Eater's Guide to Austin
I wrote this in 2014, after I was asked for recommendations that were based on food for a friend’s upcoming trip. Since this was written - a lot as changed in Austin. Mostly, it’s gotten more crowded. Austin is among the cities with the highest influx rate of millennials moving in. The progressive culture, outdoor lifestyle, food/drink scene, makes it very appealing for the 27-35 demo. Huge apartment complexes, sky-scraping hotels, all going up from one year to the next. That’s not to say it’s not worth a visit - I would just suggest avoiding major event times (South by Southwest, Austin City Limits, Paleof(x), Food and Wine, etc).
I went to Austin for the first time in April of 2014. I planned for a year, looking at what food stops I wanted to make and basically planned my whole trip around that. Yes. I made an excel file with where each meal would be had. Here’s a list of the places I ate, drank, and some things to do around town. It’s not even scratching the surface of what Austin has to offer, but it’s a place to start.
What to eat:
Fresa’s
Fresa’s on South 1st is our new favorite find. Most of the seating is picnic table-style outside, under sprawling trees and strung light. Wood-fired meats, fresh tortillas, lots of veggies, and yes - margaritas. This is a perfect place to come ready to share. Just go.
Update: It was brought to my attention that Frank closed in October of 2018. From what I’ve read, it seems there are plans to reopen, but when is pretty ambiguous.
Hot dogs, cold beer, and cocktails. I had been waiting to go to Franks for YEARS. Frank and their Bloody Mary is literally what put Austin on my radar. After seeing it on Cooking Channels ‘Roadtrip’, I wrote it down on what would become a lengthy list of bucket-list food stops. The Red Headed Stranger. The. Best. Bloody. EVER. It’s made with in-house infused bacon Tito’s vodka, and served with a strip of bacon because, “Rabbits eat celery. People eat bacon.”. Food wise: house-made, artisanal sausages and bratwursts. They have gluten-free bun options, and a wide array of brats to choose from. I had the Jackalope: antelope, rabbit and pork with cranberry compote and srirachi aioli. It was beyond delicious. They also have amazing, fresh roasted, fresh brewed for you, coffee. Who would’ve thunk?
I cannot say enough about the meal I had at Barley Swine. It all just seems to pedestrian. ‘It was good’? I mean, really. I’ve eaten a lot of ‘good’ things in my life. I made reservations for our dinner at Barley Swine months in advance. The chef, Bryce Gilmore, has been nominated seven times for a James Beard award, but the place is ANYTHING but stuffy. I wore jeans and a tank top and was perfectly comfortable. The place is popular, so make reservations. They offer an a la carte menu, as well as a constantly changing chefs tasting menu. They use a ton of local, sustainable ingredients and even list for you the farms from which they’ve gotten what’s on your plate. It was so good, they brought me a spatula to scoop up every last bit of sauce from my plate. If you have dietary restrictions, simply tell them when you make your reservation and they will accommodate you. Here it my hottest food tip of the year: We have done the chef’s tasting menu a few times. It’s fun, and interesting, and the food is a delight. I have to admit though, that as the popularity increased, the size of the plates seemed to shrink. Two years ago, we were both pretttyyyy hungry after our multiple courses, and saw some of the a la carte menu items flowing out of the kitchen - so we did the math. We figured out that we could order literally everything on the a la carte menu and it would only cost us $3 more than the Chef’s tasting. So, the next year - that’s what we did. BIG WIN.
I wanted two things in Austin: Local and Mexican. La Condesa hit both. They use Broken Arrow Ranch for their venison. A pasture, humane ranch right there in Texas. They keep the game on a huge ranch, living happy care free lives. They hunt with high caliber rifles at a far distance so that the animal doesn’t experience any fear or pain. It’s butchered right there at the kill site thanks to their mobile butchering vehicle. La Condesa is lots of small plates in a very opem, airy atmosphere. High glass walls and tiny strung lights. Salsas and Guacamole = a given. Get the trio and try everything. Ceviche is hard to beat when it’s well done. The scallop ceviche was fresh and light with a little kick. Moving into the main, I had the venison taquitos (duh) and they were cooked beyond perfectly. The margaritas were, clearly, amazing. I requested their house-jalapeno infused tequila with lime juice and club soda a la NorCal margarita. Oh, and a banderita shot. It had tequila and came on a plank with smoked salt.
