Oh, you don’t play with your food? What are you, an adult?
Sure, we're grown-ups, but we love a good place where eating is more than just eating. Whether the atmosphere is kick-ass, or the non-traditional ways of eating are especially enticing, we can’t help but love fun food experiences. Check out the following recommendations of Interactive Restaurants in Austin and start scheduling your dinner plans.
Contributed by Sabrina Macias
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Photo via Facebook
6711 East Ben White Blvd
Tailored for true crime fanatics, The Dinner Detective is an interactive comedy murder mystery dinner show that’ll leave you with a full belly and a furrowed brow… while doing your best to discover “whodunit?” Actors are hidden and scattered amongst the audience so there’s a chance you could be sitting right next to the culprit… (dun dun dunnnnn!) While audience members aren’t required to participate, they are highly encouraged and, if you really want to get in on the fun, you can have your entire party involved with the "Suspect Package". Check out the schedule and get your tickets here.
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photo via space cowboy
1917 E 7th St
When you enter Space Cowboy, you'll feel as if you've been transported elsewhere with their out of this world decor and robots zooming around to tables. This bistro bar is serving internationally inspired tapas and craft cocktails, all brought right to your table by a robot, using AI technology to assist their servers and the flow and process of the restaurant. Aside from the cool robots, you can expect to get some pretty delicious dishes, like Wine Braised Short Ribs, Space Balls (crispy potato pani puri stuffed with salmon, goat cheese dill, capers and tuna, cilantro, lemongrass sauce), and Torched Rice Crisps. They accept walk-ins, or you can reserve a table here.
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photo via facebook
1610 Chatham Ave
Get hands-on experience making your own cocktails and dinner with Let's Eat Austin. This local company has a variety of classes to choose from, ending in a BYOB feast where you can enjoy all the dishes you just put together. Some of the weekly classes that they offer include Fresh Egg Pasta, Sushi, Steakhouse Classics, Pizza, and Southern Brunch Buffet. Take a look at all of the classes they offer and maybe even book one here.
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photo via facebook
Who needs to go to a restaurant when the restaurant can come to you? Let's Hibachi is shaking up the traditional hibachi experience by bringing it to your backyard. That’s right, with their traveling hibachi grill, you can turn up the heat for any house party, literally! Cater your next event with them here.
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Photo via Yelp
801 S Lamar Blvd
With an exquisite sushi menu and a non-traditional take on Japanese food, Uchi has been serving Austin since 2003. The menu is loaded with many must-try dishes, among the most notable being the “Hot Rock”, a DIY cuisine in which a Japanese river rock serves as a grill for the freshest slices of wagyu beef. Simply place the meat onto the rock to sear it yourself, needing less than 10 seconds to create the perfect texture on one side before repeating the process on the other. This entree is so simple yet savory, you’ll want to use this rock-grilling method for your next barbecue.
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7010 Easy Wind Dr
The game room of your dreams is also a gastropub, who would’ve guessed? Vigilante provides a library of their extensive collection to help plan the perfect night out for your next group hang. If you’d like to amp up your game (pun intended), book a private room for your wizarding needs and we guarantee Dungeons and Dragons will never be the same. While the atmosphere is laid back, the staff is incredibly attentive so you don’t have to worry about searching for service in between matches. Take a look at their food and bev menu here.
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6929 Airport Blvd Suite 125
Sitting at a sushi bar is nice, but having your rolls delivered to you on a conveyor belt? Sign us up! Plus at $3.30 a plate, this dining adventure won’t break the bank. You can find their offerings here. We recommend pairing your sushi and sides with sake or a cold Japanese beer while you enjoy the conveyor belt novelty.
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1911 Aldrich St. Suite 120
Come one, come all! The Barrel O' Fun is a family-friendly boardwalk-themed dining hall until 8 p.m., after which it becomes the Bar O’Fun to exclusively serve those 21 and up. On their stage, you'll find live music, comedy, and more. The ambiance is exciting and creates a sense of nostalgia. It’s easy to see that the details have been fine-tuned to make you feel like a kid again while you sip on your shake.
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photo via Tiny Minotaur
2701 E. Cesar Chavez
The Tiny Minotaur is a home-brewed immersive fantasy world, private club, live action performance space, tavern, dungeon synth venue and art space on the East Side! You'll need a membership or day pass to gain access, though. Learn more and see their calendar of events on their website.
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Photo via Devil May Care
500 West 6th Street
Anything underground is immediately cool - that's just a fact. A jazzy underground speakeasy is no exception. This purple-filled haze of a restaurant presents a masterful menu of Mediterranean-inspired platters for you and your accompanying dinner mates. Open from Wednesday through Saturday, the carefully-curated late-night spot combines the elements of a jazz club with that of an upscale restaurant to awaken all five senses for a totally unique outing.
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Photo via Facebook
2406 Manor Rd
Alongside their conveniently located in-house butcher shop, and the freshest locally sourced ingredients, Dai Due offers butchery and hunting classes through their New School of Traditional Cookery. Why not learn from Chef/Owner Jesse Grifffiths himself, the curator of Dai Due’s creative culinary menu? The menu is ever-changing due to the establishment only serving local ingredients that are in season, so you’ll find a new item to fall in love with each visit.
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Photo via Facebook
1950 S I-35 Frontage Rd
Buc-ees isn’t the only otherworldly convenient store. Whip In is located right off of I-35 and you’ll be shocked to find surprisingly savory Tex-Mex and Indian meals. You’ll discover a large selection of craft beer and oftentimes live music playing on the outside patio. The meals are a combination of Texan dishes fused with the flavors of Indian cuisine, a combination we didn’t know we needed in our lives 'til now. How convenient to have your dinner and post-dinner snack run all in one place.
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Did we miss one?
