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Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets (Shhh): Midnight Cowboy

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Midnight Cowboy Speakeasy Interior

You can’t just walk into Midnight Cowboy on a Saturday night and expect to get the experience, or the cocktails, everyone raves about. Certain steps are necessary. This may be why it took me three years to visit what is perhaps Austin’s most well-known speakeasy. Planning ahead has never been my strong suit.

When I made my reservation, found the hidden door, rang the bell, and sat in a booth for the first time, it didn’t take long to figure out why so many people recommended Midnight Cowboy over the years. For the sixth installment of The Austinot’s Speakeasy Secrets series, I’ll teach you how you too can have this same experience, and why you should make it a priority to do so.

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14 Cedar Park Restaurants Every Local Needs to Try

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Best Restaurants in Cedar Park TX
Blue Corn Harvest’s chipotle ribeye is sensational (Credit: Blue Corn Harvest)

Well, I done did it. When I moved here from NYC six years ago, if you told me I’d end up having a kid and living in an Austin suburb, I would’ve called you insane. Yet two months ago, my wife, three-year-old, and I moved into an adorable home in Cedar Park. It’s even on a cul-de-sac for Pete’s sake. We’re officially ‘burbing.

While the cool kids in Austin proper consider Cedar Park a cultural wasteland, I’m here to set the record straight. Sure, it may not be a bastion of foodie goodness like the city’s hipper neighborhoods, but Williamson County dwellers have more than chain restaurants and fast causal to keep the taste buds tantalized.

Here’s an insider’s guide about where to eat in this fine town of friends and families, including a couple spots just outside the city limits.

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10 Best of Texas Wine Country: Where to Go Now and Why

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Best of Texas Wine Country

The first time I went to Texas Hill Country as a wine destination was about 15 years ago. It was akin to visiting a small farm, and I left without bothering to dream of what it could become.

If this story were made into a romantic comedy, a montage would now begin of Texas wine makers learning the Texas grapes, testing and finding the grape varietals that were going to work best in Texas, and building beautiful tasting rooms and properties. People from all over the world would hear of the Texas Wine Country region, as the number of wineries grew to more than 260. I would return a decade later, and fall in love.

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Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets (Shhh): DuMont’s Down Low

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Cocktails at DuMont's Down Low in Austin
Cocktails at DuMont’s Down Low, located in Austin’s Warehouse District

For the fifth destination on my Austin speakeasy tour, I visited DuMont’s Down Low in the Warehouse District. Be warned: you may miss the entrance if you aren’t looking for it. But once you make your way down the dark stairs off West Fourth Street and into this basement bar, you’ll be glad you made the effort.

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Jugo Sources Juice and Smoothie Ingredients Locally for Maximal Freshness

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Jugo Fresh Juice and Smoothies in Austin
Jugo offers healthy juices, smoothies, food, and more (Credit: Brittany Ballard)

I tend to crave sweet things more often than I should, but I’m also constantly on the lookout for healthy food or drink options to balance out my diet. Luckily, there are plenty of choices here in Austin.

One of my newest health adventures involved a trip to Jugo, where I enjoyed a fresh juice and food item. Not only was the juice delicious, but all of the ingredients were sourced locally. Being healthy while supporting local businesses? That’s a combination I can’t pass up.

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13 Canned Drinks From Austin to Hydrate Your Outdoor Adventures

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Austin's Greenbelt Kombucha
Austin’s Greenbelt Kombucha comes in four yummy flavors

Summer is right around the corner and people are hitting Austin lakes and trails daily. Whether you prefer exploring Austin on land or water, hydration is vital to staying outdoors and healthy. So grab some of these local canned beverages to keep you hydrated, while you get all outdoorsy and stuff!

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How Austin’s Own JuiceLand Blends Freshness Every Day

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Peachy Green Smoothie JuiceLand
The Peachy Green is one of JuiceLand’s most popular smoothies (Credit: JuiceLand)

If you’ve been in Austin for more than 24 hours, chances are you’ve encountered JuiceLand. With 24 locations here, it’s like a huge family that continues to grow to other cities. New, curious customers wander in on the daily, as they follow the scent trails of fresh fruits and veggies.

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10 Austin Mocktails for Bar Crawl Without the Booze

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Best Austin Mocktails
Credit: Jaclyn Hubersberger

Mocktails. The mere mention of the word conjures up images of boring nights at the bar sipping cranberry-splashed tonic water, while your friends knock back whiskey, gin, and beer. Three years ago, when my wife was pregnant, we were literally laughed out of bars and restaurants for uttering the word. Those were dark times.

But now, there’s a revolution brewing. Many of Austin’s finest drinkeries and eateries are no longer embarrassed of the non-alcoholic cocktail. In fact, they’re treating mocktails with the respect and craft given to their boozy counterparts.

So whether you’re ditching alcohol for health, lifestyle, or recovery reasons, here are 10 local spots to snag outrageous mocktails in Austin.

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