The best food in Austin Texas this month includes fried chicken food trucks, ½ lb brisket smash burgers, chef-driven sandwich pop-ups, and a legit contender for the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.
Take notes… or just bookmark this page.
The Vitals: the spot: Cockti Fried Chicken 2701 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: Fried Chicken Sandwich, Bone in fried chicken, Chicken Nuggets the bucks: $9.50 the full nelson: Not your Grandma's Fried Chicken
Cockti Fried Chicken is a favorite of chefs — and for good reason.
An all dark-meat menu, genre-bending flavors, and food truck pricing make this one of the best food spots in Austin right now.
This is fried chicken for food people.
Szechuan peppercorn, guajillo chile — bold flavors that hit. And yes, it looks great on camera… but it sounds even better. The oohs and ahhs are real.
Bonus: the sandwich is big enough to share.
The Vitals:
the spot: Woodneck Kitchen Pop Up
the eats: Carnitas Breakfast sandwich
the bucks: $13
the full nelson: Cheffy comfort food from a gang of culinary upstarts
There’s probably a story behind the name “Woodneck Kitchen.” Doesn’t matter.
The real story is the crew behind it — think a pack of Casey Affleck characters from Good Will Hunting… but they can actually cook.
The carnitas breakfast sandwich is the move.
A housemade Kaiser roll holds crispy, juicy carnitas and a fried egg together like it’s meant to be. Add in killer salsas and you’ve got one of the best bites in Austin this month.
Cardiologist recommended? Maybe not.
Worth taking a statin for? Absolutely.
The Vitals:
the spot: Si Baby-Q
the eats: Brisket Smashed Burger
the bucks: $13
the full nelson: One damn heavy and rich burger
Austin has no shortage of BBQ — so standing out matters.
Si Baby-Q does it with creativity (South Asian flatbreads, smoked kimchi)… but also with straight-up value.
This is a double smash burger with two quarter-pound brisket patties seared on a tallow-soaked plancha.
It’s heavy. It’s rich. It drips.
And for $13? That’s real value — which is exactly what earns a spot on the best food in Austin list.
The Vitals:
the spot: Murray's Tavern 2316 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: Fish n Chips
the bucks: $24
the full nelson: Best fish n chips in town, maybe the state
Austin isn’t known for fish and chips.
Which makes this even more impressive.
Murray’s Tavern delivers one of the best versions I’ve had — anywhere.
Tartar sauce gets swapped for remoulade (a smart move), the portion is generous (8 oz — easily shareable), and the batter is light, almost tempura-like.
This is a certified banger.
These four spots are heavy hitters for the best food in Austin Texas this month.
I couldn’t make it to a fifth…
But that just means May is already loading.
This is the pho sequel your Instant Pot has been waiting for.
Especially when you’re feeding a 14-year-old.
Mine will inhale all the meat and noodles in five minutes, declare he’s done, and get up to leave.
Son, we are not leaving that liquid gold behind.
If you’ve got leftover pho broth, the easiest move is simple:
add more beef.
Here’s how I do it.
Rest the meat, then slice or shred and portion into your pho bowls.
You now have tender, flavorful beef without needing to make a full batch of broth.
Pho broth is labor-intensive.
Ask any Vietnamese cook—they’ll tell you the same thing. It takes time, technique, and patience.
So let the restaurant handle that part.
But once you’ve got leftover broth at home, you can stretch it into another meal by adding fresh protein.
Pho is still relatively affordable, but once you start adding extra meat, the price climbs quickly.
This is the workaround.
Making pho beef in an Instant Pot is:
Also—you’re going to need an Instant Pot.
And if you don’t have one yet…
what are you doing?
If you love beef pho, just add more beef.
Real talk—this isn’t the sexiest dish.
Pho is a symphony of flavors that shows up dressed head to toe in a beige tuxedo.
Deal with it.
In-N-Out Burger has built a loyal, almost cult-like following around its burgers.
Celebrities crave it late at night (including Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan), loyalists swear by it, and I’ve always called it one of the best values in fast food.
But in 2026, with rising prices everywhere, the question is simple:
Is In-N-Out still worth it?
Like every fast food chain, In-N-Out has raised prices in recent years.
