24 Hours in the Vortex of Yum: 3 Michelin-Ranked Spots on a 12-Minute Walk in East Austin

The Holly neighborhood is just a mile east of downtown Austin along the shores of Lady Bird Lake, and you'll need to get on the trail around that lake (it's actually a river) to work off all the calories I'm going to demand of you here. The leafy trail makes a 10-mile loop full of runners, walkers, and lollygaggers, most of them with dogs (and mostly "rescues" in this no-kill city). A quick seven- to 15-minute hop from the airport gets you here to the land of food bliss.

You might think it impossible to eat at three Michelin-ranked places in one day, either due to time, inclination, expense, or stomach size. To that I say:

• Time: These three spots are within a 12-minute walk of one another.

• Inclination: Well, that would be up to you, but I dare you.

• Expense: Breakfast will be $10-$20, lunch $20-$30, and dinner $50-$100. This is Austin, not Dallas!

• Stomach size: Pace yourself, you'll be fine.

I could tell you that there are other things to do here, like getting your hair cut at Vinyl Beauty Bar while listening to live music, or quizzing the bartenders on their mezcal library at La Holly Cantina. But when in the land of barbecue, you indeed must have barbecue.

• Breakfast at Mercado Sin Nombre, a new Michelin Bib Gourmand as of October 2025. Start the day at this super casual spot wedged behind my favorite liquor store. The horchata cold brew is my usual, it's not too sweet and their coffee is all sourced from Mexico. I'd read about the biscuit taking umpteen hours to make, and I tell you it lives up to the hype. I got two with my order and even eating one cold later had me rethinking all I knew about biscuits (I'm Texan, so).

• Lunch at la Barbecue, the one-Michelin-star spot and host of countless celebrity spottings. You'll need to queue up while still sipping your Mexican coffee. Here in the land of beef, it's brisket that you MUST order, I'd say with a side of the house-made spicy pickles and the kimchi. Half the fun here is the line, so don't be shy, especially since you'll want one of everything and you can share!

• Dinner at Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, another Bib Gourmand that takes casual and fusion to new heights. Lodged in an old barbecue joint on a residential street, you'll step into smoke tinged with Japanese lantern lights and dim corners. One dish had a tongue-numbing side of salt that was so mysterious and perfectly matched that this place remains at the top of my let's-go list.