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City Cast Austin

Kelsey Bradshaw

(Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman/

Hamburgers are the perfect food. They work in every season, are a divine mix of veggies, sauces, cheese, and bread, and are just plain fun to eat.

. To keep your burger habit going, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite deals in town:

Do you ever dream about a burger? No? That just means you haven’t yet tried 

the smashburgesa at Bar Toti, off of Manor Road

. The burger comes with two wagyu beef patties, American cheese, griddled ham, chipotle mayo, and escabeche relish. It’s so comforting to eat and just $8 during happy hour, which runs all day on Monday and 5-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

. On Wednesdays starting at 5 p.m., you can get a burger, fries, and a mini Spaghett or cosmopolitan for $15. The pickles on the burger have a great crunch to them, and you’ll have a blast with the tiny drink glass they bring out for you!

, you already know I’m a fan of the cheeseburger and shoestring fries at Clark’s Oyster Bar in Clarksville. The burger, which is 

, is perfectly juicy and half off during happy hour, Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Sour Duck Market in East Austin has some of the best burgers around — they come with pimento cheese and are on challah buns. During the restaurant’s 

, you can get a single-patty burger for $6 or a double patty for $9. Finish off your meal with a $3 soft serve sundae.

Much can be said about downtown Austin’s dining options. Too few exist, many are too expensive, and who can find a parking spot? But if you happen to find yourself downtown, pop into Bill’s Oyster for its daily 

 The burger, which is usually $21, is $10 during happy hour and bottles of wine are 50% off.

Lots of local restaurants have great burger deals!

The Best Burger Deals in Austin

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Austin. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Austin Food & Drink

Food & Drink

“The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson” is out 

 and the documentary does what true crime media should: It actually centers the victim.

Anna Moriah “Mo” Wilson was an accomplished, 25-year-old cyclist visiting a friend in Austin in 2022 when she was fatally shot by a local cyclist, Kaitlin Armstrong. Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder in November 2023 and sentenced to 90 years in prison, a ruling that was 

recently upheld by Texas Third Court of Appeals

The case has the trappings of a true crime podcast or splashy TV show. Armstrong was released from police custody, took her sister’s passport, and made her way to Costa Rica, where she got a nose job and started teaching yoga. After she was found and brought back to Texas, she managed to escape police and even got 1 mile away before being apprehended again.

But despite the bizarre story, Wilson’s murder remained largely untouched, save for local reporting as the case unfolded, until now.

Director Marina Zenovich and Producer Evan Hayes never made a true crime film before this one, and it shows. While the documentary includes details on the case told through police recordings and emotional interviews, you come away from watching with Wilson top of mind. That’s unusual in a world where true crime media seems to focus on things like the looks of a killer or the goriness of an incident.

Watch the Documentary Trailer

“I love that you mentioned that the crime is the subplot (of the documentary), because that's really what we were trying to do. We were showing who she was, what she worked to become, how she was on the cusp of becoming,” 

The documentary also shows how important Wilson became to Austinites as well as the people investigating her murder. Several Austin prosecutors, police detectives, and others who worked on the case attended the movie’s premiere during South by Southwest last month.

Zenovich said you could feel how invested everyone was in doing right by Wilson while making the documentary.

“I felt that (the movie) had to premiere in Austin,” she said.

SXSW was also the first time Wilson’s parents and brother were in Austin since Armstrong’s trial ended. Matt, Wilson’s brother, told the crowd at the movie’s second screening that showing the documentary felt like closure for him.

The film is equal parts sad and beautiful, as timelines switch from the shooting back to Wilson’s life. You may finish the movie and feel compelled to embrace the Wilsons and you wouldn’t be alone in that. A few viewers were lined up after a SXSW screening to give Matt Wilson a hug. Whether you followed the case or not, the documentary is worth a watch.

“At the end of the day, that's what this movie is about. It's about family and community. It's about perseverance,” Hayes said.

Listen to City Cast Austin's interview with Zenovich and Hayes. 👇

"The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson" is out now on Netflix.

Netflix’s True Crime Documentary on an Austin Homicide Bucks the Status Quo

Find the best of everything that Austin has to offer. 

Austin’s Best

Austin's Best

Austin’s Garrison Park neighborhood in South Austin runs from South First Street to just west of West Gate Boulevard, between Stassney Lane and William Cannon Drive.

While small, the neighborhood is home to some of the city’s best eats and a really great park:

Don’t just take my word for it — LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue has a Michelin star. The barbecue joint, 5621 Emerald Forest Drive, is a must-visit on your Austin barbecue journey. Get the jalape

o cheese chorizo, beef fat potato chips, and the kale caesar slaw with your 

. The restaurant is also known for its burgers, which are perfectly salted if you ask me!

