Barton Springs Road is where Austin goes to play outside. It’s the sunny, slightly chaotic stretch that connects South Congress energy with Zilker Park’s wide-open lawns and the legendary 68-degree waters of Barton Springs Pool. Whether you’re post-swim and starving, hunting live music with a cold beer, or just looking for the perfect patio, this corridor delivers the classic Austin mix of old-school favorites and easygoing good times.
Barton Springs Saloon
Barton Springs Saloon is a storied low-key hangout on the popular corner of Barton Springs and South Lamar. Housed in an eclectic converted gas station, the Saloon lures locals with its jukebox, happy hour deals & great patio. Located as it is in the heart of booming South Lamar, it embraces the old-style, friendly Austin atmosphere that has made Austin one of the best places to live in the country. It’s walking distance from great Austin venues like Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool, The Long Center and Auditorium Shores.
Where: 424 S Lamar Blvd
Phone: (512) 482-9673
Web: Barton Springs Saloon
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Green Mesquite BBQ
A Barton Springs classic since 1988, The Green Mesquite serves up Austin and it’s visitors great BBQ at reasonable prices. Live music playing from Thursday-Sunday. BBQ, blues and bluegrass!!
Where: 1400 Barton Springs Rd
Phone: (512) 479-0485
Web: Green Mesquite BBQ
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Juliet Ristorante
Juliet Ristorante is modern & classic Italian fare & drinks in a spacious, multi-room setting with luxe flourishes. Inspired by the bounty of the Italian countryside the eatery brings together an inventive Italian menu featuring thoughtfully sourced ingredients from across central Texas. Enjoy a meal, wine or a cocktail nestled among the trees on beautiful Barton Springs. The food and atmosphere are distinctively crafted, and full of life and celebration.
Where: 1500 Barton Springs Rd
Phone: (512) 479-1800
Web: Juliet Italian Kitchen
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Oria
At 1530 Barton Springs Road, Oria transforms the former Zoe Tong space into a lush Mediterranean escape. Ivy-draped pergolas, warm wood, and soft lighting set the scene for wood-fired plates and vibrant shareable dishes.
It’s elegant but relaxed — the kind of patio where you linger over cocktails and flavorful Mediterranean fare. Whether you’re coming from Barton Springs Pool or just chasing a beautiful night out, Oria brings fresh energy to the strip.
Where: 1530 Barton Springs Road
Phone: (512) 220-0204
Web: Oria
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Barton Springs Bike Rentals & Tours
Since 2009 Barton Springs Bike Rental has been serving Austin with bike rentals & tours from their big Barton Springs Rd. store. The location next to Austin’s favorite outdoor oasis, Zilker Park, and the beautiful 10 mile hike and bike trail that surrounds Lady Bird Lake, makes the store a great starting point for any Austin two wheeled tour.
Where: 1707 Barton Springs Rd
Phone: (512) 480-0200
Web: Barton Springs Bike Rentals & Tours
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The Picnic Food Truck Court
Conveniently located on Barton Springs Rd, just across the creek from Zilker Park, The Picnic was designed as a home for locally owned Austin food trucks. The venue includes 80 paved parking spaces, architecturally designed pavilions, and air conditioned restrooms. It’s a one-of-a-kind food court featuring Austin’s best local eateries.
Where: 1720 Barton Springs Rd
Chuy’s
Chuy’s is OG Bartons Springs. They opened in April 1982 with a vision of a fun and funky Tex-Mex restaurant serving authentic and fresh food in an atmosphere that appealed to everyone. And that’s exactly what was accomplished. Chuy’s “Tex-Mex” menu is made up of a combination of flavors, with recipes and ingredients from across New Mexico, Mexican border towns, the Rio Grande Valley, deep South Texas, Austin and beyond. Our Green Chile sauce recipe was “borrowed” from a little hole-in-the-wall in Española, New Mexico, and our fajita marinade is an old South Texas family recipe (used at some “infamous” South Padre Island beach parties.)
Where: 1728 Barton Springs Rd
Phone: (512) 474-4452
Zilker Park Boat Rentals
Zilker Park Boat Rentals offers up 160 canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards at their livery on Barton Creek. It’sthe perfect place to bring friends and family to enjoy a relaxing outing on the water. Located on the shores of Barton Creek just downstream from Barton Springs Pool.
Where: 2101 Andrew Zilker Rd
Phone: (512) 478-3852
Web: Zilker Park Boat Rentals
Barton Springs Pool
The legendary Barton Springs Pool is the crown jewel of Austin’s beautiful Zilker Park. The pool is three giant acres of underground springs fun. With an average temperature of 68-70 degrees, it’s ideal for year-round swimming. Over the years, Barton Springs Pool has drawn people from all walks of life, from legislators who have concocted state laws there to free-spirited, topless sunbathers who turned heads in the 1970s. Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting family in Austin. Today, Barton Springs still attracts a diverse crowd of people and has seen record setting numbers of visitors nearing 800,000 in recent years.
Where: 2131 William Barton Dr
Phone: (512) 974-6300
Web: Barton Springs Pool