Where Pedro Pascal, Blake Lively, and More Celebrities Ate During SXSW 2025 in Austin

Once a year during South By Southwest, plane-loads of celebrities hit Austin to walk the red carpet for film and television series premieres, sit on panels, perform at concerts, and eat barbecue or tacos (both, if they’re smart). This year was no exception: Here’s where the rich and famous stopped for dinner while giving everyone else a show.

Seth Rogen and Keith Lee at La Barbecue

Central Texas-style barbecue joint La Barbecue has earned its Michelin and SXSW-celebrity-dining stars. This year, actor Seth Rogen and viral TikTok food critic Keith Lee both visited La Barbecue, with Lee giving the ribs a 9.5 out of 10 rating, and Rogen posting pictures of him and friends with a full barbecue spread (featuring lots of ribs). The restaurant has been a popular pick in the past: Dua Lipa dined here ahead of her headliner slot at Austin City Limits, and Prince Harry and Megan Markle paid them a visit during SXSW in 2024.

Pedro Pascal at Torchy’s Tacos

Torchy’s made a stealth video that catches actor Pedro Pascal, the star of HBO series The Last of Us and Gladiator II, dining at one of its Austin locations. Who could blame them? Our intrepid spies also caught Pascal at Franklin Barbecue, having a laugh and a pork rib.

Blake Lively at Taqueria De Diez (10/10) and the Salty

Actress Blake Lively, who was in town for SXSW’s premiere of thriller and comedy Another Simple Favor starring Anna Kendrick, stopped into Taqueria 10 de 10, the combination speakeasy and taqueria that features an alleyway entrance and some of the best tacos in Downtown. Lively, who was traveling with her children, also stopped into the Salty for some of their intensely themed doughnuts and posted a hilarious photo from Barton Springs, an Austin classic, while sporting paper bags on her feet (she apparently sacrificed her shoes for her kids).

Kyle MacLachlan at Stiles Switch

Twin Peaks actor Kyle MacLachlan made barbecue a priority while in town, opting for Stiles Switch. The experience must have been pretty good: He posted an Instagram video of him biting into a rib at Stiles and used Justin Bieber’s “Life is Worth Living” as the track, along with the caption, “It’s the little luxuries.”

Meghann Fahy at the Broken Spoke

Known for her role in the second season of HBO’s White Lotus, actress Meghann Fahy made it to Austin for the premiere of her movie The Drop, a mystery thriller set in a sky-high restaurant. Fahy hit the Broken Spoke for a classic Austin good time and didn’t shy away from showing herself pounding beers and barbecue in her multi-slide Instagram post.

Will Poulter at Cheer Up Charlie’s

Actor Will Poulter, the star of The Bear’s second season, was in town to premiere Death of a Unicorn. Poulter broke up the red carpet monotony with a stop for drinks at Cheer Up Charlie’s and posed in a photo with what looks like a brew in hand with a staff member.

Camila Mendes, Jeremy O. Harris, Zoë Chao, and more at Serenade American Brasserie

The W Austin hosted the cast of the film The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick for a glamorous-looking dinner. Actress Camila Mendes, who starred in the CW’s series Riverdale, supported the premiere of her other film, Idiotka. The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick crew also posed outside of the Alamo Drafthouse and Brown’s Bar B Q.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan at the Driskill

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the star of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever, posed for the ‘gram in the iconic Driskill hotel with a nod to Austinite and actor Matthew McConaughey (her caption featured one of his famous quotes, “Alright, alright, alright,” with a cowboy emoji). Ramakrishnan also fulfilled her Texas barbecue fix at what appears to be Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. Instagram pictures show her cheerfully posing with a beef rib bone and a nearly cleaned plate with remnants of beans and brisket. But if her people want to get with our people to confirm (or if she is willing to add the tag), well, we’d love that.