymous water bikes are an eco-friendly blend of kayak and bicycle, and allow cruisers to speed along…
Best Motivation to Fix the Criminal Justice System
Anthony Graves spent nearly two decades behind bars – including a majority of those years on Texas’ death row – for a multiple murder he did not commit. After years of fighting to prove his innocence, Graves was finally released, and ultimately exonerated, in 2010. Despite finding an outside world that had changed, and drastically,…
Best Onsite Swag Printers
Buy it, use it, break it, fix it. Trash it, change it, mail – upgrade it. Charge it, point it, zoom it, press it. Snap it, work it, quick – erase it. Write it, cut it, paste it, save it. Load it, check it, quick – rewrite it, Name it, rate it, tune it, print…
Best Plant Nursery
When you hear of East Austin Succulents, you may think hipster hydroponics, but no. Retrain your brain and expect a huge selection (from aloe to zebra plant) and services such as landscaping and custom arrangements. Take that sad, empty planter in and owners Eric and Julie, sultans of succulents, and staff will gladly help you…
Best Comedian or Comedy Troupe
Let’s be real; there are some truly awful movies out there. Luckily, Austin has a crew of comedic craftsmen that takes the bad and makes them not suck … as much. (Hey, there is only so much that can be done to make Twilight any less of the bloodsucking suckfest of suck that it is.)…
Best LGBTQ Hangout
Shake your tail feather, drink a kombucha cocktail, chill outdoors, or eat some delectable (with vegan options!) food-trailer grub. Cheer Up Charlie’s is a queer little gem on East Sixth with just the right amount of Austin weird to make your merry go round. (Have you been to “Best of Austin” award-winner Stanley Roy’s, aka…
Best Barbecue
The now world-famous barbecue mecca is open from 11am until they’re sold out, so Franklin groupies know to line up as early as 7am to call dibs on their legendary brisket, turkey, and sausage – the stuff of carnivore dreams. Frequenters bring their lawn chairs and a Settlers of Catan board to pass the time…
Best Restaurant of the Year
The neon lotus sign on South First marks the spot for this year’s top dining destination. Square communal wooden tables, wide windows, and an open kitchen – designed by local visionary and architect, Michael Hsu – set the stage for your visit to modern Thai-Australian cuisine. Reward your taste buds with to-die-for creations like the…
Best Texas Amusement Park
Are you a Schlitt-head? We hope you realize, Austin, that you are utterly spoiled in this category – because nothing, nothing, compares to this German-tinged sprawling waterpark. From the hand-built throughways of some of the park’s oldest attractions to the spooky animatronic hilarity of the Congo River Expedition, the place is heavy on nostalgia for…
Best Radio Station
Since its launch in 1958, 90.5FM has held a special place on Austin’s radio dial. This University of Texas-based public radio station became an NPR charter member in the Seventies, and the resulting blend of public affairs programs (All Things Considered, Morning Edition) and homegrown music shows that listeners planned their weeks around (Can you…
Best Actor/Actress
For a dozen Decembers, Martin Burke donned the gay apparel of Crumpet, the Macy’s elf in The Santaland Diaires, and filled us with Christmas cheer. But Burke is more than a pair of candy-cane tights, as proven by his hilarious and heartbreaking performances in The Laramie Project, The Drowsy Chaperone, Angels in America, Twelfth Night,…
Best Swimming Hole
Fall down the rabbit hole to a place where politicians mingle with yogis and everything in-between, where the water stays an average 70 degrees and local lore flows easy out of the mouths of locals; have you heard the one about how Robert Redford learned to swim in Barton Springs Pool when he was five…
Best Nonprofit
In these dismal days of slashed funding and religioun-pandering lawmakers running amok, those of us who have benefited from the basic health services of Planned Parenthood are left wondering how our lives may have played out if we hadn’t had access to their care. Though the state of women’s health care in Texas is the…
Best Pet Services
If there ever comes a time you must be away from your sweet baby (your dog), you can feel confident that the loving and attentive staff of Mud Puppies will take care of your best friend (your dog). This doggy service emporium offers boarding, training, and “playcare,” and if you’re hoping to treat your favorite…
Best Music Gear
So you wanna be a rock & roll star? Quit singing into your toothbrush or playing air guitar in the mirror, and journey to the center of Austin’s gearhead universe. Project the galaxies with their extensive lighting, call out to the stars to see if there is life on Mars with the vast selection of…
Then There’s This: Waste Over the Aquifer
With settlement, city must now support treatment plant in recharge zone
Afternoon Delight
A woman creates a tempest in her domestic teapot when she invites a lap dancer to stay with her family.
