Destinations

Guide to Eating in Austin

Published

10 months ago

June 30, 2023

I’ve been living in Austin for two months now, and in that time, I’ve consumed a lot of food. After all, Austin is home to an incredible food scene — from BBQ joints to food trucks to healthy, organic outlets to (of course) Mexican restaurants. As more and more people move to Austin (close to 160 a day at last count) and the city balloons with a more diverse population, Austin has expanded its dining fare to include more varied and higher-quality food.

Part of the reason Austin’s food tastes so delicious is because of the locally-sourced ingredients. As the birthplace of Whole Foods, Austin has always embraced organic food, and it was one of the frontrunners in the farm-to-table movement.

Moreover, to meet the needs of the expanding population, nearly 200 new food trucks and restaurants open up each year! With so many eateries opening all the time, you’re going to get hugely increased variety, selection, and quality.

While I still have much more exploring to do and food to eat, I want to share some of my favorite places to eat in the city for your next visit:

Asian

If there is anything I dislike about Austin, it would be the lack of good Asian cuisine, as it is my favorite in the world. When it comes to Asian food, it has a lot of those fusion joints that serve Chinese, Thai, sushi, and Korean all at once. Most are simply acceptable; they won’t blow you away. However, there are a few restaurants worth eating at:

Bar Chi (206 Colorado St., (512) 382-5557, www.barchiaustin.com) – Decent sushi but an unbelievably affordable happy hour (5-7pm each day). My friends and I come here because it satisfies the sushi craving on the cheap!
East Side King (1618 1/2 E. 6th S., (512) 407-8166, www.eskaustin.com) – Located in The Liberty Bar (also a kick-ass bar), this is best Asian-Thai fusion food truck in the city! Be sure to get the pork buns, tori meshi, or the chicken buns.
Lulu B’s (3632 S. Congress Ave., (512) 921-4828, www.facebook.com/LuLuBsAustin) – I found this place thanks to Jodi from Legal Nomads. I’m not the Vietnamese food expert she is, but this place was delectable. I’ve only had the beef pho, but it was a flavorful broth.
Piranha (207 San Jacinto Blvd. #202, (512) 473-8775, www.piranhakillersushi.com/piranha-locations/austin) – My all-around favorite sushi joint. The sushi here gives you the most value for your money, and it’s always fresh and of high quality. I particularly love their yellowtail.
Thai-Khun (1816 E. 6th St., (512) 407-8166, eskaustin.com/v2/thaikun) – As a Thai food snob (ever since I lived in Thailand), I’m always disappointed at Thai restaurants because I never think the food is as breathtaking as in Thailand. This place in Austin is the closest to true Thai food that I’ve found so far.
Uchi (801 S. Lamar, (512) 916-4808, uchiaustin.com) – The fanciest high-end sushi restaurant in the city. They also have a sister restaurant called Uchiko. Both live up to their reputations and are good date places. Reservations recommended!
Wu Cho (500 W. 5th St. #168, (512) 476-2469, wuchowaustin.com) – This is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. They serve a very popular dim sum brunch on Sundays. Be sure to come early as it gets packed during dinnertime and Sunday brunch, and the wait for a table can be up to an hour.

Americana

If there is one thing Austin does well, it’s “Americana” food. I define that as a fusion of multiple cuisines: burgers, fries, steaks, seafood, and the like.

Launderette (2115 Holly St., (512) 382-1599, launderetteaustin.com) – Located in an old laundry store, this restaurant is one of the hottest spots in town and serves an amazing menu of Americana and seafood, as well as a decent selection of wine. Some of my favorite dishes include crab toast, burrata, okra, brussels sprouts, and grilled octopus. If you’re coming for dinner, come early, as it fills up fast.
Truluck (400 Colorado St., (512) 482-9000, trulucks.com) – This is my favorite steak restaurant because it’s one of the few places where you can also get fresh seafood (crab, oysters, lobster). It’s not cheap, but if you want a upscale steak house, try this.
Péché (208 W. 4th St., (512) 494-4011, www.pecheaustin.com) – A New Orleans–inspired restaurant serving Bayou food, and it has a very friendly staff, tasty cocktails, and an extensive whiskey list.

