Austin/Northwest

Northwest Austin is an area in Austin, Texas, west of the Mo-Pac freeway and/or north of Anderson Lane (but not including anything east of IH-35, or most areas south of Lady Bird Lake).

You can reach Northwest Austin via I-35 North to US 183, or via MoPac Expressway North. Bus service is available from downtown and the North Transit Center. Light rail service, started in 2010, has stations at The Domain on MoPac, near MoPac and Howard Lane/McNeil Road, Lakeline Mall area and Leander.

• 🌍 Lake Travis (Northern side of Lake Travis is in the Northwest Austin area, at Volente and Lago Vista) (RM 2222 then north on RR 620, or US 183 north to Anderson Mill Road west (turns into Volente Road) or US 183 north to RM 1431 west).  

• 🌍 Walnut Creek Municipal Park, 12138 N. Lamar Blvd. Walnut Creek Park features a large loop and a multitude of hilly, meandering trails popular with mountain bikers. A dirt BMX trail and loop is available. Stay on marked trails, some areas have experienced heavy erosion which has led to huge rock slides.  
• 🌍 Austin FC, Q2 Stadium, 10414 McKalla Place. One of the newest teams in Major League Soccer, Austin FC began play in 2021 in the new Q2 Stadium. For ticket information, see the team website.  
• 🌍 Austin Steam Train Association, Burnet Depot or Cedar Park Depot, ☏ +1 512 402-3830. Runs several tours aboard the Hill Country Flyer steam train into and around Texas Hill Country. The train makes short half hour jaunts as well as a 30 mi (48 km) circuit on weekends March through December. The Steam Train Association owns a live steam train, but it has been out of commission since about 2000. The train still runs though, just using a borrowed diesel engine. It is still nice, but not as attractive as it used to be. Adults $33-38, child $23-28; first class adult $39-55, child $28-39. (updated May 0201)
• Balcones Country Club (Two private 18-hole golf courses, but with reciprocal privileges.), 8600 Balcones Club Dr (US 183 North, exit Anderson Mill, u-turn, turn right on second Balcones Club Drive), ☏ +1 512-258-2775. 
• 🌍 Bull Creek District Park (48 acre park on Bull Creek. Dog Lovers like to congregate and socialize here. Swimming, wading.), 6701 Lakewood Dr. (Take 2222 west to Lakewood (opposite County Line BBQ)).  
• Bull Creek Greenbelt (477 acres along Bull Creek. Hiking, swimming, wading.), 7806 N. Capital of Texas Highway (take 2222 east to Loop 360 North). 
• 🌍 Dave & Buster's, 9333 Research Blvd, #A600, ☏ +1 512-346-8015. Su-Th 11:30AM-midnight, F Sa 11:30AM-2AM. Games (arcade, billiards, shuffleboard), restaurant and bar.  
• 🌍 Volente Beach Waterpark, 16107 FM 2769, ☏ +1 512-258-5110, info@beachsidebillys.com. Small waterpark, restaurant and bar on the shores of Lake Travis  
• 🌍 Main Event, 13301 N US Hwy 183 (US 183 North, exit Anderson Mill Rd., on north frontage road.), ☏ +1 512-401-0000. Tu-Th Su 11AM-midnight, F Sa M 11AM-2AM. Arcade, bowling, billiards, laser tag, glow golf, gravity ropes and rock climbing. Restaurant and bar.  
• 🌍 Texas Stars, H-E-B Center, 2100 Avenue of the Stars, Cedar Park (US 183A North, exit FM 1431), ☏ +1 512-467-8277. See website for game dates and times. American Hockey League team affiliated with the Dallas Stars  
• Austin Spurs, H-E-B Center, 2100 Avenue of the Stars, Cedar Park (US 183A North, exit FM 1431), ☏ +1 512-236-8333. See website for game dates and times. NBA G League team affiliated with the San Antonio Spurs 
• 🌍 H-E-B Center (Cedar Park Center), 2100 Avenue of the Stars, Cedar Park (US 183A, Exit FM 1431), ☏ +1 512-600-5001. Arena seating 6600-8200 for sporting, concerts, family shows and graduation ceremonies. 
• 🌍 Alamo Drafthouse Theaters - Village, 2700 W. Anderson Ln Suite 701 (MoPac North, exit Spicewood Springs/Anderson and turn right), ☏ +1 512-861-7030. One of five Alamo Drafthouse Theaters in Austin, with meals, drink and snacks served throughout each film. This one focuses on art and limited release films.  
• 🌍 IPIC Theaters, 3225 Amy Donovan Plaza (MoPac north, exit Braker Lane east, then left onto Domain Drive), ☏ +1 512-568-3400.  
• 🌍 Regal Cinemas Arbor 8 at Great Hills, 9828 Great Hills Trail (in the Arboretum area), ☏ +1 844-462-7342. Even though it is owned and operated by mainstream Regal Cinemas, the Arbor 8 shows art and foreign films.  
• 🌍 iFLY Austin, 13265 N Hwy 183. Indoor skydiving facility for all ages. Facilities for families and groups. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Mt. Bonnell, 3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr (west of Mopac on 2222, left on Mt. Bonnell Rd.). The third-highest point in Austin city limits at 780 feet. Several trails make for pleasant short hikes and points to experience incredible views of Town Lake and the city. The area has a history of romance and is sometimes called Antoinette's Leap, after a woman who supposedly leapt to her death to escape Indians who killed her lover.  
• 🌍 Hippie Hollow, 700 Comanche Trail (West on FM 2222, left on FM 620, right on to Comanche Trail). The only legal nude beach in Texas, although "beach" is a bit of a stretch. On the north shore of Lake Travis, Hippie Hollow has a "steep, rocky, shoreline." It is also home to both the golden cheeked warbler and the black capped vireo, two bird species listed under the US Endangered Species Act.  
• 🌍 Lake Austin Boat Rentals, 5019 N Capital of Texas Hwy, ☏ +1 512 862-4333. Rent a pontoon or wake boat and enjoy the natural world in the heart of the city. (updated Feb 2021)
• Town Lake Boat Rental. Rent a canoe or kayak and enjoy the natural world in the heart of the city. 
  • 🌍 Rowing Dock, 2418 Stratford Drive, ☏ +1 512 459-0999. From $10 to $25/hr. (updated Jan 2022)

