The best food in Austin, Texas this month includes a wine soaked tasting menu, the filet o fish of your dreams, a total sleeper bbq move, and the most exciting restaurant opening of 2026.
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The Vitals:
the spot: Apt 115 2025 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: tasting menu
the bucks: $$$
the full nelson: fine dining for hardcore wine lovers
At first glance, Apartment 115 looks like the kind of place you book for a special occasion. It certainly can be, especially if you opt for the tasting menu. But I think the real secret is treating it like one of Austin’s best wine bars.
Grab a seat at the bar, order a few dishes from the à la carte menu, and explore one of the city’s most thoughtfully curated wine lists. Yes, there are bottles that climb into four figures, but there are also excellent options starting around $40.
The tasting menu was lovely, but what stayed with me most was how seamlessly the wine and food complemented one another. Apartment 115 isn’t just a restaurant—it’s one of the best places in Austin to discover wine.
The Vitals:
the spot:Fish Shop 1401 E 6th St #201 · (512) 650-3474
the eats: Fish Sandwich
the bucks: $$$
the full nelson: Casual seafood cafe for hardcore sea-foodies
Fish Shop flies its seafood in from the West Coast, and you can taste the difference immediately. The oysters alone are worth the visit, but don’t overlook their playful take on a Filet-O-Fish.
It’s everything that sandwich wants to be: flaky fish, quality ingredients and enough care to remind you how satisfying simple food can be.
Yes, seafood in Austin isn’t cheap. But compared to booking a flight to San Francisco, it suddenly feels like a bargain.
The Vitals:
the spot: HEB
the eats: BBQ
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: a total bbq sleeper
If you’ve lived in Austin long enough, you’ve probably stood in line for barbecue with visiting friends. Franklin. Terry Black’s. InterStellar. At some point, you start asking yourself a simple question:
Why can’t barbecue be easy?
The answer might be H-E-B.
No, I’m not saying it’s Franklin Barbecue. But for a supermarket, the brisket is surprisingly respectable, the draft beer is inexpensive, and there’s never much of a wait.
In almost any other state, this would be considered very good barbecue. In Texas, it’s one of the best values in town.
The Vitals:
the spot:Ramen Del Barrio 2007 Kramer Ln suite 105, Austin, TX 78758
the eats: Carnitas Ramen
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: The worlds only Mexican Ramen spot
Ramen Del Barrio
The opening I’m most excited about in 2026 isn’t another omakase counter or French bistro.
It’s Christopher Krinsky’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
His Mexican-inspired ramen is unlike anything I’ve eaten—even after multiple trips to Japan—and I think he’s one of the most original chefs working in Texas today.
As Austin continues chasing luxury dining trends, Krinsky is doing something much harder: creating food that’s completely his own. I have a feeling his new restaurant will become one of the city’s essential stops for anyone who cares about where Austin’s food scene is headed.
Austin’s food scene never stands still. Whether you’re splurging on an unforgettable wine experience, grabbing surprisingly good supermarket barbecue, or chasing the city’s next great chef, these are the meals that made July worth remembering.
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