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.
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