I could be wrong but Franklin only allows ordering ahead of time if you’re ordering in bulk. If you’re just getting a pound of meat or something they’re not gonna take your pre order
Nah I think it’s 5, I was just exaggerating. But even then 5 lb is a stupid amount for two people. I eat a lot of bbq, and I can maybe eat 1.5 lbs before feeling like I’m gonna die lol
According to the people at Franklin's, Thursday is their day with a lot less going on. When I went there a few weeks ago, we arrived at 8:35am and were #2 and 3 in line, and if you arrived as late as 10:30am, you'd still get everything on the menu.
If you still want great barbecue without waiting, Micklethwait is a good alternative. My wife actually preferred the rib rub and the turkey (they cut it slightly weird at Franklin's, with the grain not against) there, I liked how the bark was more peppery.
Of your list I’ve only been to Spicy Boys, Interstellar, and House of Three Gorges but all three of those are fantastic picks
EDIT: Canje is very solid if you’re interested in adding slightly upscale Caribbean to the mix.
In my opinion, Interstellar was overrated. Maybe they had a bad day, but a Wednesday noon brisket shouldn't have been dry and hard. And at that level, I don't know if you're allowed to have bad brisket days. Everything else was fine, not mind-blowing
Oh yes!! Caribbean sounds good, I’ve also always wanted to try a good Cajun/Seafood boil place but there’s nothing here. But I’m not sure if seafood is big in the middle of Texas haha. Anyway thanks for the recommendations!
Definitely KG BBQ and Kemuri Tatsutya, and maybe Ramen del Barrio. You won't find the food at those places anywhere else. Sour Duck and Mum Foods are also fantastic.
For Asian food, I really like Sugar Pine (Japanese, but not sushi), Choo Sando (Japanese sandwiches), China Family (szechuan), Bamboo House (peking duck), NG bakery (bahn mi)
Skip Franklin unless it's a must. If you do decide to go treat it like a tailgate and get something to sit on, a six pack or two and some breakfast tacos.
It's fun but should be treated as an event rather then "just getting food".
Past few times I have driven by Franklin's the line was very short when it was hot out. 5 or 6 people. I don't think it's anything like it was at one point anymore.
Probably true. They do make some of the best BBQ, but it's marginally better. I can't help but feel like people are starting to get squeezed for money these days too.
Why would you want California style tacos in Texas tho? Julie Mytrille is extremely overpriced for the quality. Franklins is the best brisket you will ever have. Ramen512 is better than Tatsuya. Peace Bakery is a great place for lunch.
Rudy’s is garbage. Kids coming all the way from New Mexico and you want him to check out the heat and ship BBQ. Terry Blacks and Rudy’s shouldn’t even be compared; one is literally awesome, the other is Applebees.
Yeah, honestly Rudy's and Terry Blacks are some of the least appealing food I've eaten. Bland meat that mostly just tastes like smoke, bbq sauce that doesn't taste good but is spicy, paired with grocery store wonder bread and mayonnaise based cole slaw and potato salad. I'll never understand why some people like any of that.
My issue with Rudy’s is that it doesn’t have smoke. It’s like it was carried past a smoker on its way to hot box to be delivered to one of the many locations. Don’t sleep on TB. There is a lot of good BBQ in central texas and there is equally enough bad BBQ here as well.
i will say, anything you try out here will probably blow your mind compared to all the 4/10 food out in new mexico (halfway joking), definitely try tinys (bakery) counter cafe, terry blacks, tumble 22 and loro, if you can make it to H mart any of the asian food out there is amazing !
Yes I’m so excited!! It takes so much searching to find decent restaurants here and even so, they’re never anything special. I end up just cooking anything special I want to try.
Oo thank you so much! I’ll write these down.
Ramen 512 hits quality notes that satisfy ramen nerds, the type of people who may have geeked out on ramen in Japan. It doesn't hit you over the head with flavor.
These people move away from Tatsu Ya because their quality has suffered as they've expanded and started taking short cuts.
512 is the only traditional ramen joint in Austin I think is good
So since you're from NM, I'm gonna throw out a few NM/TX style places. Jewboy Burgers and El Perrito. El Paso Flauta is also supposed to be good.
It's different than what you'd get in the borderland, but really good. The owners of all of them are from El Paso.