Best Devilish Views and Hitchhiking Ghosts
Idle hands don’t have anything on this scenic playground. This drive snakes through Wimberley and Blanco, offering picturesque views of the 400-mile-long Balcones Fault (and some pretty lavish homes). But watch out for deer … and hitchhiking ghosts who have been reported to take the forms of Confederate soldiers and pioneers. Don’t believe us? Stop…
Best Eclectic Boogaloo
The funk of yesteryear never smelled so … eclectic. Its remains lie in the Museum of Natural & Artificial Ephemerata, a place that harkens back to the days of dime museums and traveling carnivals. Touted as one of the few remaining in-home, family-run museums in the nation, Ephemerata first began in Tucson, Ariz., in 1921,…
Best Dangerous Body Rocker
Vacillating between up and at ’em cumbia and slow and low Afro-Caribbean jamz (or, depending upon the crowd, vice versa?), Chorizo Funk makes good on his moniker. A creature of collaboration, Chorizo Funk (née Eddie Campos) is a member of DJ/artist collective Peligrosa and works regularly with Riders Against the Storm for the monthly frenzied…
Best Between-Class Munchies
Plopped amidst the raucousness undergrad haven of West Campus is one of Austin’s newest food truck collectives, Rancho Rio Eatery. The spot revived favorites like Mighty Cone and Wurst Tex after their uprooting from the legendary SoCo spot, and included newcomers like Thai of the Town and Cow Tipping Creamery. Battling the lunch-rush parking pandemonium…
Best Unexpectedly Real Coffeehouse
You might not expect to find a real coffeehouse in a food trailer, but thoughtful owners Uri and Esther Ondras make you feel right at home. In addition to using Texas Coffee Traders organic fair trade to brew their brew, the Ondras chat you up and stock board games and offer specials like Toddler Tuesdays…
Best Pizza for Exhausted Parents
It’s Friday. It’s been a long, tough week at the office and you just want to unwind with a few brewskis. Oh, but there are those pesky offspring, always wanting to be picked up from school and fed and interacted with. Luckily, there’s Pinthouse Pizza, owned and operated by a beer-and-pizza-loving dad who’s got your…
Best Triple-Digit Prestidigitator
There’s something as predictable as a month over 100+ degree temps during the long Texas summer. Namely: At 8am every morning on KUT and KUTX, YNN’s chief weather-scryer will deliver the hard blow to you directly, which, let’s be honest, is really the best way to hear that you’ll be feeling the sweat flow like…
Best Nightly Air Show
To the untrained eye, the swarm of birds circling over the old Highland Mall in North Austin might be mistaken for a flock of the much maligned and often pesky grackle. On the contrary, these are Purple Martins coming to roost in the trees around the north side of the shopping mall. The dark birds…
Best Neighborhood Advocate
If there is something going on in the city that could impact Central Austin’s neighborhoods, Mary Ingle is most likely there. Like a gentler, modern Madame Defarge, Ingle sits through long (sometimes tedious) meetings, watching, listening, and speaking her mind when need be. Currently serving as first vice president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council, a…
Best Pharmacy Service
Down-home, good old-fashioned pharmacy customer service is somewhat like the gentleman who rides his bike around town in nothing but a thong: We hear about it all the time, but seeing it firsthand can be a little confusing. Rite-Away Pharmacy is no frills, and the pharmacists are just happy to see you any time you…
Best Quick Stop for Everything From Beer to Bug Candy
Adored by neighborhood kids, twentysomethings on bikes, and anyone else who steps foot into this local legend, the Flag Store (née Hyde Park Market, Deli & Organic Grocery) has something for everyone – all in a convenient, corner-store fashion. The beer section alone rivals some of the biggest booze stops in town, attended by the…
Best Composer
This master of mood can take any instrument and make it do his bidding. There is no feeling he can’t capture, whether it’s original music for Rick Linklater’s Before Midnight or a score for Forklift Danceworks’ upcoming PowerUP performance by the folks who work the lines at Austin Energy. Drawing from both contemporary and classical…
Best Live DJ
Block-rockin’ beat junkies look no further. Everyone can get their fix from something in DJ Mel’s bag of tricks. Fiending for some perfectly mixed hip-hop? Searching for a funky beat to soothe your soul? Post up in front of DJ Mel’s decks and heal yourself. Side effects may include a goofy smile, dance fever, and…
Best Breakfast
Breakfast for dinner is our favorite. Especially while drinking bottomless cups of coffee and debating whether or not the objects on the walls of Kerbey Lane Cafe are art (which we totally think that they are). This throwback to home-cooked comfort makes us feel like we’re in an episode of Happy Days. Did we mention…
Best Restaurant Service
The middle child has made quite a name for itself. Chef Tyson Cole’s second venture after renowned sushi restaurant, Uchi, often still has a weeks-long reservation list, and Uchiko’s stellar rep has helped make celebrity chef Paul Qui the star he is today. The ambience is modern elegance; razor-sharp servers skillfully present cuisine concepts that…
Best Toys
Imagine walking into your childhood dreams and you have a good idea of what Terra Toys is working with. From floor to ceiling, this place is a wonderland of any and every toy you can imagine. Bring the kids to play with their huge selection whilst you fawn and reminisce over all the vintage goodies.…
Best Sportscaster
Longhorn football has been a drag-and-a-half the past few years, but our friend Mike Barnes is staying stronger than ever. His bread and butter lies in local high school football with Friday Football Fever on KVUE. He’s been in the Austin sports scene since ’87, and he’s probably going to be around for a long…
Best Art Gallery
In a town bursting with arts and culture, the Blanton Museum of Art brings together centuries-old European paintings and intellectually challenging modern works from across the Americas. During the day, moms with toddlers in strollers mill around the brightly lit rooms and share the space with gaggles of UT students following their profs around like…
Best Swimming Pool
Come one, come all to Texas’ first swimming pool. Taste the clean, nonchlorinated water from a hand-dug well (don’t swallow). Feel the blissfully clear waters (no pond scum). Hear the joyous screams of children piling on their favorite parent (ear-piercing delight). See disaffected youth guarding your life like it was their summer job (it is).
