The Vitals: the spot: Barrio Queen multiple locations in Phoenix-Scottsdale area the eats: Molajete/Cazuela entree, tacos the bucks: $14-$30 a person the full nelson: Sit down Mexican with an expansive menu that leans towards Authentic

A couple weeks ago I was back in Scottsdale AZ, where we wrapped up Cheap Eats season 4, but this time I was shooting a new show for Food Network(shhhh). After I finished shooting I made tracks for some Mexican eats in old town Scottsdale. I also had some guidance from Arizona food writer Jackie Alpers who gave me a ton of suggestions over Twitter DMs(follow her @jackiealpers). And that's how I got here:

This Queen got style.

At least as far as the branding goes. Just like a bottle of Espolon tequila, that Dia Del Los Muertos design absolutely draws me in. For the record there are a few locations of Barrio Queen around the Phoenix-Scottsdale area, but I assume the vibe carries over to the other locations too.

A chips 'n salsa plus Margs kinda place

It's gonna be hard to avoid the chips and salsa at Barrio Queen. They drop it on the table within moments of you arriving. Frankly I try to resist the filler but the chips were fresh out the fryer and hard to resist. I think I ate two baskets. Now I should note that when it comes dining out for Mexican, I have two speeds: taco truck and modern. The latter being a place with a cocktail program and an assumption that food is going to be traced back to specific regions of Mexico. I'm not a Tex-Mex, combo entree kinda guy. I don't need to see the word "authentic", if anything that assumption is what brought me here in the first place.

An 80+ item menu

Barrio Queen is authentic but also has an expansive menu. It strikes as family friendly and the place you grab margaritas after work but that's not too say it's cheap either. I navigated the drink menu to their house margarita which ran me around $10. I've made better margs at home but this was also a stiff drink. And I like that.

Taco test drive: from left to right: Alambre, Quesabirria and gringa

I knew I had to take a decent dive into the menu so I started with a couple tacos. There's two sections of tacos on Barrio Queen's menu. The "regular" taco menu features 21 different tacos that run $4.50 each or you can get 3 for $12. Then there is a "premium" taco menu that features five tacos that include the likes of Birría, Steak and Shrimp and one of my favs, Alambre: a steak taco cooked with peppers and onions that holds the promise of what fajitas should be. I went with premium.

Alambre

This was the best of the bunch. Loaded with steak and peppers, this taco had zip and zing thanks to a soy sauce and lime marinade. I would get these again in a heartbeat.

Quesabirria

Short ribs are braised in an earthy chili broth till fall apart tender. Then it's hit with melted Oaxacan cheese. You can't have birría without broth, at least in my book. The short ribs were a nice touch but if they had served it with some birría broth on the side, that Alambre might have serious taco competition.

Gringa

I love gringa tacos. Basically an open faced quesadilla(yes such things are possible), Al Pastor is shaved from the vertical rotisserie before being with cheese and a tortilla and then getting seared on a plancha(flattop grill). I'll be real here: this Al Pastor did not taste like it came off a spit(trompo). All in all I didn't love these tacos but I would get the Alambre again and maybe try some of the tacos from the regular menu like carnitas or asada.

Intermission: beer and a shot

Earlier I said that Barrio Queen was a chips and salsa and margs kinda place. That also means it's a beer and a shot kinda place too. They had a decent selection of tequilas and mezcal. More than a few were reasonably priced too. Now back to eating.

Cazuela Mexicana: Barrio Queen's version of a Molcajete.