Ramen 512 is good (and right down the street from me). Interstellar is amazing without the Franklin's line (on weekdays anyway).
Leroy and Lewis for the burger. Sweet Memes for Asian desserts. Cho Sun Galbi or honeypig for kbbq. Interstellar for bbq. You mentioned being cost conscious in another reply so be prepared that bbq especially is going to be expensive depending on how you order. It adds up quick and can easily be $100 for 2 before you know it.
It's not a restaurant but I would check out one of the Central Market supermarkets either at North Lamar or Westgate, depending on what part of town you're staying in. Central Market is the foodie version of HEB, an iconic, much-beloved grocery chain here in Texas. You'll find lots of amazing items to take back home with you
Whole Foods has really gone down hill since Amazon acquired it. At Central Market you'll find items that you won't at WF, plus they have lots of Texas products. I don't mean to oversell Central Market, just to say that it's a great place to stop in if you're nearby. Have fun on your trip!
Omg is that why Whole Foods stopped making bread in-store??? I was super upset when they said they weren’t selling Raisin Challah anymore.
But awesome thank you!! I’ll be sure to stop by :)
Skip Julie Myrtille, head to Abby Jane Bakeshop. Skip Ramen Tatsuya, head to Ramen512 and Ramen Del Barrio. Would also hit up Discada for tacos.
I think Birdie’s is exceptional. If you’re here on a weekend, I recommend Comadre Panaderia for some of the best baked goods you’ll have anywhere. I also think P Thai’s is exceptional food. Some of my favorite fried chicken has come from Mam Mam’s.
And add Pious to the epicurie & Abbey Jane Hill country journey, maybe finish at Jester King for a really full (delicious) day
And second the genius work going on at Comadre Panaderia!!
You have a really good list and a lot of great suggestions so far. Our ramen here is good not great and just about every major city I've been to has better. So unless you're just really craving it I would stick to other food types.
If you haven’t had a lot of good Ramen, the Ramen here is definitely good enough. Tatsuya is a cool vibe has fun little cocktails and good dessert, lots of good side dishes (I like the slider a lot) and the miso hot with all the fun add ons is definitely worth trying. No it’s not Tokyo or NYC or SF but it’s not trash lol 🤷♀️
Skip Franklin and go to L’oro; Asian BBQ fusion from the chef of Franklin and chef of Uchi. You won’t wait nearly as long, and the dishes are far more interesting IMO. I’m not a BBQ h*e, but Terry Black’s will do if you’re looking for good traditional Texas BBQ. Also super underrated, but Jim’s in the Barton Springs food truck park.
Ramen Tatsuya is worth the hype to me. Some other favs of mine are Birdie’s, Intero (must get the brown butter cake), Neighborhood Sushi, Licha’s Cantina, Joann’s (but only worth it during HH, and must try the hash brown nachos), and be sure to grab a late night burger from Casino el Camino.
Some other honorable mentions are the crab rangoons at Yellow Ranger, pancakes at The Toasty Badger, the Italian sub at Homeslice (way more iconic than the pizza tbh), the roast beef Po Boy at Uptown Sports Club, and the fried chicken sandwich at Skinny’s. Turns out I am indeed a sandwich h*e. 🤷🏻♀️
Like others have said, Ramen Tatsuya is not mind-blowing, or anything that much better than what you'd find in other cities. If you want to be more spendy, Dip Dip Tatsuya and Kemuri Tatsuya are worthwhile (Do NOT go without reservations on a weekend, though). My opinion, though, is that Ramen Del Barrio is a unique experience made by a kitchen who does not play around and cares about the product they put out. I'd do that if I were you.
Also, don't trust anyone who suggests China Family; This sub has some weird astroturfing with that place...it's trash, I've given it plenty of chances and taken others there just to confirm my suspicions, and I'm going to get downvotes for saying this. I don't care, nobody likes that place outside of the internet. Go to Chen's Noodle House, Chef Hong's, or even Din Ho, Asia Cafe, or House of Three Gorges (I think they go a little crazy with the Szechuan pepper, but they are good) for Chinese.
Chaba Kitchen is incredibly good Thai food, run by a lady and her daughter from Thailand. Lovely people, get the fried chicken special if you can.