According to Food & Wine, the price of a Double-Double (their signature double cheeseburger) increased from $8.59 to $11.44 (with tax) in Los Angeles between 2020 and 2024.
That kind of jump isn’t unique—but it does change how we think about value.
I’ve been ordering the same thing at In-N-Out for years:
3x2 Animal Style
(light lettuce, plus raw onion and chopped chilis)
It’s a killer burger.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, that order came out to $7.78 with tax, slightly more than what I typically pay in Austin.
So yes—it’s still under $8.
But the real question is:
Does it still feel like a deal?
The Vitals:
the spot: In-N-Out locations in California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee
the eats: 3x2 animal style
the bucks: $7.78 w/ tax (Scottsdale AZ)
the full nelson: WORTH IT
Yes.
Even after trying newer, “improved” fast food burgers like the Big Arch and Whopper, In-N-Out still stands apart.
There’s something about the flavor—the balance of beef, sauce, and freshness—that hits differently.
And importantly, the price is still more competitive than most fast food chains in 2026.
The burgers run small.
To feel like a full meal, I usually go with three patties instead of two.
And while it may feel lighter than something like a Double Quarter Pounder, the calorie count adds up quickly—thanks in large part to that iconic “pink sauce” (a mayo-based Thousand Island).
If you judged this burger purely on appearance, you might call it mid.
I did.
The bun didn’t look perfect. I’ve seen better-looking burgers elsewhere.
But the flavor?
It completely delivered.
Final VerdictFast food isn’t cheap anymore.
But In-N-Out is one of the few places where the value still holds up.
In a world of $10+ burgers, In-N-Out remains one of the last chains where you can still feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
And that’s why—despite everything—
it’s still worth it.
On the heels of McDonald's releasing their viral Big Arch burger, Burger King rolled out an “improved” version of the Whopper.
And yes—there was even a CEO moment.
Burger King’s CEO posted a video of himself eating the Whopper, widely seen as a subtle jab at the viral clip of McDonald’s CEO tasting the Big Arch.
Marketing aside, the real question is:
Is the new Whopper actually better—and more importantly, is it worth the price in 2026?
According to Burger King, the upgrades are simple:
Better bun
Better mayo
Better packaging (it now comes in a box)
The campaign leaned heavily into social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, where the Whopper was consistently praised on the first bite—but criticized on the last.
The conclusion?
Apparently the bun and mayo were the problem.
Surprisingly, this was the biggest upgrade.
There’s been a noticeable trend across fast food—cheap, overly runny mayonnaise that just doesn’t hold up. I’ve seen it recently at chains like Raising Cane's and Popeyes.
The new Whopper mayo? Better.
Not quite Hellmann’s or Duke’s level—but closer than expected.
I initially thought this was a throwaway upgrade.
A box? Really?
But in practice, it actually works—especially for drive-thru and delivery. The burger holds together better, and presentation is noticeably improved.
The bun… might be better?
To be fair, the last time I had Burger King (around 2020), it was borderline inedible. This time, the Whopper actually tasted like I remembered it growing up.
Which, honestly, is progress.
The Vitals:
the spot: Burger King locations worldwide
the eats: Whopper
the bucks: $7.57 w/ tax
the full nelson: decent but overpriced
Short answer: no.
Longer answer:
I was genuinely surprised. Burger King made the Whopper good again. It tasted familiar—in a nostalgic, fast-food kind of way.
But in 2026, “good” isn’t enough anymore.
At nearly $8, the Whopper is competing with:
regional chains like In-N-Out Burger
fast-casual spots like Shake Shack
local food trucks and independent diners
And in that context, it just doesn’t hold up.
Yes, the mayo is better.
But not $8 better.
McDonald’s recently debuted a new burger called the Big Arch, and it’s already generating buzz online.
The burger has even gone viral thanks to a clip of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski taking a very careful bite during a promotional appearance.
But internet fame aside, the real question is simple:
Is the McDonald’s Big Arch actually worth the price—or the calories?
The Big Arch is essentially a supercharged version of a Big Mac-style burger.
Imagine the heft of a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but topped with:
three slices of white cheddar
crispy fried onions
shredded lettuce
pickles
the new Big Arch sauce (which feels very similar to Big Mac sauce)
The result is a massive fast food burger that pushes well over 1,000 calories.
That’s a lot of burger.
