Monkey See Monkey Do!: Off-the-Wall Gifts That Can’t be Imitated

Whether you love kitschy, quirky trinkets or you know someone else who does, Monkey See Monkey Do! is one of Austin’s most popular gift shops. This wacky store is like a toy store for adults, and it is positively packed full of all of the magnets, action figures, whoopee cushions, and novelty candies that you can imagine. There’s also a number of Austin-themed gifts!

None of these items are particularly useful, but once you spend a while in this silly shop you'll realize that that’s what makes them great. And of course, Monkey See Monkey Do! even carries a vast assortment of—you guessed it—monkey paraphernalia!

Monkey See Monkey Do! is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Monkey See Monkey Do!
1712 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 443-4999
www.facebook.com/MonkeySeeMonkeyDoAustin
www.yelp.com/biz/monkey-see-monkey-do-austin

Barton Springs Pool: Cool Off Where Robert Redford Learned to Swim

Any pool that's good enough for Robert Redford should be good enough for the average swimmer. Barton Springs Pool is that pool. Redford took his very first strokes here as a 5-year-old while on a trip to visit his relatives. Perhaps what drew the Redford family to Barton Springs was its one-of-a-kind aesthetic, unlike any other public pool. You see, the pool's waters filter into it from a hot underground spring, so it's a cross between a typical pool (with lifeguards, diving board, and concrete walls) and a natural lake (with algae underfoot).

Head to Barton Springs Pool any time of year for a swim in crisp waters. They average around 70 degrees no matter the season due to the font from which they flow. Locals love cooling off in the chilly pool on an oppressive Texan summer day or just coming here to sunbathe and people-watch.

Barton Springs Pool
2201 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 476-9044
austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool
www.yelp.com/biz/barton-springs-pool-austin

Dazzle Coffee: Premium Java Served From a Drive-Through Window

With the goal of creating a cafe that focuses on premium roasted Arabica beans and a friendly relationship between barista and customer, Dazzle Coffee opened in Pflugerville in 2006. This drive-through-only coffee shop has seen great success over the years since it opened, mainly because regulars love the convenience of purchasing high quality coffee without exiting their cars!

The menu includes affordably priced classics like freshly brewed coffees and flavorful caffe lattes, as well as specialty drinks like white chocolate mochas and caramel macchiatos. Dazzle Coffee also sells cold beverages perfect for hot Austin days, including the popular Frezian, which includes your choice of milk blended with ice and coffee. Milkshakes and 100% fruit smoothies also make delicious treats after dinner or to cool off during a hot summer day.

Dazzle Coffee is open 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Sunday hours are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dazzle Coffee
100 N. Second Street
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 670-1100
www.dazzlecoffee.com
www.yelp.com/biz/dazzle-coffee-pflugerville

Toy Time: Where It’s Always Time to Play

Just about every store in the Austin area is a bit quirkier than most, and Toy Time is one of those truly unique establishments. This independent toy store carries a wide selection of toys that you won’t find at most big box toy stores, and it even offers pop culture memorabilia that adults will love, as well.

The colorful, jam-packed shop is small, but it’s filled to the brim with children’s dolls and toys. The candy selection includes hard-to-find items like chocolate rocks, and the walls are lined with electronic games, costumes, model kits, and much more. Toy Time also includes a party room where guests can book fun-filled birthday parties. This room is set up like a treehouse, and the affordable package includes your choice of entertainers ranging from magicians to princesses and even full-scale petting zoos.

Toy Time is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and the store is closed on Sundays.

Toy Time
101-B Pecan Street West
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 990-8697
www.toy-time.com
www.yelp.com/biz/toy-time-pflugerville

Consignment Stars: Stylish Furnishings for the Thrifty Shopper

Consignment Stars is a consignment furniture store located in the Pflugerville area of Austin. Though the city is filled with a seemingly endless number of thrift and consignment stores, this shop is unique because of its large selection of both new and used furniture.

Consignment Stars’ knowledgeable staff is always on hand to answer any questions about the consigning process or a specific piece of furniture, and the shop carries items for every room in the home. The 10,000-square-foot store hosts beds, couch and loveseat sets, televisions, and even outdoor furniture for exceptionally low prices. If you have your own used furniture that you’d like to sell, Consignment Stars also offers a convenient selling process in which you pocket half of the money once your item is sold.

Consignment Stars is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The shop is closed on Sundays.