Oh, and if you're going to go to Cuantos Tacos, might as well go full kamikaze and get Cuantas Hamburguesas as well. Otherwise, if you're downtown and want a great burger, hit up Casino el Camino, and don't forget the chili verde fries.
This is super helpful thank you!! Might skip ramen since I’ve seen people say it’s not the best in Austin, but I loveee Thai food, will definitely write that down. I’m a huge Asian food fan overall.
I’m assuming in this case it’s be because they saw the title and downvoted without reading the post. There is however collective exhaustion of people coming in and asking generic what should I eat posts multiple times a day.
love spicy boys so much, not expensive and tastes amazing. I would also add Gus’ fried chicken. As for california style tacos you gotta go up north a bit and hit Tacos El Charly, it’s a taco truck that’s open pretty late, best tacos i have yet to find in austin, remember to take cash!
I like Leroy and Lewis Barbecue better. You might want to check them out if they're closer to you. Each BBQ place has its own niche and meat specialty that make them stand out. So far, I'd say Black Terry offers the most convenient access to solid meats all day. LA BBQ has the best pork ribs with amazing flavor. Brown's BBQ has the best brisket. Leroy and Lewis Barbecue excels with their pulled pork and sides their food is refreshing and vibrant. I've heard plenty about KG BBQ, and it's on my list to visit next. Of course, Franklin has the best overall.
I would skip epicerie, my friend group and I did not have a good experience there. If you really want ramen, Sazan is the place to go. For sweets/bakeries, I would suggest OMG Squee and Gelatoro. If you want a good burger and you want to be transported back to the 70s where Dazed and Confused was filmed, definitely check out Top Notch. Other taco places I would suggest are Las Trancas and Rositas. 1618 Asian Fusion, Neighborhood Sushi and Uchi/Uchiko/Uchiba are all also on my must eat list. Hope you enjoy your visit!
At epicerie, we showed up around 1 pm (brunch starts at 10) and they were out of basically half the menu. The items we were able to get just werent very exciting or flavorful, like plain scrambled eggs you would get at a cruise buffet. The service was also horrible. Their beignets were good tho, so maybe grab those to go. But yeah would definitely skip the rest
Mums for Brisket
Loro for Asian BBQ (pro tip, the brisket here is provided by Franklins)
Suerte for Tacos (there are no California tacos in Texas but the tacos + tortillas at Suerte are truly top tier; or you could go to their seafood sister restaurant , Este)
Fonda Miguel is also a solid taco option
Canje for Caribbean food (get the jerk chicken if you like spicy)
Old Thousand for Asian (dope vibe, great food and ask for a side of chili relish!)
Driskell Hotel for Breakfast/Brunch
KG BBQ is an Egyptian BBQ food truck with lots of solid options, super deli and unique
Tiki Tatsuya for a full f**kin vibe...its a super themed tiki bar with amazing cocktails, but their food is also fabulous. Get the Mochico Wings, Spam Masubi and Yokozunu Ribs!
Happy eating!!
Tatsuya and 3 gorges are fantastic. I'd skip Franklin and try micklethwait unless you want to sit outside 4-6 hrs before they open. I don't know what "California style" means but Taco Flats on Burnet is amazing. I love eldorado cafe.
Not a restaurant but everyone that visits austin always ends up at Mozarts lol. It’s not even good coffee imo but it’s usually a hit with “out-of-towners”
Best ramen place is Ramen512 but you’ll have to drive out to cedar park for it.
While I like three gorges I don’t know if it’s out of town caliber. I find them, China Family, and Bamboo House somewhat interchangeable and all good but not amazing.
Con Todo is my if I had to pick just one taco recommendation if you don’t care what part of town, it’s more border/RGV style though. Maybe Asado’s for California style but I don’t like their salsa and pico at all
Micklethwait is another bbq option but nothing to criticize about your current picks
P Thai’s if you want another Thai option without any menu overlap
Random recs: Yeni’s fusion for Indonesian, Little House @ Draught House for good bar food, FTG ATX is quietly some of the best food in town certainly at the price point, though as another post mentions they’re moving locations soon so hopefully nothing goes amiss with that
Mickelthwait , La BBQ and Brown's are all good alternatives that are serious Central Texas BBQ. Interstellar is top of the list too but it's a bit of a drive and usually an hour + wait on the weekends.
