When I told friends I was traveling to Austin for a short period of time, everyone raved about how great the food is and threw out multiple locations to try. I knew Austin was known for good food, but I wasn’t sure of what besides tacos and BBQ. I mean, the full state of Texas is known for those specialties. What I was pleasantly surprised with were the many restaurants that fell out of this scope that were also delicious. I was only there for a short period of time but am proud to say I conquered a lot. Here is the list I’ve gathered of great places to visit next time you’re in the city (judge me not if I left a few top places out… my belly is only so big ).

 

Torchy’s Tacos

This restaurant came highly recommended by a friend of mine who used to live in Texas. I was told I MUST get the queso. Now I completely understand why. What I love about it was the topping of guacamole, cotija cheese, cilantro, and diablo sauce. If you’re like me, you’re one that has a hard time deciding between guac and queso. With this, it all comes in one. For. The. Win!! It also was seasoned perfectly and comes with a generous amount of chips.

 

Now for the tacos… I would suggest looking at the menu in advance. They offer such a large variety of unique combinations that it’ll have you staring at the menu for a while- in a good way (unless you’re getting hangry). Luckily the waiter working the bar counter helped me with a few suggestions:

The Fried Avocado- Topped with refried pinto beans, pico, lettuce, cheddar jack cheese, and poblano sauce- unique and perfect for vegetarians

The Crossroads- Topped with smoked beef brisket, grilled onions, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, jack cheese, and tomatillo sauce

The Trailer Park- Topped with fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico, cheddar jack cheese, and poblano sauce

All of them were VERY tasty, but my favorite, hands down, was the Crossroads, which I was told was also one of the most popular.

Torchy’s is such a quick and easy place to dine in with great Tex-Mex food. For sure give them a try!

 

Suerte

If you’re looking for a slightly upscale, hip Mexican restaurant, Suerte is the place to be. They are fairly new and have already won quite a few awards. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has a nice patio should weather permit you to sit outdoors. What I loved about Suerte was how friendly the staff was and how everyone helped each other. It appeared as if there was no single waiter assigned to a table because they all pitched in.

I will say the food is a bit pricey, but it is also delish! It’s one of those restaurants where, along with the quality of food, you are paying for the experience as well. Their menu comes in small plates so keep this in mind. If you’re looking to get full, you are looking to spend a pretty good amount of money. However, you will not be disappointed if you do. I ordered the Huarache with smoked chicken, salsa verde, and manchego cheese + another item that has now been taken off of the menu! Forgive me, I forgot the name, but trust me, it was great!

 

Gus’s Fried Chicken

Gus’s fried chicken is not only in Austin, but since it was my first and only time having it, I want to take a moment to talk about it. Ya’ll… fried chicken speaks to my soul! And Gus’s Fried Chicken got it RIGHT! Their chicken was crispy, but not with a hard crunch (major bonus) and had a slight spice to it, but not enough for someone who doesn’t like spicy food to dislike it (another major bonus). You can eat inside or take it to go. It’s a great place to take the family for a quick bite. The sides are also pretty good. I went for the mac n cheese and greens which you really can’t go wrong with when pairing with fried chicken. If I had more time I would have absolutely gone back. If you have a Gus’s near you, GO! You’re in for a real treat!

Ciclo

First off, if you know anything about Four Seasons hotels, you know they all have amazing restaurants. The Four Seasons in downtown Austin was no exception. Their restaurant is called Ciclo and was fantastic! Ciclo is a modern Texas kitchen featuring locally inspired flavors and ingredients with a Latin influence (umm… YUMM!) Between the patio, the live music, the perfect plating, and incredible food, I was in heaven! They also have great drinks. I would highly suggest one of craft cocktails such as the Music City Blues (rosemary-infused waterloo #9 gin + blueberry-honey water + lemon). Ok… I know you’re reading this for the food, so let me get to it.

To start, I ordered the sweet corn empanadas. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Empanadas are one of my menu go-tos so to find that it was perfectly buttery and flaky was awesome! For my entrée, I ordered the Lomo Saltado which was seared beef tenderloin + creamy jasmine rice + tomato + onion + cilantro + crispy potato + soy sauce jus. Super tasty! This restaurant was also pricey (to be expected at a Four Seasons), but it is so well worth the money. I could have sat on their patio and ate their food every day of the trip and been perfectly ok with it.

 

Next up.. Soursop

Soursop is a Pan-Asian food truck that has been open for 2 years and they are crazyyy good! If you’ve noticed, it’s rare for me to get just one item, even if it’s just me, because I like to get a true feel for the food vibe and their taste patterns. It was no different here. I ordered the riblets with sweet chili, honey, lime, toasted rice powder, cilantro and the waterburger with melted cheese, thai basil ranch, waterfal slaw. I was soooo satisfied. I literally could not stop eating the riblets, which made it hard to finish the burger, but I sure gave it my best effort. The Asian flavors were spot on!

Although they are a food truck, they have plenty of picnic tables outside. They are also connected to a brewery that welcomes you to come in and use their tables to eat- even if you aren’t ordering beer. Soursop is definitely a palette pleaser!

 

Here Nor There

Here Nor There is a Speakeasy that was recommended to me by one of my friends. If you’re in town, you must jump on the opportunity to go quickly. The first thing to do is download their app. From there, you sign up as a guest by linking your account to LinkedIn (yes… real official) then request a reservation. They will then contact you to confirm your reservation. They get very busy – especially on the weekends- so try to do so in advance.

Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures or videos because they are not allowed! I really appreciated this because it almost forced everyone to keep their phones away. Use your imagination with me for a second…. Imagine walking down a private street that you can’t get into unless you enter a private code. Then imagine walking down stairs that make you feel like you’re going into a dungeon (a little freaky but keep going…) Now imagine walking into a dim room that is GORGEOUS and filled with soft, elegant décor with comfy couches, private booth space, a bar, and the best cocktails you will probably ever have in your life. This entire experience was like no other. Any time I am in Austin in the future, Here Nor There will absolutely be on the list. The secrecy of it made it even better!

 

Franklin Barbecue

Last but not least… Franklin Barbecue! Because did you really go to Austin if you didn’t eat the BBQ??? I don’t think so! I was warned about the long lines and was referred to other BBQ restaurants in the area if I didn’t want to wait, but Franklin showed up on just about every list of top places to eat so I felt like I had to try it out. I thought if I just got there right around when it opened, the line wouldn’t be that long. WRONG! I arrived 30 minutes after they opened and the wait was almost 2 hours. Thank GOODNESS I met the best people in line, Alex and Joe who saved my spot while I checked out of my hotel and prepared for my flight home. Yay for new friends! If it weren’t for them, I would have either missed my flight or not gotten to try them out (The food was so good that I just might have been ok with missing the flight). I ordered the brisket, ribs, sausage and potato salad and Whew!  It was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had. Especially the ribs!!!!! If I had to wait 2 hours again just for them, I would! In the heat! Pro tips for this place: 1. Get there before they open. Like, way before. 2. Get comfy and grab a lawn chair. They have plenty of them waiting for you. 3. Be patient. We all want the good food, but good food takes time!

Considering I was only in Austin for 3.5 days, I’d say I did pretty darn good exploring the food. With as good as I ate, I would hop at the chance to go back and dive even deeper. If you’ve been, leave a comment with your favorite locations! Hopefully you were as stuffed and satisfied as I was!

Happy Austin Eating!