Less than 5 minutes from Great Hills, the Arboretum is Austin’s premier outdoor mall, as well as a pleasant park for locals to enjoy. Mainstream retailers and popular restaurants converge in a wooded park with plenty of lawns, majestic trees, outdoor art, and a large playground. Families can shop and then relax and eat at one of the many picnic areas on the cool grass under the shade.
There is a wide selection of shops to choose from, including Pottery Barn, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Z Gallerie, The Gap, Coldwater Creek and AZIZ Salon and Day Spa. Kids are never bored either with Gymboree, GAP Kids, Amy’s Ice Cream, and GameStop. And when shoppers get hungry, the Texas Cheesecake Factory offers an unbelievably extensive menu of hearty classics such as mouth-watering burgers and sizzling steaks along with many sweet desserts. Other selections include P.F. Chang’s, Serrano’s, and Blue Baker’s, where handcrafted pizzas and pastries are made from scratch every day.
While conveniently near the Arboretum, there are also a number of other shopping centers nearby. The Gateway Center is mere minutes away from Great Hills, and is home to Whole Foods Market. Other stores include Crate & Barrel, Container Store, Nordstrom Rack (a discount outlet for Nordstrom), Best Buy, and the Gateway movie theater. For groceries and everyday needs, a Sprout’s Farmers’ Market, Randalls, and SuperTarget are all close by.
Sizzling Fajitas, Mighty Fine Burgers and a Variety of Tasty Cuisines
For some of the best fajitas in Austin, locals go to Lupe Tortilla in the Shops at Arbor Walk, about 15 minutes away. Although Lupe Tortilla boasts an extensive menu of Tex-Mex classics, their signature offering is sizzling fajitas and out-of-this-world handmade tortillas with endless refills of guacamole and salsa.
Mighty Fine Burgers is in the same shopping center. Mighty Fine, an Austin original, grinds all their fresh beef on the premises and forms the patties where diners can watch through a window. And not only that, all the beef they serve is antibiotic-free, preservative-free, and sourced from certified sustainable small ranchers. The burgers’ flavor reflects that kind of thoughtful and meticulous care; they really are mighty fine in every sense. Served with fresh hand-cut fries and homemade milk shakes with real Blue Bell ice cream, Mighty Fine is a great restaurant for those seeking an extraordinary burger experience.
Other popular restaurants in the area include Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Twin Lion Chinese Restaurant, Fire Bowl Café, North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery, Truluck’s, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Z’Tejas, to name a few.