Remembering DK Sushi & Seoul Korean Restaurant exists when I’m craving sushi is a treat every time. The small restaurant, 6400 S. 1st St., has been around since 1993 and for good reason. The sushi is reliable — it’s delicious 

. Bonus: The restaurant has a section where you can sit on the floor!

Plush with rows and rows of trees, Garrison Park at 6001 Manchaca Road feels like a small oasis. It’s tucked away off the side of the road in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spot. Beyond a pretty sizable playground is room for picnicking, courts for basketball, and a small trail. The park’s city-run pool 

The South Austin neighborhood is home to great restaurants.

Your Guide to Austin’s Garrison Park Neighborhood

Everything to know about Austin neighborhoods: What to do, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Austin Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

It is unbelievable that March is not the busiest month in Austin. I know we just finished what felt like a never-ending month of festivals and live music, but April is going to be even bigger and fuller.

Urban Music & Cultural Fest is April 4 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The festival celebrates Austin’s music, art, food, and community. Tickets start at $78.

Dozens and dozens of comics will be performing downtown April 7-18 for this year’s Moontower Comedy Festival. The lineup includes Leslie Jones, Marc Maron, Kathy Griffin, and so many more. Badges start at $175, and one-day wristbands are $85.

ABC Kite Fest starts at 10 a.m. on April 11 in Zilker Park. The annual event is free to attend and includes a mini market, an off-leash area for dogs, and dozens of kites.

Pease Park is hosting Squirrel Fest, a celebration of spring, on April 11 starting at 4 p.m. The event is free to attend and includes games, food, drinks, and music.

The Statesman Capitol 10,000 race is on April 12 this year. The 10k race goes through downtown and includes live music. You still have time to register, too.

Head out to Pease Park on April 25 for Eeyore’s Birthday Party, which is free to attend. 

 and celebrates our city’s free spirit with drum circles, face painting, costumes, and vendors.

Austin Reggae Fest runs April 17-19 at Auditorium Shores. The lineup includes Stephen Marley, Original Koffee, and Iration, among others. Tickets start at $53.

Austin Blues Festival is April 25-26 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. The lineup includes Jimmy Vaughn & Friends, Parliament Funkadelic, Eric Johnson, and George Clinton. Tickets start at $89.

Your Guide to April 2026 in Austin

Before it had a booming tech scene and a skyline full of towering buildings, Austin was a small college town full of weirdos. Yearly revelers intend to keep that spirit alive through one iconic, weird, hippie-forward event: Eeyore’s Birthday Party.

The party is held annually at Pease Park, and 2026 will be the event’s 61st iteration. Held on April 25 this year, Eeyore’s Birthday Party is free to attend, lasts all day, and includes drum circles, food, drinks, music, costumes, face painting, and so much more.

Lloyd Birdwell was a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1964 

 the author behind Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne. To celebrate the end of that spring semester, Birdwell pitched a party to his fellow classmates and Eeyore’s Birthday Party was born. The first version of the party was held on May 8, 1964, at Eastwoods Neighborhood Park near campus.

Just 50 people attended that first party. But eventually the party needed a new space due to attendance and was moved to 

“There really was no impetus for it, and I had never read ‘Winnie the Pooh,’” Birdwell told 

To throw the first party, the students used English Professor James Ayres as a faculty sponsor. But more than 10 years later in 1979, Ayres said he didn’t want to hold the party in Austin anymore. He canceled the Austin event so it could be held on his newly acquired land in Round Top.

That’s when the Young Men’s Christian Association of The University of Texas at Austin stepped in and took over organizing the event. The YMCA of UT is now known as Friends of the Forest.

 because of the coronavirus pandemic and returned in 2022.

Today, the Party Is a Bastion of Old Austin

Austin looks different all the time, but Eeyore’s Birthday Party still keeps that old and weird Austin flair.

“The Winnie-the-Pooh-themed bash is one of those reliably weird things about Austin that no amount of venture capital has managed to disrupt,” 

Eeryore's Birthday Party is 100% volunteer-run and all the vendors are nonprofits.

The party is often lauded as a chaotic tribute to spring complete with funky outfits, the feeling of freedom, and time with your neighbors.

Eeryore's Birthday Party is on April 25 this year. 

61 Years of Eeyore’s Birthday Party: What Is The Iconic Austin Event?

Explainers

What Austinites have been wondering. We break down why things in Austin are they way they are and how they work.

