It is routine for me to base my travel itineraries around my meals and the top places to eat. It should be mandatory for anyone traveling to Austin to do the same. I just spent a long weekend there and hardly got to try all the places on my list, but it was a good start. Whether you’re one of the many girls heading to Austin for a bachelorette party (Austin surpassed Vegas as the #1 bachelorette town in the US this year) or going for its top music festivals – Austin City Limits and SXSW – or your a Terp and heading down Labor Day Weekend for the Terps v. Longhorns game – you can taste your way through Austin at these savory spots.
I love when you can tell a place has just been somewhere forever and has no plans to change anytime soon. Hence why I loved Cisco’s. The casual Mexican spot is open just for breakfast and lunch. It redefined my standard for Mexican and set the bar high for the rest of my trip in Austin. I recommend the Cisco’s special because you get a taste of everything. But if you’re like me and can’t decide, also order a plate of nachos just to get the full experience.
ATX Boudain Hut – “The Biscuit Hut”
Everything is bigger in Texas. Except this cute little Biscuit hut. You can’t even call it a food truck/trailer because it is so tiny in comparison. The hut sits on UT’s West Campus food trailer lot and serves up hangover curing, drool worthy breakfast sandwiches on homemade biscuits.
I like bbq food about twice a year. I’d make it a weekly meal if I lived in Austin and could frequent Rudy’s. My favorite part about Rudy’s, other than the delicious meat, was the “rookie” experience. If you’re a newbie, the friendly cashier/butcher will walk you through a tasting of Rudy’s three most popular meats and three most popular sides and will let you try anything else you thought about ordering. If I lived in Austin I would bring all my newbie friends here for the sampling alone. Free samples people. We got an order of the “extra moist” brisket, “cutter’s choice brisket”, baby back ribs, creamed corn, coleslaw and potato salad (to share… of course). I made an open faced sandwich with my cutter’s choice brisket, the creamed corn, coleslaw and bbq sauce. Rudy’s will give you as much bread (white bread only) as you’d like – which at first I thought sounded funny. And then I tried it. Butter Krust bread is the king of white breads. Go to Rudy’s hungry and order a little extra for when you get that midnight snack craving.
This cute bar/restaurant had plenty of seating (inside and out) We had drinks on the porch and dined on the patio. The whiskey menu was strong and the house cocktails were intriguing. More importantly, the fried green tomatoes were gone in a blink and the salsa verde steak was worth writing (home) about. Mexican cuisine meets American meets Southern at this rustic spot; perfect for a group of tourists who want a little bit of everything.
A local told us to check out SOCO (that’s what the snapchat geotag said) cafe for brunch. Thank you, local. The outdoor patio was vibrant yet felt like someone’s deck. Bloody marys were spicy and strong and the menu had everything you might dream of hungover and hungry. Torn between carrot cake french toast and a short rib hash, I settled somewhere in the middle and found myself staring at this beautiful creation. The Croque Madam features a sweet and soft brioche bun, niman Ranch ham, gruyere, mornay sauce, local farm fresh egg, and house-cut French fries.