Consignment Stars
2405 W. Pecan Street
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 202-3800
www.consignmentstars.com
www.yelp.com/biz/consignment-stars-pflugerville

Ritual Salon + Spa: A Stylish Salon Specializing in Modern Hairstyles

From the moment you walk through the large glass doors and into the immaculately decorated, modern industrial-style salon, you’ll likely fall in love with Ritual Salon + Spa. This full-service Rosedale beauty shop specializes in all of the most current hairstyling services, from cutting that elongated bob to giving customers the perfect ombré color. Ritual is separated into a number of different areas, including a comfortable waiting area with eclectic throw pillows and hair product displays, a media bar, and comfortable styling stations surrounded by unique light fixtures.

Services include not only haircuts and coloring services, but also more intricate beauty treatments like eyelash extensions, brow tinting, and hair extensions. Ritual even provides full spa treatments such as massages, nail care, and facials. Pop in to treat yourself to a trim, or spend a full day being pampered!

Ritual Salon + Spa
4800 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 391-0010
www.ritualsalonaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/ritual-salon-spa-austin

Maverick’s Country Rock: Pull on Your Boots to Boogie the Night Away

Austin is known for its live music venues, but Maverick’s Country Rock shows off the city’s dance moves, as well. If you love to kick up your heels to upbeat country music, Maverick’s spacious dance floor and some of the area’s best DJs will ensure that you have a rocking good time.

The dance floor isn’t just your usual open space, however: Here, a 5,000-square-foot dance floor features state-of-the-art lights and sound and a number of multimedia projectors that work in time with the music. Outside, Maverick’s 3,000-square-foot deck area features lots of outdoor seating and another full bar to service those who wish to enjoy the Texas evening. The bar also makes a fun place to dance the night away.

Maverick’s is open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Maverick’s Country Rock
1700 Grand Ave Parkway
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 514-5650
www.maverickscountryrock.com
www.yelp.com/biz/mavericks-country-rock-pflugerville

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop: Gourmet Cheese in Austin

The unlikely success story behind Antonelli’s Cheese Shop has revealed one important thing: Austin residents love their cheese. This gourmet cheese shop combines the hip, industrial style that is unique to Austin with the European flair that owners John and Kendall Antonelli picked up while studying cheese abroad. The result is a wonderfully eclectic shop that carries a diverse selection seven styles of artisanal cheeses, including many local cheeses made right in Texas.

Antonelli’s also offers limitless tastings to help you decide on a specific cheese, and the store's friendly team of “cheesemongers” will even write guests a log to help you remember which cheeses you liked and which you should steer clear of. Stop by to purchase the perfect cheese for a dinner party, create a gift basket for a friend, or join the Cheese of the Month Club to experience a world of cheeses right in the heart of Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood.

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
4220 Duval Street
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 531-9610
www.antonellischeese.com
www.yelp.com/biz/antonellis-cheese-shop-austin

Terra Toys: An Independent Toy Store for Kids and Adults Alike

While there are a number of big box toy stores in every city, there’s something charming and nostalgic about visiting an independently owned toy store. Terra Toys is just that type of store, with a sweet storefront tucked into a plaza near popular restaurants and other shops.

It’s very easy to spend an entire afternoon browsing the endless selection of unique toys here, so be sure to visit when you have some time to spare. The inventory is stacked from floor to ceiling, with a number of cozy nooks and play areas scattered throughout. The book section has a few small tables where kids can read, and there’s a large train table to check out the model trains.

Terra Toys carries all types of toys, from dolls and action figures to games and science toys, and it can seem overwhelming to attempt to locate a particular item. Regulars recommend sending the knowledgeable employees on a mission to track down the toy you need, and don't forget to grab some novelty candies before you go.

Terra Toys
2438 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 445-4489
www.terratoys.com
www.yelp.com/biz/terra-toys-austin

Grand Nail Spa: Buff, Polish and Pamper

Not all nail salons are created equal, and regulars insist that Pflugerville’s Grand Nail Spa is one of the best in the Austin area. This stylish nail salon features a friendly staff of technicians who are skilled in all of the latest nail trends, and the salon itself is stylish and comfortable. Teal colored walls and modern furnishings create a relaxing environment, and the spacious waiting area is filled with magazines for customers to page through while waiting to get their nails done. Grand Nail Spa even offers complimentary drinks and a candy bar for guests to munch on, and the high-tech massage chairs are completely customizable.

Once it comes time for the manicure or pedicure, Grand Nail Spa buffs away dead skin, then moisturizes and polishes fingers and toes to your specifications. The salon even offers a much larger assortment of shellac polish colors than most salons for those who want to splurge a bit more on their manicure.

Grand Nail Spa is open 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Grand Nail Spa
1700 Grand Ave Parkway
Pflugerville, TX 78660
(512) 990-7300
www.grand-nailspa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/grand-nail-spa-pflugerville

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