Imagine being locked in a room — literally — with a group of friends, and the only thing that will set you free is successfully solving a puzzle. At Puzzle Room Austin, this could be your next Saturday night.

The current scenario that participants are charged with solving is dubbed Escape From the Super Villian’s Hideout. The premise is you’re being held captive by a bad guy called the Befuddler, who is planning a scheme that would wipe out the city, so it’s up to you and your group to save the day by solving a series of puzzles and codes. You have an hour to solve them, and if you make it, Puzzle Room staffers will take your photo and post it on their website!

Only 33% of the groups have won; the record so far has been 49 minutes. Participants have reported that the puzzle is challenging but not impossible to solve, and it makes for a great team-building activity or fun thing to do with friends for a bachelor party or birthday. After you’re done, you can easily make the 10-minute drive back to Elan East, or continue the party by hitting one of the bars or restaurants near the Puzzle Room. After all, a celebration might be in order if you’re successful! Puzzle Room Austin is open Thursday and Friday nights, and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

Puzzle Room Austin
111 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78752
www.puzzleroomaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/puzzle-room-austin-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr psyberartist

In 2009, Josh Frank of Austin set up a makeshift drive-in movie theater in an alley as an anniversary surprise for his fiancee. What he thought would be a one-night venture evolved into Blue Starlite Mini-Urban Drive-In, situated in a lot about five minutes from Elan East Apartments.

It consists of spaces for 50 cars, a funky, vintage trailer that serves as both the ticket booth and concession stand, and an inflatable screen. Moviegoers describe seeing a movie here as a special experience — it’s even been the site of about a dozen marriage proposals — and it’s been named one of the 10 must-visit nightlife spots in Austin.

Blue Starlite focuses on indie films, drive-in classics, Generation X and Y favorites, and beloved childhood movies. Through May 16 it’s hosting its first annual Fantasy Fest, showing double features of films of the fantasy genre. How To Train Your Dragon and Dragonslayer are showing April 24, and The Goonies and The Explorers are showing April 25.

Blue Starlite Mini-Urban Drive-In
1901 E. 51 St. St.
Austin, TX 87823
(512) 850-6127
www.bluestarlitedrivein.com
www.yelp.com/biz/blue-starlite-mini-urban-drive-in-austin

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Tomás Fano

Find tasty fusion fare near Elan East at The Peached Tortilla. This Austin eatery actually encompasses a food truck, a catering service, and a sit-down restaurant, which means that diners have a number of opportunities to explore its tasty food. The food truck, for instance, appears at spots throughout Austin to serve lunch. The Peached Tortilla's restaurant resulted from the truck's popularity, making the food available to even more local diners.

If you visit the truck, you'll find a selection of burgers, burritos, tacos, and bowls, each blending a number of flavors in an inventive way. The JapaJam Burger, for instance, tops a burger with sweet tomato jam, cheese, barbecue sauce, and tempura beer-battered onion strings; the Banh Mi burrito gathers the traditional Vietnamese sandwich into a new form.

Restauarant-goers have even more options. The Peached Tortilla's current dinner menu offers Crispy Umami Chicken Wings, the Thai Chop Chop Salad with tofu, apple, radish, and more, and the Hangar Steak Ssam with kimchi and rice.

The eatery also has a number of inventive cocktails as well as craft beer and wine. There's even an extensive whiskey list with some bottles imported from Japan and Taiwan.

To find out more about this Austin restaurant, visit The Peached Tortilla's website.

The Peached Tortilla
5520 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
www.thepeachedtortilla.com
www.yelp.com/biz/peached-tortilla-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Mike McCune