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Austin Restaurants + Food
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items I've lived in different parts of central Austin for 10+ years and eaten a lot of great food—not just tacos and BBQ, either. Here are the places that have stood the test of time both in the city and for my taste buds.
Map
Sections
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Meals
Treats
Meals
Savory, umami, cheesy—you name it. (Lots of these have great desserts too, btw!)
This may be the best BBQ in Austin (it's my #1) and you won't have to wait in an hours-long line on hot asphalt. Instead, the charmingly painted Micklethwait trailer is located in the backyard of Saddle Up, a bar + cafe combo where you grab a drink i...
Micklethwait - Austin Craft Meats Barbecue & Catering
Elevated yet comforting and wildly delicious Korean fare. You can't go wrong with a bibimbap here, they're incredible, but one of my favorite entrees here is the hwedup bap, a bowl with honeycrisp apple, rice, perilla, gochujang, a ginger soy vinaigr...
Oseyo
Sa-Ten gets so much of my money. Their Japanese food menu is restaurant quality and variety of Japanese and other Asian drinks are always on point, including a rotating selection of seasonal drinks unlike anything else in Austin. Their milk bread toa...
Sa-Tén Coffee
A generous, piping hot bowl of ramen is one of my favorite dinners for cold weather, and Michi's ramen selection is hearty and satisfying no matter your taste; I’m partial to the Sapporo. But for most of the year in Austin that’s decidedly not chilly...
Michi Ramen
Wow Poke is one of my biggest vices, which works out since their bowls are both full of healthy, fresh ingredients *and* ~mmm~-inducingly delicious. Great selection of proteins—I love the sweet sesame salmon, ceviche shrimp, and truffle ponzu tuna—an...
Wow Poke
Really into chicken biscuits? Bird Bird Biscuit's the one for you! With a menu of *big* indulgent chicken biscuits (big biscuits and big pieces of very good fried chicken both) topped with all sorts of delicious accoutrement--black pepper honey, baco...
Bird Bird Biscuit
Coastal Mexican cuisine is one of my weaknesses. El Marisquero's exceptional, restaurant quality selection is served in a truck behind a gas station on a main stretch of highway cutting through downtown Austin. The quesadilla el marisquero is messy, ...
El Marisquero
Tony's is so, *so* good. There are no downsides, just personal faves: I love the curry goat and oxtail--both so savory and fall-apart tender--the deliciously caramelized plantains, and fresh, hot beef patties.
Tony's Jamaican Food
This little trailer in the parking lot of a convenience store off Pleasant Valley Ave in serving up some of the most OMG-worthy dishes I've ever had from an Austin food truck. The pollo catracho, served on plantains with cabbage and pickled onions an...
Sabor a Honduras
Hawaiian Bros' menu may be simple and small but it's no less satisfying for its brevity. The various sweet'n'savory chicken options, as well as the Hawaiian pulled pork, are indulgent without being greasy or overly heavy. I was skeptical of the macar...
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill
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So yes, Juan in a Million attracts out of towners and there's a line a lot of the time. (I've only eaten takeout from there myself, but I digress.) The thing is though, if you're a meat eater, you ~must!~ have the Don Juan El Taco Grande at least onc...
Juan in a Million
Industry hits a sweet spot between casual and elevated that's great for a wide range of tastes, and has a few vegetarian and vegan options, too. Their smoked half chicken (2nd pic) is my favorite thing on the menu—the chicken is fall apart tender and...
Industry
There are so many things we love from Fresa's: the chicken flautas with poblano ranch are a perfect appetizer. The tamales are delicious and have become a holiday tradition in our house. And of course, the wood-grilled chicken—you can't go wrong with...
Fresa's Chicken al Carbon
Sugar Pine ATX's menu is a little different than other Japanese go-tos in Austin, boasting a full appetizer and entree menu as well as a full dozen flavors available of to-go onigiri and housemade pastries and ice cream! Ice cream flavors include whi...
Sugar Pine
A relaxed-yet-aesthetic resurrection of an old gas station into a bar + restaurant, Kinda Tropical is a great place to have a salad or sandwich, shareable apps, and frozen cocktails while hanging outside with yours and/or other people's pups. The ses...
Kinda Tropical
Treats
Just the sweet stuff.
Been going to Milky Way since I moved to Austin in 2013 and the shakes. Are. So. Good. They're also vegan and the specials often feature creative, witchy elements like vegan meringue mushrooms, chocolate pentagrams, and edible flowers!
Milky Way Shakes ☆ Vegan Milkshakes
Confession: I'm not big on cupcakes. But when my wife brought me a champagne cupcake from Rocheli soon after it opened, I took each bite in disbelief at how rich yet faceted the flavors were that Rocheli baked into that little cupcake. Everything fro...
Rocheli Patisserie
I've been going to OMG Squee for years (and for years before they were Queer Eye famous—sorry, had to brag) and their lovingly crafted, colorful, 100% gluten free Asian treat selection is filled with delights across the board. Nutella-filled taiyaki ...
OMG Squee