The Vitals: the spot: El Grandpa Mexican Barbacoa 150 Haverland Dr, Georgetown, TX 78626 the eats: Lamb barbacoa by the half pound or pound the bucks: $15 for half a pound the full nelson: Hidalgo style lamb barbacoa cooked in a custom oven

One heck of a name: El Grandpa Mexican Barbecue

Turns out this lamb barbacoa weekend popup had to go down a bumpy road by the way of cease and desists just to have a name per this story from Texas Monthly. It all worked out in the end and now those in the greater Austin area have a real deal Hidalgo style lamb barbacoa spot. On the weekends at least.

The road to El Grandpa Mexican Barbecue

Is thankfully marked with a straightforward sign. Pro tip: get there by 9am if you want to eat more than scraps. I'm told folks line up by 7:30am, just like some of the more coveted Central Texas style barbecue joints around town.

Tacos, meats by the pound and even a whole head

The menu at El Grandpa Mexican Barbecue is best enjoyed with a group. I went solo and I still opted for meat by the pound versus just getting individual tacos. When I go back, I'm bringing a crew and ordering the head baby!

The pit at El Grandpa Mexican Barbecue

While I was waiting in line, a gentlemen came out and asked if we wanted to take a gander at the pit. I leapt at the chance. It was a sight to see to say the least. I've had lamb barbacoa before in similar settings but have never seen a pit like this. The oven is custom made by a custom smoker company in Texas and apparently weighs 3000 lbs, pretty much meeting the definition of heavy duty bbq.

The perfect order for one

I got a half pound of lamb barbacoa at El Grandpa Mexican barbecue which was just enough for one. You must get the consommé as well: a broth made from the drippings of meat as it cooks for hours. It comes with tortillas and salsa bottles are served at the tables.

Order the ribs

Because they are cooking whole lambs, you have the choice of any cut, but not all cuts are equal. Aim for the richest cuts like the costillas(ribs). If you are like me, you know the fattier the cut, the richer the lamb experience.

Build your taco

Grab that tender lamb and put it in the tortilla. The meat is the star of the show but you still want to relish each bite with a little crunch of raw onion, a sprinkling of cilantro leaves and salsa for heat and acidity. The most important thing to do is chase each with bite with a sip of consommé. Honestly as I recap this meal, I realize I need to make plans for my next visit. And it takes planning too. Because beyond the 25 mile drive, getting there by 9am and you know, like wanting lamb for breakfast, it is best done with a group. When I go back, I'll be rolling deep and getting the cabeza aka the head. We just might be the reason they sell out early.

Austin Monthly's Burger Bash 2024

I came. I saw. I burgered. All thanks to the Austin Monthly Burger Bash. Yeah, this was a burger bash for the ages. Austin Monthly Burger Bash 2024 is exactly what you hope a burger fest should be. A line up of heavy hitting burgers all in one place. There was no way I could eat them all but here are the ones that caught my eye and tickled my palate.

The Vitals: the spot: La Plancha 701 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Unit 101, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: Torta Burger the bucks: $15 the full nelson: The torta meets burger collab you have been dreaming about

I am a huge fan of Chef Mariha Hinojosa. Her humble torta shop goes far beyond a food truck torta and leans on her formal training at the Culinary Institute of America. But she still honors her South Texas roots. She made me one mean burger torta for Christmas last year too, with a tamale tossed on there too. Her standard burger torta, available year round ain't nothing to sleep on either. The Vitals: the spot: La Barbecue 2401 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: Smashed Burger the bucks: $ the full nelson: Austin Food Magazine's fav burger of the Austin Monthly Burger Bash Over the years I have eaten my fair share of epic barbecue in Austin and beyond and while the names on my list might change, one place will never leave it: La Barbecue. Even before I waxed poetic about them on Best Thing I Ever Ate back in 2017 on Cooking Channel, they have always had a special place in my heart. Now they have a friggin burger and it's meant to be a deal at happy hour.