Best Scandal
Austin may be a laid-back town, but occasionally we have to check our blood pressure. Case in point: When we all found out that Travis County D.A. Rosemary Lehmberg wasn’t praying when sheriff’s deputies found her in that church parking lot. What followed were headlines usually reserved for Lindsay Lohan. Lawsuits! Rehab! A creepy paternal…
Best Printer/Copies
Printer ink costs more per ounce than human blood or fine wine, so why not spare your little home inkjet and let the professionals take care of your next big job? From dissertations to show posters, these guys can take care of you, or you can do it all yourself by ordering online or dropping…
Best Naughty Business
Keeping Austin kinky and twinky for more than 30 years, Forbidden Fruit specializes in all kinds of erotic gear. BDSM? LGBTQIA? Forbidden Fruit remains steadfastly, wholly inclusive with an emphasis on education and self-expression. A delight to your saucy bits, their vast selection of toys and lingerie will keep you coming back for more, more,…
Quote of the Week
“It’s time we stepped in another direction.” – Council Member Bill Spelman during budget hearings, arguing that Austin Police Department costs have outstripped need and residential income over the last decade, and need to be restrained.
Potugadu
Telugu romantic comedy.
Best Horror House Doppelganger
Before you shriek in terror, don’t run away from this adorable Victorian house just yet. It may look exactly like the home of Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but it’s actually its architectural twin. Both houses were built in Round Rock in the early 1900s in the “pattern book” style, and Burkland-Frisk was taken…
Best Improvement on Perfection
Everything about this venue is so right: the film selection, the cozy theatres, the food, and the drinks. Watching movies here is so sublime. Then nirvana gets interrupted by the sweat of the ice cubes in our drinks dribbling down our arms or the sound of a highball glass sliding off one of those collapsible…
Best Dark Side Ride
Dun dun dun, du dun dun, du dun dun. Um, is there anything better than the “Imperial March” theme to get you pumped up for a wild night? This aspiring Sith of a pedicab brings the dark side to drunks and assists young Padawans on their very own quests in a galaxy far, far away…
Best Comfort Cuisine
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that we were not always a foodie town, that the current array of tastebud-boggling options was not always on our social menu. So it’s easy for old favorites to get lost in the din of dinnertime dilemmas. Strolling in and sitting down at one of Austin’s two Hyde Park Bar…
Best Vegan Burrito
While it’s possible to enjoy vegan versions of Frito Pie, it’s even better to enjoy it as imagined by the enterprising plant-based punks at the Vegan Yacht. The husband-and-wife duo of Mike and Danielle Wood elevate the deeply Texan foodstuff by pairing tempeh chili with the signature corn chips, smooshing it into a giant tortilla…
Best Spot to Feed Your Nursling
Nordstrom: home to the fashion-forward and well-(high)-heeled set. Also home to the poshest spot to nurse your little one. In a lounge far enough away from the toilets, there’s always a comfortable, quiet cushioned seat for mom and babe to relax. Just the right amount of discreet to duck in and feed your little without…
Best Way to Broaden Your Musical Horizons
For over two dozen years, Michael Crockett has been purveyor of the latest and greatest chido sounds from Latin America. From electro-cumbia to fusión, dude has a voracious hunger and encyclopedic recall of complex musical landscapes (and their various colonial and postcolonial influences). His easy-breezy chatty style with visiting musicians, who tend to join Crockett…
Best Reason to Say Yee-Haw
A giant, stuffed jackalope and tales of a UFO body are reasons enough to make a trek to Wimberley’s Cowboy Museum, planted smackdab in the middle of the reconstructed Pioneer Town. The museum’s owner, Jack Glover, has been delighting and raising the eyebrows of visitors for decades. The Blanco River flows through the 89-year-old’s veins,…
Best Path to Inclusive Gaming
Sam Killermann is one of the LGBT community’s greatest allies with the Safe Zone Project, The Social Justice Advocate’s Handbook: A Guide to Gender, and other educational endeavors attributable to him. But it’s the Gamers Against Bigotry initiative that really impresses, setting its sights on a demographic known for hateful speech tossed around cavalierly, especially…
Best Shelter Dog Training
Although Austin is a no-kill city, some dogs with behavioral problems don’t make the cut. Enter nonprofit Dogs Out Loud, which strives to make Austin a true no-kill city by making every dog adoptable. Sometimes certain shelter dogs need a little extra TLC, and the ladies at DOL take the most difficult yet most loveable…