BBQ

Austin is world-famous for its BBQ, and you can’t walk down the street without running into a restaurant that serves it. The title for Austin’s best BBQ is hotly contested among fans, and I don’t claim to know who’s right — to me, BBQ is either good or really damn good. But these are among my favorites:

Franklin Barbecue (900 E. 11th St., (512) 653-1187, franklinbarbecue.com) – This is considered the top of the top of the top BBQ joints in the country. Even the president ate here! It’s open from 11am until they run out of food (usually in a few hours). Lines start at 8am, so it’s best to go midweek in summer when most people don’t want to wait in that line and you don’t need to line up until 9 or 10am.
La Barbecue (1906 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 605-9696, www.labarbecue.com) – BBQ is a matter of perspective. A lot of people say Franklin’s is the best, but La Barbecue is #1 to me. It opens at 11am. Expect two-hour waits during lunchtime, so get here early.
Iron Works BBQ (100 Red River St., (512) 478-4855, ironworksbbq.com) – Located downtown, this restaurant serves above-average BBQ with large portions and hearty helpings of side dishes. I come here for the lunch brisket plate.
Micklethwait Craft Meats (1309 Rosewood Ave., (512) 791-5961, craftmeatsaustin.com) – An awesome food truck on the east side of the city. I’m in love with its ribs, brisket, and BBQ sauce. While it’s very popular, the line here isn’t as long as the other places listed.

Tacos

Tacos are serious business in this city. I have yet to fully experience much of the wonder that Austin has to offer on this front, but I do like a few of the big names:

Veracruz (1704 E. Cesar Chavez St., (512) 981-1760, veracruztacos.com) – The best food truck in town (conveniently located across the street from my hostel). It makes wonderful breakfast tacos, and the migas was voted #1 in the country. There is never really a line, but service is slow.
Torchy’s (multiple locations, torchystacos.com/in/austin) – World famous (and another spot where the president ate), this taco place has multiple locations in the city. It lives up to all the hype! I’m a big fan of the fried avocado and trailer park tacos. Every location is always packed, so expect a wait, especially on the weekends. The food here is pretty spicy, too.
Taco Deli (multiple locations, www.tacodeli.com) – Another delicious eatery serving mouth watering breakfast tacos.

Mexican & Tex-Mex

Like tacos, there are a lot of world-class Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Austin! There are plenty of people who can dissect their finer points — I am not one of those people, however. But these establishments will never steer you wrong:

Vivo (6406 N. Interstate Highway 35, (512) 407-8302, vivoaustin.com) – Solid Mexican with huge portions, spicy dishes, and friendly staff.
Benji’s (716 W. 6th St., (512) 476-8226, benjiscantina.com) – Amazing margaritas, huge portions, and an outdoor patio area. Their incredible guacamole is made tableside.
Tamale House East (1707 E. 6th St., (512) 495-9504, www.facebook.com/tamalehouse.east) – Located in East Austin, this hole-in-the-wall is only open for breakfast or lunch. It’s famous for its tacos, but like the name suggests, get the tamales!

Indian

There isn’t a lot of good Indian food in town, mostly because there just isn’t a lot of good Asian food in general. I’m not an Indian food expert, but these two are my favorites:

The Clay Pit (1601 Guadalupe St., (512) 322-5131, claypit.com) – I order from this spot through UberEats all the time since it often has fast delivery. I love the samosas and jasmine rice, and their naan is just perfect!
Masala Dhaba (75 Rainey St., (512) 665-6513) – A higher-end, sit-down restaurant with a flavorful chicken tikka masala!