Full disclosure: I was really hungover when we went to brunch and that meant I wasn’t getting much food down. It’s a major regret that lingers. One day, I’ll return and remedy the situation. When we pulled up to Olivia for brunch, I was really happy to see a chicken coup and little garden right outside. Even if you have to wait for a table, the outside area is so pleasant, it’s almost fun. Check out the chickens, look to see if any strawberries are popping up. The space is absolutely beautiful. Homey, comfortable, and light. The menu is small, but cooked practically right in front of you. The food is a reflection of the space itself: comforting, simple, and elegant. I had the shrimp and grits. The shrimp were tender and sweet and the grits were absolutely perfect. Every plate that walked past us, though, looked wonderful. The short rib cheeseburger, the scallops, the eggs…
Since writing this, Torchy’s has become a standard stop on our Austin trips (of which there have now been six). I knew we had to find some breakfast tacos on our trip, so I took to Google. Torchy’s Tacos kept popping up so we hopped on the bikes and headed over. It’s in a little food truck park on South 1st Street, with picnic tables set up to boot (it’s now got multiple brick and mortar locations).
Veracruz All Natural
You’re not going to get much more authentic than this. Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez moved to Austin, TX after graduating from High School. What started as a smoothie truck, became an infamous location for some of the best tacos in the city.
I think just about everyone in Paleo-land has heard of the storage container that is Picnik by now. Taking a picture of the big old container door seems to be second only to a picture in front of the Austin mural. A legitimate Paleo-Haven: It’s probably the only place to get butter coffee (hot AND iced) along with a plethora of other paleo-goodies. We grabbed a blondie, and plopped down at a picnic table before heading to Franklin BBQ for what would be a long (but insanely delicious) morning. Picnik now has an impressive brick-and mortar, full-scale restaurant in addition to the trailer. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch (and a full bar). Get the chicken tenders, and go from there.
Yes, there are lots of places that you can get BBQ, even great BBQ, in Austin without having to get there three hours before opening and waiting in line all morning. I’m telling you: Franklin BBQ is WORTH THE WAIT. Every day, Franklin BBQ opens up with a line already formed. They take down what you’re planning to order to they can decide where the “we’re out!” sign will go (or rather, on who’s back it will be stuck). Once their out, their out. Waiting in line at Franklin is a right of passage for food lovers who visit. If eating all the best Austin has to offer, you can’t skip this stop. Get there early and go on a week day. You’re still gonna wait minimum two hours (we went on a Tuesday. Got there at 9, ate at 12:30.). The wait isn’t so bad though! Especially if you hit Picnik first. You can rent a chair from some guy that they let post up outside for $5. If you want beers, they start coming around at 11 with ice cold cans for purchase. Even without the chairs and beers, you’re surrounded by other carnivores who are happy to spend their whole morning waiting on brisket. Everyone is hungry, yet happy. It’s almost impossible not to make friends with the people next to you in line. It’s a long wait, but the experience as a whole is part of what makes it so special. Not to mention the mind blowing, melt-in-your-mouth, brisket that awaits you at the counter. I will never have brisket anywhere else again after what I had at Franklin since I doubt anything will every match up.
If you have a car, I definitely think it’s worth the 45 min drive out to Driftwood to have dinner at the Salt Lick - once. It’s a BBQ institution. You drive onto this massive peice of property, park in the gravel lot, and make your way though a huge outdoor dining area inside to be greeted by a big ass open pit fire. Yea…that’s where they cook the meat. On an open pit flame. Time between sitting down and eating is maybe 10 minutes. The food is fantastic. Brisket, ribs, pickled veggies. It’s classic TX BBQ, but it’s really the history of the place that I think make it something worth driving to.
More food:
Max’s Wine Dive (gluten-free fried chicken - YUP)
LA Barbecue
Snap Kitchen (to-go meals & shakes)
Hopdoddy (Grass-fed Burgers)
Lamberts (BBQ)
Wholly Cow (Burgers)
24 Diner
It’s also worth it to visit the Whole Foods. It’s freaking huge. It’s also the first one and their home-base.
Other food worth noting, though not at all paleo: Gourdoughs (Maple Bacon Donughts, anyone?) East Side King @ Hole in the Wall (Pork Buns), Ramen Tatsu-ya, Easy Tiger Bake Shop, Lucy’s Fried Chicken (we got fried chicken livers…AMAZEBALLS)
More coffee:
Jo’s
Halcyon
Better Half Coffee & Cocktails
Austin Java
Flat Track Coffee (part coffee house, part bike shop. Also across the street from Veracruz All Natural - so grab a coffee then take a walk for some breakfast tacos).
For some bars and nightlife, I saw head to Rainey Street
Yes, I went to 6th Street but I gotta say I preferred what Rainey Street had to offer. What looks like a residential street during the day, turns into a neighborhood of some of the most unique bars I’ve ever sat foot in once the sun goes down. Lots of local Texas beer and interesting craft cocktails. My favorites:
Craft Pride – 54 taps and 2 casks of all local Texas brew with a big old backyard and food truck serving up pizza slices.
