The San Diego burrito at Troublemaker, along with some cocktails

Where to Eat Late Night in Austin During SXSW

From essential thick-crust pizza to a 24-hour diner

by Erin Russell Feb 24, 2020, 11:30am CST

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The San Diego burrito at Troublemaker, along with some cocktails

| Courtney Pierce/EATX

by Erin Russell Feb 24, 2020, 11:30am CST

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a ten-day marathon, not a sprint — which means its important to stay fueled after that last movie/showcase/party of the night, so you can do it all over again the next day. Luckily, Austin has quite a few options for late-night dining that are close to SXSW’s epicenters.

Downtown’s options cover the full spectrum of late night dining: burritos, pizza, and burgers. Troublemaker serves burritos and carne asada fries with a side of retro games and records over in hip East Austin. For pizza options, there’s DeSano’s for Neapolitan pies on Lavaca, or Via 313’s thick-crusted (or gluten-free) Detroit-style options. Dirty Sixth’s Casino El Camino and a nearby Whataburger round out the classic Austin burger options.

Have a super late night planned? Check out 24 Diner or Las Cazuelas, which are open 24 hours and 24 hours on the weekends, respectively.

For more dining and drinking ideas, check out the rest of Eater’s SXSW coverage. For more late-night dining options outside of downtown, check out the city map of where to eat after midnight and 24-hour restaurants.

24 Diner

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The essential 24-hour spot downtown serves diner fare like breakfast platters, hashes, meatloaf, and some truly epic waffles. It also has a full bar if you want to keep the party going.

600 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703

(512) 472-5400

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Velvet Taco

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The Dallas taco export serves creative tacos (think: tikka chicken or Korean pork) until midnight Sunday through Wednesday; until 2 a.m. Thursday; and until 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

522 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

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Three tacos in green, red, and yellow tortillas, stuffed with ingredients, in taco stands. — Velvet Taco’s tacos

Happy Chicks

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It’s all chicken tenders, all the time (or at least until 2 a.m. on weekends) at this restaurant on Dirty Sixth. Choose a meal (which includes a vegan option), one of 15 dipping sauces, and sides like bacon mac and cheese.

214 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 469-0002

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Casino El Camino

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Dark and grungy, Casino El Camino serves massive greasy burgers, wings, sandwiches, and fries until 2 a.m. daily.

517 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 469-9330

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DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana

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Neapolitan-style pizzeria DeSano just opened a location on Lavaca Street, serving pies until 2:20 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays, and 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. The late night menu includes nine-inch individual-sized pizzas.

301 Lavaca St Suite 200, Austin, TX 78701

(737) 202-4834

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Baton Creole

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This Creole trailer behind Shangri-La on East Sixth serves dishes like jambalaya (deep fried, on a stick), étouffée, and beignets until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

1016 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

(512) 986-3834

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Troublemaker

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This east side bar with a substantial record collection serves California-style burritos and carne asada fries and is open until 2 a.m.

1209 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

(512) 524-1448

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California burritos and a record from Troublemaker

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Bummer Burrito

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Rainey Street’s newest food truck serves gut-busting burritos developed in the kitchen of sister restaurant (and Eater Austin’s 2018 restaurant of the year), Better Half. That means options like Frito pie burritos, a burrito with jalapeño poppers, and even a vegan options. It’s open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday.

89 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

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Whataburger

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A must-try in Texas, the burger chain is open 24 hours a day for all your honey butter chicken biscuit needs.

601 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

(512) 477-9586

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Via 313

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The beloved Detroit-style pizza truck serves its thick-crusted pies until 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday at the West Sixth location, and until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Rainey Street location. Go for the fragrant Omnivore, with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, and onions, or the fancy Cadillac with prosciutto and balsamic.

61 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 609-9405

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Las Cazuelas Méxican Restaurant

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This classic Tex-Mex dive features late hours (24 hours from Thursday to Sunday), cheese-covered everything, and great micheladas.

1701 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

(512) 479-7911

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Justine's

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An essential stop for most celebrities traveling through Austin (from Andrew Zimmern to Lady Gaga), this raucous east-side French restaurant serves steak frites and ratatouille on an expansive patio until 2 a.m. Wednesday through Monday.

4710 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702

(512) 385-2900

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