We’ve collected some of the best tastes of Austin so you can sample everything the city has to offer.
1. DOS BATOS
Image Source: Dos Batos Facebook Page
2525 West Anderson Lane https://www.dosbatos.com/Our Favorite Meal:
Eat: Wood-fired Piratas Tacos on corn tortillas Drink: Tecate w/lime
At Dos Batos, all the emphasis is on the food; which is counter-serve. The location could be called ‘minimalist’, but what the location lacks in atmosphere it more than makes up for with melt-in-your-mouth sea salted Angus beef.
At around $5 each, these tacos can’t be beat.
2. STILES SWITCH BBQ
Image Source: Stiles Switch Facebook Page
6610 North Lamar Boulevard http://www.stilesswitchbbq.com/Our Favorite Meal:
Eat: Texas Frito Pie Drink: Sweet Tea
BBQ is the trademark of Texas, and if you don’t have your family’s secret recipe for brisket, then you can’t be a real Texan. Stiles Switch has a lot of fantastic options, and the masterful brisket is absolutely there, but they go a step further into their Texas Frito Pie.
Their Texas Frito Pie is a gourmet masterpiece (for most Texans, theirs is composed of Wolf Brand Chili, a bag of Fritos, and a packet of mustard. Maybe some white onions.), using brisket chili and pickled onions to capture the nuanced flavors of the dish in a completely unexpected way.
Of course, sweet tea is a necessity of dinner in the south, but if you’re not from around these parts, get your taste buds ready because they mean SWEET. TEA.
Try out the Frito Pie for $13.
3. VIA 313
Image Source: Via313 Facebook Page
West 6th Trailer (Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden) http://www.via313.com/Our Favorite Meal:
Eat: Bar Style Plain (Thin crust; just cheese) Drink: Grape Faygo
Via 313 has several locations throughout Austin for Detroit-style pizza, but the best one is the trailer at Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden. The experience of 313 is an entire aesthetic rather than a meal – with Detroit’s Faygo soda proudly served. While the toppings are delicious (natural casing pepperoni, anyone?) it’s best to start out with the very basics and move from there. Don’t worry – you’ll be back again for seconds.
Plain Bar Style pizza is $10.
4. HUT'S HAMBURGERS
Image Source: Hut's Hamburgers Facebook Page
807 West 6th StreetOur Favorite Meal:
Eat: The Dagburger Drink: Strawberry Old Fashioned Milkshake
For over 75 years, Hut’s Hamburgers has been gracing Austin with the best in the basics – an amazing cheeseburger and a shake; just like saddle shoes and poodle skirts. The menu itself is not going to wow you – Hut’s knows what it is; a staple of Austin dining; and there’s no reason to use a lot of adjectives to draw you in. But when you taste their Texas-raised beef – given a humanely-raised seal of approval – you’ll know what everyone’s been going on about.
A Dagburger will only set you back $11.95.
5. UCHI
Image Source: Uchi Austin Facebook Page
801 South Lamar Boulevard https://uchiaustin.com/Favorite Meal
Eat: Hamachi (Yellowtail) Sushi Drink: Kirinzan Sake
Texas may not seem like a hot spot for sushi, but Chef Tyson Cole has singlehandedly turned it into one. His creations are a little offbeat, but tempt the palate with an assemblage of flavors rarely dreamed of in traditional Japanese cuisine. Our favorite to start is the Hamachi Sushi – it’s light and opens up the tastebuds for the more complex flavors that will come later in the meal. Consider it our favorite start to a glorious story.
Hamachi Sushi is only $5 for two pieces, and a sip of our recommended Kirinzan sake (flavored with cocoa, sweet rice, and pineapple) will start your journey out right.
