Guide to Black-Owned Businesses and Culture in Austin

48 Hours in Austin, TX

This 2-day itinerary provides an overview of the city, plus plenty of cultural activities and Black-owned businesses to visit. Here, you’ll find a sampling of Austin's hits, with things to do, see and experience. Let our insiders’ advice point you in the right direction for history and culture, as well as where to go for an amazing meal, a relaxing afternoon or a hot night out. Along the way, you'll get to support tons of local Black businesses, musicians, comedians, artists and more.

Bird Bird Biscuit. Credit Inti St. Clair.

Day One

Indulge in a decadent breakfast sandwich at the Manor Road location of Bird Bird Biscuit before spending the morning exploring nearby historic sites throughout Six Square, the city’s Black Cultural District. Walk the grounds of Austin’s HBCU, Huston-Tillotson University, which opened in 1875 as the very first institution of higher learning in Austin. Learn more about the contributions of Austin's Black musicians throughout the decades at the Texas Music Museum, which showcases the artists and venues that made the Live Music Capital of the World® what it is today.

For lunch, try one of the many delicious combinations at Anything's Baked Potato, like the decadent Dirty Side (andouille sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese and Cajun cream sauces on a baked potato). Or fill up on some of Austin's famous barbecue at Sam’s Bar-B-Que, where you can order smoked meats by the pound, or opt for a brisket sandwich and yummy sides like man 'n cheese or yams.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy the exhibits in the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center. Visit the well-curated gallery exhibits or stop by during one of the museum's regular classes, movie screenings or genealogy workshops, focused on African-American history and culture. If you don't have time for a deeper dive but still want to learn more about Austin's Black history, you can't go wrong with Black Austin Tours. For a self-guided option, rent a bike in town and explore landmarks on the Black History Bike Ride (with two routes and regular social rides).

Black Austin Tours. Credit to Chelsea Purgahn.

Make sure to leave time for a self-guided tour of Austin's murals and public art. While there are too many to list in one article, a few noteworthy pieces by local artists include:

• Rhapsody, constructed of gorgeous mosaic tiles that make up an animated tribute to East Austin’s musical past and located along East 11th Street.
• The vibrant Chicon Mural, at the corner of 12th and Chicon Streets, which features Black icons like Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Texas native Beyoncé.
• The mural of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., accompanied by the quote “We may have come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now,” was painted on the side of Sam’s Bar-B-Que, an East Austin mainstay since the 1940s.
• Voyage to Soulsville, painted on the side of the Austin Public Library’s Carver branch, illustrates the Black community’s journey from pre-Columbian times to the present day.
• Ideal Barbershop by Ryan Runcie is a new mural on the side of Austin’s oldest barbershop, honoring Leonard and Rosa Hill, who opened the shop, and the impact the shop has had on the community.

Take a sunset cruise or rent a canoe to watch the millions of Mexican free-tailed bats under the Congress Avenue bridge take flight (late March through October). Make The Big Easy Bar and Grill your dinner destination (especially during crawfish season) for a laid-back experience. Or, get dressed up for a meal at Caribbean restaurant Canje. The menu is based on Executive Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph’s favorite foods from his childhood in Guyana, as well as the cuisine of Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

After dinner, get ready for a night out with live music and dancing. Check out Encore ATX calendar for a lineup of live entertainment and social events, ranging from concerts and comedy to spoken word and trap yoga. Stop by Sahara Lounge for a house cocktail on the patio, along with live music ranging from African to folk, Brazilian to jazz, and more. Don't miss Africa Nights for dancing, music by house band Zoumountchi and a free buffet dinner! Iconic venue Antone’s is co-owned by Grammy-award-winning musician Gary Clark Jr. and showcases live blues seven nights a week.

Black Pumas. Credit David Brendan Hall.

Day Two

If you're on the north side of town, stop by Whip My Soul for flavorful soul and Southern cuisine like crispy fried catfish, flavorful collard greens and soft cornbread. For a late breakfast or brunch, you can’t miss the comforting chicken and waffles at The Rolling Rooster in North Austin.

If you're itching to explore more history, head west to the Clarksville neighborhood. The area was once the location of quarters for some of the people who were enslaved by Texas Governor Elisha Pease. After emancipation, freedman Charles Clark purchased two acres and sold some of his land to other freedmen in hopes of building a place where former slaves could reunite with family and friends. This new community was aptly named Clarksville and was one of the first freedmen’s towns established west of the Mississippi. Visit the Hezikiah Haskell House, a Clarksville historic landmark and former home of freedman Peter Tucker and his family, and later Hezikiah Haskell, a Union soldier and a Buffalo Soldier.

Feeling some food-truck love? Check out Brown’s Bar-B-Que parked at Corner Bar. Try a sampling of flavorful smoked meats by the pound, in a sandwich or wrapped in a tortilla. If the weather is warm, grab your swimsuit and enjoy a splash in Barton Springs Pool, or go kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake.

Barton Springs Pool. Credit Monet Hambrick.

If shopping beckons, check out some of the best Black-owned stores and products around town, including Kicking It ATX, owned by Huston-Tillotson graduate Dr. Greg Grovney, a sneaker store celebrating sneaker culture and streetwear, or Black Pearl Books, an indie bookstore promoting cultural awareness through literature.

Or, get a taste of Austin's sports action with a trip to the new Q2 Stadium, home of the city's Major League Soccer team, Austin FC. Visit the HEB Center at Cedar Park to watch the Austin Spurs, the NBA Gatorade League team owned and operated by the 5-time World Champions San Antonio Spurs. Hosting live action almost year-round, the University of Texas at Austin Longhorns are guaranteed to bring the fun, from SEC football to men's and women's basketball, baseball, swimming & diving and more. Or, head to Downs Mabson Field, the historic baseball field that was once home of the Austin Black Senators and now the Huston-Tillotson Rams, and see the mosaics depicting iconic Black players.

Courtesy of Distant Relatives.

Take the family for a meal at Hoover's Cooking, helmed by Austin native Hoover Alexander, who is a fierce advocate for urban gardens and balanced eating habits. Start with an order of Hoover's queso for the table, then dig into a plate of charbroiled catfish or a big New Orleans muffuletta. Or, pair flavorful smoked meats from Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized food truck, Distant Relatives with locally brewed beer at Meanwhile Brewing.

Founded by local favorites Raza Jafri and Andre Ricks, the East Austin Comedy Club is an intimate hub for homegrown humor on the East Side. Stop by to catch a rotating lineup of up-and-coming talent, or get lucky and see the founders themselves take the mic for a surprise set. Or, check out live comedy at Esther’s Follies or any one of the comedy clubs across town.

The famous and historic Victory Grill was one of the venues in the area and is one of the last remaining original Chitlin' Circuit juke joints. Today, the grill goes by the name Victory East and has been reimagined as an upscale restaurant and cocktail lounge that hosts live music periodically. After dinner, head to the old telephone booth at the back of the restaurant and slip into Busy Signal, a speakeasy with seasonal craft cocktails and live entertainment. Named after the manager of Austin’s legendary Rome Inn club, C-Boy’s Heart & Soul is a South Congress-area juke-joint featuring classic soul and R&B music onstage, a spacious and cool outdoor patio and an upstairs lounge called the “Jade Room,” a nod to a former legendary Austin venue. For a nightcap, check out RSRV, a social wine bar in East Austin, or try Retail Therapy downtown, which offers swanky cocktails and decadent desserts in a plush lounge setting. For a non-alcoholic option, Sans Bar is open on Friday nights with a menu that features incredible, creative mocktails.