The best food in Austin Texas for the month of September includes a lot of new openings and finds. From Korean Smash burgers to Indian street food, the best food in Austin Texas is bold, creative and perhaps not surprising, is happening in food trucks.
The Vitals:
the spot: Tso Chinese Takeout or delivery only with locations throughout Austin
the eats: brisket fried rice
the bucks: $18.95
the full nelson: brisket meets fried rice is the collab to end all collabs
Brisket fried rice might be Austin’s claim to have created their own regional Chinese cuisine. A mighty claim but that’s how delicious this collab is between legendary BBQ restaurant Black’s and Tso Chinese, a takeout and delivery focused Chinese restaurant
This isn’t the first time I’ve had brisket fried rice but Tso’s is a front runner for the best food in Austin. The old school style brisket of Black’s works well here. The smoke is there and being a leaner brisket than other BBQ places works in favor of this fried rice. Oh and it’s avail for delivery too.
The Vitals:
the spot: Kochu 8820 Burnet Rd #502, Austin, TX 78757
the eats: Korean Smashed Burger, Wings
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: Best Monday Burger deal in Austin
What drew me to Kochu was their Monday burger special. That’s the only the day they serve their double smash burger with a decidedly Korean twist: house made Kimchi on the burger. It’s bold but it works.
So does the price: $12. Did I mention its two 4 oz patties? Yeah, that’s a half pound of smashburger. Pro Tip: grab a friend and split the wings or just come back for those. Because the wings alone are some of the best food in Austin.
The Vitals:
the spot: Soundra Chai 1906 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: Chai, Indian sourced coffee, Chapli Kabab, bun(Indian Sweet bread)
the bucks: $
the full nelson: It’s time to stop getting Chai Latte from Starbucks
Turns out there is more to Chai than what Starbucks has been showing us. Soundra Chai is a new food truck bringing Chai food culture to Austin: a town where we are starting to see exciting things happening with food from the Indian Subcontinent.
You can’t experience chai without food. And that can range from sweet to savory. A custom made brioche gets smeared with butter and sugar is a perfect AM chai compliment. Or try a Chapli Kabob on the same brioche bun. This Indian “burger” gets hit with with a a creamy yogurt cucumber spread, fresh arugula and a cilantro mint chutney.
The only tough part is choosing when to go. But that’s part of the struggle when making plans to visit some of the best food in Austin.
The Vitals:
the spot: Wayon J’s BBQ 1917 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722
the eats: all the meats(brisket, turkey, bacon ribs, sausage) and a great cocktail program
the bucks: $$
the full nelson: Top notch Texas BBQ with killer cocktails
Just when you think Austin has hit its peak with BBQ, Waylon J’s comes along. This BBQ offering is in partnership with Salty Sow, a longtime fixture in Austin’s fine dining scene. This is destination BBQ with those contemporary touches like chimichurri on a beef rib or a pork rib with the pork belly attached.
The biggest distinction in my mind is the cocktail program. I had a frozen old fashioned that single handedly launched my Sunday Funday. Reminds me of the Old Freedmen’s which blended great Austin BBQ with another great Austin thing that starts with a “B”: Bar.
I’ll see you there next Sunday for a new BBQ spot that easily makes the list for best food in Austin.
The Vitals:
the spot: Mariscos La Caretta 801 Imperial Dr, Austin, TX 78725
the eats: ceviche, Aguachile
the bucks: $-$$
the full nelson: A ceviche food truck worth battling the heat for
The summer months are brutal for Austin food trucks. The idea of eating outside in 100+ degree heat is a tough sell. Unless you are talking about ceviche.
I had to try the Aguachile, which typically is an overwhelmingly fiery dish from Sinaloa. Maybe it is the self professed Nayarit touch, but the heat was more subdued and the dish ultimately became a more interesting rewarding experience and easily some of the best food in Austin.
PS – this place is BYO so grab some beers before you come.
Leave a Reply