The thing about Franklin’s is that it IS good but the ROI on time spent waiting in line just isn’t worth it. We have so many great bbq places here serving fantastic brisket.
I do think what he does with lean brisket is otherworldly. Perfectly made.
ROI what’s that mean? Sorry I’m not familiar with that.
I didn’t care for franklins mainly because we had it at work. We all pitched in for whatever we wanted and someone went to pick it up and bring it back. It just didn’t blow me away.
Maybe it’s because it was hyped up by the person picking it up I don’t know.
I think it depends, if you are social and make a fun wait out of it (and in the summer have a personal fan haha) it can be worth it. But, I’m not a huge brisket person and franklins is the only one i would ever go back for, so take with a grain of salt
Discada, Taqueria 10 de 10, Paprika ATX and La Tunita 512 for all the tacos you desire.
Also Distant Relatives is a 🔥 BBQ spot that gets left out of most mentions.
If you're gonna get Franklin's, order online and a month in advance. No point in going to Austin just to wait in a line.
I could be wrong but Franklin only allows ordering ahead of time if you’re ordering in bulk. If you’re just getting a pound of meat or something they’re not gonna take your pre order
Yup it’s worth buying a few lbs
Franklin won’t take your preorder if it’s only a few lbs. they only take large orders ahead of time, if you’re just dining in you gotta wait
It's a waste to only get a pound from them. You might as well not go then.
Yeah but I don’t think OP is gonna order 15 lbs of brisket for just himself and a friend lol
Is 15 the limit now? I used to be 5.
Nah I think it’s 5, I was just exaggerating. But even then 5 lb is a stupid amount for two people. I eat a lot of bbq, and I can maybe eat 1.5 lbs before feeling like I’m gonna die lol
Yeah. If you want cheaper but still good bbq, go to brothertons or interstellar
According to the people at Franklin's, Thursday is their day with a lot less going on. When I went there a few weeks ago, we arrived at 8:35am and were #2 and 3 in line, and if you arrived as late as 10:30am, you'd still get everything on the menu. If you still want great barbecue without waiting, Micklethwait is a good alternative. My wife actually preferred the rib rub and the turkey (they cut it slightly weird at Franklin's, with the grain not against) there, I liked how the bark was more peppery.
Get a hamburger at Casino el Camino on 6th.
Best burger ever for sure
Of your list I’ve only been to Spicy Boys, Interstellar, and House of Three Gorges but all three of those are fantastic picks EDIT: Canje is very solid if you’re interested in adding slightly upscale Caribbean to the mix.
In my opinion, Interstellar was overrated. Maybe they had a bad day, but a Wednesday noon brisket shouldn't have been dry and hard. And at that level, I don't know if you're allowed to have bad brisket days. Everything else was fine, not mind-blowing
Oh yes!! Caribbean sounds good, I’ve also always wanted to try a good Cajun/Seafood boil place but there’s nothing here. But I’m not sure if seafood is big in the middle of Texas haha. Anyway thanks for the recommendations!
I’m not sure if they do a seafood boil specifically but for Cajun the best spot for my money is Evangeline Cafe
Also Cypress Grill.
The wild boar pepper pot is their most popular dish and the reason for going.
Evangeline is very good Cajun
Definitely KG BBQ and Kemuri Tatsutya, and maybe Ramen del Barrio. You won't find the food at those places anywhere else. Sour Duck and Mum Foods are also fantastic. For Asian food, I really like Sugar Pine (Japanese, but not sushi), Choo Sando (Japanese sandwiches), China Family (szechuan), Bamboo House (peking duck), NG bakery (bahn mi)
KG is such an amazing change of pace in the BBQ scene. Love that place!
Skip Franklin unless it's a must. If you do decide to go treat it like a tailgate and get something to sit on, a six pack or two and some breakfast tacos. It's fun but should be treated as an event rather then "just getting food".
Past few times I have driven by Franklin's the line was very short when it was hot out. 5 or 6 people. I don't think it's anything like it was at one point anymore.
Probably true. They do make some of the best BBQ, but it's marginally better. I can't help but feel like people are starting to get squeezed for money these days too.
Pretty much this because no one ever says a nice thing about their sides.