Austin, Explained

Passover starts tomorrow, y’all, and if you’re behind on prep like this writer is, this is the perfect guide for you:

, has lots of flourless options for Passover, including: Coconut macaroons, caramel matzo, flourless chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cupcakes, and a Passover dessert box. The treats are available April 1-9 and 

Pick up Matzo Ball Soup and Brisket at Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen

Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, 5811 Manor Road, has everything you need for a Passover celebration. Matzo ball soup, brisket, egg salad, 

 for pick-up or dining in. You can also get the $84 family style meal which includes: 1.5 pounds of barbecue, three pints of sides, house pickles, and six slices of bread. I’m sure you could skip the bread if you want!

If you don’t feel like cooking this year, Whole Foods 

. A vat of matzo ball soup, or 52 ounces, will run you just $14.99. The chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons, which are $10.99, look incredible.

The H-E-B grocery store at 7015 Village Center Drive near the Jewish Community Center in 

Passover destination if you plan on cooking everything yourself this year! They usually have lots of matzo, and other Kosher-for-Passover finds like matzo meal, matzo ball soup mix, horseradish, gefilte fish, and coconut macaroons.

I don’t know about y’all, but the minute Passover ends, I want a bagel. People who keep Passover don’t eat leavened bread during the 

If you still haven’t found your bagel spot in Austin, here’s a few to try:

A photo of Malcolm in his matzo bandana to go:

Your Guide to Passover 2026 in Austin

, and if you’re looking to go out to celebrate, we’ve got you covered:

Aba Austin along South Congress Avenue is offering up 

. The brunch includes spring frittatas with lump crab.

Both Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille locations, at the Domain and downtown, have a couple of Easter specials on the menu. 

Preorders are open for a $149 to-go family Easter meal

 that includes a ham, soup or salad, whipped potatoes, and green beans. You could also visit the restaurant on April 5 for the same meal at $49 per person.

Starting at 3 p.m. on Easter Sunday, Zanzibar is offering a Hoppy Hour that includes $20 sangria pitches, $10 rum punch, and $2 off draft beer. A bunny petting zoo will also be available at the downtown bar. 

You can get two gallons of freshly brewed tea for $12 from HTeaO, which has locations in Austin, Round Rock, Kyle, and more, April 2-4 for Easter. More than 20 tea flavors are available and no preorders are required.

If you’re looking for dessert, try Abby Jane Bakeshop in Dripping Springs. 

 until April 1 for the bakery’s hot cross buns, carrot cake, and lamb cake.

Where To Eat on Easter 2026 in Austin

Moving to San Marcos for college in 2012, I had no idea what awaited me. I’d grown up in the lanes of Krogers, Tom Thumbs, and the occasional Albertsons grocery stores in Dallas. I never considered what grocery stores could be.

Enter: H-E-B. This might appear to be a little too much for the lead-in to an article about a grocery store. But that’s what H-E-B does. Through freshly made butter tortillas, disaster response, and highly curated shelves, H-E-B has developed a cultlike following since its inception in South Texas 120 years ago.

“You know, it’s just a sweet little company, honestly. It really is,” Heidi Post, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Central Texas at H-E-B, 

Of course, Post acknowledged that “little” is the wrong word to describe H-E-B these days. H-E-B has sales of more than $50 billion and operates more than 440 stores across Texas and in Mexico. The company, which started operating in the 

, continues to expand with locations in Lubbock, and in Dallas-Fort Worth.

So, how does a grocery store that started in one room in 1905 become huge enough to have Jim Parsons, the “Big Bang Theory” actor who was born in Houston, voice a baby for 

It’s a combination of things, of course. 

The store manages to keep its prices low in this economy by staying humble, Post explained. The company keeps things modest in how it operates — not having the fanciest offices, for example — to keep costs down.

H-E-B has also found that being communicative with the communities it serves has been helpful. Nikki DaVaughn, the host of City Cast Austin’s podcast, may be why the H-E-B near the intersection of Springdale Road and U.S. 183 has hummus.

“I remember going in one day and they didn't have hummus. And I was like, ‘Why don't y'all have hummus? This is weird, right?’” DaVaughn told Post.

DaVaughn took it upon herself to send H-E-B an email about the missing hummus and the company actually responded. A year or so later, hummus was on the shelves.

Depending on what store you visit, different products may be available. An H-E-B in Northwest Austin near the Jewish Community Center has lots of Kosher products and is always packed with matzo around Passover, for example.

“We try to personalize our assortment for different areas of a town. That is a bit of our special sauce. We're not cookie cutter,” Post said.

The Cult of H-E-B

But perhaps the best thing H-E-B does that keeps Austinites coming is how it responds to disaster. Anytime a natural disaster happens, jokes that H-E-B runs better than the Texas government make the rounds online.

