So, I will be traveling back to my hometown soon– Austin, Texas, to be home for a little and have some quality family time. Since Austin is packed with delicious restaurants and food trucks, I thought I’d make a list of some of my favorites that I miss while living in Dallas. I definitely plan on hitting up each one of these awesome spots.
Does this photo not get your mouth drooling? If you’re not from Austin, but you’ve gone to Austin City Limits, you may recognize the cone in the middle. The hot and crunchy chicken cone that began its debut at a stand at ACL, now has its own food truck in South Austin. Priced at $4.95, these suckers are made with sesame seeds, almonds, arbol chili flakes, sea salt, sugar and cornflakes. Inside the “cone” is a tortilla stuffed with the lightly fried chicken, a cole slaw and a delicious creamy and slightly spicy sauce. From the same owners and chefs of Hudson’s on the Bend, Mighty Cone is the answer to a foodie on a budget. Not to mention there are other food trucks around if you’re still hungry for dessert, and cute picnic tables for a fun lunch date.
2. Uchi
Although I couldn’t tell you what this dish is in the photo, everything I’ve ever tasted at Uchi has been mind- blowing. From their hot rock with thinly slided wagyu beef that just melts in your mouth to my personal favorite, the shag roll, I find myself inventing celebrations in order to make it over to Uchi for a delicious meal.
Although their venue is pretty small, they just opened up a new sushi restaurant called Uchiko under the genre “Japanese farmhouse dining & sushi restaurant,” that’s fun for special occasions and includes many of the same sushi rolls.
When I’m home, I’m usually met by my two brothers who currently live in Los Angeles, California. Because of the lack of Tex Mex in Southern Cali, we usually rush over to Maudie’s right when their plane lands. And now, when I’m back from Dallas, I find myself heading over for their one of a kind queso and their yummy margaritas. The ambiance is fun and hip, the service fast and it’s always a cozy experience. Their newest location in Bee Cave happens to be relatively close to my house in Austin, and includes a big patio that would be fun just to meet friends for a margarita.
4. Whole Foods
This building you are looking at is located in downtown Austin, and is also the Whole Foods world headquarters. Living in Austin, we pride ourselves on the fact that Whole Foods started in Austin, and we now house a gigantic Whole Foods store. The reason I include this as a restaurant in the list of my favorites is because I love to go here for lunch. Their build your own sandwich station is extensive to say the least (I make mine with pesto, goat cheese spread, oven roasted chicken, sundried tomatoes and avocado), they have a great taco bar, salad bar and much much more. Although it can be overwhelming at times, there’s so many choices here and I’m always pleased with my decision.
5. Sno Beach
When you think of snow cones, you may think of a childhood memory drinking sugary syrup with mostly crunchy ice, sometimes chunks of ice you had to spit out. Well, Sno Beach completely changes that. The “ice” is more like snow–the consistency always perfection, and there are millions of flavors to choose from. My favorites are tiger’s blood (don’t ask), pineapple and raspberry. Whatever flavor you may choose, it’s always fun to stop by the Sno Beach truck after a swim at Barton Springs. Can’t wait to have my first Sno Beach of the summer!
Bon appétit,
ThatFoodieGirl