Best Shop-Local Portals
An ambitious, community-minded entrepreneur needs more than a business plan and some start-up scratch to become a vital part of Austin’s crowded local business scene. Both of these organizations offer clubs, activities, and communications for their members to grow better-connected and to keep abreast of best practices. The Austin Independent Business Alliance, of “Keep Austin…
Best Dancer or Dance Company
With a history spanning more than half a century, Ballet Austin strives to reflect our city’s unique culture by honoring classical traditions, but always pushing the limits and exploring adventurous new concepts with exquisite style. If history is prologue, the upcoming 2013-14 season will bring a whole new chapter of excellence that is always, after…
Best Local Beer
The number four conjures images of preschool, quarters to make the $1 menu possible, and maybe ex-boyfriends named Chris. Austin Beerworks gives the nice, even number a whole new meaning with their four excellent beers, in four craft beer corners, turning the square into a tasting party. Fire Eagle (American IPA), Black Thunder (German-Style Schwarz),…
Best Breakfast Tacos
No matter what your dietary proclivities, Tacodeli has the breakfast taco for you. Maybe you’re gluten-free. No worries: The Vaquero (scrambled eggs, grilled corn, poblanos, and cheese) on corn is your huckleberry. Maybe you like to keep it weird? Try a taco with the ‘deli’s signature mashed papas. Or kick it old-school with a straight-up…
Best Sushi
Executive Chef Tyson Cole worked his way from Kyoto dishwasher to Mushashino apprentice, and now boasts a world-class sushi restaurant, a James Beard award, and a burgeoning empire. Uchi is in a class by itself: Fish is flown in daily, and an ever-changing menu gracefully fuses Japanese tradition with local and seasonal ingredients for brilliant…
Best Video Game Rental/Purchase for Kids
Hey Mega Man and Cloud Strife, your pixelated heinies may be long gone, but they’re not forgotten at this roost for retro games. Gamers know that like a good novel, a good game is worth playing again and again – regardless of what newfangled serialized monstrosity is currently on store shelves. Game Over is a…
Best TV Anchor
First, there was the Big Bang. Then, there was Quita Culpepper. Oh Quita, how we love thee, let us count the ways … After dominating the Best TV Reporter category at KVUE for a gabillion years (seriously, a gabillion!), Quita has finally moved up – to take the top spot as our Best TV Anchor.…
Best Arts Festival
The insular has its place in art but according to this vote, Austin prefers community and sunshine as the setting for expression. Trek through the minds, homes, and studios of creators for free during EAST or go trip the light fantastic during Art Outside’s hedonistic weekend. Both are communal, personal looks into the visions of…
Best Tennis Court
Lessons and clinics appropriate for all levels taught by experienced and friendly teaching pros? Ace, South Austin Tennis. Well-maintained courts available for play seven days a week? Advantage, South Austin Tennis. And a newly redesigned pro shop available that offers great gear as well as repairs? That’s game! South Austin Tennis gets the win!
Best Social Program
In these dismal days of slashed funding and religioun-pandering lawmakers running amok, those of us who have benefited from the basic health services of Planned Parenthood are left wondering how our lives may have played out if we hadn’t had access to their care. Though the state of women’s health care in Texas is the…
Best Shoe Repair
Before we discovered Austin Shoe Hospital, we were upcycling our favorite footwear into exquisite planters, gravy boats, and button bins. But now our unshod days are over! We’ll never let those favorite clodhoppers go to seed again when a quick hospital visit or mail-order repair can have us as light in our loafers as when…
Best Neighborhood Grocery/Convenience
The only retail food cooperative in Texas, Wheatsville Co-op is where sustainability meets substance. This city is in love with this multiple “Best of Austin” winner/bohemian foodophile haven. With an emphasis on local and organic, it’s no wonder the co-op has over 12,000 owners. Don’t worry though; you don’t have to be an owner to…
Headlines
› On Tuesday, after spending much sweat equity, City Council adopted the city’s FY 2013-14 budget, with no increase in the property tax rate but additional funding for police, parks, and development review. See “City Council.” › Austin Police last week wrapped up a two-month Downtown narco sting, code named Operation Safe Assistance II, focusing…
One Direction: This Is Us (Extended Fan Cut)
Four more songs, 20 extra minutes, untold additional dollars.
