What to eat, do, and know in Austin · August 20

Hi friends, this weekend the city throws one of its best parties, and this morning the fall’s biggest food festival finally says who is cooking. So this week runs from celebratory to practical: a warm, welcoming Korean dinner, the biggest Pride weekend in Central Texas, and the festival tickets that are already on sale while everyone waits for the lineup.

Three things, as always. One place to eat, one thing to do, and one thing to know. Here is your weekend.

East Austin · $$$ · lunch and dinner, closed Mondays

Oseyo is the kind of place you bring people when you want Austin to make a good first impression. It is elevated, approachable Korean on the east side: crackling savory pancakes, bubbling stews, cold banchan, and a smart soju and cocktail list, all in a warm, design-forward room. There is no tabletop grill to sweat over, just a cool room and food built for sharing, which is exactly what August calls for. It is closed Mondays and takes reservations on OpenTable.

The bar next door shares more than a wall. Parley pours cocktails until 2 in the morning, and the pub food coming out of its kitchen is Oseyo’s own. Bring a group, order too much, then step next door and let the night keep going.

Oseyo · Parley

Fiesta Gardens and Congress Ave · Saturday, August 22 · festival ticketed, parade free

Austin Pride takes over Saturday, and it is the marquee weekend of the late summer. The festival runs at Fiesta Gardens on Lady Bird Lake from 11 in the morning, with live music, drag stages, vendors, and food trucks. Then the signature night parade steps off at 8, from the Capitol straight down Congress Avenue, this year under the theme “Viva la Resistencia.” It is the biggest LGBTQ+ celebration in Central Texas, and the after-dark parade down the middle of downtown is the part you will remember. The festival is ticketed. The parade is free, and the sidewalks fill early, so stake out a spot before eight.

Everything worth doing this weekend · Austin Pride 2026

Here is the one with a window on it. The Austin Food and Wine Festival reveals its chef lineup at 10 this morning, alongside its formal public on-sale, for the festival itself on November 6 to 8 at Auditorium Shores. The part worth knowing is that you do not have to wait for any of it. Tickets have been on presale for weeks, the lineup page is still blank, and the festival’s own site says to buy before prices go up.

So if you already know you want to go, presale pricing is live right now and a chef list is not going to change your mind. If you would rather see who is cooking first, it posts at 10, and I will be refreshing that page like everyone else. What you are choosing between: a Friday Made in Texas ticket from about $185, a Saturday and Sunday Weekender from about $280, single days from about $200, and VIP from about $750. Tim Love’s hands-on grilling class is an add-on from about $225, and the whole festival is 21 and over.

Austin Food and Wine Festival tickets

Parley is one option. Here are the rest.

The best bars in Austin.

CoCo’s Cafe · Peppercorn Chicken

This week’s dish is the Peppercorn Chicken at CoCo’s Cafe, sent in by the restaurant. They have been up on Research Boulevard in north Austin since 1999, cooking from Taiwanese family recipes, and this is the one people order most. They suggest pairing it with the milk tea with pearls and the handmade green onion pie, and I would take that advice from the people who make it.

See the dish of the week

See you next Thursday. If a friend is still deciding what to do this weekend, forward this to them.

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