• 🌍 Baylor University, 3107 Oak Creek Dr., ☏ +1 512 255-3622. Executive MBA Program  
• 🌍 Concordia University Texas, 11400 Concordia University Dr., ☏ +1 512 313-3000.  
• 🌍 Park University, 10415 Morado Circle (in the Arboretum area), ☏ +1 512 385-7275.  

Northwest Austin shopping primarily runs along US 183 (Research Blvd.) and MoPac Expressway. Many affluent, albeit chain, shops and stores are located in this part of town.

• 🌍 Cedar Park Farms to Market, Lakeline Mall parking lot, near Dillard's (US183, exit RR620, turn left, right on Ridgeline), ☏ +1 512-363-5700. Sa 9AM-1PM. Good Farmer's Market with produce, dairy, eggs, meat, bread, canned goods and other items. Live music.  

• 🌍 Asia Cafe, 8650 Spicewood Springs Rd 114 A. Daily 11AM-9PM. One of the best Chinese food places in Austin. It's family style (huge portions) and offers some very exotic dishes. But its claim to fame is the "spicy fish fillet". It's amazing. There are a few other must-try items, such as eggplant with ground pork and twice cooked pork (bacon) with garlic sprouts.  
• 🌍 Pluckers Wing Bar, Rio Grande, South Lamar, Research Blvd, Lakeline Mall, Round Rock. A local wing joint/sports bar. Reasonably priced, delicious wings and other menu items (including tasty salads). Try the fried macaroni and cheese. They have tons of TVs; it's a great place to watch a ball game.  
• 🌍 Chinatown, 3407 Greystone Dr, ☏ +1 512-343-9307. Authentic Chinese flavor with a modern twist. Not really fusion, not really traditional either, but very delicious. The restaurant is located upstairs in a two-story building; the bottom floor houses the Japanese restaurant Musashino  
• 🌍 Din Ho Chinese Bar-B-Q, 8557 Research Blvd, ☏ +1 512-832-8788. Open till 1AM most nights.. Lunch and dinner. Some of the most authentic Chinese fare in town, specializing in Cantonese and seafood dishes. Chinese BBQ pork and whole roast duck are available for take-out as well. Don't bring Caucasian friends who are squeamish about real Chinese food - take them to Chinatown instead.  
• 🌍 Enchiladas Y Mas, 1911 W Anderson Ln (just east of Burnet Road), ☏ +1 512-467-7100, mhmart1300@sbcglobal.net. Tu-Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 7AM-2PM. As the name implies this restaurant has enchiladas, and they are some of the best north of San Antonio. "y Mas", as it is called by locals, has a broad selection of Tex-Mex fare including flautas, soft and crispy tacos, migas, burritos, and fajitas. This is a must try on the Tex-Mex trail in Austin. They are closed on Mondays and the lunch crowd starts early, so be prepared for a short wait between 11AM and 1PM. y Mas has the best motto in town, "Never trust a skinny cook!". Dinners $6-10.  
• 🌍 Freda's Seafood Grille, 10903 Pecan Park Blvd (US183 North, exit Lake Creek Pkwy, left on Pecan Park, on your left before RR620), ☏ +1 512-506-8700. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 10AM-9PM. Entrees $12-26, plus sandwiches and lunch specials.  
• 🌍 Donn's Texas BBQ, 7001 Oak Meadow Dr, ☏ +1 512-288-4060. Authentic Texas Barbecue restaurant offering full bar. Ribs&Chips is worth to try. Prices from $10.  
• 🌍 Jardin Corona, 13233 N US 183 Suite E, ☏ +1 512-250-1061, fax: +1-512-250-1030. A favorite of those living in Northwest Austin (Jollyville area).  
• 🌍 Kerbey Lane Cafe, 13435 N Hwy 183, ☏ +1 512-258-7757. 24 hours.  
