Also, I found this website on the last day of my research, but it has a lot of reviews, so if you want to find your own way, use it:
http://www.vegoutaustin.com
First tier - walking distance from Convention Center. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance. What I'm listing are the "special" ones. No chains (or only Austin chains), and really Austin-y places.
2 places that aren't vegetarian, but are right by the convention center:
Moonshine Grill
pro - right across the street
eh - not that much to choose from, but
pro - what there is is good
con - but it is not cheap, but not so expensive that I'm leaving it off
warning - website has music
http://www.moonshinegrill.com/...
Iron Cactus - Right down the street, and I have mentioned in the past as a place for the carnivores, but they have several veg selections - the veg fajitas are for 2, so take a veg friend with you
http://www.zagat.com/...
and the rest of the first tier:
Manuel's 310 Congress
not your typical Tex-Mex - personally, I love their nachos
http://www.manuels.com/...
Jo's 242 W 2nd St
very hip diner, Austin-y
http://www.joscoffee.com/...
Hickory Street Bar & Grill 8th & Congress
has a menu, but the frugal choice is either the salad or baked potato bar. Make it as veg or vegan as you want. Also sundae bar, and gingerbread or cornbread. Decor has lots of pictures of old Austin.
http://www.hickorystreet.com/
Las Manitas Avenue Cafe 211 Congress
Legendary Austin Tex-Mex eatery. Really cool place.
http://austin.citysearch.com/...
Marakesh Cafe & Grill 906 Congress
Very good Middle Eastern food. I've had the veggie hummus sandwich & I really like it.
http://austin.citysearch.com/...
BD Riley's Pub - 204 E 6th
Where veg & nonveg can dine together - couple of appetizers, salads (of course) & veggie burgers. I included it because of the Guiness-flavored ice cream (yes, you read that right - Guiness-flavored ice cream)
Second tier - easily bus-able - walking directions for after you get off the bus have been included when they were provided
Progress Coffee 500 San Marcos
fair trade & organic
http://www.progresscoffee.com/...
bus route - catch the Silver Dillo #451 eastbound at 5th & Red River, stop at 6th & Medina. Walk approx. 1 block W on E 6th St. Turn left on San Marcos St. Walk approx. 1 block S on San Marcos St. Total walking is 0.13 miles.
Koriente 621 E 7th St
Veg-friendly Asian food
http://www.koriente.com/...
bus route:
Take the Silver Dillo east bound #451 at 5th & Red River to I35 & 7th, Walk NW to 621 E 7th st
Galaxy Cafe
highly recommended by some local Kossacks. I haven't eaten there, but their menu looks good - about average on price & veg selection
http://www.galaxycafeaustin.com/...
bus route - take the Silver Dillo, #451 westbound at 6th & Neches, get off at either 5th or 6th & West Lynn. Walk a short distance NW on W 6th St. Turn right on West Lynn St. Walk approx. 5 blocks NE on West Lynn St. Total walking is 0.35 miles. Address is 1000 West Lynn.
# 1 or # 3 bus routes have a lot of good stuff, you can catch either on Congress - you want northbound (toward the Capitol) will take you up Guadalupe, where you will pass several good veg & veg-friendly dining places.
Just past MLK (bus has made a dog-leg turn), across Guadalupe is Veggie Heaven. Inexpensive Asian veg (mostly vegan) fare. Very good food and inexpensive.
on the same side of Guadalupe is Dobie Mall (not really a mall, not in the sense of having big-box stores, anyway), which offers several possibilities.
On down Guadalupe, there are sandwich shops & pizza places galore. It is, after all, across from the campus where 50,000 UT students are. If you get off at the West Mall stop to eat, be sure to take a turn through the West Mall & see the lovely statue of Cesar Chavez. Really, it is beautiful. Approx 3 stops from where you'd get off for Veggie Heaven, the stop at 26th street has several good possibliities (# 1 route only, the # 3 is going through West Campus, a couple of blocks west)
Madam Nan's - Thai food, really good, average price
Thai Noodle House, behind the 7-11, north east side of 27th & Guadalupe
I haven't eaten at this place, but I have eaten at Satay, the parent restaurant, and they are great. Enthusiastically endorsed by my friends who have eaten there.
http://www.satayusa.com/...
Kerbey Lane - go by bus, do not try to drive, they have a parking lot but parking is really hard anywhere in the UT area - very veg-friendly, but you carnivores can also eat there. Considered by many Austinites to be the quintessential "Austin" restaurant. The one on Gurdalupe is the most easily accessable for convention goers.