The Vitals: the spot: Cuantos Hamburguesas 1108 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: The Americana, The Campechana, The Hawaiian, The Sincronizada the bucks: $8 each(just shy) the full nelson: Mexican Street style burgers from street taco king Cuantos Tacos

While the menu runs four deep, at the the Austin Monthly Burger Fest, they only featured the Campechana. And for good reason. The mix of smashed burger and aged chorizo aka Longaniza could be the most unique burger you will try this side of the border. And I didn't even mention the chimichurri that's tossed in the mix. The Vitals: the spot: Texas Made Supply Co. check their instagram for locations the eats: Smashed Burger the bucks: $ the full nelson: The biggest Smashed Burger Sleeper in Austin TX Guys I was fixing to leave Austin Monthly Burger Bash before the dude at Texas Made Supply Co hollered to try his burger. Apparently he saw my almost viral video of me and Jess Pryles reviewing burgers and demanded I try his. Holy Sh*t does this guy know what he is doing. He smashes that patty as wide as a pancake and as thin as Carls Drive In, my gold standard for smashed burger patties. Every burger I eat from now on will be inferior unless it is at a freaking clothing and swag store that does burgers on the side. And maybe they should be doing more than burgers on the side. That's a wrap on the Austin Monthly 2024 Burger Bash. Now I'm off to eat another burger.

The best food in Austin Texas: April 2024

Pop ups, collabs, lamb for breakfast and of course a burger . . . all adds up to the best food in Austin I stumbled across in April 2024.

The Vitals: the spot: Huckleberry 440 East St. Elmo Road Austin TX78745 the eats: Double Smashburger the bucks: $15 the full nelson: Farm to truck smash burger bliss

I first encountered Huckleberry in 2021 for my CapMetro food series. I was on the hunt for a shrimp roll and the Gulf Seafood focused food trailer delivered one that could rival any lobster roll I have ever had including this one in Maine. In 2024 I'm all about their premium smashed burger. Two succulent smashed beef patties from Peeler Farms on a bun sourced from a bakery in Houston is best enjoyed with all the fixins. It ain't cheap but neither are the ingredients and this kitchen consistently delivers an excellent burger that easily makes the list of best food in Austin. Maybe that's why my IG reel net over 30k views there.

The Vitals: the spot: Chef Deepa Shridhar roaming pop up (last held at Distant Relatives) the eats: BBQ Biriyani the bucks: $TBD the full nelson: South Asian + Central Texas BBQ mashup

Chef Deepa Shridhar represents an exciting chapter in South Asian food for Austin and really the whole country. Her latest pop up had her collaborating with James Beard nominee Chef Damian Brockway at his bbq trailer Distant Relatives. They came up with two Biryani dishes for the pop up, both featuring meats smoked in Brockway's mighty offset smokers. Whether you chose chicken or oxtail, you would have experience the iconic South Asian rice casserole take on bold new flavors. I would have been the first to cringe if they told me the Biryani would come drizzled with barbecue sauce. But you know what? It worked. I guess that's why Deepa is on the cutting edge of South Asian food evolving in America and I am just along for the ride.

The Vitals: the spot: El Grandpa Mexican Barbacoa 150 Haverland Dr Georgetown TX the eats: Lamb Barbacoa by the pound the bucks: $15 for a half pound plate the full nelson: Pit lamb cooked overnight in a special pit

Going to El Grandpa Mexican Barbacoa is an event not unlike taking a trip to Lockhart TX for your brisket fix or braving the lines at Franklin Barbecue. You will most likely be waking up early with meat on the brain and a penchant for patience. Unlike typical Central Texas BBQ eateries, beef ain't an option. It is all lamb baby and that kind of specialization alone makes El Grandpa Mexican Barbacoa a candidate for the best food in Austin. Available by tacos or by the pound you can can expect to find all kinds of cuts(including the whole head). This style of barbacoa, hailing from Hidalgo MX was also my first introduction to the ancient Mexican cooking style which predates the arrival of the Spanish. It is intense, primal and goes great with salsa. So what's not to love? Lamb of God? It's definitely close.

The Vitals: the spot: Lao'd Bar 9909 FM 969 building 4, Austin, TX 78724 the eats: MPork Rinds, Escolar Ceviche, Chicken Wings, Lahb the bucks: $$ the full nelson: Laotian bar food that will question you ever thinking about going to Pluckers again

Lao'd Bar is a second effort and brick and mortar from Chef Bob Somsmith, a self taught chef adding some much needed diversity to the Austin food scene. I was more than ignorant of Lao food but not its flavors when I ate at his food truck: SXSE now called Sek Se Fud Co. It turns out one of my favorite Thai Dishes: Larb, the cold minced meat salad is in fact Laotian and is on his menu at Lao'd Up. The cold sour savory dish is instantly addicting, makes for perfect drinking food and that sums up the Lao'd Bar experience. And I didn't event get into the wings or the intense pork smashed burger. This restaurant is one of the most exciting additions to the Austin food scene and should stay in the best food in Austin line up for quite a long time.