• 🌍 Kobe Japanese Steakhouse, 13492 N US Highway 183, #380 (US 183 to Anderson Mill Road, NW corner), ☏ +1 512-288-7333, fax: +1 512-288-7332, info@KobeAustin.com. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. Steak, including Kobe beef, chicken, seafood and vegetables grilled at the table by entertaining chefs. Entrees $14-35.  
• 🌍 Manuel's, 10201 Jollyville Rd (US 183, exit Capital of Texas Hwy, turn left on Great Hills Pkwy, right on Jollyville Rd.), ☏ +1 512-345-1042. Call for hours. "Award Winning Mexican Cooking" Entrees $10-24.  
• 🌍 Rudy's Country Store & BBQ, 11570 Research Blvd., ☏ +1 512-418-9898. Butcher shop style BBQ. Famous for their BBQ sauce and baby back ribs. Very busy for breakfast tacos (grab pre-made ones near the check-out counter, or get them made at the grill).  
• 🌍 Shandeez Grill (Persian cuisine, including chelo-kabob, joojeh-kabob and khorest gormeh sabzi.), 8863 Anderson Mill Road, Suite 109 (US 183 North to Anderson Mill, turn right, Restaurant on right side in strip shopping center), ☏ +1 512-258-6464, idehmeschi@yahoo.com. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM, Su closed. Entrees $7-14.  
• 🌍 Truluck's Seafood-Steak-Crabhouse, 10225 Research Blvd, Suite 4000 at Great Hills Trail (US183 North, exit Great Hills Trail), ☏ +1 512-794-8300. M-Sa 5-10PM, Su 5-9PM. Entrees $19-46.  
• 🌍 Korea House, 2700 W Anderson Ln, ☏ +1 512-458-2477. Located in the Village Shopping Center, it can be a little hard to find; the entrance faces towards the inner courtyard area of the shopping center. They have a decent sushi offering but the Korean dishes are delicious and authentic.  
• 🌍 Restaurant Together, 9200 N Lamar Blvd, ☏ +1 512-821-3388. Korean bar food, large portions, many side dishes. Only five tables, one waitstaff.  
• 🌍 Sunflower, 8557 Research Boulevard, ☏ +1 512-339-7860. Although it's in a strip mall in North Austin, this restaurant is notable for its amazing vegetarian options. Service is kinda spotty, and the staff tends to use extremely aromatic cleaning products (read: "potpourri"-fragranced cleaning spray spritzed on tables between customers), but it's well worth the trip north. Absolutely delicious, especially for the price.  
• 🌍 Reale's, 13450 Research Blvd, ☏ +1 512-335-5115. Pizza and Italian food. Northeasterners love Reale's, as it reminds them of family Italian restaurants from home. Good food.  
• 🌍 Fire Bowl Café, 9828 Great Hills Trail. Asian restaurant with a 'Stir Fry Your Way' section, allowing for many vegan choices. The menu also denotes, by using a green leaf, which meals are vegetarian if ordered with tofu. Priced under $10.  
• 🌍 Hula Hut, 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. On their unique Polynesian- and Mexican-inspired menu (aka "Mexonesian"), you'll find several vegetarian/vegan options.  
• 🌍 Zaika Indian Cuisine, 9025 Research Blvd, ☏ +1 512-719-5575, zaikaustin@gmail.com. An all-vegetarian Indian restaurant offering a fabulous lunch buffet as well as a dinner menu.  
• 🌍 Tino's Greek Café, 10515 Mopac Expressway, ☏ +1 512-343-9999. "Cafeteria-style" Greek food. Vegetarian options include tabouli, dolmathes, and vegetarian mousaka.  
• 🌍 Whole Foods Market Cafe, 9607 Research Blvd.  
• 🌍 Pacific Star Oyster Bar, 183 North, just past Anderson Mill. Best oysters and catfish in town. Parking is scarce, but well worth while.  
• Torchy's Tacos. M-Th 7AM-10PM, F 7AM-11PM, Sa 8AM-11PM, Su 8AM-10PM. 