There is also a south location, accessable by a couple of buses: Catch the #3 Burnet/Manchaca southbound at Colorado & 3rd, arrive at Manchaca & Barton Skyway. Walk approx. 1 block N on Manchaca Rd. Bear right on S Lamar Blvd. Walk a short distance NE on S Lamar Blvd. Total walking is 0.11 miles. Or: catch the #29 Barton Hills southbound at Colorado & 3rd, arrive at Lamar & Manchaca. Walk approx. 1 block NE on S Lamar Blvd. Total walking is 0.05 miles. They also have a central location, "Kerbey on Kerbey", accessable by the #21/22 bus, and a north location on 183. But, again, the Guadalupe one is the easiest for convention-goers to get to. Kerbey queso, mmmmm.
http://www.kerbeylanecafe.com/
Still on the #1 bus route, going on north to 29th street, there are, again several excellent possililities:
Conan's Pizza (Chicago-style deep dish) very small chain, this is now their only Austin location
Tony's Vinyard veg-friendly Italian, I've had their calzone - filling & good
Dhaba Joy - vegan bakery, with smoothies, etc
Uncle Milto's yummy pizza & Mediterranean food. Yum
Ruby's BBQ
Yes, it is weird to include a bbq place, but they are veg-firendly - they have veg chili, and for you meat-eaters, they use all-natural meat.
Tom's Tabooley
really good Mediterranean food, hummus, wraps, etc
http://www.tomstabooley.com/...
Yen Ching Noodle House
BurgerTex
Seems weird to put in a place called "BurgerTex", but according to the reviews, it is very veg-friendly.
http://www.vegoutaustin.com/...
Spider House
http://www.spiderhousecafe.com/...
One more stop north
Wheatsville Co-op - now, you might wonder why I'm including a grocery store, but they not only have a lot of good take-away food, but an excellent deli staffed by really friendly folks & they really, really understand veg & vegan food, and much of the food is organic. Fans of patios - Wheatsville has a great one. Also, if you want to buy groceries while you're here, instead of eating all your meals at restaurants, this is a good alternative to Whole Foods. Wheatsville, Mothers, Veggie Heaven & Casa De Luz are probably the veg-safest places to eat in town. Yes, I am biased - have we met?
http://wheatsville.coop/
Mangia Pizza - must admit a bias (again) - this is the place I called on the way home from the triathlon to have a pizza delivered. Their stuffed spinach with mushrooms is manna from heaven as far as I'm concerned.
and one stop further north, Amy's Ice Cream - see special section below. If you go 2 stops, it is ok, it's about a block & a half either way.
Another route:
There are several really great restaurants close together in Hyde Park. Take the #7 northbound at Congress & 7th. After it crosses 38th St, a major intersection, look for the fork in the road - literally, Hyde Park Bar & Grill has a big fork out front, on your left. The stop is across the street from the restaurant. HPB&G has several vegetarian choices, and they are the home of the most addictive fries I have ever had. Battered fries, served with a special sauce of their own making. Mother's cafe, which is at the same bus stop, on the east side of the street, has mostly vegetarian & vegan fare (you can get your migas either with eggs or tofu), and is really excellent food. They are recovering from a massive fire, but don't seem to have lost a step. Really good food, Austin-y atmosphere, price is average. Yum.
La Dolce Vita
gelato & espresso
http://travel.yahoo.com/...
and there's an Italian reataurant on that corner, but I've never been
Completely different direction, but still easy bus route - Mr Natural at 1901 E Cesar Chavez - take either the Silver Dillo eastbound at 5th & Red River or the #17 bus eastbound at Cesar Chavea & Red River. Vegetarian restaurant, bakery & smoothie bar. As the name implies, all natural food - really good. There is another Mr. Natural on south Lamar
http://mrnatural-austin.com/
Macrobiotic restaurant - Casa de Luz. 1701 Toomey Rd. Really good food, and definitely veg-safe. As they say, they are 100% vegan and as organic as they can possibly be (occasional nonorganic ingredients)
http://www.casadeluz.org/...
bus route: Catch the #456, Gold Dillo southbound at Congress & 4th. Approximately 10 minutes later, arrive at Toomey Rd & the baseball fields. Walk approx. 1 block NW on Toomey Rd - there's a courtyard, keep going.