Best Narrative Art
Through a series of abstract yard sculptures, Austin-based artist Bobby Pearl re-creates the stories her grandmother told her about life in the shtetl through bronze abstract figurative work. “Pogrom!” interprets her great-grandmother’s escape from the Cossacks, with a female relief hunched over a dangerous-looking, barren ground. Pearl created the narrative series, which traces her grandmother’s…
Best Inaugural Festival
It only took AMODA 16 years, but their first legit conference, Protos Digital Art & Prototyping Festival, entered the Austin festival world in May 2013. Electronic artists from all over the globe flocked to the Long Center, demonstrating and experimenting with new art forms in the digital spectrum. Some local gurus teamed up with performers…
Best Enabler of Our ‘Adventure Time’ Obsession
Oh dear glob, this summer’s group show featuring art inspired by the Cartoon Network series beloved by adults and children alike was totally mathematical! More than 30 artists showcased their interpretive tableaux of the postapocalyptic cartoonscape, from the agony of Lemongrab to the sinister beauty of Marceline and the bathetic joie de vivre of heroes…
Best Excuse to String Us Along
Austin-based Gourmet Texas Pasta knows life can be messy, especially when trying to eat pasta by twirling it around a fork. They stock 25 varieties (artichoke, Szechuan orange, Cajun, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) of whole wheat, all-natural pasta made from whole vegetables, herbs, spices, and olive oil. When pasta tastes this good on its own, the…
Best Way to Eat Your Brussels Sprouts
Tiny green balls of leafy nutrition are only moderately appealing, until you eat them at Uchiko. A staple agemono menu item, these tasty beauties have become equally popular to anything else on the superior menu, and with good reason. Crispy-fried brussels sprouts drenched in a complex lemon chili sauce hit every taste bud in savory,…
Best Way to Get Across the Sea
With service, a homestay, and a spate of activities and opportunities, the YMCA’s Global Teens program is one of the best ways to see the world as a nontourist. The intention is to expand your worldliness, 14 to 18 year-olds, without breaking the bank. Participants engage in fundraising efforts (money doesn’t grow on trees, y’know,…
Best Way to Spark Up a Conversation
After some Dorkbot Austin Facebook group stalking (which we’re sure its members would approve of, right?), we found that by joining we’d be in the company of some of the city’s most creative and influential people. You know, the behind-the-scenesters who can play a mean computer keyboard and can dance on the metaphysical tables of…
Best Soccer Player
The entire Austin Aztex organization has a lot to be proud of this year – winning a national championship in their second year in existence, in a very competitive, 64-team league; setting a new record attendance in five straight games to end the season; earning Premier Development League Coach of the Year and Player of…
Best Relief in Planning & Development
Though there are very few people who would cite the city’s Planning and Development Review Department as their favorite aspect of Austin, the department does contain one of Austin’s quiet treasures. Jerry Rusthoven is one of the few people who reliably knows exactly what is going on. He also frequently makes the tedium of zoning…
Best Slightly Disturbing Arm Candy
Our fair city has its share of public characters, and we’re working hard to create new ones all the time. “But,” we can’t help but wonder, “why can’t we pay any of them to spend a little quality time with us?” Enter Sugar Weasel, the clown escort. What experience is complete without the company of…
Best Snap Shirts
OK, dude, it’s time to spiff up. For the better part of the year, your darling girlfriend has tolerated your date night attire (those ratty, ironic dad jeans and that threadbare Han/guitar Solo T that’s so faded there’s no black left, save for the permanent pit stains). Square those shoulders with the handsome stitched yolk…
Best Local Author/Poet
What’s not to love about Owen Egerton? From his goofy early days on the improv comedy scene to the juggernaut that was Mister Sinus aka today’s Master Pancake (in which he occasionally appears as guest) to his current status as a thoughtful-yet-still-funny novelist and performer, this ginger firecracker has earned his place among the Austin…
Best Local Filmmaker
Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy spans the near entirety of his career and effortlessly describes one the auteur’s key strengths: dialogue. As in real life, some of the junk that comes out of our mouths masks other motives – and Linklater knows this too well. The filmmaker gave Austin’s particular patois a national platform, and to…
Best Burgers
There’s a reason the line is always out the door. From the local brews on tap to the impossibly rich shakes, Hopdoddy is sure to deliver a satisfying dining experience. But it’s their two staples – burgers and fries – that truly shine. Tuna and veggie burgers keep the non-carnivores content, while the Classic is…
Best Tacos
This taco joint is so devilishly good that we’ll forgo our fried-food ban and take an antacid instead (avocados are supposed to be good for you, right?). If we’re feeling frisky we’ll order the Dirty Sanchez. If we’ve made too many “your mom” jokes, we’ll grab the Trailer Park; there’s a taco to fit almost…
Best Art Photographer
Sandy Carson’s editorial and commercial work takes him all over the world, but wild America is what truly captures his heart. Through lost highways and all around the concrete jungle of Austin, this Scottish-born photographer hunts for the perfect photo. Whatever the subject, wherever he finds it, Carson’s unique vision and technical profession combine to…
Best TV Reporter
Shannon Wolfson started as a general assignments reporter at the NBC affiliate KXAN in 2006 and has quickly climbed the local TV news ranks – to be seated as the 9pm news anchor for the local CW and then, last year, to rejoin KXAN as a kickass investigative reporter. From helping the Austin Police Department…
Best Basketball Court
You got game? Do you wish for a swish? Then bounce to where the ballers, shot callers, and cheerleaders hold court, right there in the heart of Hyde Park. Next time you get a basketball jones, Shipe Park is a slam dunk choice for pounding the pavement. Score.