• 🌍 4211 Spicewood Springs Rd, ☏ +1 512-291-7277.  
• 🌍 11521 Ranch Road 620 N, ☏ +1 512-381-8226.  

• 🌍 Amy's Ice Creams, 10000 Research Blvd, Ste. 140 (inside The Arboretum), ☏ +1 512-886-5955. Daily 11:30AM-midnight.  

• 🌍 BB Rovers Cafe and Pub (Known for its beer menu with over 300 selections, BB Rovers also has live music (call for dates)), 12101 Jollyville Rd. (US 183 North, exit Spicewood Springs, U-turn, right on Barrington and immediately left onto Jollyville), ☏ +1 512-335-9504. Su-F 11AM-midnight, Sa 11AM-1AM.  
• 🌍 Trudy's North Star, 8820 Burnet Rd (MoPac North, exit Steck Ave., turn right, the left on Burnet Rd.), ☏ +1 512-454-1474. M-F 11AM-2AM, Sa 9AM-2AM, Su 10AM-2AM. Popular food and drink establishment, especially for after work, with happy hour until 7PM. 20 beers are on tap. Kitchen may close earlier.  
• 🌍 Mozart's Coffee Roasters, 3826 Lake Austin Blvd, ☏ +1 512-477-2900, fax: +1 512-477-1971, mozarts@austin.rr.com. M-Th 7AM-midnight, F 7AM-1AM, Sa 8AM-1AM, Su 8AM-midnight.  
• 🌍 Maudie's, 2608 West 7th St, ☏ +1 512-474-7271. Austin as Austin can get. A staple Tex-Mex favorite with five locations around town. Great salsa and better margaritas. If you crave cheese enchiladas get the Hernandez Enchiladas.  

• 🌍 Embassy Suites Austin-Arboretum, 9505 Stonelake Blvd, ☏ +1 512-372-8771, auses_GM@hilton.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.  
• 🌍 Fairfield Inn & Suites Austin North/Parmer Lane, 12536 North IH35, ☏ +1 512-821-0376. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.  
• 🌍 Lake Austin Spa & Resort, 1705 South Quinlan Park Rd, ☏ +1 512-372-7300. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Resort hotel with spa facilities.  
• 🌍 Staybridge Suites Austin Northwest, 13087 US HWY 183 N, ☏ +1 512-336-7829, toll-free: +1-800-788-271. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.  
• 🌍 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin, 8901 Business Park Dr, ☏ +1 512-343-0888. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.  
• 🌍 Studio 6 Austin Northwest, 11901 Pavilion Blvd, ☏ +1 512-258-3556.  
• 🌍 Motel 6, 9420 I-35 North, ☏ +1 512-339-6161. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: noon. Wifi available for a nominal fee.