When was the last time you bought a vinyl record? We hear that @WaterlooRecords has a great selection of vinyls to choose from. Tell us what your favorite independent record store is.

Let’s Keep America Weird one record store at a time… 

~ @SouthernessYank

Eastside Cafe has long been a favorite of mine.  Operating out of a historic house on Manor in Austin, they offer a creative menu, great wine list, and the freshest ingredients, many of which are grown on property.  Demand is high, so call ahead, or simply pass the time at “pitchforks and tablespoons” (the adjacent store) or breeze through the garden.  

-Weirdo One 

Like a giant neon Hello Kitty sign rising up in a desert wilderness, Toy Joy beckoned to us just outside of Austin’s convention district. And much fun was had by all.

- Spur

You gotta love Austin. By the baggage claim at the airport, there’s an automatic flower machine. So in case you really pissed someone off by leaving, you can grab a bouquet for the one waiting at home…

-Spur

Walking the streets of Austin, looking for a healthy alternative to the mixture of alcohol and bbq from days earlier, I enlisted the help of my best friend YELP!.  Up pops Koriente, an East 7th Street (but west of I-35) option which offers healthy Asian inspired dishes without the ol’ MSG fillers.  Working the counter was Sam, with her cheery disposition and “I’ve never met a face I didn’t know” personality.  I particularly enjoyed watching Sam gush over the Digable Planets MC who was in town for a nights performance!  By chance we bumped into Sam again the next day at the Austin Farmer Market and promise a KAW post.  Here you go girl!

-  Weirdo One

Because rock stars have kids too.

-spur

Don’t let the weird spacecraft and sculptures out front fool you, The Oasis in Austin is a chill bar-restaurant that’s the “Sunset Capital of Texas.” And they have awesome frosty beverages and a super-weird bookstore/gift shop, too. Last time I was there, I picked up a survivalist guide to learn how to sterilize water with bleach and can my own vegetables.

- thing two

Burnet Street in Austin is home to a tiny South American-themed cafe started by two  sisters. Pacha, meaning “to live like a lord”, is a great place to post up at the bar or on one of the many homemade thrones to enjoy a stiff cup of coffee or tasty breakfast taco. You may find yourself making a habit of it!

-  weirdo one 

There is no shortage of taco/burrito joints in Austin, but there’s something about Chango’s Taqueria that pulls you back again and again.  Owned by the same local entrepreneur that brought us the popular Manuel’s, Chango’s brings the same level of quality in about half the time and half the cost.  Order the “Bongo’s for Chango’s”  when you’re feeling like a fatty.  

-weirdo one