Not gonna lie . . . I am STILL exhausted from two weekends of ACL. Of course a nail biter Austin FC playoff game plus trips to Denver and NYC don't make things easier. But that's the price one pays when you're living your best life. And while the sun has set on the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival, I happen to have a new slew of Austin restaurant finds to dig into until next year's ACL Fest. Oh and about those new finds . . .
The Vitals:
the spot: Nervous Charlie's 5501 N. Lamar Blvd ste B101 Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Willie's Hot Pastrami on an Everything Bagel
the bucks: $16
the full nelson: Bagels ain't just for breakfast anymore
Not only are bagels not just for breakfast anymore but when you add on a solid pile of pastrami, you just might have all the food you need to get through a few hours of ACL. I've been eyeing Nervous Charlie's meaty collabs with places like Stiles Switch BBQ for a minute or two. So when I popped into ACL this year, I knew I was going to try it.
I'll get this out of the way: Austin may not be a haven for Jewish staples like pastrami and bagels, but we have some options that can do more than scratch the itch. There is solid pastrami at Otherside Deli, and the folks at Nervous Charlie's know enough about bagels to serve them nice and chewy in a challenging environment like a music festival. They forgo the toast to maintain the texture of the bagel and everything bagel seasoning + pastrami= deliciousness. Pro Tip: get the mustard.
The Vitals:
the spot: Black's BBQ 3110 Guadalupe St. Austin TX 78705 // @ACL Eats BBQ Area
the eats: Smoked Beef Shank Tacos
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: Smoked Beef Shanks . . . let that sink in
As an unabashed Texas transplant I'm always happy to call out chips and queso being a totally overrated food. But queso in tacos filled with uber unctuousness like smoked beef shank? I'm here all day for that.
Black's BBQ is an OG in the meat sweats game. Their original location in Lockhart TX has been going strong since 1932. A favorite among old schoolers, Black's surprised me with this new school nose to tail taco plate that was utterly delicious.
The sides included coleslaw basted in beef tallow and popcorn spiked with smoked beef. To be honest, I kinda ignored that for the beef shank tacos. The combo of the creamy queso, the bright hit of pico de gallo and smoked beef shank could be all I would ever want from a Tex Mex meal. I hope it becomes a regular item on their traditional meats by the pound menu.
The Vitals:
the spot: Mama Fried 101016 Menchaca Rd. Austin TX 78748 // @ACL Eats main area
the eats: Chopped Beef Nacho Fries
the bucks: $16
the full nelson: This is what cheat days are for
Mama Fried is a food trailer parked by a bar in South Austin that touts their fare as Outlaw fries. I'm inclined to agree. It takes someone who would take the law into their own hands to combine fries, nachos, chopped beef and just roll like that. Look, I know I said queso is overrated but I guess I just really like it with smoked beef.
Speaking of smoked beef . . . Mama Fried is part of the LeRoy and Lewis universe so expect top shelf smoked meats here. I didn't have the guts to finish this dish of outlaw fries but that's because I'm working on my gut. Cheat Day Eats at it's finest my friends.
And now a word from our Gin sponsor
Hendrick's Gin set up a little cocktail Shangri-La and yours truly got to slip into the VIP tent. During my Cinderella moment(it literally lasted 30 minutes) I pounded three gin cocktails. Did I say that outloud? Oh well, it is ACL after all.
It turns out there's more to a good Gin drink besides Gin and Tonic. One drink, called the Raspberry Regatta, mixes lime juice, raspberry syrup and a splash of club soda topped with a thyme garnish. So yeah, way beyond just tonic and lime here. Did I mention I had three?
The Vitals:
the spot: Lamba Royal Indian 80 Rainey St. Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats main area
the eats: Spicy Lamb Curry
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: I'm obsessed with this lamb curry
Brown food is delicious. At the same time, being in the visually focuses food media business, brown food can be a challenge. Why? Well it looks brown. So I was torn about my last meal to feature in 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival experience. Still, I mustered up the strength to try a bowl of lamb curry at Lamba's Royal Indian.
Holy Sh**. Guys, I was BLOWN away at how good this lamb curry was. Fork tender lamb, rice soaked in rich sauce . . . it even didn't look that brown but it tasted as delicious as the brownest of browns, because brown food is delicious. The head scratcher isn't that it was a great curry from Austin, which is not known for a remarkable Indian food scene but that the place is a food trailer on beer soaked Rainey Street, a bar drag more than a food Mecca. Yeah, I'm still scratching my head.
My fav bite of ACL Weekend Two?
Man oh man was I blown away by that lamb. I know it wasn't a fluke because I full on offered bites to a couple that went to London just to eat Indian food and they signed off on it. Still, I need to go down to Rainey Street aka party town to try Lamba Royal Indian on site to see if it holds up.