But does it deliver value?
At my local McDonald’s in Austin, Texas, the Big Arch costs $8.99 by itself.
I skipped fries and a drink, but a combo meal would easily push the total past $13.
Welcome to fast food in 2026.
One thing is certain: you will not leave hungry.
While spending almost $10 on a burger at McDonald’s might feel strange, credit where it’s due—the Big Arch might be the best burger McDonald’s has ever made.
That’s largely thanks to the improved quarter-pound patties, the same fresh beef used in the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
If you have the appetite, the Big Arch delivers a satisfying burger experience.
By now you may have seen the viral video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski eating the Big Arch.
He was widely mocked online for taking a very delicate bite and referring to the burger as a “product.”
But the CEO did get one thing right.
The Big Arch delivers that unmistakable McDonald’s flavor—the taste that built one of the biggest fast food empires in the world.
The Vitals:
the spot: McDonald's locations worldwide
the eats: Big Arch
the bucks: $8.99
the full nelson: delicious but dangerous
My verdict: worth the money, not worth the calories.
The Big Arch is undeniably delicious. If you’re a fan of Big Mac sauce, this burger will feel like a dream.
In many ways, it’s essentially a Big Mac on steroids.
But that’s also the problem.
The burger is almost an overdose of McDonald’s flavor.
Sure, it’s fun as an occasional indulgence. But considering how easy it is to find a McDonald’s almost anywhere, the Big Arch could be dangerous territory for anyone trying to keep fast food in moderation.
In short:
The Big Arch might be McDonald’s best burger yet.
Just eat with caution.
SXSW 2026 is days away, and one question will come up again and again: where should you eat in Austin during SXSW?
While Austin has plenty of restaurants worth a solo trip to the city, downtown Austin is the most convenient place to grab a bite during the festival. Between conference panels, concerts, and startup pitches, these spots are perfect for a quick meal or a proper break from the SXSW chaos.
Here are a few of my favorite places to eat during SXSW 2026 near downtown Austin.
The Vitals: the spot: Manny's 301 W 5th St Suite A, Austin, TX 78701 the eats: Mojitos, cafecitos, pan de lechon and empanadas the bucks: $$ the full nelson: Cuban cravings in downtown Austin
It’s hard to imagine finding great Cuban food outside of Miami (or Tampa… iykyk). But when the craving hits, go where the cafecitos are flowing.
Manny’s is the kind of place where a quick espresso can easily turn into empanadas and a pan con lechón. I’m a lechón guy, so the roast pork sandwich is usually my move.
And yes—there are drinks. After three mojitos, you might forget you’re at SXSW and not sitting in a charming café somewhere in Little Havana.
If someone asks “Where should we eat during SXSW 2026?” Manny’s is a strong answer.
The Vitals: the spot: Two Goose Market 706 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703 the eats: Texas BBQ the bucks: $$ the full nelson: a hot new Texas BBQ spot just outside of downtown
Two Goose is brand new to the Austin BBQ scene, but it’s already generating buzz.
If you came to Austin for SXSW, you probably heard one thing repeatedly: Austin takes BBQ seriously.
The pitmaster here comes from one of the city’s most celebrated barbecue spots. In addition to smoked meats, you’ll also find breakfast tacos, good coffee, and one of my favorite chicken salads in town.
But make no mistake: BBQ is the draw.
Order a platter, grab some brisket, and enjoy one of Austin’s most iconic food traditions. It’s just a short Uber ride from the SXSW madness downtown.
The Vitals:
the spot: Parkside 301 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
the eats: farm to table chef driven comfort fare
the bucks: $$-$$$
the full nelson: an old school gastropub that's a downtown Austin gem
Parkside has been around long enough that the word “gastropub” still shows up in its bio—and honestly, that’s part of the charm.
Chef-driven burgers, oysters on the half shell, and a strong cocktail program keep Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all happy.
If you’re navigating SXSW crowds, happy hour is the move. Slide in for a burger, some oysters, and an Old Fashioned.
Or a mocktail if you’re keeping it light before the next showcase.
Either way, Parkside is a great answer when someone asks:
“Where should we eat during SXSW 2026?”