Special section on Barton Springs Road - also known as Restaurant Row
there are so many great places to eat on Barton Springs Road
Green Mesquite BBQ (obviously not veg)
Romeo's (my favorite Italian restaurant, and it has the best chocolate cheesecke I've ever had)
Shady Grove
Chuy's
Take the Gold Dillo (there's a link to a map here: http://www.capmetro.org/... ) or the #30 Barton Creek bus westbound from 4th & Congress, and just pull the stop cord when something looks good
Z-Tejas (has become a chain, but they started here) included because of the Ancho Fudge Pie. O.M.G. Again, not frugal, and they only have a few veg items, but what there is, is good.
http://www.ztejas.com/...
bus: take the free Silver Dillo westbound at 6th & Neches, get off at 6th & Baylor
Threadgill's - an Austin legend, one of those places where you must eat while in Austin. Has a very good understanding of the terms "vegetarian", and even "vegan". Owner, Eddie Wilson, is a great Democrat, who has donated food to more campaigns than I can name - if he's in the restaurant while you're there, say hi.
http://www.threadgills.com/...
take the free Gold Dillo at Congress & 4th (southbound) to 300 Barton Springs
Chuy's Yummy Tex-Mex, and another of the must-visit places. Yes, this is the place that busted the Bush twins for using fake id's.
1728 Barton Springs Rd
only including the free route: Catch the #456 Gold Dillo southbound at Congress & 4th, arrive at Toomey Rd at the baseball field. Walk approx. 2 blocks NW on Toomey Rd. Turn left on Sterzing St. Walk approx. 2 blocks SW on Sterzing St. Turn left on Barton Springs Rd. Walk a short distance E on Barton Springs Rd. Total walking is 0.27 miles.
Whole Foods 525 N Lamar
Lots & lots of good, wholesome food - huge take out section, you may have a Whole Foods near you. They started in Austin.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/...
Bus route: Catch the Silver Dillo westbound at 6th & Neches, arrive at 6th & Lamar approximately 7 minutes later.
Central Market
Has a food court, not best place in town for veg folk (I have never seen a veg-friendly soup there), but is a place we can all eat - and has a great porch. Also a good place for grocery shopping - if the cocoa bean guy isn't at the Farmer's Market, you can get the cocoa beans I'm always raving about here
http://www.centralmarket.com/...
there are multiple bus routes here: Catch the #3 Burnet bus northbound at Brazos & 4th, Arrive at Medical Parkway & 39th 1/2. Walk a short distance NE on Medical Pkwy. Walk straight on Marathon Blvd. Walk a short distance NE on Marathon Blvd. Turn right on W 40th St. Walk approx. 1 block SE on W 40th St. Total walking is 0.12 miles.
or: Catch the #21 Exposition at 2nd & Trinity, Arrive: 38th & Medical Parkway. Walk approx. 1 block SE on W 38th St. Turn left on N Lamar Blvd. Walk approx. 3 blocks NE on N Lamar Blvd. Total walking is 0.26 miles.
or Catch the #5 Woodrow northbound at Congress & 4th. Arrive: 45th & N Lamar. Walk a short distance NW on W 45th St. Turn left on N Lamar Blvd.
Walk approx. 6 blocks SW on N Lamar Blvd. Total walking is 0.47 miles.
On Saturday morning, there's the downtown Farmer's Market
Great fruit, vegetables, and other locally-produced food. Great vendors, including my favorite chocolate vendor. Year-round, great food.
http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/
bus route (it is at 4th & Guadalupe, but given the heat, you still may want to take the bus): catch the #452, Blue Dillo at 4th & San Jacinto, get off at 4th & Lavaca
Special section on Amy's ice cream
How can I possible count the ways I love Amy's ice cream? A place that makes Irish cream or Amaretto ice cream, and has crushed Heath bars for mix-ins? Are you kidding me? Add in all the good causes & events that I see Amy's carts at, and you have perfection.
http://www.amysicecreams.com/
Amy's on 6th is by numerous great Austin businesses: Waterloo Ice House (burgers), Waterloo Records (the place to buy music), BookPeople (one of the great independent book stores in town), and Whole Foods Market. Bus route: Catch the Silver Dillo westbound at 6th & Neches, arrive at 6th & Lamar approximately 7 minutes later.
Amy's on Guadalupe is easily bus accessible from the #1 bus route, at 37th & Guadalupe
Amy's SoCo is by a Japanese restaurant & the south location of Jo's.
http://maps.google.com/...
take the #450 Orange Dillo southbound at Congress & 4th, less than 10 minutes later, get off at Congress & James