Lamba, like all the restaurants featured here are open for business in Austin year round so check them out. And I'll check you out at next year's ACL Eats. And I suppose that means Austin City Limits Music Festival too, because that's the other reason why I go to Zilker Park in the fall.
Seven years of ACL Eats means I have it down.
At this point I feel like an ACL Eats veteran with seven years under my belt. That being said, every year I something that flat out surprises me and the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival was no exception. Time to sink my teeth back in to what I ate during weekend one.
The Vitals:
the spot:Shawarma Point multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Gyro
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: one of my fave ACL Eats
Last year it dawned on me that gyro/shawarma and copious amounts of beer = a good time. Shawarma Point has continued to stay on point during my runs at ACL Eats. I might say the shawarma was a touch off this year but that could have been me taking my sweet time during the photo sessions vs just digging right in. As always the pita was warm and buttery but the minced lamb beef mix felt a touch off. Still, you're gonna get a full belly of spiced meat bliss. And what's not to love about that?
The Vitals:
the spot: Hoover's Cooking 2002 Manor Rd Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Smoked Chicken Wings
the bucks: $12
the full nelson: Who say's Buffalo Wings are the only spicy wings worth a damn?
On a whim I went for the wings and they were so good I might have to go back to Hoover's Cooking for weekend two of Austin City Limits Music Festival. A perfect combo of smokey and spicy, these wings were downright special. Hoover's Cooking has been an East Austin mainstay long before the gentrifiers(like myself) arrived. Might need to start going to their brick and mortar location just for the wings.
The Vitals:
the spot:Taco Bronco 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Brisket + Smoked Carnitas + Chicken Tinga tacos
the bucks: $7 a taco
the full nelson: a top choice Austin BBQ joint does tacos RIGHT
Ever since I first tried Taco Bronco in early 2020. it has been one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. As great as craft Texas BBQ is, putting it in a tortilla makes it even better. Valentina's TexMex BBQ has been doing this for years, but I say the more, the merrier. We test drove one of each taco: Chicken Tinga, Smoked Carnitas and the Brisket. All were good but the Brisket took our breath away. Pro tip: stick with the green salsa.
The Vitals:
the spot:East Side King two locations in Austin // at the ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Fried Chicken, Brussel Sprouts
the bucks: $16 and $14 (respectively)
the full nelson: Japanese fried chicken and famous brussel sprouts
East Side King has been a solid fav of mine at ACL Eats for some time now. The creation of controversial chef Paul Qui has somehow endured despite his fall from grace and a changing narrative around what is considered acceptable behavior in the restaurant industry. That might explain how good these brussel sprouts are . . . an unlikely rock star but believe me, this vegan dish has true star power. I met a couple that ate East Side King's fried chicken four times over during weekend one of ACL. I wouldn't go that far, but this is a solid one-two punch of festival food.
So which bite sent me over the moon?
The wings from Hoover's Cooking
Believe. These wings were truly special and took me for a surprise left hook that sent me reeling into the ropes. I'mpunch drunk in love with these wings and I will be getting them again next weekend. Yes, this is just a fraction of what's at ACL Eats so stay tuned for bite worthy exploits.
The Vitals:
the spot: Nervous Charlie's 5501 N. Lamar Blvd ste B101 Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Willie's Hot Pastrami on an Everything Bagel
the bucks: $16
the full nelson: Bagels ain't just for breakfast anymore
Not only are bagels not just for breakfast anymore but when you add on a solid pile of pastrami, you just might have all the food you need to get through a few hours of ACL. I've been eyeing Nervous Charlie's meaty collabs with places like Stiles Switch BBQ for a minute or two. So when I popped into ACL this year, I knew I was going to try it.
I'll get this out of the way: Austin may not be a haven for Jewish staples like pastrami and bagels, but we have some options that can do more than scratch the itch. There is solid pastrami at Otherside Deli, and the folks at Nervous Charlie's know enough about bagels to serve them nice and chewy in a challenging environment like a music festival. They forgo the toast to maintain the texture of the bagel and everything bagel seasoning + pastrami= deliciousness. Pro Tip: get the mustard.
The Vitals:
the spot: Black's BBQ 3110 Guadalupe St. Austin TX 78705 // @ACL Eats BBQ Area
the eats: Smoked Beef Shank Tacos
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: Smoked Beef Shanks . . . let that sink in
As an unabashed Texas transplant I'm always happy to call out chips and queso being a totally overrated food. But queso in tacos filled with uber unctuousness like smoked beef shank? I'm here all day for that.
Black's BBQ is an OG in the meat sweats game. Their original location in Lockhart TX has been going strong since 1932. A favorite among old schoolers, Black's surprised me with this new school nose to tail taco plate that was utterly delicious.