The Vitals:
the spot: Taqueria 10 de 10 206 Trinity St unit 110, Austin, TX 78701
the eats: Al Pastor(Adobada), Carne Asada, Vulcans
the bucks: $
the full nelson: Tijuana style taco stand
You can’t visit Austin without eating tacos.
Taqueria 10 de 10 brings Tijuana-style taqueria energy to downtown Austin. The burnt-orange al pastor (called adobada) is the standout, along with carne asada tacos.
But the real move?
Order a Vulcan.
Think of it as a hybrid between a cheesy quesadilla and a crunchy tostada loaded with meat.
It’s tucked into an alley downtown, but it’s close enough to SXSW venues to make the short detour worth it.
And yes—you should absolutely get a Vulcan.
Even if you’re not a Star Trek fan.
Austin has far more restaurants worth exploring, especially if you venture beyond downtown.
But if you’re looking for great food near SXSW 2026, these spots will keep you well fed between panels, parties, and late-night shows.
Dig through the blog for more Austin food recommendations—and enjoy SXSW 2026.
Subway was once the fast food sandwich chain that seemed to rival McDonald’s. The appeal was simple: healthy(ish) food and strong value.
That value is mostly gone.
In 2026, Subway is surprisingly expensive—and facing much stiffer competition from fast-casual sandwich shops, grocery delis, and local spots.
So the question becomes: does this mean the end of Subway?
I went to Subway to try the All-American Club.
A footlong sub rang up at $12.98 with tax. And yes, there was also a tip option at checkout.
The sandwich comes with turkey, ham, bacon, your choice of cheese, and all the veggie and sauce toppings you want.
On paper, that sounds like a lot.
It’s important to point out what’s missing.
No soda. No chips. And honestly… not much visible meat.
Not that there wasn’t meat in the sandwich—you just can’t really see it.
And that’s part of the problem.
I picked the All-American Club because it ranked highly on several “best Subway sandwich” lists, including one from Tasting Table.
I was honestly prepared for the worst.
And while the sandwich was totally edible, it ultimately felt chintzy.
Subway’s greatest strength is also its greatest flaw: customization.
You can pile on a ton of veggie toppings, and to their credit, the vegetables actually taste fairly fresh for fast food. But it also throws off the ratios.
The result? More bread than anything else.
It’s almost like a po’ boy by culinary design—except not for your pocketbook.
Not in 2026.
Subway became a fast food icon because of value. That value helped offset the reality that the food itself was pretty mediocre.
But with 2026 prices, Subway feels like mid-tier food at premium prices.
The $5 footlong era—arguably Subway’s peak—is long gone.
At least we still have the old commercials.
McDonald’s built its global fast food empire on an unmistakable taste and perennial value. But the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has erased its hold on the value conversation. At one point, it was reported that a Big Mac meal was fetching nearly $20 at certain locations.
Prices have settled since then—but they’re still resoundingly higher than they were in 2019.
And it also happens to be their best burger by a mile.
At a location in Austin, Texas, I ordered the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The half-pound double cheeseburger came out to $8.32 with tax, though prices will vary by location.
My recent run of expensive fast food burger tests all share one thing in common: they’re cooked to order.
That was true at Five Guys. It was even true at Jack in the Box with their $9 Smashed Jack. At Five Guys, that’s expected. At Jack in the Box, it didn’t help much. At McDonald’s, though, it actually makes a difference—and helps make the case that this burger is almost worth the price.
The Vitals:
the spot: McDonald's locations worldwide
the eats: Double Quarter Pounder with cheese
the bucks: $8.32 (w/ tax)
the full nelson: the most expensive burger at McDonald's
Sadly, no.
It is a good—maybe even great—fast food burger, and it’s easily the best burger on McDonald’s menu. But the price puts it too close to genuinely better burgers from higher-quality chains and local spots.
McDonald’s, in a way, dug its own grave by over-delivering on value for decades. It’s simply too hard to believe that McDonald’s now costs as much as it does.
McDonald’s introduced the Quarter Pounder in the 1970s as a competitor to Burger King’s Whopper. The beefier burger held its own as a heavyweight for more than four decades.
Then, in 2015, McDonald’s decided to upgrade quality by switching to fresh, never-frozen beef cooked to order. By 2018, the improved Quarter Pounder hit the market and received fairly positive reviews.
