Tacos, BBQ, and pool parties: An insider’s guide to Austin F1

It’s race week in Austin, Texas, a city that punches above its weight when it comes to both tourist offerings and entertainment — but you’ve got to know where to look. From wild hotel pool parties to food truck breakfast tacos, track-goers will have plenty of options near Austin and Circuit of The Americas (COTA) while the track action is quiet. 

Whether you’ve finished your Austin F1 weekend itinerary, or have yet to start filling those off-track hours in, Motorsport has pulled together a guide to some of the hippest spots in town for shopping, bar hopping, and, of course, barbecue. 

Pit stops

Start with a selfie at the R-rated, neon, erect Austin Motel sign, which cheekily beckons visitors to South Congress, a thoroughfare through South Austin that offers a zany hodgepodge of iconic, Instagrammable locations. Buy a day pass and cannonball into the motel’s pool for a wild pool party, energized by the poolside bar.

Shoppers beware: it’s easy to get carried away during a visit to SoCo, as the street is called. Try on some of the finest cowboy boots in the country at Allens Boots — a place which both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo have graced and embraced their inner cowboys —  or Heritage Boot, just two of the boot sellers on the street. Then check out the YETI flagship store, which has its own bar so you can grab a drink while you ponder a cooler. The vintage shopping along here is great too: STAG Provisions for Men and Feathers Vintage are two SoCo classics. And don’t forget to pick up a treat at Big Top Candy Shop or Monkey See, Monkey Do!, a delightfully kitschy toy store for all ages.

While you’re on the south side of town, drop by Bouldin Creek Cafe, a vegan, all-day diner with a prime patio. The funky hub is a quick way to settle into true Austin-chill vibes, and their blueberry cornbread is one of the city’s proven hangover cures.

Sprint weekend BBQ

Certainly no Austin visit would be complete without a tray full of bones and a lap full of napkins. The famous Franklin Barbecue is delicious and worth a planned stop. Planned — as the problem is that the line to get their meat can stretch for hours, and will be even longer during the F1 race weekend. A savvy traveler will look for less-popular spots, and East Austin is a neighborhood with great options.

Micklethwait Craft Meats is an East Side trailer with picnic tables out front — kind of the perfect setting for an Austin barbecue experience. Try their Tex-Czech sausages, which offer flavors hard to find in other regions. And don’t sleep on the citrus beet salad, the perfect counterpart for fatty cuts.

La Barbecue is another East Side barbecue gem and a rarity in the barbecue world: it’s owned by a woman. Even though it presents a bit of a shorter wait than at Franklin’s, there’s almost always a line here too. But the good news is that it’s possible to order ahead for pickup. If you’ve got a group of about 10, try to pick up one of their tailgate packages for a sampler of all of their best cuts — just be sure you’re getting the peppery, perfect brisket.

Party Fermé

After you’re done gorging yourself on Austin’s best barbecue, you’ll need to dance it off. Most people seeking nightlife fun in Austin end up roaming up and down 6th Street. And 6th is certainly worth a wander, because the scene during a Formula 1 weekend will be buzzing and cheerfully chaotic. 

Psst, race fans: a few blocks south, you’ll find Rainey Street, a strange little historic road that has become the city’s most unique hotspot stretch. The craftsman bungalows have been turned into patio-blessed bars, which are dwarfed by the new apartment buildings towering above. At night, this stretch is packed with people looking for a memorable night (you’re practically guaranteed to run into a bachelorette party). 

Start your Rainey experience with some bratwurst on the patio at Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden, the perfect spot to take in the Rainey scene. Once ready to carouse, proceed to bungalow hopping at Lucille Patio Lounge, a cozy bar with hammocks in the back. Then hit up The Stay Put, which brews a dynamite IPA, or hit up the Rainey classic Clive Bar, which has been expanded to meet the soaring demand of Rainey’s roaming partiers.

Final lap

In Austin, there is no such thing as a morning-after that doesn’t include a saucy, savory Mexican breakfast. Breakfast tacos are the town religion; having one every single morning is not just acceptable, it’s encouraged. 

Some local favorites include Vaquero Taquero and Veracruz All Natural, both with Downtown locations, or Pueblo Viejo, with an East Riverside location between Downtown and the track.

Revelers basking in the cosmopolitan nature of auto racing know that a unique joy of being an F1 fan is being able to immerse themselves in the local culture, whether it’s raincoats and lager at Silverstone or cowboy hats and barbecue in Austin.

Besides, you never know who you’ll bump into when off-track during an F1 weekend: drivers, mechanics, and celebrities have lives, too… .