Hot Luck Fest is a food festival that takes place in Austin TX curated by renowned BBQ chef Aaron Franklin. The James Beard award winning chef seems to have his finger on the pulse of some of the most talented chefs in the country. Over the course of four days I ate from restaurants in the San Francisco bay area, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Portland, Miami and Austin.
No shortage of cold drinks at Hot Luck Fest. I have a soft spot for strong old fashioneds so I hit up Tin Cup Whiskey more than once. Also a fan of the guys at Red Thumb wine. Give them a follow for all your natural wine needs. PS it was hot out so cold rosé helps.
My fav bites right here. Of course one had to try some Franklin BBQ because that’s who put the event together. Personally I love steak tartare and this version from Burdell in Oakland was fantastic.
Whenever I see Amanda Shulman from Philadelphia’s Her Place Supper Club or My Loup, I’m gonna try what she cooks up. And she has a way with chicharron. Oh and the crab topped pimento cheese wasn’t too shabby either.
Thanks to Hot Luck Fest 2025 I’ve got a new spot to check out in Arizona. El Chilte in Phoenix can throw down when it comes to tacos. And Chef LT Smith is as cool as he looks.
There was serious seafood game on day 2 of Hot Luck Fest 2025. I saw a whole bluefin tuna get carved up, had some killer hand rolls but one dish absolutely took my breath away. James Beard winning Chef Valerie Chang of Maty’s in Miami flexed hard with this Nikkei style tostada. Oh and the restaurant helmed by her brother is amazing too.
Well this lived up to the name. Something happened this year at Hot Luck Fest 2025. The chefs just crushed hard this day. More than a few people came upon the conclusion I did: the food was outstanding this year compared to years past.
For me at least uses pork jowl and octopus. This was so damn rich and meaty. Like eating moist brisket for the first time. And the aioli only added fuel to the fatty fire.
So this dish was an uber seasoned pork belly, with a dry roast finish served over baby Belgian Endive and topped with pineapple. And it was from Yeti: the cooler company. Apparently if you sell $400 coolers, you can hire a dope chef to cook at food festivals like Hot Luck Fest.
So Hot Luck Fest takes place on Memorial Day weekend and that means its sweltering. So steak tartare is always the answer. Especially when it is made by chef Michael Fojtasek of Olamaie who also won a Michelin Star. Yeah, I had like three of these.
And then there was brunch. Look, after day three I was ready to call it quits but I wanted to drag my wife out for a Bloody Mary on a Sunday. It was kinda sticky hot that day so we didn’t last long. The food still hit. I had an espresso martini that was amazing and a delish cannoli that ate so fast I never took a pic.
But the best bite of the day? This fried oyster benny from Poole’s in Raleigh NC and the english muffin was made from Chef Sarah McIntosh of Epicerie. I had three of these.
Full disclosure: I was given passes and promoted the fest. That being said I have been going since 2022 and will be back in 2026. Here is the breakdown:
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