Today, the Quarter Pounder—especially the double—is the best burger at McDonald’s.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it has to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
Five Guys Burgers and Fries has long been considered expensive for fast food. In 2026, they sell one of the most expensive burgers in the fast food space. Along with Shake Shack, Five Guys burgers now easily sail past $10 before you even think about fries or a drink.
Fast food prices keep soaring. And that makes the value conversation unavoidable.
Last week, I tried a $9 smash burger from Jack in the Box. If you missed the video, you can catch my full dissatisfaction with the Smashed Jack there. But that was last week.
This week, I’m in the business of even more expensive fast food.
Which brings us to Five Guys.
I tried to get my money’s worth. And at Five Guys, that meant getting every topping I could.
To their credit, Five Guys offers extras like grilled mushrooms and grilled peppers at no additional charge. At most places, those kinds of add-ons cost extra. Here, they’re included.
That’s a real point in their favor.
The Vitals:
the spot: Five Guys locations nationwide
the eats: Cheeseburger
the bucks: $12
the full nelson: the most expensive burger in fast food
I’ve had Five Guys a handful of times over the years, and it never really moved me. The first time I had it, I found it expensive. And it’s always irked me that they cook their burgers well done but still call them “juicy.”
For what it’s worth, I think the fries are the best thing on the menu.
With all that said, I was pleasantly surprised this time.
The burger is massive. Despite the price tag, you are getting a substantial amount of food. It may come in a brown paper bag, but you’re getting one hearty meal, even without the fries.
In short: it was almost worth it.
I get into this more in the video, but I do think Five Guys comes close to making a real case for value compared to other fast food restaurants.
The problem is context.
For working families, Five Guys starts to feel like a luxury fast food option—one that doesn’t always add up. I wouldn’t be mad about eating a Five Guys burger again. But I also don’t think it would be my first choice, especially if I could find a better burger restaurant for just a little more money.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it has to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
Last week I published a review of Popeye's iconic fried chicken sandwich to see if it was still worth it in 2026.
The answer turned out to be surprisingly easy: not only was it still reasonably priced, it also shocked me with how good it was.
That was last week.
This week, it’s Jack in the Box — and their nearly $9 smash burger called the Smashed Jack.
I had high hopes.
I was skeptical. But I also got a strong endorsement: a DM on Instagram encouraging me to try the Smashed Jack.
And this wasn’t from a random follower. The person (who will remain unnamed) is associated with one of the more famous hamburger restaurants in America.
I was also warned it would be pricey. That part wasn’t surprising — and, oddly, it was a little encouraging. When something costs more, you expect more.
Especially from a chain that was recently named the worst fast food burger chain by Tasting Table. I can’t argue much there. I hadn’t eaten at Jack in the Box in about 15 years.
The Vitals:
the spot: Jack in the Box locations nationwide
the eats: Smashed Jack
the bucks: $8.89
the full nelson: can Jack in the Box deliver a smash burger worth $9
At $9, Jack in the Box is putting itself in Shake Shack and Five Guys territory.
And in the case of Shake Shack, that kind of pricing comes with expectations: better ingredients, better execution, better flavor. Or at least, that’s how it should work.
To be fair, the burger is a looker.
Both in the DM and in real life, the Smashed Jack looks good. The simplicity works: meat, cheese, bun, and a minimal set of toppings — lightly grilled onions, pickles, and a tangy sauce. Even the meat-to-bun ratio feels right.
On paper, this all makes sense.
And then you taste it.
The patty is the downfall. It tastes heavily processed, with enough sodium to moonlight as breakfast sausage. The beef flavor is muted, replaced by a distinctly processed, overly seasoned profile.
The pickles are limp and bring no punch. The sauce is mayo-heavy and forgettable. What should be a simple, craveable smash burger ends up feeling engineered rather than cooked.
This is the kind of burger that looks right and eats wrong.
Hell naw.
It’s not even worth eating.
The Smashed Jack is both bad and expensive, which is the worst possible combination. Shake Shack is leagues better. And honestly? I’d take a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese over this without hesitation.
At $9, this burger doesn’t just miss the mark — it fails the entire value conversation.
This post is part of an ongoing series examining fast food chains through the lens of economics, value, and reality in 2026 and beyond.
If fast food is going to cost more, it needs to earn its place.
You can explore more in the series here:
