Austin Food Recs Thread
- Thread starter chefbm636
- Start date
Had to close for the weekend to write this list😂😂When it's open. Allegedly.
Looks like it is still up in the air according to this Eater article.
https://austin.eater.com/2021/4/7/22371189/pitchfork-pretty-austin-restaurant-will-reopen-summer
I drove around looking for a bite to eat yesterday after the game and realized how out of touch I am with Austin's gastronomy. I tried going to grab some pizza at Homeslice but Congress was a nightmare(duh) so I just hightailed it. I really need to explore more as I visit more often.
It is in RR but ate at Cork and Barrel recently and had Nolan Ryan's Goodstock dry-aged ribeye and it was wonderful.
Salty Sow, just a few blocks east of the Disch, is solid.
That’s a great list. Lot of great spots, and you are one of the best chefs in town.
Looking forward to come eat tacos at tex sueno.
I would say the Austin original local chains, imo, should get recognized. And maybe a sandwich category should be added. RIP Noble sandwiches.
tacos - taco deli is an Austin staple. Relaxed counter service. High quality ingredients. Breakfast and lunch only. Great salsa. Their ceviche tacos on weekends with serranos and Dona salsa are special.
burgers - California has In and Out. Austin has P-Terry’s. It is a worthy recommendation to outsiders, and a my go to fast food drive through late night burger.
Sandwiches - Thunder Cloud. Don’t go to subway when in Austin, it’s thunder cloud in the summer. Fresh avocado on the Cali club is on point. Italian is another favorite. I also enjoy their egg salad sandwiches. Been eating since I was kid.
Looking forward to come eat tacos at tex sueno.
I would say the Austin original local chains, imo, should get recognized. And maybe a sandwich category should be added. RIP Noble sandwiches.
tacos - taco deli is an Austin staple. Relaxed counter service. High quality ingredients. Breakfast and lunch only. Great salsa. Their ceviche tacos on weekends with serranos and Dona salsa are special.
burgers - California has In and Out. Austin has P-Terry’s. It is a worthy recommendation to outsiders, and a my go to fast food drive through late night burger.
Sandwiches - Thunder Cloud. Don’t go to subway when in Austin, it’s thunder cloud in the summer. Fresh avocado on the Cali club is on point. Italian is another favorite. I also enjoy their egg salad sandwiches. Been eating since I was kid.
Did you ever have the Deli Belly taco? Damn I miss that one.
Hell yea! pork belly in a taco is amazing.
All their daily special tacos are good... Akaushi hangar steak, banh mi, cochinta pibil.
I can add taco deli, I think they have pretty solid tacos. Would not put Torchys in the recommended range even though I think they are fine but not great. A sandwich category would be good.
Matts. But better food at Texsueño. And plenty of outside seating.
Tex mex seems to be a dying breed in all of the Texas big cities.
Not sure why, as fajitas and Rita’s have ridiculously high price points.
But you have to nail both, and preferably one of the auxiliaries like enchiladas to be anything above garbage, and joints fail at this a lot more often than they succeed.
Houston basically relies on a few franchised stalwarts to keep its Tex mex rep high(er than Austin
El tiempo
Original Ninfa’s
Lupe Tortillas
I thought El Real did all the things it needed to well, but it’s gone now.
So question for the board:
Is there any Tex mex places in Houston I’m overlooking ?
And does Dallas have some heavy hitters for Tex mex I should try when I’m there?
As much as Texans love to talk up Tex mex, we sure do have a stagnant scene for it despite a ravenous market for it.
Great list. A lot of my favorites plus some I've been wanting to try.
Here are some comments/additions for your list ( Based on pre-covid times for most)
Pizza: Jets is underrated as a pizza chain. Great budget Detroit pizza but don't sleep on the NY style crust.
Asian: I love that you included NG Cafe. I miss them being closer to my work. Best grilled pork Banh Mi in Austin.
China Family - great Hunan Shrimp
I love Michi Ramen. Not as good as Tatsuya but very good IMO.
Just ate at Eurasia in Oak Hill for the first time. Really good. The ramen, sushi, teriyaki, and Indonesian dishes we tried were all delicious.
Sichuan River: I've been four times and I've given up. I keep reading how great this place is but I've yet to have a meal there that I truly loved. What do you recommend?
Sushi: I would add Kome and Dawa. Two of my favorites
TexMex and Tacos:
Joe's Bakery makes my favorite migas in town.
I would add Amaya's Taco Village
Interior Mexican:
Hecho en Mexico
Burgers:
Phil's
Lebowski's
Crown and anchor
Hype Park Grill (for the fries!)
Cajun:
Cypress Grill (Underrated CFS with cajun gravy)
Sawyer and co.
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Alright, first off, this is an Austin food recs thread so get that Houston and Dallas shit outta here. 🤣
In all seriousness, I don’t know much about Tex-Mex in those cities, but I’m glad you are making this point because it’s the precise reason I opened Texsueño. I think that it is one of the few cuisines that hasn’t been shown love by chefs with experience and passion for food. Even shitty Tex-Mex joints are doing booming business, at least some of them, so I don’t understand why it hasn’t been done yet.
So here I am, trying to show what can be done if you care and are willing to put in work. If you’re ever in Austin, please swing by. I think we are doing good stuff at a fair price point for the quality.
It's on the regular menu now! I'm so happy because now I don't have to wait until Tuesday and Saturday to get my fix.
One of my favorite happy hours (drinks and food) in the city, which could be a whole other list.
Happy hour:
Salty Sow
Lambert's
Jack Allen's
Loro
Easy Tiger
(RIP Holy Roller)
JAK’s HH is a great food value. That’s the main time we go anymore, which is kinda funny since they usually comp us anyway.