If there is one thing I've learned after dining at Barrio Queen it is this: always order a Molcajete, or in this case a Cazuela. Despite the name change the concept is the same: load up a dish with a ton savory things, break off a tortilla and get you some. I first encountered a Molcajete(same as Cazuela but in coarse stone bowl) in Santa Barbara at a place called Los Agaves. Barrio Queen wasn't quite as good but I would absolutely get this shareable platter again in a heartbeat. Mine came loaded with chicken, steak, shrimp and fried queso fresco, rice and beans, sauteed vegetables, and pork braised in tomatillo and poblano. Oh and it came with like three tortillas. It should have come with a tortilla factory, there was so much food. I asked for a spicier salsa than what came with my chips too. The stuff they give you at first is tasty with a nice earthy draw but daddy needed the heat. The waiter came back with habanero salsa, nothing "hot ones" level but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

This the way

The Cazuela is a must order. And the star of the whole thing was the pork braised in tomatillos and poblano. That plus some rice and beans in a tortilla and that habanero salsa= game over.

Final verdict

I'm sure there is much more to be had when it comes to Mexican food in Phoenix but all in all, if you're in Scottsdale I would jot down Barrio Queen as an easy to please option. I'd skip the tacos and go for the Cazuela or some of the entrees like the braised pork, maybe a molé etc. I ate that Cazuela for the next three meals. And I didn't regret it for a second.  

The Vitals: the spot: Saigon Le Vendeur 2404 E. 7th St. Austin TX 78702 the eats: Bahn Mi combo the bucks: $9 the full nelson: Killer Vietnamese sandwich in über hip neighborhood. 

Austin's well hyped Banh Mi sandwich

I didn't want to believe Saigon Le Vendeur would be this good. I had heard good things over the years ever since moving to Austin. I suppose first and foremost I had a chip on my shoulder: I moved here from Los Angeles which arguably has the best Asian food in the US. I hear you Houston and . . . soon. Back to Saigon Le Vendeur which I finally got around to trying and OMG . . . best Banh mi I've had in years.

Wrong side of the tracks? Not anymore.

Saigon Le Vendeur is located in East Austin which is a pretty hip part of town these days. Of course like every other hip corner these days it was once considered "the wrong side of the tracks" and PS I tend to live in these types of neighborhoods. In fact I live in East Austin and prior to here, Downtown Los Angeles, so yeah I got my gentrified street cred for sure. Back to Saigon and the funky little food trailer it is . . .

The price is right

These days nothing is really *that cheap* but let me tell you, under $10 for a fat sandwich is Cheap Eats livin'. Save the shrimp Banh Mi, that's where you will safely land for all the sammies at Saigon Le Vendeur. This being the inaugural visit, I had to try the classic: Cold Cut Banh Mi.

The breakdown

Saigon Le Vendeur's Banh Mi comes on a classic French Baguette. The bread features a crusty exterior that easily gives way to a soft pillowy interior with just enough chew. Every Banh Mi comes with the classic toppings of cilantro, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, jalapeños, and Vietnamese mayo(never knew that was a thing and might have to get some). Of course my sandwich also came with Vietnamese patê and various cold cuts.

No hot sauce needed

The sandwich came with packets of sriracha that went unopened. The heat from the jalapeños along with vegetable crunch and acidity from the pickled carrot and daikon plus cucumber was pure perfection.

Hooked on that patê

The meats, a mix of cold cuts plus Vietnamese patê was a charcuterie dream board with Vietnamese sensibilities. I've had a few Banh Mi's in my day but realize now I have only scratched the surface on what the Vietnamese cold cut and paté game holds. Like many, I have gravitated to Banh Mi sandwiches because they have always been affordable and frankly some of the sandwiches you can get from a bread quality standpoint alone. The bread is very good at Saigon Le Vendeur and that thick slice of patê will keep you awake at night.

Conclusion? I'm hooked.

Before I ever went I wrote off Saigon Le Vendeur as overhyped in and overhyped town. Now I'm off two conclusions: Saigon Le Vendeur got serious Banh Mi game or there's a world of great Banh Mi's waiting for me. Either way I'm hooked.      

Even more great ACL Eats.

Austin City Limits Music Festival is well in the rearview now. The six day music festival wrapped up this last weekend and suffice to say, I got my fill. So why read about where I ate at a music festival now that it is over? Well these eateries live on in Austin and represent the city food truck and trailer scene oh so well. I ate a ton of food, so we gotta dig in like NOW.

