“Date Night” in South Austin

South Austin is one of the easiest date night destinations in Austin, as South Congress Avenue, affectionately known as SoCo, provides over a mile of dinner destinations, shops, coffee stops, and entertainment for couples wanting a date that is both fun and romantic. Branching off of SoCo also will lead date night adventurers to Austin legacies and beacons of Austin’s much-loved “quirky” culture. Austinites who live in nearby neighborhoods like Olympic Heights or Circle C have the easiest access to South Austin’s array of popular businesses, and an Austin realtor can help scout an Austin home for sale that would put you in the center of the South Austin action.

Dinner

Snack Bar

Snack Bar’s name may be a misnomer. Although the décor does suggest a cool, retro resting spot, the menu features plate-filling artisan fare that will satisfy anyone looking for a quick bite all the way up to a multi-course meal. Diners can watch the stream of characters go up and down SoCo from a shady perch outside or from a comfortable booth or chair inside while sipping cocktails. Menu options include traditional diner dishes with an upscale spin, like homemade waffles, sandwiches with brioche buns, tacos with chicken apple sausage, and snack plates made from organic, local, sustainable produce and meats.

Hill’s Café

Hill’s Cafe is an Austin landmark and has been located in the same spot in South Austin for 56 years, just two blocks south of Ben White on historic South Congress Avenue. This local favorite offers southern comfort food, including barbeque, burgers, sandwiches, and steaks “just like your mom used to make.” The café has live music three nights a week and a Singer/Songwriter night every Tuesday from 7 PM to close.

Southside Flying Pizza

Southside Flying Pizza is an independent restaurant dedicated to serving artisan quality food in big portions that are always fresh. The pizza is hand-tossed Neapolitan style, served alongside the freshest salads, delicious sandwiches, soups, appetizers, pastas, desserts, and extras. Everything is made on site and from scratch, including the dough, ground meats, sauces, dips, dressings, soups and brownies. Pizza crust can be selected as regular, whole wheat, or gluten free, with over 32 toppings to choose from. Large pizzas can be split in half, and the multitude of topping choices make coming to a consensus about flavor with a date the easiest part of the night.

Dessert

Big Top Candy Shop

Walking out of Big Top Candy Shop with a bag of your favorite candy has as much charm as ordering a delectable slice of cake at a bakery, if not more. The nostalgia of choosing a variety of wrapped candies, whether a new brand or a rare kind that’s been around since your childhood, provides ample conversation topics and warm-fuzzy feelings to make a date night memorable. The ambiance of vintage circuses and brass bands adds to the enjoyment of browsing the store, sifting through a multitude of salt water taffies, gummy critters, jaw breakers, chocolates, jelly beans, and more. An old fashioned soda fountain with creamy milkshakes tops the experience like a maraschino cherry.

La Patisserie

La Pâtisserie, a French bakery and coffee shop, offers traditional and delicious French treats, including brioche, croissants, pain au chocolat, eclairs, tarte tatins, macarons, citron madeleines, and chouquettes, all for $5 or less. Enjoy a fresh cup of Lavazza espresso made in a true French press with your dessert, and relax knowing that whatever you may lack in charm, the bakery will make up for you.

Fun

ZACH Theatre

The ZACH Theatre hosts more than 500 performances a year, offering ample opportunity to wow a date with dinner and a show. ZACH productions span a dynamic range of programming that includes both professional Mainstage plays and musicals and Theatre for Youth. ZACH incubates original work, cultivating, commissioning, developing and producing new plays and musicals by playwrights and composers from Central Texas as well as internationally-acclaimed artists. Located in the heart of Austin on the banks of Lady Bird Lake, ZACH is widely considered “Austin’s Theatre.”

Tarot Reading by Megan Le Fey

A non-traditional approach to date night fun could be to get a card reading by Austin psychic Megan Le Fey. Le Fey has been reading Tarot for over 16 years, and can provide gentle, accurate, and entertaining readings for individuals or couples. Tarot is about clarifying your life now, in order to better prepare for a future that will be satisfying to you. It also shows how the past is affecting you today. The cards are a tool coupled with intuition to help understand the energetic forces in your life, and how to better use them to accomplish your goals and overcome obstacles. If your biggest current obstacle is surviving a first date, a tarot reading could be a sneak peek into whether or not there will be a second.

The Continental Club

Known as the Granddaddy of all local music venues, the Continental Club has enjoyed a coast-to-coast reputation as the premiere club for live music in Austin since 1955. The epitome of live music in Austin, with an intimate stage, dance floor, and bars serving up cold beer, The Continental Club on South Congress is a lively and locally flavorful place to take a date.

Live in another part of Austin? Check out our posts: “Date Night” in North Austin, “Date Night” in Central Austin, “Date Night” in South Austin, “Date Night” in East Austin, and “Date Night” in West Austin.