Best Yoga
Joining a night class at Black Swan Yoga is the second-best way to get sweaty in a candlelit room. Supported by a cork floor and an open (heated) room, your body will bend like a steamed wood cane. When you hit Natarajasana and follow it up with Ardha Uttanasana, you’ll experience a kind of calm/ecstatic…
Best Appliance/TV Repair
There’s nothing secret about these agents of A/V. Since 1954, they’ve kept Austin plugged in, whether by rabbit ear or coaxial. As television’s role has expanded, so has theirs, so just because they’ve been around since father knew best, don’t go in expecting a bunch of doddering ol’ fuddies who don’t know what’s what. These…
Best Spa
From brain to bum, the Milk + Honey experience is designed to relax even the most anal retentive. Seasonal treatments (like the delicious Mojito Scrub) keep things fresh and new, while Manly Manicures will please any man-friend. Wrapped in a cocoon of warm blankets, it’s hard to remember what WORRIES drove you to the spa…
Best New Local Business
With only a year in business, Medusa Skates has solidified its place as the go-to gear hub for everything Roller Derby. Rollergirl owned and operated, this badass skate shop houses derby skates, pads, gear, wheels, plates, helmets, apparel, and just about anything else one could possibly need to dominate the track. Flat-track or banked-track skates?…
Soccer Watch
All-Big 12 goalkeeper Abby Smith made a penalty kick save with just three minutes left to play, to preserve the UT Longhorns’ 2-1 win over Illinois State on Sunday, after shutting out Samford, 2-0, on Friday night. The Horns, now 3-2-1 on the year, have outshot every opponent they’ve faced at home. The St. Edward’s…
Best Neighborhood Watch
The concrete gorilla of West Lynn could put even the most die-hard fashionista to shame. This sexually ambiguous, inanimate piece of yard art always appears dressed to the nines in accordance with the upcoming holiday or local event – a UT win, a wedding, a tiki party. We salute you, West Lynn Gorilla, in your…
Best Place to Coast By
Feel free to condensate all over iconic city imagery with South Austin Gallery’s ceramic coasters. Co-founders Jennifer and Joseph Worth began creating functional art pieces after a 2005 trip to Europe, where the couple collected more than 5,000 photographs. While those photographs have yet to be edited, the Worths have spent their time documenting city…
Best Happy Hour Lounge Act
It’s the end of the work day, and you’ve got a lot to shake off. Of course, great crab cakes, crunchy shrimp, and deals on wine are a sure allure, but Truluck’s has something else to make its happy hour stand out: Mike Miller, crooner extraordinaire, tinkling the ivories four hours a day, three days…
Best Family Feast
Need a break from pizza and casseroles for a big family dinner? Put down those newspaper coupons, and make your way over to Korea House for an exceptionally tasty and hearty meal. And if you find yourself sitting at the table and an argument breaks out over Uncle Chuy ruining the ending of Breaking Bad…
Best Way to Indulge Your Need for Cheese
Chili con queso may be an Austin Tex-Mex staple, but it’s also fattening. Full of calories. Did we mention artery clogging? Oh, and, to boot – for the vegans among us – made from milk! So what’s a dedicated cheesehead to do in the era of fit living and healthy dining? With Food for Lovers’…
Best Zen Tutoring
Has your child ever been so stressed about an upcoming math test that she or he can barely concentrate? Recent studies at Georgetown University show acupuncture can relieve stress. If there were only a way to put the two together. Oh, hey! There is! Louise Lacoste of Smarty Pants Tutoring and Total Mind & Body…
Best Wheely Great Throwback
When Shiner Beers relaunched Shiner Premium earlier this year, they found the perfect way to celebrate: hunting down a 1970s boogie van and taking it to Rodriguez Rod & Cycle, where they painted it bright gold and airbrushed a mural of a beer-thirsty bald eagle on one side and a rattlesnake on the other. Just…
Best Stargazing
If you’re an astronomy nerd, someone who misses the view of the stars away from the city lights, or just the type of person who appreciates a beautiful view, then UT’s “star parties” could be your higher calling. Completely free and held on the roof of Robert Lee Moore Hall on Wednesdays and Painter Hall…
Best Use of RV Trailers
Alan Graham’s miracle mission on wheels is best known for breaking bread with Austin’s homeless. But for the last nine of its 15 years, the nonprofit has quietly expanded its meal-delivery calling to the “housing first” principle – buying gently used RVs and converting them to permanent housing for the homeless. So far, 83 people…
Best Triple-E Car Repair
Triple E: efficient, economical, and entertaining. Kerry McKesson at the Precision Tune Auto Care across from Half Price Books on North Lamar may look like any other grease monkey, but to sit in the surprisingly well-appointed waiting room of his shop is to watch a master at work: ordering parts, instructing mechanics, wading fearlessly through…
Best South Austin Independent Liquor Store
Often overlooked by the glam of next-door sister Whip In, this family-owned godsend to the neighborhood has the absolute best selection of boozy goodness in South Austin, if not the city. Hard-to-find boutique spirits and liqueurs make it a mixologist’s wet dream, and oenophiles can rejoice in the carefully chosen wines, including Austin’s best selection…
Best Museum
In a town bursting with arts and culture, the Blanton Museum of Art brings together centuries-old European paintings and intellectually challenging modern works from across the Americas. During the day, moms with toddlers in strollers mill around the brightly lit rooms and share the space with gaggles of UT students following their profs around like…
Best Lounge
Over on the Eastside, away from the hum of the city, rests a peaceful oasis – unless you count the floor-quaking, heart-shocking nights when Body Rock, Soul Happening, or Africa Night are rattling the walls. Let’s just say that any time there is live music or a DJ, Sahara will be an oasis, but not…
Best Cheap Date
Whether it is the first date or the 50th, sharing a lovely (reasonably priced) meal at a homegrown eatery reminiscent of a European bistro is special. Casual but refined, the two Blue Dahlia locations offer a commitment to green practices, local and organic sources, and friendly service on top of delicious French-inspired dishes. Their various…
Best Vegan/Vegetarian
What began as a dream and a food trailer turned into a brick-and-mortar vegan comfort food reality. Featuring favorites like Pesto Rawviolis, a Tempeh Reuben, and brownie bites, Sue Davis’ mission is good food made from scratch with meatless, gluten-free, raw, soy-free, and oil-free diets in mind. Counter Culture also serves sustainable craft beers and…
Best Event Photographer
A picture by Annie Ray is worth much more than a measly thousand words. Her incredibly vivid photo-booth shots are full of spirit and humor, palpably demonstrating the precision and heart behind every frame. Annie Ray captures and presents important moments the way you want to remember them: bright, beautiful, and bursting with life.