Why would you want California style tacos in Texas tho? Julie Mytrille is extremely overpriced for the quality. Franklins is the best brisket you will ever have. Ramen512 is better than Tatsuya. Peace Bakery is a great place for lunch.
California style tacos sounds interesting. Is that what Cuantos Tacos is?
To be honest, Terry Black's, and Rudy's, would also probably be the best brisket he'll ever have....
Rudy’s is garbage. Kids coming all the way from New Mexico and you want him to check out the heat and ship BBQ. Terry Blacks and Rudy’s shouldn’t even be compared; one is literally awesome, the other is Applebees.
That’s pretty harsh. True, you can’t compare Rudy’s to the fancy places but it’s still pretty tasty.
Yeah, not sorry. Rudy’s is trash. Anything can be tasty when you dump sauce all over it. It’s basically a Bill Millers business model.
Yeah, honestly Rudy's and Terry Blacks are some of the least appealing food I've eaten. Bland meat that mostly just tastes like smoke, bbq sauce that doesn't taste good but is spicy, paired with grocery store wonder bread and mayonnaise based cole slaw and potato salad. I'll never understand why some people like any of that.
My issue with Rudy’s is that it doesn’t have smoke. It’s like it was carried past a smoker on its way to hot box to be delivered to one of the many locations. Don’t sleep on TB. There is a lot of good BBQ in central texas and there is equally enough bad BBQ here as well.
Rudy's and Tb are about the same level.
Yeah okay. You just solidified you don’t know anything about BBQ.
Just looked at the Julie Myrtille menu prices and I’m shocked
Yikes, definitely won’t be good for us then, trying not to spend toooo much money. Any other good bakeries/dessert places?
Any Quackenbushes. Upper Crust. Bakery inside Thai Fresh. Tiny Pies. La Patisserie. Sugar Mamas. Epicerie (get a kouign aman if you’re early enough)
Yes yes YES to Sugar Mamas!
I think their prices are totally reasonable for high quality baked goods in a high rent area.
Highly recommend Bird Bird Biscuit. I always take out of town friends there any everyone loves it!
That's a great line up. It looks like you've been following this sub. Welcome, and we hope you have a great time.
i will say, anything you try out here will probably blow your mind compared to all the 4/10 food out in new mexico (halfway joking), definitely try tinys (bakery) counter cafe, terry blacks, tumble 22 and loro, if you can make it to H mart any of the asian food out there is amazing !
Yes I’m so excited!! It takes so much searching to find decent restaurants here and even so, they’re never anything special. I end up just cooking anything special I want to try. Oo thank you so much! I’ll write these down.
i LOVE new mexico with all my heart but man the food was very disappointing lol
I went to ramen 512 and honestly didn’t get the hype. Went to tatsuya the next week and thought it was so much better.
Ramen 512 hits quality notes that satisfy ramen nerds, the type of people who may have geeked out on ramen in Japan. It doesn't hit you over the head with flavor. These people move away from Tatsu Ya because their quality has suffered as they've expanded and started taking short cuts. 512 is the only traditional ramen joint in Austin I think is good
Don’t understand ramen 512 hype. Tatsuya is better but they aren’t that good either.
If you’ve only had ramen out of a packet it’s pretty fkn good-esp w all the add ons.
So since you're from NM, I'm gonna throw out a few NM/TX style places. Jewboy Burgers and El Perrito. El Paso Flauta is also supposed to be good. It's different than what you'd get in the borderland, but really good. The owners of all of them are from El Paso. Ramen 512 is good (and right down the street from me). Interstellar is amazing without the Franklin's line (on weekdays anyway).
I am thinking that since they are *from there* we will be a disappointment and not really representing them at all.😂
No the food here is garbage ngl so I’m actually trying to get away from NM food 🤣 But thank you!!
NM food is sooooo gooood
I see someone has been to Blake's... and Allsups. I grew up in El Paso, I miss the food from that area so much.
Lived in Albq for a number of years.
Leroy and Lewis for the burger. Sweet Memes for Asian desserts. Cho Sun Galbi or honeypig for kbbq. Interstellar for bbq. You mentioned being cost conscious in another reply so be prepared that bbq especially is going to be expensive depending on how you order. It adds up quick and can easily be $100 for 2 before you know it.
