Austin's Travel Guide: What to Eat & How to Burn it Off

The ultimate Austin girl’s getaway travel guide: I’ll tell you where to stay, what to eat and how to burn it off!

After receiving such positive feedback on last year’s Girl’s Getaway Guide to Charleston, I knew we had to do it again!

While there are so many great destinations to choose from, I am so excited to announce that we packed our bags and headed to Austin for a couple days of good food, live music, fun workouts and lots of laughs!

If you’re new to my What to Eat & How to Burn it Off wellness travel series, be sure to check out past editions including Rancho La Puerta, Washington, DC, Park City, Key West, Palm Springs, Whistler, Vancouver, Chicago, Denver, Charleston, Tucson, New Orleans, Grand Rapids, San Diego, Vail, Miami, Utah and Banff.

Home base for our girl’s getaway was the brand new Fairmont Austin which just opened their doors in the spring of 2018!

Featuring over 37 floors of luxury accommodations, this beautiful property has over 1,000 guest rooms. The spacious rooms were perfect for the four of us!

One of our favorite spots in the entire hotel was the gorgeous pool located on the 7th floor overlooking the skyline.

If you’re with a group, I highly recommend the cabana rental.

Not only does it come with your own personal service attendant, but there is a flat screen tv and a mini fridge filled with chilled fruit infused water. Hello happiness.

Now that we’ve covered Where to Stay, let’s dive right in to How to Burn it Off!

If you visit Austin when it’s hot outside, I highly recommend hitting the water with Rowing Dock kayak and canoe rentals!

We decided to go kayaking and had so much fun paddling our way through Lady Bird Lake.

It’s not to be missed during your next visit to Austin!

For our next workout we decided to head indoors for a killer sweat sesh with MADabolic!

The ultimate cardio and strength training circuit, this fun and fast-paced workout is the ultimate calorie burn. Hands-on instructors and blasting music makes the time fly, just the way I like my workouts to go by – fast!

If you’re looking for something TOTALLY different, head to Urban Axes Austin. Apparently all the rage these days, this was my first time throwing an axe.

One thing is for sure, the thrill of hitting a bullseye is unlike anything else. It may have been my first time axe throwing but it won’t be my last!

Last but not least, we headed back outdoors for our final workout in Austin: an outdoor rowing class with Ro Fitness! Taught by professional rowers, this was my first time learning how to properly row. Turns out, once my form was corrected, I was able to burn double the calories! Be sure to catch a class during your next visit to Austin.

Now that we’ve covered How to Burn it Off, let’s get to the good stuff: What to Eat in Austin!!

For breakfast, I’ve got three great recommendations starting with Picnik. The concept is simple: wholesome food that’s convenient (they have food trucks!) and nutritious.

Ideal for anyone with food allergies, their allergen-friendly menu is out of this world!

If you want a quick grab-and-go breakfast, check out Juice Society with several locations in Austin.

From açaí bowls to avocado toast to fresh pressed juice, you really can’t go wrong with anything off their healthy menu.

Josephine House Austin Breakfast Restaurant

My final breakfast recommendation in Austin is Josephine House! Located in a cottage in Clarksville about 20 minutes outside of downtown, the menu features freshly baked pastries baked in-house and a menu inspired by locally sourced ingredients. Ideal for brunch, they are also open for lunch and dinner.

My first lunch recommendation is Vinaigrette, a salad bistro featuring a menu full of creative, inventive and flavor-packed salads.

Can you tell how happy I am just to be eating outdoors? The outdoor seating area at Vinaigrette is the perfect spot for lunch with your gals.

My next recommendation for lunch is Rules & Regs located on the 7th floor of the Fairmont Austin overlooking that beautiful skyline I keep talking about.

My heart was happy when I saw Topo Chico on the menu but my stomach was even happier when it tastes some of the best guacamole I’ve ever tried in my life!

Pro Tip: There are so many tasty items on the menu, I highly recommend ordering a bunch of small plates and sharing with friends. You won’t regret it.

Of course, you can’t visit Austin without trying the local Texas barbecue, am I right? Look no further than Freedmen’s BBQ, an outdoor whiskey lounge and smokehouse featuring one of the best barbecue menus I’ve ever seen.

While you might expect to leave a BBQ restaurant feeling heavy and weighed down, there were plenty of light and vegetarian-friendly options to choose from including smoked beets, creative slaws and smoked salmon. Order a Bloody Mary! You’ll be glad you did.

Elizabeth Street Cafe Vietnamese Restaurant Austin

Serving three meals a day, my next restaurant recommendation in Austin is Elizabeth Street Cafe, a neighborhood Vietnamese cafe and French bakery.

Elizabeth Street Cafe Austin Fusion Restuarant

You all know by now how much I love Vietnamese food so trust me when I say this: Elizabeth Street is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants you’ll ever find!

If you’re craving the flavors of Mexico, I highly recommend a new spot in Austin: Suerte.

The short rib tacos might have been my best bite of the entire trip but you’ll need to go check it out and decide for yourself.

Of course, you can’t spend four days touring a big city without staying fueled and caffeinated! Fortunately, Caffe Medici has locations throughout the city to keep you going. Highly recommend their iced americano!

Now that we’ve covered good eats, I have a few great night life options to share in Austin.

First up – head to Icenhauer’s for hand craft cocktails made with Austin’s own Tito’s and fresh ingredients like lemon, berries and herbs.

It’s right on Rainey Street which is lined with other fun bars and restaurants for hopping around.

If you love frose and a good michelada, head to the courtyard inside Hotel San Jose. It’s such a fun spot to escape the Austin heat.

For all you rooftop bar lovers (you know who you are!) be sure to check out the rooftop terrace at Speakeasy. You can’t beat the views of the Austin skyline and I’m pretty sure cocktails always taste better al fresco.

For live music and drinks, Half Step Bar is where it’s at and it also happens to be located on Rainey Street.

Are you a beer drinker? Head to Independence Brewing featuring a fun and laid-back indoor/outdoor tap room. They even have a food truck on site offering snacks!

For an upscale, romantic evening out, be sure to grab a drink at The Roosevelt Room. Added bonus: they play movie classics on the background on flatscreens like Gone with The Wind.