Where to find the best bites from the 2026 Austin Food & Wine Festival

A bit of rain couldn't keep foodies down at the 2026 Austin Food & Wine Festival. Dozens of chefs still showed up with their best bites, and Austinites trudged through the mud — in many cases, probably aided by purchases and deep closet dives from the rainy Austin City Limits Music Festival a month before.

It'd be hard to have a bad time at this festival, where there's always a snack 60 seconds away. All bites, wine, and cocktails are included in the ticket price, and the buffet mood carries attendees through a largely decision-free day where all they need to do is lightly pace themselves.

That laissez-faire attitude definitely extended to drinks this year. In previous years, there seems to be a mix of attendees who really want to dive deep on wine and spirits, and those who really just want to be drunk. This year, it felt like there was little information to be found and hardly anyone was looking for it; pourers seemed a little surprised to be asked for tasting notes. We didn't find any new wines we're obsessed with, so we focused on food here.