I’m excited for this monthly recap series. If you saw the segment on Studio 512, then you know my Best Bites in Austin of January 2024 went heavy on the barbecue, danced around East Asia and squeezed some in sugar and carbs. Like any good countdown I’ll be sharing in these order starting with my number 5 pick:
The Vitals:
the spot: Artipasta Two locations in Austin TX
the eats: Penne in tomato sauce, Tagliatelle in meat sauce, Cannoli
the bucks: $12-1$15
the full nelson: Affordable and Authentic Italian in Austin TX
Artipasta has long been on my radar, even before the South Austin food truck expanded to a second brick and mortar location up north. During winter break I took my son to lunch there as he is a true pasta freak. He isn’t always an easy sell but he gave Artipasta the thumbs up and so did I, especially after I got the bill. This is as affordable as the bolognese is authentic. The only hard part is choosing which pasta to get.
The Vitals:
the spot: La Santa Barbacha 2806 Manor Road Austin TX 78722
the eats: Breakfast Barbacoa tacos, barbacoa, quesobarbacoa, you can’t go wrong, bring a group and try everything
the bucks: $5 each, two is a meal, three is a feast.
the full nelson: Hidalgo style beef barbacoa made into fashionable Austin tacos. Also my fav breakfast taco in town.
Last July I said that La Santa Barbacha was my favorite breakfast taco in Austin. Well if I look back at my receipts in January, not much has changed. On my food tours, La Santa Barbacha is a favorite, it just hits every time. The consistency the Landaverde family puts into their tender barbacoa and perfect, PERFECT scrambled eggs, is a straight up treasure.
The Vitals:
the spot: Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue 15608 Spring Hill Lane #105 Pflugerville TX 78660
the eats: Brisket by the pound, Brisket Bahn Mi, Boudin
the bucks: $13-$20 a person depending on whether you go sandwich or plate
the full nelson: Central Texas Craft BBQ in the northern environs of greater Austin
Sadly, we lost John Brotherton last month. And it was far too soon. After a medical event left him in a coma, the barbecue community rallied to support the restaurant. It had been a few years since I had been to Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue so I gladly jumped at the chance to dine and support the family. The brisket is up there with some of the very best in town and the sandwiches like the Brisket Bahn Mi are wholly unique. The family can still use the support so throw your business to this just north of Austin/Pflugerville staple. Oh and the boudin alone made this a Best Bite in Austin, for life.
The Vitals:
the spot: Julie’s Noodles 8557 Research Blvd #110 Austin TX 75758
the eats: Xiao Long Bao(crab and soup dumpling), Pork Chopped Noodle Soup
the bucks: $15 a person will set you up nicely
the full nelson: a divey Chinese joint that satisfies the itch for affordable & authentic dough driven cravings
I first wrote about Julie’s Noodles back in 2019. Like most things food related, prices have risen dramatically but not Julie’s. This authentic hole in the wall offers up some of the best value in Austin. Chinese food like this is meant to be served family style so be prepared to share or be prepared to bring home leftovers. My son loves this place and I’m almost always down to oblige his request for a the chopped pork noodle soup. Who new spareribs taste arguably better in broth?
The Vitals:
the spot: La Barbecue 2401 E. Cesar Chavez Austin TX 78702
the eats: brisket, Chipotle sausage, Potato Salad, turkey
the bucks: plan for about $30 a head
the full nelson: the brisket that convince me to move to Austin is as good as ever
La Barbecue is forever cemented as a GOAT in my world. It was the FIRST taste of Texas barbecue I ever had(in the state at least). It was featured in my episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate titled “Worth The Wait” and I have been there countless times. So when I found last year that Leann Mueller, co-owner of La Barbecue passed, it hit hard. The silver lining is that the barbecue, especially the brisket, is still as good as ever thanks to Leann’s wife and pitmaster: Ali Clem. Like the theme of the episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate, it is worth the wait but here is a pro tip: go on a Wednesday or do a pre order.
Leave a Reply