Best Weatherperson
Is anybody at all surprised? This is Jim’s 15th “Best of Austin” award. Even more impressive than that, he’s been awarded Weathercaster of the Year by the National Weather Association. We know him as our go-to guy for hopeful weather changes on KXAN. He always humbly gives us a straight answer in the next-door-neighbor manner…
Best Bowling Alley
To some, all bowling alleys look the same and smell like feet. But those in the know go to Dart Bowl, tucked away behind McCallum High School, for its smooth lanes, bustling league nights, and totally reasonable rates. As an added bonus, the guys in the pro shop are knowledgeable and caring, and the enchiladas…
Best Activist
She may not be loud and rowdy like her mama, but man oh man, this tall drink of water with the platinum bob can light up a room. That’s saying nothing of her commanding presence under the giant pink dome during the abortion debates, or her kickass organizing skills as the national leader of Planned…
Best Auto Service/Repair
You’re a musician about to head out of your Eastside group house when the brakes on your minivan go out just as you’re taking the kids to their soccer game. Or maybe you’re a busy soccer mom who needs one-stop shopping for an oil change and state inspection on your tour van to make sure…
Best Tailor
The pieces don’t fit anymore? Ace Custom Tailors can fix that. They can also make all those fresh finds from the top rack to the bargain bin into tailor-made confections. Master tailor Vanessa Wilkerson at the 12th Street location can even do leather. Yes we’re fit, and my gosh, don’t we just know it.
Best Pet Store
“Woof!” (Can you believe Bark ‘n Purr Pet Center has won ‘Best Pet Store’ in Austin 13 times? I can! It has all my favorite foods and toys, plus I get to go inside the store and make new friends! Wow, I love Bark ‘n Purr so much!) “Hiss!” (Hiss!)
Hornography
Last week’s 40-21 fiasco against BYU was such a trainwreck that Mack Brown fired a man midseason for the first time in his 30 years as a head coach. Manny Diaz is out as defensive coordinator – taking the team’s national ranking with him – after presiding over twin-killing nadirs that saw Texas yield a school-record…
Best Nothing Exceeds Like Excess
Sure, the name Gourdough’s is synonymous with overabundance, but who knew that their almost religious adherence to the ethos of excess extends to their … ahem, royal residence? Go ahead, and sit on the throne in the ladies’ loo. (You don’t actually think we had the energy to pop a squat once we began to…
Best Place to Get Buzzed on Poetry
The way Austin’s literary scene is booming these days, you could find an event at a different indie bookstore practically every day of the week. May we suggest you reserve Fridays for Write Bloody, the tiny but colorful bookstore tucked away in the parking lot next to Juan in a Million on East Cesar Chavez?…
Best Magical Realist Game Developer
With only a handful of games under his belt, Ayles has established himself as a rising star in the independent game world. His free-to-download, arcade-style releases like Punksnotdead and Sake Express Pro Wrestling added a dash of anarchy to the art-game genre. Trailers and demos for upcoming titles focus largely on art, but retain a…
Best Food Truck With a Mohawk
Don’t be surprised if you see a bright chartreuse truck with a spiky black Mohawk idling next to you in traffic. Instead, find out where they’re headed so that you can treat yourself to the freshest, non-GMOiest, most creative guacamole in these parts. Recently gone mobile after trying out a few permanent parking places, Guac…
Best-Kept Secret on Burnet
Tucked away in the Crossroads Shopping Center, surrounded by the flashy blur of grab-and-gos and chain restaurants, lies this tiny, unassuming gem, a diamond in the rough, a delicate fig tenderly ripening in the shade amid a jungle of barbaric fast-casual weeds. If this sounds too poetic, you clearly have not yet tried the zereshk…
Best Zilker Serenade
Practically everything that can be said about our beloved Zilker Park has been said. So it’s fitting that to the singer go the spoils. Woode Wood, the harmonica-blowing, guitar-playing entertainer, is as much an Austin fixture as the Zilker Zephyr. And it’s on the Zephyr that scores of young Austinites get their first experience with…
Most Radio-Unfriendly Radio
Tuning into KOOP’s Sunday evening programming sometimes feels like you’ve discovered alien airwaves, an entirely new in-between station, a Platform Nine and Three-Quarters of the FM dial. But it’s just Commercial Suicide, KOOP’s long-running, much-revered sanctuary for all that is ambient, electronic, noise, minimalist, and more (or less). Whether your knowledge of experimental music begins…
Best Thing That Floats Our Boat