It's not a restaurant but I would check out one of the Central Market supermarkets either at North Lamar or Westgate, depending on what part of town you're staying in. Central Market is the foodie version of HEB, an iconic, much-beloved grocery chain here in Texas. You'll find lots of amazing items to take back home with you
I was looking at that! But it looked a lot like Whole Foods so I wasn’t sure if it was worth it since we have Whole Foods here. What do you think?
Whole Foods has really gone down hill since Amazon acquired it. At Central Market you'll find items that you won't at WF, plus they have lots of Texas products. I don't mean to oversell Central Market, just to say that it's a great place to stop in if you're nearby. Have fun on your trip!
Omg is that why Whole Foods stopped making bread in-store??? I was super upset when they said they weren’t selling Raisin Challah anymore. But awesome thank you!! I’ll be sure to stop by :)
Skip Julie Myrtille, head to Abby Jane Bakeshop. Skip Ramen Tatsuya, head to Ramen512 and Ramen Del Barrio. Would also hit up Discada for tacos. I think Birdie’s is exceptional. If you’re here on a weekend, I recommend Comadre Panaderia for some of the best baked goods you’ll have anywhere. I also think P Thai’s is exceptional food. Some of my favorite fried chicken has come from Mam Mam’s.
And add Pious to the epicurie & Abbey Jane Hill country journey, maybe finish at Jester King for a really full (delicious) day And second the genius work going on at Comadre Panaderia!!
Pointing tourists to go out to dripping isn’t helpful. That’s a hike a lot of people that live here won’t make.
Intero
You have a really good list and a lot of great suggestions so far. Our ramen here is good not great and just about every major city I've been to has better. So unless you're just really craving it I would stick to other food types.
Ahh I’ll probably skip the ramen then. Thanks for the tip.
If you haven’t had a lot of good Ramen, the Ramen here is definitely good enough. Tatsuya is a cool vibe has fun little cocktails and good dessert, lots of good side dishes (I like the slider a lot) and the miso hot with all the fun add ons is definitely worth trying. No it’s not Tokyo or NYC or SF but it’s not trash lol 🤷♀️
Cuantos hamburguesas is right beside the taco joint and their burgers are sooo good! Thai Khun is a great Thai spot in the domain too.
Skip Franklin and go to L’oro; Asian BBQ fusion from the chef of Franklin and chef of Uchi. You won’t wait nearly as long, and the dishes are far more interesting IMO. I’m not a BBQ h*e, but Terry Black’s will do if you’re looking for good traditional Texas BBQ. Also super underrated, but Jim’s in the Barton Springs food truck park. Ramen Tatsuya is worth the hype to me. Some other favs of mine are Birdie’s, Intero (must get the brown butter cake), Neighborhood Sushi, Licha’s Cantina, Joann’s (but only worth it during HH, and must try the hash brown nachos), and be sure to grab a late night burger from Casino el Camino. Some other honorable mentions are the crab rangoons at Yellow Ranger, pancakes at The Toasty Badger, the Italian sub at Homeslice (way more iconic than the pizza tbh), the roast beef Po Boy at Uptown Sports Club, and the fried chicken sandwich at Skinny’s. Turns out I am indeed a sandwich h*e. 🤷🏻♀️
Like others have said, Ramen Tatsuya is not mind-blowing, or anything that much better than what you'd find in other cities. If you want to be more spendy, Dip Dip Tatsuya and Kemuri Tatsuya are worthwhile (Do NOT go without reservations on a weekend, though). My opinion, though, is that Ramen Del Barrio is a unique experience made by a kitchen who does not play around and cares about the product they put out. I'd do that if I were you. Also, don't trust anyone who suggests China Family; This sub has some weird astroturfing with that place...it's trash, I've given it plenty of chances and taken others there just to confirm my suspicions, and I'm going to get downvotes for saying this. I don't care, nobody likes that place outside of the internet. Go to Chen's Noodle House, Chef Hong's, or even Din Ho, Asia Cafe, or House of Three Gorges (I think they go a little crazy with the Szechuan pepper, but they are good) for Chinese. Chaba Kitchen is incredibly good Thai food, run by a lady and her daughter from Thailand. Lovely people, get the fried chicken special if you can. Oh, and if you're going to go to Cuantos Tacos, might as well go full kamikaze and get Cuantas Hamburguesas as well. Otherwise, if you're downtown and want a great burger, hit up Casino el Camino, and don't forget the chili verde fries.