Don't sleep on a pulled pork sandwich. Even in Texas.

The Vitals: the spot: Micklethwait Craft Meats 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court + Side Food Court the eats: Pulled Pork Sandwich the bucks: $15 the full nelson: a top shelf Austin BBQ joint delivers a Texas sized Pulled Pork sandwich I tend to pass over pulled pork at Central Texas barbecue joints. It's just not the main draw. Now that's not to say the pulled pork can't be done well in Central Texas. For ACL Fest 2021, I had to break ranks with brisket, for the sake of variety. While my heart swoons more for the smoked carnitas at Taco Bronco (Micklethwait's sister joint) this sandwich came with zero regrets. Go light on the sauce as the meat stands tall on its own.

Is the falafel on point?

The Vitals: the spot: Shawarma Point multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: falafel sandwich the bucks: $12 the full nelson: the falafel doesn't fall far from the gyro tree . . . Last week I called Shawarma Point's gyro one of my fave ACL Eats. For what it's worth I had it again and while it wasn't quite as good, I can't see myself not getting one at every ACL. That brings us to Shawarma Point's falafel sandwich. Looking back at my notes I recall the sandwich being respectable. If the falafels had come fresh out the fryer we might have something. What I do know is that I'll be giving this falafel a second shot at their Rainey street location in Austin.

New Orleans sandwich legend in Austin?

The Vitals: the spot: Wicky's Walkup walkup spot at the Cavalier Bar 2400 Webberville Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: muffuletta sandwich the bucks: $14 the full nelson: a taste of New Orleans that might make you wish you just went there instead I spent two weeks shooting a TV show in New Orleans and the experience might have just spoiled me on food forever. Needless to say my standards for Muffuletta's are high. I've even had great ones from my hometown of St. Louis. Wicky's sadly wasn't one of the great ones. The sandwich came out hot pressed and had me tasting more Quizno's than anything else. The people there were as cool as can be which makes me want to try them out again in their East Austin location. Unfortunately their East Austin location is temporarily closed because of Covid-19 staffing issues, though you can get their sandwiches at the Cavalier Bar where they reside next to.

Meal of destiny: Arepas at ACL Fest

The Vitals: the spot: Four Brothers Venzuelan Kitchen 80 Rainey St. Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: arepas, empanadas the bucks: $10 the full nelson: my first arepa but definitely not my last  If you went to ACL Eats and were anywhere near Four Brothers Venezuelan Kitchen, you would have definitely heard them. They were loud, boisterous and were having as a good a time as the concert goers were. I've never had an Arepa before but it has long been on my bucket list. The unsweetened corn pancake is basically a sandwich though more similar to a gordita. Mine was stuffed with pulled pork, cheese, and a garlic sauce. I also had a few empanadas. To be honest, I've had better. But that Arepa . . . I'm obsessed.

Mighty Cone not so "mighty"

The Vitals: the spot: Mighty Cone 1720 Barton Springs Austin TX // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: chicken in a cone  the bucks: $12 the full nelson: I'm not sure I'd use the word "mighty" I was graciously given access to the media lounge this year for ACL and it comes with perks. One of them is vittles for happy hour, which Might Cone was one of them. I'm almost positive I've had the Mighty Cone at previous ACLs. This one was far from mighty. Dry chicken, cold flour tortilla and a lack of sauce made this cone something I'd rather leave as a warning for pedestrians to watch their step.

Yeah I can't get enough gyros . . .

The Vitals: the spot: Kababeque 6900 Ranch Road Austin TX 78732 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: gyros the bucks: $13 the full nelson: the gyro streaks continued and did not disappoint  My very last bite at ACL was at Kababeque. I've seen their tents in years passed but never came through. This year, thanks to my success with gyros at Shawarma Point, I had to test theirs out. Overall they are remarkably similar. Chopped up gyro hit with creamy white sauce and spicy red on a toasted pita. The only shortcoming was . . . me. I had run out of gas at this point at ACL and this meal just took me over the edge and out of the festival. Beyond my self inflicted indigestion, I am genuinely curious to try out more from Kababeque. Their South Asian meets Mediterranean is right up my alley. Only downside is that they are way far north from Austin proper.