H-E-B always appears to be ready for anything — a 2024 

. Hunger and disaster relief are part of the company’s key pillars, Post said.

“We are a grocery business. We have food on our shelves, right? One of our top pillars and values is ‘How can we make sure people are being fed?’ So our hunger relief program is really at the core of our disaster relief services,” she said.

Earlier this year, the city of Austin reached out to H-E-B when catering fell through for its warming centers during a freeze.

H-E-B started matchmaking stores with warming shelters. Once the city was able to get someone to a store, H-E-B gave them a budget to shop with to get food to the warming shelters.

“That's the city calling us, saying ‘SOS H-E-B, can you help?’ And we're saying, ‘Yes, of course,’” Post said.

‘SOS, H-E-B:’ How Austin’s Favorite Grocery Store Keeps Its Top-Tier Status

Austin Trivia: How Much Do You Know About Local Civics?

What's being decided in Austin City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Austin City Council. 

Austin Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

Today is the first day of early voting for the March 3 primaries and we’ve got 

🎧 If you prefer your voting guide to be audio-based, 

listen to today’s City Cast Austin podcast episode

March 3 is Texas’ primary elections, which is where voters choose who the Democratic and Republican nominee will be for a number of roles, including Texas governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and John Cornyn’s U.S. Senate seat. You don’t need to be affiliated with a party in order to vote, but you can only vote in one party’s primary.

Think of this election like a semi-final. Whoever wins, moves on to the next round. If a runoff election needs to be held, that will be on May 26.

You have a lot to consider before heading to the polls this year. A good thing to know: You can 

look up your ballot on the Travis County Clerk’s website

. Go through each race and write down who you plan to vote for – you can bring your sheet of paper into the voting booth.

has a breakdown of all the candidates running in the primaries

Local races include a number of Travis County judge and county commissioner positions, as well as house seats. The Austin American-Statesman’s Editorial Board made recommendations for the March 3 election and 

🗳️ Early Voting in Travis County Lasts 10 Days

Early voting runs through Feb. 27, but times differ:

Feb. 17-21: Polling locations are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Feb. 22: Polling locations are open noon to 6 p.m.

Feb. 23-27: Polling locations are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Some polling locations will be open until 10 p.m. on the last two days of early voting. You can vote anywhere with a sign out front that says “Vote here/aqui.”

. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Feb. 20. You can find 

Early voting has started in Travis County!

Your Guide to the March 3 Primaries in Texas

As immigration arrests increase in Texas and across the country, you may be wondering what you can do to help if you witness U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detaining a person.

found that daily ICE arrests increased to 176 per day during the first six months of the Trump Administration, compared to about 85 a day during the last 18 months of former President Joe Biden’s term.

Here are some tips on what you can do to get involved:

, reports that if you see someone being detained by ICE agents, you can ask ICE agents questions at checkpoints, homes, on trains or buses, and in other spaces. Ask why they may be searching vehicles, or where they plan to take the people they detain. You can ask why agents are there, and who they are searching for and why. Ask for a warrant, 

It is legal in Texas to record interactions with law enforcement as long as you 

do not disrupt or impede an investigation

. You can video tape an interaction and write down any badge numbers or license plate numbers you may see. U.S. citizens, according to United We Dream, have a right to observe, photograph, and videotape an interaction with agents.

It’s also best to listen if an ICE agent tells you to step back from an incident while you’re recording.

You can report the interaction you witnessed to 

, National immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and United We Dream. 

 across the U.S. was compiled by the National Association for Public Defense.

Legal observers are people who are trained by lawyers to record and observe interactions between law enforcement and the public, often at things like protests or rallies. The Austin Lawyers Guild hosts trainings periodically. You can 

The Truth About How Austin Police Works With ICE

You can help as a bystander if you see someone being detained by ICE agents.

How To Help Your Neighbors During an ICE Arrest in Austin

It’s election season again, and there’s a lot to know. Let’s get started:

March 3 is Texas’ primary election which is where voters choose who the Democratic and Republican nominee will be for a number of roles, including Texas governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and John Cornyn’s U.S. Senate seat. You don’t need to be affiliated with a party in order to vote.

You have until Feb. 2 to register to vote in the March 3 election. Not sure you’re registered? Check your 

The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is Feb. 20. You can find 

The state’s newly redrawn congressional maps will be used during this election.

Travis County was split into four districts and 

 out of the area completely. Greg Casar currently represents District 35 and is now 

 under the new map. The district’s incumbent, Lloyd Doggett, is not seeking reelection.

The state's primary election is coming up.

Local Civics

Austin Trivia: How Much Do You Know About Local Civics?

Kelsey Bradshaw

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