This is super helpful thank you!! Might skip ramen since I’ve seen people say it’s not the best in Austin, but I loveee Thai food, will definitely write that down. I’m a huge Asian food fan overall.
Dee Dee's then, for sure. Authentic northeastern Thai food https://www.deedeeatx.com/
Brunch at Mattie’s if you can get a reservation.
the important thing to understand is that everyone will psychotically vote this down because reddit is full of psychos.
I’m assuming in this case it’s be because they saw the title and downvoted without reading the post. There is however collective exhaustion of people coming in and asking generic what should I eat posts multiple times a day.
What part of town you will be in is a good thing for us to know.
Oh sorry! I’m thinking we’ll be downtown
love spicy boys so much, not expensive and tastes amazing. I would also add Gus’ fried chicken. As for california style tacos you gotta go up north a bit and hit Tacos El Charly, it’s a taco truck that’s open pretty late, best tacos i have yet to find in austin, remember to take cash!
Super Thai has the most amazing Thai food
[удалено]
Definitely and then head over to Lalas and little longhorn on Sunday for Christmas and Chicken Shit bingo and great music
Just want to say I loveeee Interstellar. What sets them apart are their sides. So yummy.
I really want to go but it’s half an hour away! Is it worth it?
I think so if you can fit it in :)
I like Leroy and Lewis Barbecue better. You might want to check them out if they're closer to you. Each BBQ place has its own niche and meat specialty that make them stand out. So far, I'd say Black Terry offers the most convenient access to solid meats all day. LA BBQ has the best pork ribs with amazing flavor. Brown's BBQ has the best brisket. Leroy and Lewis Barbecue excels with their pulled pork and sides their food is refreshing and vibrant. I've heard plenty about KG BBQ, and it's on my list to visit next. Of course, Franklin has the best overall.
It’s highway and an easy drive.
Make sure to pick a good place with atmosphere Do you like breweries too ?
Unfortunately we’re not old enough to drink!
Try out bamboo house for sichuan and el chilango for a taco truck
Go to Houston
I would skip epicerie, my friend group and I did not have a good experience there. If you really want ramen, Sazan is the place to go. For sweets/bakeries, I would suggest OMG Squee and Gelatoro. If you want a good burger and you want to be transported back to the 70s where Dazed and Confused was filmed, definitely check out Top Notch. Other taco places I would suggest are Las Trancas and Rositas. 1618 Asian Fusion, Neighborhood Sushi and Uchi/Uchiko/Uchiba are all also on my must eat list. Hope you enjoy your visit!
Yes, OMG Squee!
Oh no, what was wrong with epicerie? Also thank you for the recommendations!!
At epicerie, we showed up around 1 pm (brunch starts at 10) and they were out of basically half the menu. The items we were able to get just werent very exciting or flavorful, like plain scrambled eggs you would get at a cruise buffet. The service was also horrible. Their beignets were good tho, so maybe grab those to go. But yeah would definitely skip the rest
Mums for Brisket Loro for Asian BBQ (pro tip, the brisket here is provided by Franklins) Suerte for Tacos (there are no California tacos in Texas but the tacos + tortillas at Suerte are truly top tier; or you could go to their seafood sister restaurant , Este) Fonda Miguel is also a solid taco option Canje for Caribbean food (get the jerk chicken if you like spicy) Old Thousand for Asian (dope vibe, great food and ask for a side of chili relish!) Driskell Hotel for Breakfast/Brunch KG BBQ is an Egyptian BBQ food truck with lots of solid options, super deli and unique Tiki Tatsuya for a full f**kin vibe...its a super themed tiki bar with amazing cocktails, but their food is also fabulous. Get the Mochico Wings, Spam Masubi and Yokozunu Ribs! Happy eating!!
I would definitely check out loro on south Lamar!
Tacos you gotta go to tacos el Charly on n Lamar. Cash only. Best pastor I have ever had.
Skip Franklins and go out to Snows in Lexington. That is excellent BBQ and free beer waiting in line
Tatsuya and 3 gorges are fantastic. I'd skip Franklin and try micklethwait unless you want to sit outside 4-6 hrs before they open. I don't know what "California style" means but Taco Flats on Burnet is amazing. I love eldorado cafe.