So which bite had me dancing away?

The Arepa from Four Brothers Venezuelan Kitchen

I could not get enough of this dripping rich goodness. I had more than a few good bites at ACL but leave it to Austin City Limits Music Festival to cross a food icon off my bucket list. Well done ACL Eats, I now have a new food crush: Arepas.  

ACL 2021. Just as tasty as ever.

Austin City Limits Music Festival is my most favorite thing about Austin. It could be why I deal with the never ending summers and frankly, the state of Texas. The festival makes you feel like your 21 again, whether you have sailed beyond that mark or are eager to get there. Oh and the food? It is lit up. Here's where I ate for weekend one:

The Vitals: the spot: Taco Bronco 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Smoked Carnitas + Chicken Tinga tacos the bucks: $6 a taco the full nelson: a top choice Austin BBQ joint does tacos RIGHT

If you told me you came to Austin and went to Taco Bronco, I would tell you that you are doing it RIGHT. Taco Bronco opened up just before the pandemic and they blew me away with their offerings. Nowadays they pop up along side Micklethwait Barbecue, their sibling and source for smokey meat goodness. I went with the smoked carnitas and the chicken tinga. It is remarkable how much smoke you can taste off the carnitas but the overall quality of the Tinga really surprised me. This is a must stop at ACL 2021.   The Vitals: the spot: Chilantro multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Sliders and Kimchi fries the bucks: $9 for two sliders, $11 for the fries the full nelson: always bet on Kimchi fries Here is a little secret when it comes down to eating at a festival: meaty, spicy and fried works very very well. This bodes well for Korean food concept Chilatro, an Austin fav and Shark Tank winner. For the record this meal was a comp and the folks at Chilantro are always inviting me to try their goods. I'll be a straight shooter and tell you to go with the fries. It's a dish that netted founder Jae Kim $600k on Shark Tank and it is prepared well, even under festival conditions. The sliders are a good recipe but my chicken was way overcooked. For what it's worth, they have a done a fried chicken in the sandwich at their restaurant that did me right. Check it out here on my YouTube Channel: Ali Khan Eats Chilantro chicken sandwich.

intermission for concert vibes.

And yes, if you look carefully, that's me and my better half in the pic. Dude came up to me and said "were you wearing a blue suit at ACL two years ago?". Yes, ACL is that epic. Now back to the food. The Vitals: the spot: Lonesome Dove Bistro 419 Colorado St. Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Double Cheeseburger the bucks: $13 the full nelson: in case of emergency burger cravings go here I tried this burger back in 2019 and the results were about the same: dry but ooey gooey good. Frankly this is one of two burger options at ACL and I chose this for a reason: it holds enough promise to warrant the $13 price tag. If you have to have a burger, go here. The solid char and well melted cheese does its best to offset the off tasting burger patty. The Vitals: the spot: Shawarma Point multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Gyro the bucks: $13 the full nelson: one of my fave ACL Eats Earlier I said that something meaty, spicy and fried will do you right for festival eating. While gyro isn't fried, the buttery rich pita and gyro meat comes close. Shawarma Point takes its inspiration from NYC halal carts where Middle Eastern flavors are served fast and cheap and oh so good. Yes this is a $13 gyro but it is a big meal. And the red sauce is truly glorious, so make sure you grab the bottle and use with caution. Years ago I stumbled towards the Shawarma Point truck and saw they had a spice level called "brown people spicy" to which I promptly stepped up to. Turns out I'm a pale mocha. Again, use with caution.

Best meal of ACL weekend one: Shawarma Point

I love me some Taco Bronco but when it comes to bang for your buck, Shawarma Point is so on point. Check these spots out either at ACL or in Austin. They are Ali Khan Eats approved!!