Lucilles Patio Lounge – a stunning outdoor patio bar – they even have hammocks! Dog friendly (like most Austin institutions) with funky and delicious cocktails. It feels like your hanging at your friends house.
Container Bar – One of the newer additions to Rainey Street, Container bar is made up of stacked shipping containers. The drinks and beers are standard, but the atmosphere and building itself makes it worth a visit.
Half Step – In my opinion, one of the most interesting cocktail bars I’ve been to. Old school cocktails meet new school mixology. Our drinks took about five minutes to make, but were not only special and unique, but delicious. Again, as it seems every Rainey Street bar is required to have, there is a great backyard area with picnic tables all lined up. It’s hard not to feel like you’re at home. Right next door is the food truck
Austin East Ciders - Head to the taproom to hang out and try a wide variety of ciders, play some board games, maybe even head next door for some bouldering.
A little bit in the middle of nothing is a place called Whisler’s in East Austin. It’s a very cool, non-descript cocktail joint that reminded me of what a speakeasy might’ve looked like. They’re specialty is the bartenders ability to concoct something just for you – so ask for the dealer’s choice. I had a spicy blackberry margarita that had just enough kick to the face without sending fire down my throat. It’s a funky little spot in a very weird town. Good weird. Great weird.
Ice Cream:
Lick – Unique flavors with local ingredients. I got Country Honey & Vanilla Bean, Caramel Salt Lick, and Sweet Cream & Strawberry. I mean, what’s not to love about that? It’s right next to Barley Swine. It seems great food sticks together. They have a second location now, right across the bridge.
Dolce Neve – straight up real deal gelato in the heart of Texas. I mean it. Francesca, one of the owners, trained at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Italy, and worked at the Golosario award winning (2012) Gelateria De’ Coltelli in Pisa Italy. They source, again, local ingredients for their amazing gelato. The day we were there, they only had a few flavors to offer because they were in the process of making everything else. Hard to be mad about that. What we DID get to enjoy, though, had JUST been made and was absolute creamy perfection. I could easily see this being a daily stop for gelato-lovers. Plus, it’s right across the stress from the Austin Mural, so you can go take your obligatory picture afterwards.
Also, check out Amy’s Ice Cream. It’s kind of like Cold Stone…only really really good. They also have dairy-free ices if the moo is not for you. I had strawberries and cream with Mexican vanilla and oh my god.
Things to Do:
The Bats
If you’re there in the bat season, I really thing it’s worth doing. We were going to skip it after someone told us it was over rated. I disagree. We ended up riding by on our bikes just as people were starting to crowd on Congress Bridge and decided to stay and see what up. Once the sun set, hundreds of bats poured out from under us. It’s a little tough to see them coming out since the sunlight is fading, but when you look off in the distance, you can see what looks like the smoke monster from Lost streaking through the sky. It’s a very cool, and uniquely Austin sight to see. Don’t skip it for fear of being a “typical tourist”. You are a tourist…go check it out.
Farmers Market
Saturdays from 9-1. Local farmers, lots of honey, home brewed kombucha, coffee, macarons, strawberries…what else? It’s a really fun way to spend your saturday morning. Don’t eat breakfast first, though. There’s plenty to snack on at the market, and you can sit down for some grade-A people watching once you’ve loaded up.
Lady Bird Lake Bike Trail
Rent yourself a bike (use the Austin B-Cycle’s that are virtually everywhere) and go for a trail ride around Lady Bird Lake on the Ann and Roy Butler Trail. You can hop off at Congress Ave, Rainey Street, Barton Springs, it’s a 10 mile bike and walking trail that goes all through Austin. I definitely needed a good bike ride after all of the food!
Barton Springs Pool
A little oasis in the middle of the city. Barton Springs Pool is a natural spring that is always chilling right around 70 degrees. It’s absolutely stunning and such a fun place to spend the afternoon in the sun.
For the six days I was in Austin, I was exceedingly happy. Even the day I spent in bed because my stomach stopped working. It took me a minute to get used to the excessive friendliness, as I was initially pretty creeped out by all of the questions and eye contact. I’m from New Jersey – I look ahead and answer swiftly. After I adjusted, though, I found myself a more friendly being. It’s hard not to be. It’s sunny, warm, the foods awesome, and there are dogs EVERYWHERE. Awesome dogs. Not shitty little yappy ones. Tons of mutts and mixed breeds all hanging out everywhere you look. Sitting in booths at restaurants. Under the table, in the chair, just roaming around at the farmers markets. It’s impossible not to be a better person when a giant wall with “I love you” scrolled in bright red paint is looking at you every day. There’s that…and the brisket. It was probably mostly definitely the brisket.