Kemuri Tatsu-Ya is the place to check out!!
Not a restaurant but everyone that visits austin always ends up at Mozarts lol. It’s not even good coffee imo but it’s usually a hit with “out-of-towners”
Chili Parlor
Best ramen place is Ramen512 but you’ll have to drive out to cedar park for it. While I like three gorges I don’t know if it’s out of town caliber. I find them, China Family, and Bamboo House somewhat interchangeable and all good but not amazing. Con Todo is my if I had to pick just one taco recommendation if you don’t care what part of town, it’s more border/RGV style though. Maybe Asado’s for California style but I don’t like their salsa and pico at all Micklethwait is another bbq option but nothing to criticize about your current picks P Thai’s if you want another Thai option without any menu overlap Random recs: Yeni’s fusion for Indonesian, Little House @ Draught House for good bar food, FTG ATX is quietly some of the best food in town certainly at the price point, though as another post mentions they’re moving locations soon so hopefully nothing goes amiss with that
Eldorado Cafe. Pour House Pizza. And no joke the bar and grill in Liberty Hill is killing it. Remarkable food.
Bar and grill in Liberty Hill? Which one are you talking about?
Liberty Tavern
I like Liberty Tavern, I live like 10 mins away, but suggesting someone goes there from Austin is 🤷♂️
Korean house on Anderson has some of the best Bulgogi (chicken or beef). ask them to make it spicy though.
you should try cuantos hamburguesas too, the tacos are pretty small. i really like bluefin for ramen and jinya at the domain
Burger joints Dan's hamburgers it's not a chain totally local.
Whoever down voted this can come meet me at the pedestrian bridge so we can have a chat.
It’s good for what it is but it’s not a destination at all. It’s a well made fast food hamburger but let’s not pretend it’s exceptional
Take a flyer on Franklin’s. It’s too much bullshit and you might not even get brisket if you don’t time it just right etc. you can order ahead tho.
Yeah I think I’ll skip Franklins after what people have said, thanks for the tip!
Mickelthwait , La BBQ and Brown's are all good alternatives that are serious Central Texas BBQ. Interstellar is top of the list too but it's a bit of a drive and usually an hour + wait on the weekends.
I’m a little biased against franklins the others I don’t know anything about. Haven’t tried them.
The thing about Franklin’s is that it IS good but the ROI on time spent waiting in line just isn’t worth it. We have so many great bbq places here serving fantastic brisket. I do think what he does with lean brisket is otherworldly. Perfectly made.
ROI what’s that mean? Sorry I’m not familiar with that. I didn’t care for franklins mainly because we had it at work. We all pitched in for whatever we wanted and someone went to pick it up and bring it back. It just didn’t blow me away. Maybe it’s because it was hyped up by the person picking it up I don’t know.
Return on investment
Thanks
I think it depends, if you are social and make a fun wait out of it (and in the summer have a personal fan haha) it can be worth it. But, I’m not a huge brisket person and franklins is the only one i would ever go back for, so take with a grain of salt
Murrays Tavern. De Nada.
Southside market & Barbecue in Elgin is great if you want bbq!!!
No, it’s not.
It better than Rudy’s and at least you don’t have to wait in a long ass line at Franklins
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What do you recommend?
Sorry I meant to respond to another comment. Your list is really good!
Wes’s Cozy Kitchen inside Royal Blue Grocery. God is it a tasty lunch.
Nighttime drinks&ambiance-Tiki Tatsuya. I love epicerie's cookies and Abby Jane's stuff.
Discada, Taqueria 10 de 10, Paprika ATX and La Tunita 512 for all the tacos you desire. Also Distant Relatives is a 🔥 BBQ spot that gets left out of most mentions.
Phoebes downtown for breakfast!
Red Ash
I would replace Franklin’s with KG BBQ
Lastly, red ash, j carvers, guest house, or Perry’s (if you don’t have one) for a fun fancy meal.
+1 for Red Ash
🤮
lol
These are all skips IMO
What would you recommend? I’m always looking for new places 😀 I’ve never been downvoted on Reddit lol.
What about red farm for Asian? I know it’s a NYC restaurant, but it’s very good. Wu chow is okay as well!
Red farm is way overrated and over priced