Celeb Watch

Seeing stars: The best restaurants, bars and odd spots for celebrity sightingsin Austin

Uchi/Facebook

Over the decades, Austin has been a bastion for artists, musician-types and, in more recent years, a growing number of celebrities. Sure, this has everything to do with Austin’s long-established independent film presence, combined with a throng of annual festivals, and, of course, the city’s reputation as Slacker Ville, USA.

So where do the famous frequent when they’re visiting or even living in Austin? Honestly, there is no one spot. However, there are a handful of places that tout, even privately, a pretty healthy and growing celebrity clientele.

Whole Foods

When Jessica Alba visits Austin, chances are, she’s not going to be hanging out at Fiesta Mart. Instead, the flagship location of Whole Foods at Sixth and Lamar, is a much better bet. This store, even from its previous location where Anthropologie now sits, has long since held the distinction of being one of Austin’s best sites for celebrity spectating.

Stargazing notables: resident celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Luke Wilson and Sandra Bullock.

Hotel San José

As one of Austin’s original boutique hotels, the San José has seen its share of celebrity patrons over the years. Unlike some other area hotels (ahem, Saint Cecilia), the San José bar is open to the general public, making it an ideal location to potentially spot a celebrity.

Stargazing notables: Jason Schwartzman and Jack Black.

Uchi/Uchiko

Not only is Uchi one of the best Asian restaurants in Austin, it has also garnered all kinds of acclaim for the talents of celebrity chef/owner Tyson Cole. It also doesn’t hurt that Cole’s protégé Paul Qui, who recently won Bravo’s Top Chef: Texas, is the executive chef at Uchiko.

Stargazing notables: Anthony Bourdain and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Guero’s Taco Bar

Guero’s may not be the best Mexican food in Austin, but you wouldn’t know it from its list of high profile clientele. Visiting celebrities, recent transplants and even long-time locals seem to revel in Guero’s sidewalk dining, outdoor music space and otherwise uniquely Austin ambiance.

Stargazing notables: Bill Clinton, Matthew McConnaughey, Val Kilmer, Vince Vaughn, Billy Bob Thornton, Sandra Bullock, the list goes on and on.

Lady Bird Lake Trail

Let’s be honest, who really calls Town Lake Trail “Lady Bird Lake Trail?” Okay, aside from major publications and the well informed. Whatever its preferred nomenclature, the 10-some-odd miles that make up Town — er, Lady Bird — Lake Trail are some of Austin’s finest. The trail’s accessibility, combined with its anonymity and, of course, the natural surroundings make it über appealing for celebs on the fitter end of the spectrum.

Stargazing notables: Barack Obama, Luke Wilson, Lance Armstrong and the Bachelor Brad Womack.

Jo’s Coffee, South Congress

Jo’s is perhaps one of Austin’s most famous coffee shacks, mostly on account of its longevity and situation along the SoCo strip. By design, the open-air coffee stop is naturally conducive to people watching and, by volume of foot traffic, an amazing place for potential stargazing.

Honorable mentions: Justine's Brasserie, East Side Showroom, La Condesa.

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Inspections and Registrations

Here's how Texas' new car inspection law affects end-of-year stickers

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This was supposed to make things simpler, but raises a few new questions in the transition.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer be required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration.

House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, abolishes the vehicle safety inspection program for regular cars and trucks. (The Department of Motor Vehicles notes that commercial vehicles will still be required to undergo safety inspections.)

Texas will now join the 36 other states in the U.S. that do not require safety inspections. This change means that car or truck owners will now take personal responsibility for making sure that what they drive doesn’t pose a danger to anyone inside or outside of the vehicle.

Texas State Sen. Mayes Middleton spoke for us all in May 2023 when he said that “vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming and provide little benefit to public safety."

Fees
Drivers will still have to pay the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee, under a new name: Inspection Program Replacement Fee, as part of the registration fee. Those registering a new car will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.

Emissions
While the safety inspection is a thing of the past, emissions is not: 17 counties will still have to submit to emissions inspections prior to registration.

Emissions inspection tests are still required in these 17 counties:

Houston-Galveston area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties
Dallas-Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties
Austin area: Travis and Williamson counties
El Paso County

Slacker info
In a statement, Staff Sgt. Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol says that "if your inspection is expiring in the next couple of months, you still need to go down and get your state inspection done in order to renew your vehicle registration for another year."

And according to a representative from the DMV, you have five business days after your current sticker expires to get a new one. This refutes common urban legends such as "you have 10 days," "you have 30 days," and "you have 6 months."

However, let's say you're a slacker whose sticker expires in November or December, and you don't renew your registration until January. You could theoretically get away with not having to get an inspection. They won't make the safety inspection retroactive.

For non-slackers: Ensure your vehicle has passed an inspection no earlier than 90 days before renewal, and include a copy of the passing Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) if it cannot be electronically verified. Plus a copy of current proof of insurance.

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