Austin High School Class of 1962
Stephen F. Austin High School, Austin, Texas
|
Shopping and Dining
Lamar and West Sixth is home to the flagship and home store of Whole Foods. Shop for fresh and unusual items
and eat in one of their many mini-restaurants. They have great, and very affordable, fresh scallops, cooked to order
as you watch. Z'Tejas, in its first location, a converted Victorian house at 1110 W. Sixth St., serves an innovative
southwestern menu and a great Sunday brunch. Hut's Hamburgers, at 807 W. Sixth St., is a hamburger diner
reminiscent of the 50s. We should feel at home there! Bess Bistro, 500 W. Sixth St., is owned by Austinite Sandra
Bullock. Farther west on W. Sixth St. is El Arroyo, on the ditch at 1624 W. Fifth St. Traditional TexMex in a
nontraditional environment. Many other restaurants on West Sixth St. cater to residents of the growing number of
condos in the area.
For shopping, visit BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar, a local book store that has been voted best bookstore of the year
for over 15 years. Books, unique gift items (great stocking stuffers), and frequent book signings by known (Bill
Clinton and Jimmy Carter) and unknown authors. Across the street, Waterloo Records, 600A N. Lamar, sells CDs
of local musicians and tickets to music events. Emeralds, at 624 N. Lamar, has trendy clothing, accessories, gifts
and great shoes.
The Lamar and 12th St. area is just blocks from our AHS. There since 1943 and still serving some of the best
barbecue in Austin is House Park Bar-B-Que, 900 W. 12th. Another Austin tradition is The Tavern (air
conditioned!) at 12th and Lamar. It's been remodeled (the a/c works now) and serves great food in a sports bar
environment. In the same center is a more upscale restaurant, Austin Land and Cattle. Their steaks are great as
are their barbecued lamb chop appetizers.
If you yearn for the TexMex that we grew up with at El Matt's and El Toro's, you can still find it at the family owned
Matt's El Rancho at 2613 S. Lamar (but it's closed on Tuesdays).
North of the University are several local shops. Toy Joy, at 2900 Guadalupe, offers a staggering array of toys
and oddities from around the world. If you're looking for that toy you played with as a child, you might find it here.
Breed and Co., at 718 W. 29th, is a hardware store on one side with a knowledgeable sales person who will find
the right washer for your leaky faucet, and an upscale china and housewares department on the other. The Burlap
Bag, at Guadalupe and 30th St., is a new shop that features home decor and creative gift items made by local
artisans, as well as items from around the world.
The Central Market area at 4001 N. Lamar, is home to HEB's original Central Market store featuring fresh and
unusual food items, cooking items (check out the silicone egg poachers!), and a wonderful cafe with an adjacent
playground. Check their schedule for live music and cooking classes. If you love stationery, paper stock and
envelopes, or invitations, visit Paper Place in Suite 540 of the Central Market center. Suite 300 is home to Zinger,
another Austin-based hardware store on one side with fantastic decorating and home items on the other. Across the
street are several small eating places: Taco Shack, founded by a young Austin couple who had been teachers and
chose to pursue their dream of owning a restaurant; EZ's Brick Oven & Grill, offering great burgers, Caesar
salads, and malts in a family friendly environment; and Banzai Japanese Restaurant, featuring Japanese food at
a reasonable price. Just up the street, at 4200 N. Lamar, is Uchiko, the upscale and award winning Japanese
restaurant whose chef, Paul Qui, is one of the contestants on this season's "Top Chef" reality series.
If you like shopping and people watching, try strolling from the 1100 to the 1900 blocks of South Congress. Shops
stay open late the First Thursday of each month resulting in a carnival like atmosphere. Food opportunities range
from great trailer fare to the upscale Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar at 1400 S. Congress, featuring a new menu
each day based on what fresh fish has been flown in. Other great places to eat include Guero's Taco Bar,
Magnolia Cafe, and the best way to end dinner with a unique cone from Austin's own Amy's Ice Cream.
South Congress is the place for eclectic shopping. Visit Tesoros Trading Company at 1500 S. Congress for
unique ethnic folk arts and crafts from around the world. Want to change your identity? Find a costume at Lucy in
Disguise With Diamonds at 1506 S. Congress. Vintage clothing, boots, furniture, gifts, art, antiques, jewelry, yarn,
herbs, salons, massage -- it's all on South Congress.
Want to see the trendy places to stay in Austin? Check out the Hotel San Jose at 1316 S. Congress. Built in 1939
as an "ultramodern motor court," the motel has been refurbished and has been home recently to visiting actors in
what is now an ultramodern environment. Enjoy a cool beverage on their courtyard patio. To see where the rich and
famous stay, visit Hotel Cecilia at 112 Academy Dr. You can walk through the grounds of the secluded estate and
possibly even get a tour of the hotel, but you can't have a cool beverage on their patio; that's for guests only.
Manor Road, just east of I-35, has several good places to eat. A long time favorite is Eastside Cafe at 2113 Manor
Road. Located in an older house with an adjacent herb and vegetable garden, the menu features items fresh and
healthy as well as rich and decadent. El Chile Cafe y Cantina, at 1809 Manor Road, serves fresh micheladas,
enchiladas, and chilangos. Hoover's Cooking at 2002 Manor Road is owned by Hoover Alexander, a fifth
generation Texan. His restaurant serves Southern cooking influenced by East Texas Cajun, BBQ, and TexMex
cuisines. Hoover has just opened Soular Food, a trailer at 1110 E. 12th, that offers "veggie-centric" meals utilizing
the abundance of local community gardens.
So who wouldda thought that Austin would be home to Neiman Marcus and Tiffany's? You can find them as well as
many other big and small shops at The Domain, one of Austin's newest and most upscale areas. Located in
northwest Austin in the area bounded by Loop 1, N. Braker Lane, and Burnet Road, it offers retail shopping, fine
restaurants, music venues, hotels, and residential living. Its main street is pedestrian friendly and is a nice
environment for window shopping.



rev 12-02-11
A variety of shops and restaurants offer anything you might like. Good shopping is found in many of the museum
shops. If you have a special shop or restaurant that you like, let us know and we'll add it to our list.