Where to eat in Austin after midnight, and the classic 2am move.
Where to eat in Austin after midnight. kitchens that keep going, post-bar staples and the classic 2am move.
Magnolia Cafe in Austin is the South Congress 24-hour diner, the rare round-the-clock kitchen pulling Friday 2am customers with migas, queso and gingerbread pancakes.
Try: Love migas and Mag mud queso
Order: Love migas plate with a side of queso, both run round the clock.
Tip: Friday 1am during SXSW is a scrum; off-peak Wednesday midnight is the easiest seat.
Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin is the 24-hour Central and South Lamar diners since 1980, the city's after-bar pancake-and-queso kitchen with a 2am rush every weekend.
Try: Gingerbread pancakes and migas
Order: Gingerbread pancakes and a bowl of queso for the table.
Tip: The Central location is the smaller floor; South Lamar holds the larger crowd on Friday and Saturday 1am.
Justine's Brasserie in Austin is the East 5th 1937 cottage French brasserie since 2009, the city's longest-running late-night room for steak frites, escargot and Champagne.
Try: Steak frites and Champagne
Order: Steak frites with bearnaise and a coupe of Champagne.
Tip: Kitchen runs to 11pm Sun-Thu and midnight Fri-Sat; Tuesday closure is firm, so plan around it.
Las Trancas in Austin is the East Cesar Chavez taco truck for late-night al pastor and barbacoa, open until midnight with $1.50 tacos for the after-bar crowd.
Try: Tacos al pastor and barbacoa
Order: Tacos al pastor; portions are small, order four.
Tip: The truck closes Monday; Wednesday and Sunday nights are the quieter windows.
Whisler's in Austin is the East 6th Street cocktail bar running to 2am, with Thai food from Thai-Kun and the upstairs Mezcaleria Tobala agave list as the late-night snack stop.
Try: Thai-Kun food upstairs
Order: A mezcal-flight from Tobala and Thai-Kun's pad kee mao for the table.
Tip: Walk upstairs to Mezcaleria Tobala for the agave list; the downstairs bar runs faster and louder.
Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin is the Red River BBQ-and-music venue running late on show nights, an 1850s limestone building with smoked plates and a long Texas-spirits bar.
Try: Smoked plates and bloody marys
Order: Smoked-meat plate and a bloody mary at the bar.
Tip: Show nights run later than the regular kitchen; check the calendar before planning a 1am eat.
Peak food season in Austin is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Austin rewards trust.