ACL rolled into town and Austin is a buzz. The food is just as important as the drinks at this iconic music festival and it shows in the restaurant selection. That being said, narrowing down my fav bites of weekend one wasn’t easy as much as it was practical; I can only eat so much! So take a bite of my top three bites.
The Vitals:
the spot: Con Todo 10001 Metric Blvd, Austin, TX 78758 // @ACL Eats “La Pachanga”
the eats: Carnitas Tostada
the bucks: $16 (for two)
the full nelson: James Beard nominated Chef slinging carnitas at ACL
Chef Joseph Gomez runs a deceptively simple taco trailer at a brewery called Celis in North Austin. But this taquero ain’t no late night trompo carver. With a storied resumé including Asian cooking and fine dining, his attention to the little things add up on the plate and the palate.
At the Austin City Limits Music Festival he slings carnitas on a tostada that are equal parts succulent and spicy. Con Todo is a premium taco trailer experience so this is a rare case where the festival prices aren’t too far from the norm. Also, great carnitas are a rare sighting at a music festival, and Chef Gomez serves some of the very best in the city.
The Vitals:
the spot: Vaquero Taquero Two locations in Austin // @ACL Eats “La Pachanga”
the eats: Al Pastor Gringa
the bucks: $16 (3)
the full nelson: Top tier Al Pastor at ACL Fest
When Vaquero Taquero first popped up on my radar I hailed it as the arrival of excellent Al Pastor to Austin. They typically cook on a vertical rotisserie but for the Austin City Limits Music Festival they use a flat top grill. Vaquero serves open faced quesadillas that are frankly gargantuan and are generously stuffed with marinated pork and cheese. If you have the chance try their locations in town too.
The Vitals:
the spot: Gus’s Fried Chicken 117 San Jacinto Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court
the eats: Fried Chicken
the bucks: $12 for a two piece
the full nelson: Please just eat here
There are two reasons why I never tried Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken until Weekend One of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. One, my son has a peanut allergy and they fry the chicken in peanut oil. The other is that they are in downtown Austin which is a total pain in the a** when it comes to parking. Well, I’m over the parking part.
Guys this fried chicken is worth getting a parking ticket for. Hands down the best fried chicken I have had in years. Apparently they use refined peanut oil making the allergy issue not one but I will defer to my doctor before taking that step. In the meantime get yourself a two piece in between sets and beers, you are welcome.
That’s a wrap on Weekend One! More to come after Weekend Two.
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