Miscellaneous

Some other of my favorite must-eats:

P. Terry’s (multiple locations, pterrys.com) – This is the best burger bar in the city. It’s delicious and cheap (you can get a burger, fries, and a drink for $6 USD), with filling portions. This is one of my all-time favorite spots in the city, and since it’s close to my house, I tend to eat here too often!
The Onion (408 Brazos St., (512) 476-6466, onionbaby.com) – Coming from NYC, I’m spoiled for pizza — you can buy tasty dollar slices anywhere you go there. That’s not the case in Austin: slices are around $4 USD and not as good, but if there is one pizza place I do like, it’s this one.
Gus’s Fried Chicken (117 San Jacinto, (512) 474-4877, gusfriedchicken.com/austin-texas-location) – The sister restaurant to the famous location in Memphis, this place has juicy, moist chicken with battered skin that bursts with flavor in your mouth. It’s freaking amazing! They also serve mouthwatering fried green tomatoes and pickles.
Leaf (115 W. 6th St., (512) 474-5323, leafsalad.com) – This new lunchtime salad place is incredible (also the line is long). Its gigantic salad bar has anything and everything you could ever want to put in a salad. It’s one of my favorite places for a healthy meal in Austin.
True Kitchen (222 West Ave. #HR100, (512) 777-2430, truefoodkitchen.com) – This new restaurant is incredibly popular with people after work. All its food is natural and organic. You’ll find healthy wraps, salad bowls, sandwiches, and fresh and flavorful seafood, as well as an incredible selection of wine and cocktails.

Austin’s growing food scene means that there are still plenty of places I haven’t eaten at yet — and a few locations I probably left out, as a result — but during your visit to Austin, you’ll find yourself with more than enough choices by using this list as your guide!

Destinations

Find Out This Little Known Hack for Easier Air Travel

No need for forms to file a claim. Travel insurance companies can instantly send you money while you wait for your delayed flight.

Published

14 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Owen Gardocki

People don’t like paperwork, especially when it comes to travel-related documents. This hack for easier air travel is going to eliminate the hassle of filling out forms and other tedious processes. Flying is going to be much less stressful.

Just think of this – when you experience a delay in your flight, the travel insurance company is simply going to send you a text message that you’ll be receiving $100 for the inconvenience. No paperwork, no lines, and no hassle.

This advancement in the way travel insurance work is because of two companies, the Berkshire-Hathaway Travel Protection and the Allianz Global Assistance. These companies are using new technology where they can track your flight. And then if anything comes up, they can automatically file a travel insurance claim for you.

Since very few people know about this new advancement in travel insurance, it is definitely a hack that you should keep a note of. If you go through the traditional route of travel insurance, you’re going to wait for weeks before you will be compensated.

With automatic claims, it is going to be what the term suggests. You won’t have to fill out forms to file your claim. You don’t even have to file your claim at all. It’s going to be the insurance company who will do those things for you.

Automatic Claims: How They Work

Automatic claims mean that you don’t have to wait for a disruption in your flight to happen so you can file your claim. The travel insurance company will be the one to monitor the flights. If ever there’s a delay, the insurance company will be offering you a fixed amount. You don’t have to do anything from your end.

Apart from flight delays, insurance companies also provide benefits for damaged or lost luggage. The amount will depend on your policy. What is only required from you is for you to verify the damage or the loss. The payment will come almost immediately. You can say that it is indeed an instant claim.

Benefits of Travel Insurance Auto-Claims

It is automated and therefore easier. As mentioned earlier, you are not required to do anything so you can file your claim. You only have to ensure that the travel insurance company is aware of your flight information before departure.
You will definitely get better service. In cases where there’s a delay in your flight, getting a text message that you will receive $100 will at least make you feel a bit better.

Money comes in an instant. Imagine never needing to wait for a check to arrive. The travel insurance company will send the money instantly. While waiting for your flight, you can use the money to shop a bit or have a few relaxing drinks.

You may wonder why this automatic claim from travel insurance companies is not well-known. Since automatic claims are still building their momentum, it is easy for people to be suspicious of it. They think that instant payments are just too good to be true. But when you study this automatic claim closely, it has plenty of benefits.

Destinations

Elizabeth Holmes Costumes Are All The Rage

We might never recognize if Holmes is the factor behind our troubles obtaining a black turtleneck, yet Silicon Valley’s Instagram-popular bad guy is probably contributing to the shortage.

Published

1 day ago

April 27, 2024

Owen Gardocki

Certainly, Steve Jobs as well as Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson are seasonal Halloween hits. However, are black, lengthy sleeve turtlenecks this year’s hit costume because of disgraced technology business owner, Elizabeth Holmes?

