Checked online and found that Franklin's BBQ was closed on New Year's Day, so first went to coffee shop to get caffeinated (and me to work on updating this blog some).
Went to Cosmic Beer Garden and Coffee over past the South Congress Avenue area. It was a coffee shop and tap room inside, with a large outdoor area with a few different fire pits and some food trucks parked outside too.
The inside was completely packed, so ended up outside at a picnic table bench to enjoy coffee and work on blog some.
Unfortunately for us it was maybe 45 degrees outside, with a healthy ~10 mph wind going on.
Lasted maybe 20 minutes tops before adjourning and packing things up. Had decided to seek out Rudy's BBQ, which was recommended to me by a friend for Austin to-do list. Was told that they are in/adjacent to gas stations.
Which proved to be true -- we arrived via navigation to a Shell gas station alongside a highway that had the Rudy's BBQ attached to it.
Pretty big inside, with picnic benches for seating and a large line-up area for ordering. Studied the menu a bit before walking up and found that, after saying to cashier that was our first visit, got free tastings of some of the meats. Free samples of brisket, extra moist brisket, and the smoked turkey. As well as sample of their creamed corn.
Ended up getting a pint of the creamed corn to share, a 1/2 lb for each of us of the extra moist brisket, and I got a half rack of baby back ribs. Friend got 1/2 lb of pork loin.
All was delicious and crazy filling.
My "plate" (everything was on wax paper and loaded into a single plastic crate -type tray):
After BBQ, we headed over to South Congress Avenue again. Street parking ended up being pretty easy since turned out a lot of places were closed. We parked and walked the length of the main shopping area and checked out the stores that were open. I bought a few souvenirs too.
Some shots of South Congress Avenue:
(last pic is not from Sough Congress Avenue, but rather some blocks away at corner of 1st Street)
After leaving SoCo, Friend wanted brewery and I wanted coffee shop since I wanted to get this blog updated with the last two prior days before another day slipped by. Ended up meeting all needs at Hops & Grain Brewery back over in East Austin. I started out with a cold brew coffee and friend with a beer. Building was a large warehouse room with a bar area, bunch of long picnic table benches, some stadium seating on the far side, and pub height tables on the other. Place was pretty busy with ppl hanging, playing board games, a few on their laptops. Got seating on one half of a picnic table and got working on the laptop.
Was there probably an hour and a half total. After cold brew I tried their Lupulin Rodeo IPA, which was solid. Got to looking up last dinner options and was again finding things closed given New Year's Day. After decided did not want anything heavy on meat (since were again going to try to have Franklin's BBQ next day on the way out of town, ended up deciding to head back to South Congress Ave area to have pizza. Had walked by pizza place called Home Slice both prior visits and had noted how good it smelled.
Home Slice was packed -- after being told 20 minute wait though, going to back bar and ordering a beer to wait for table, ended up with host finding us within 5 minutes and telling us table was ready.
Deliberation over menu yielded large shared caesar salad, and a half and half large pizza w/ 1st as their eggplant parmesan pizza and the 2nd half their classic pepperoni & mushroom. All was excellent and way too filling.
I had one more beer over dinner and afterward we headed back to the house, with stop at post office mailbox to mail Austin postcards.
Back to AirBnB for final night in Austin -- few more beers consumed as started to get things together for the next day's departure to Houston.
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