No, it’s not a grain-flavored pork dish. Austin's Barley Swine is so named because Chef Bryce Gilmore has imported his lifelong love of pork and beer to his chic Lamar Boulevard restaurant. Barley Swine keeps about 10 craft beers on draft (a few are always local Texan beers) along with dozens of bottled beers and wines for you to sip on while you ponder over Gilmore’s creative, gourmet menu. This isn’t an Austin roadside barbecue spot! Barley Swine’s offerings are all full of depth and care, like the grilled rabbit terraine with bacon-liver mousse and sweet onion, or the grilled wagyu tri-tip with onion puree and roasted pepper. Dishes run from $8-15, with the chefs recommending around three dishes for the average eater.

Barley Swine
2024 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 394-8150

Everything may be bigger in Texas, so imagine the size of the venue that avows to have the biggest stock of Pinball machines in the entire state! That’s the claim made by Pinballz Arcade of its 13,000 square-foot pinball and video game arcade and its 150-large stock of plugged-in pinball machines that span from a 1972 Lost World machine to a machine released in just 2011 for the TRON remake. And while pinball machines may be the eponymous hallmark of Pinballz Arcade, the place is replete with traditional and contemporary arcade games, like Mortal Kombat 3, Tekken 5, and Dance Dance Revolution. Pinballz Arcade is an obvious choice for birthday parties and it offers packages geared towards the young group looking to get lost in a cyclone of lights and sounds.

Pinballz Arcade
8940 Research Boulevard
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 420-8548
 

Texas has wide open spaces, a laid back attitude. and a unique culture. It has always drawn storytellers in all mediums to the state. Here are just a few of the films that have been set and filmed in the Lone Star State:

Rio Bravo
As gimmicky as the starring lineup of John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ricky Nelson might seem, Rio Bravo is a classic Western with heart, humor and, of course, some killer musical interludes.

The Last Picture Show
This stark and beautiful film is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Larry McMurtry. The film follows the coming of age of a young ensemble cast in a 1950s Texas town.

Blood Simple
The Coen brothers’ neo-noir about a Texas bartender sending a PI after his wife has so many twists and turns you won’t be sure what the truth is by the end. The Coens always seem to return to this genre, and their stellar first outing may explain why.

Smokey and the Bandit
Nothing personifies the Texas spirit like the lure of the open road. In Smokey and the Bandit, Jackie Gleason is in hot pursuit! This romp is a heck of a lot of fun as Burt Reynolds leads Smokey through what seems like most of the state.

Paris, Texas
Considered one of Wim Wenders’s masterpieces, this slow and meditative film captures the state of mind of a man who wanders out of the Texas desert not sure where or how he has spent the last 5 years. It's a film that rewards patient viewing.