She recorded the creativity of funders with her blood-testing startup, Theranos, valuing at $9 billion before the Securities and Exchange Payment billed her with fraudulence in March 2018.

Theranos

Holmes’ Palo Alto firm promised to transform healthcare by needing just a pinprick of blood to run thousands of examinations, however, it had problems with accuracy and reliability. There have been publications about Holmes, two docudramas, and a motion picture including Jennifer Lawrence as the technology fraudster is anticipated for release in the following year.

Fascination with Holmes is expected to continue, as well as with her exposure in pop-culture – her trademark appearance just gets more well-known on Halloween. With her notorious insurance claims regarding transforming healthcare with a decrease of blood, it is simple and uncomplicated to finish the Holmes look for Halloween– wear a black turtleneck.

That Turtleneck, Though

Refinery29, a digital media electrical outlet, has actually written a guide on just how to clothe like Holmes this Halloween. Some blog writers have even guessed that Holmes, “inspired by … her ravenous lust for human ????,” is akin to a “vampire.”

Sticking around on dressing guides, various links to turtlenecks were marketed online. In the San Francisco Bay area, specifically, the black turtleneck was sold out in a 40-mile circle. Risking a black turtleneck days before Halloween, without an Amazon Prime account, is probably risking the opportunity.

To Be Or Not To Be, A Bloodsucker

We might never recognize if Holmes is the factor behind our troubles obtaining a black turtleneck, yet Silicon Valley’s Instagram-popular bad guy is probably contributing to the shortage.

Destinations

The Tasty Traveling Trends Of 2019

Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Owen Gardocki

Traveling trends are consistently producing terrific buzz for travelers. Patterns from very early 2019 up until this time, as observed by travel industries, are noticing changes from long, large, and pure vacation purposes to short and mixed vacation objectives. Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

Tiny Vacations

In going with short holidays, the location needs to be conveniently accessed for a short vacation. It’s paramount to select the purposeful, time-saving activities – the remarkable ones. It could be a short family members vacation or solo trip.

Stroll touring is most advised during this sort of holiday. Native foods, gallery expeditions, and scenic strolls are the most pleasing activities you can do. There are numerous “walkable” cities in the world where you can enjoy these meaningful activities such as Kowloon in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, London, England, and numerous others.

Wellness-oriented Tours

With the ease of access to health information online, wellness-conscious visitors always associate tourism with health. As reported by the International Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is growing rapidly and has actually produced even more destinations with wellness orientations. One valid example is the existence of hot springs around the globe. These are thought to have healing abilities and were created by the existing hotels – however, with a new clientele in mind.

The wellness locations most tourists chose include nature, specific weather conditions, peaceful destinations, day spas, culture, yoga exercise, and exterior health and fitness activities. These wellness destinations will certainly not just ease you physically but also emotionally. There are numerous places worldwide that supply solutions like these, such as Hawaii, Italy, Bali, Arizona, as well as many more.

Bleisure Trips

This holiday incorporates business with leisure. The majority of those who take a trip for their organization offer themselves many opportunities to take pleasure in tourism after organizational duties. Many tourists in bleisure journeys, search for the closest visitor destination to discover considering that they have just limited location and time choices. Moreover, they are not traveling for a getaway; rather searching for possibilities near the place they check-in. The most joyful activities to do throughout these vacations are days at the shopping center, memento searching and walking tours. Yet you can still increase the fun as long as your schedule permits. Beaches, riders, and golf courses are the next best tasks to do.

Social Media-inspired Holidays

In today’s electronic age, selecting holiday destinations is more than likely, social media-inspired. Attractive pictures of lovely locations are published on social media as well as internet sites that permit first-timers to have first experience with the prospective destination. When visited, tourists might refer the destination to pals. Since pictures on social networks systems are mainly artistic, there are more real-life cosmetically artistic locations that you can choose from such as in Rome, Italy, Paris, France, Berlin, as well as Germany.

Staying on par with these four large traveling trends will certainly maintain your itinerary. This will even make your traveling trip a lot more successful and greatly more satisfying.