For years, Austin Rowing Club managed this sweet spot, this prime bit of lakefront property in the shadow of the looming and lovely Four Seasons Hotel. Last year, the city of Austin agreed to allow the ARC to continue its good work on Lady Bird Lake and cut the ribbon on a brand new, gleaming…
Best Voices for Women
One stood and talked for hours. The other struggled just to be heard. What they have in common is that both state Sens. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, this year proved themselves the strongest voices for Texas women, anywhere. Forced into the national spotlight by their efforts to halt…
Best Used Appliances and Repair
We first learned about these guys at a random stop at the 290 Flea Market, where they have an outlet set up every weekend. Their selection stopped us in our tracks, and we had to check out a few of their fridges (ours had used up most of its lifelines and we were due for…
Best Value Thrift Store
Looking for a red dress? Brown slacks? A sequin teal onesie for your night out on East Sixth? Family Thrift is color coded for your searches and has the best overall prices in town. Music is always upbeat, often a blend of Tejano and Frank Sinatra, setting the pace for a frenzied search for the…
Best Place to See Local Art
Big Medium has really upped its game: There’s WEST (the West Austin Studio Tour), the upcoming Texas Biennial, and new, impressive digs off Springdale. Nothing compares, though, to its hallmark venture, the East Austin Studio Tour. From the sublime to the risuckulous (and that’s subjective, natch), there’s no greater concentration of visual creativity in this…
Best Mixologist
Friendly and fierce, this libationist is a mean muddle-shucker. We recently followed her adventures via Twitter as she attended NOLA’s Tales of the Cocktail. To say we lived vicariously through her would be an understatement; we were practically drunk with anticipation of all the fancy fancies she’ll be bringing back to her Downtown gig at…
Best Chips & Salsa
The most dangerous moment when dining at Chuy’s is the one in which the chips and salsa land on the table. In that moment, diners must reckon with not one or two, but three dips from which to choose – the chunky tomato salsa, the smooth salsa verde, or the evil temptress known as the…
Best Afterschool Activity
Life Ki-do doesn’t teach the wax-on, wax-off karate classes of old. They build on martial arts with their own philosophy that encourages movement, resilience, focus, and self-regulation. The days are not spent keeping score, rather they are filled with the exercise, camaraderie, and leadership that result in strong, confident kids. Do you get a belt…
Best Film Critic
The Chronicle was founded in 1981, and Marjorie Baumgarten was there from the beginning – answering phones, setting type, and eventually setting the standard for film criticism in our fair city. While her cinematic loves are far-ranging – from Max Ophüls and Agnès Varda to Nicholas Ray and Stephanie Rothman – she’s also poured her considerable…
Best Web Series
Our cultural color war gets whimsically mocked in this satirical Web series, which is not much different from when you and your buds played with plastic army men. A group of petty, unknown soldiers of red and blue bicker and ponder the nature of war with grit and wit, but with a purple heart at…
Best Day Trip – Dry
Get high on life at Enchanted Rock, 425 feet above ground, to be precise. But be sure to wear comfortable climbing shoes, definitely not flip-flops, or run the risk of being swept down the pink granite boulder like we almost were, or swept up in the mysticism that surrounds the rock’s history. Hearing unexplained creaking,…
Best Austin Icon
No longer the red-headed stranger, old Smokeout Willie has become our endearing friendly neighbor. Through high times and low, Nelson has been here to fight for your right to party, to live green and free. At 80 years old our beloved midnight rider is still riding strong and singing his song. It’s no wonder Austinites…
Best Barbershop
With your favorite stylist’s sched available online, Birds takes the anxiety out of walk-in hair service (shout out to Jualdo and SB, the cah-yute makers!). And even though walk-ins get helped quickly, you can call up to an hour before you want to shimmy shake through that door. (Shhhh! Don’t tell like-a-boss Beth we told…
Best Tattoo Shop
Want some body art but don’t know where to start? Our readers attest that the artists at Atomic will make it tonight, make it right, and make it magnificent, all at blow-out prices. If you want that heart on your sleeve to be the bomb, then stop worrying; Atomic Tattoo is here. Up and Atom…
Best Record/CD Store
This independent music and video store has become an Austin staple, with its eclectic mix of new and used, rare, cult DVDs, and popular vinyl to suit its equally eclectic clientele, who’ve been popping in-and-out since 1982. If these walls could talk they’d probably tell you its regular in-store performances have included shoegazers My Bloody…
