Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Austin by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Austin using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#22. Shoal Creek Saloon
- Rating: 3.4/5 (483 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 909 North Lamar Blvd. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Z'Tejas
- Rating: 3.5/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14900 Avery Ranch Blvd. Ste B100 Austin, Texas
- Categories: tex-mex, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Hoover's Cooking
- Rating: 3.6/5 (1009 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2002 Manor Road Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, american, comfort food
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile
- Rating: 3.8/5 (796 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3235 East Cesar Chavez St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Olamaie
- Rating: 3.8/5 (565 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1610 San Antonio St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Colleen's Kitchen
- Rating: 3.9/5 (607 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1911 Aldrich St. Ste 100 Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Stella San Jac
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1020 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 310 East 5th St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: new american, southern, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#15. The Cavalier ATX
- Rating: 4.1/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2400 Webberville Road Ste A Austin, Texas
- Categories: pubs, southern, dive bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Fixe Austin's Southern House
- Rating: 4.1/5 (963 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 500 West 5th St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, wine bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Moonshine Comfort & Cocktails
- Rating: 4.1/5 (530 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10525 West Parmer Lane Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Mattie's
- Rating: 4.2/5 (388 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 811 West Live Oak St. Green Pastures Austin, Texas
- Categories: american, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. The Peached Tortilla
- Rating: 4.2/5 (1052 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5520 Burnet Road Ste 100 Austin, Texas
- Categories: asian fusion, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Diner Bar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 500 San Jacinto Blvd. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, cocktail bars, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Jack Allen's Kitchen
- Rating: 4.3/5 (630 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3600 North Capital Of Texas Hwy Bldg D Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Huckleberry
- Rating: 4.3/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 440 East St. Elmo Unit F Austin, Texas
- Categories: seafood, food trucks, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Jack Allen's Kitchen Anderson Lane
- Rating: 4.4/5 (468 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3010 West Anderson Lane Ste D Austin, Texas
- Categories: american, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
- Rating: 4.4/5 (5992 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Red River St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Dish Society
- Rating: 4.4/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1900 Aldrich St. Ste 130 Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, new american, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Terry Black's Barbecue
- Rating: 4.5/5 (7014 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1003 Barton Springs Road Austin, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, sandwiches, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Galloway's Sandwich Shop
- Rating: 4.6/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1914 East 12th St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: soul food, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Kt's Deli
- Rating: 4.7/5 (10 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 300 West 15th St. Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Whip My Soul
- Rating: 4.8/5 (535 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 11416 North Fm 620 Austin, Texas
- Categories: southern, chicken shop
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