The sides included coleslaw basted in beef tallow and popcorn spiked with smoked beef. To be honest, I kinda ignored that for the beef shank tacos. The combo of the creamy queso, the bright hit of pico de gallo and smoked beef shank could be all I would ever want from a Tex Mex meal. I hope it becomes a regular item on their traditional meats by the pound menu.
The Vitals:
the spot: Mama Fried 101016 Menchaca Rd. Austin TX 78748 // @ACL Eats main area
the eats: Chopped Beef Nacho Fries
the bucks: $16
the full nelson: This is what cheat days are for
Mama Fried is a food trailer parked by a bar in South Austin that touts their fare as Outlaw fries. I'm inclined to agree. It takes someone who would take the law into their own hands to combine fries, nachos, chopped beef and just roll like that. Look, I know I said queso is overrated but I guess I just really like it with smoked beef.
Speaking of smoked beef . . . Mama Fried is part of the LeRoy and Lewis universe so expect top shelf smoked meats here. I didn't have the guts to finish this dish of outlaw fries but that's because I'm working on my gut. Cheat Day Eats at it's finest my friends.
The Vitals:
the spot: Lamba Royal Indian 80 Rainey St. Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats main area
the eats: Spicy Lamb Curry
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: I'm obsessed with this lamb curry
Brown food is delicious. At the same time, being in the visually focuses food media business, brown food can be a challenge. Why? Well it looks brown. So I was torn about my last meal to feature in 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival experience. Still, I mustered up the strength to try a bowl of lamb curry at Lamba's Royal Indian.
Holy Sh**. Guys, I was BLOWN away at how good this lamb curry was. Fork tender lamb, rice soaked in rich sauce . . . it even didn't look that brown but it tasted as delicious as the brownest of browns, because brown food is delicious. The head scratcher isn't that it was a great curry from Austin, which is not known for a remarkable Indian food scene but that the place is a food trailer on beer soaked Rainey Street, a bar drag more than a food Mecca. Yeah, I'm still scratching my head.
Man oh man was I blown away by that lamb. I know it wasn't a fluke because I full on offered bites to a couple that went to London just to eat Indian food and they signed off on it. Still, I need to go down to Rainey Street aka party town to try Lamba Royal Indian on site to see if it holds up.
Lamba, like all the restaurants featured here are open for business in Austin year round so check them out. And I'll check you out at next year's ACL Eats. And I suppose that means Austin City Limits Music Festival too, because that's the other reason why I go to Zilker Park in the fall.
The Vitals:
the spot: Shawarma Point multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Gyro
the bucks: $15
the full nelson: one of my fave ACL Eats
Last year it dawned on me that gyro/shawarma and copious amounts of beer = a good time. Shawarma Point has continued to stay on point during my runs at ACL Eats. I might say the shawarma was a touch off this year but that could have been me taking my sweet time during the photo sessions vs just digging right in. As always the pita was warm and buttery but the minced lamb beef mix felt a touch off. Still, you're gonna get a full belly of spiced meat bliss. And what's not to love about that?
The Vitals:
the spot: Hoover's Cooking 2002 Manor Rd Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Smoked Chicken Wings
the bucks: $12
the full nelson: Who say's Buffalo Wings are the only spicy wings worth a damn?
On a whim I went for the wings and they were so good I might have to go back to Hoover's Cooking for weekend two of Austin City Limits Music Festival. A perfect combo of smokey and spicy, these wings were downright special. Hoover's Cooking has been an East Austin mainstay long before the gentrifiers(like myself) arrived. Might need to start going to their brick and mortar location just for the wings.
The Vitals:
the spot: Taco Bronco 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Brisket + Smoked Carnitas + Chicken Tinga tacos
the bucks: $7 a taco
the full nelson: a top choice Austin BBQ joint does tacos RIGHT
Ever since I first tried Taco Bronco in early 2020. it has been one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. As great as craft Texas BBQ is, putting it in a tortilla makes it even better. Valentina's TexMex BBQ has been doing this for years, but I say the more, the merrier. We test drove one of each taco: Chicken Tinga, Smoked Carnitas and the Brisket. All were good but the Brisket took our breath away. Pro tip: stick with the green salsa.
The Vitals:
the spot: East Side King two locations in Austin // at the ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Fried Chicken, Brussel Sprouts
the bucks: $16 and $14 (respectively)
the full nelson: Japanese fried chicken and famous brussel sprouts
East Side King has been a solid fav of mine at ACL Eats for some time now. The creation of controversial chef Paul Qui has somehow endured despite his fall from grace and a changing narrative around what is considered acceptable behavior in the restaurant industry. That might explain how good these brussel sprouts are . . . an unlikely rock star but believe me, this vegan dish has true star power. I met a couple that ate East Side King's fried chicken four times over during weekend one of ACL. I wouldn't go that far, but this is a solid one-two punch of festival food.
