As you may already know, Austin is a huge hub for foodies. With increased support for the local movement, as well as a growing preference for small-batch and handcrafted products, many local brands have skyrocketed in popularity.
The following is a list of companies that are Austin-born and Austin-loved. Even better, they’re all available in area grocery stores. Even the most voracious localvore may find one or two surprising new products here!
If something intrigues you, check the product website to see where it’s available for purchase.
Meals and Snacks
1/ Cocina 54 Empanadas
Cocina 54’s delicious empanadas bring a taste of Argentina to Texas. With gluten-free options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they can keep you and your family fed all day long.
2/ Wundernuggets by Crafty Counter
They’re beyond any kind of nugget you’ve ever tried…they’re Wundernuggets! Wundernuggets are the kid-inspired, mom-created miracle nuggets made to share with everybody. With both chicken-based and veggie-based options, this Austin-based creation is tasty and nutritionally dense.
3/ Bola Pizza
Bola offers handmade pizzas made with both local and imported ingredients. Recipes are Indian- and Texan-inspired, but classic flavors are available, too. Check the website for tips on how to prepare and serve the perfect frozen pizza!
4/ Beanitos Chips
Beanitos are made with beans: black, white and pinto. They’re protein-packed and make for a naturally filling snack. On top of the flavorful beans, Beanitos adds classic seasonings, such as nacho cheese and a hint of lime, and some flavors that are more quirky, such as baked mac n’ cheese.
5/ Pacqui Chips
I first tried Paqui because I was intrigued by the ghost pepper flavor. Often, it’s the only flavor spicy enough for me! All I can say is heed the warnings on the packaging. This is some serious spice you don’t want to mess with.
If ghost pepper doesn’t sound like your jam, then Pacqui has a wide variety of less spicy (but just as flavorful) chips.
6/ Lantana Hummus
Lantana is a breath of fresh air in the hummus market. Instead of chickpeas, Lantana makes hummus out of a variety of other beans and vegetables, including white beans, lentils, edamame, carrots, cucumbers, beets, and more!
Bold flavors are the game here, and Lantana’s unique ingredients have inspired many foodies to use these products in innovative ways.
7/ HomePlate Peanut Butter
HomePlate Peanut Butter was founded by former professional baseball players. It’s geared for athletes who desire easy nutrition during practice. Of course, not everyone is an athlete, but whether your activity of choice is physical or mental, peanut butter can provide the necessary fuel.
This Austin-based food is versatile, too. The website has a list of recipe ideas from pudding to the classic sandwich.
8/ Superseed Life
Superseed Life’s angle is healthy, clean, and nutrient-dense. For example, the baked goods are made with a blend of flax, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, and other seeds, providing a range of health benefits while satisfying your craving for dessert. My favorite donut flavor is maple cinnamon!
Superseed has expanded to offer CBD cookies, smoothie mixes, and pizza crust, as well.
Sauces, Salsas, and Condiments
9/ Yellowbird
I love that Yellowbird has become a staple hot sauce offering at many Austin restaurants, alongside the typical Tabasco and Cholula. Yellowbird is another amazing brand that has a ghost pepper flavor, as well as habañero, serrano, jalapeño, and sriracha.
10/ Two Hot Mamas
This company was founded in 2002 when two “hot mamas” joined forces. Gen brought her salsa verde to the table, while Paula shared her red salsa. Since teaming up, the duo has gone on to win so many awards that it’s ridiculous. In a good way.
11/ Austin Slow Burn
Austin Slow Burn not only has award-winning salsa, but also quesos, pasta sauces, and more! This local business been around since 1994, so they know what’s good in Austin. My editor insists you try the green chili con queso.
12/ Pretty Thai
Pretty Thai started as a food truck, sharing “Thai-Authentic and Thai-Inspired” recipes. Eventually, the food truck closed, but something was born from it: bottled sauces for your Thai (and non-Thai) dishes.
Sweets
13/ NadaMoo
In addition to having a prized brick-and-mortar shop where hot, sweaty Austinites can cool down, NadaMoo offers cartons of its dreamy flavors at grocery stores all over the country! “NadaMoo” means no dairy–this ice cream is coconut-milk based.
➡️ Read more: Move Over, Blue Bell! NadaMoo Is Coming Through
14/ Uncle Ray’s Peanut Brittle
Created by Uncle Ray himself, with a recipe perfected over decades, this treat comes with more nuts than the average brittle. Some flavors are seasonal, like the homemade 7 layer brittle bark. Others go strong all year, like homemade bacon pecan brittle and original peanut brittle.
Uncle Ray’s is currently available at Central Market.
15/ Good Good Cookie Dough
Good Good Cookie Dough is designed so you can eat it straight out of the package, bake as usual, or air fry it for an extra special treat. All of the cookie dough is vegan and made with an almond flour base.
16/ Tèo Gelato
Tèo Gelato is handmade and offers well-loved flavors such as vanilla and chocolate. But even the classics have a twist: there’s Madagascar Vanilla and Texican Vanilla, plus three types of chocolate! Tèo also has unique flavors like Goat Cheese & Cherry, and Eggs and Bacon.
The brick and mortar shop on 38th Street, Caffe Tèo, serves coffee and espresso in addition to gelato.
Coffee
17/ Kohana
Kohana prides itself on sourcing beans from women farmers and supports female workers every step of the way. Kohana is Hawaii-inspired and Austin-perfected. My favorite is the organic toasted coconut cold brew, which brings a taste of the tropics to Texas.
18/ Third Coast Coffee Roasting Company
Third Coast is a small company that will roast your beans to order–and its team loves the art of roasting!
The South Congress roastery is not a coffee shop, but Third Coast encourages people to visit and try some samples. There’s also a long list of grocery stores where you can buy Third Coast, which you can see at the link below.
19/ Cuvée Coffee
It’s easy to spot Cuvée from a mile away with its signature bright blue packaging. In addition to selling beans by the bag, the Austin-based business offers cans of nitro cold brew coffee. The nitrogen infusion makes the brew foamy and slightly thicker.
Find Cuvée Coffee at Whole Foods, Central Market, and select HEBs.
20/ Picnik
Also a beloved restaurant and food trailer, Picnik sells bottles of its amazing buttered coffee at Austin grocery stores. According to the website, the combination of coffee with butter and MCT oil prevents the typical caffeine crash. Picnik also makes a butter coffee creamer you can add to the coffee you brew at home!
➡️ Keep reading: Experience Holistic Dining at Picnik, Austin’s First Paleo-friendly Restaurant
21/ High Brew Coffee
High Brew’s specialty is cold brew. It’s available in six different flavors, including dessert-inspired goodies like Mexican vanilla and salted caramel. In 8-ounce ready-to-drink cans, High Brew is easy to grab and easy to enjoy.
➡️ Keep reading: Taste a Different Side of Austin: Cold Brew and Chocolatiers
22/ Ott Coffee
Ott Coffee is roasted right here in Austin, at Barrett’s Coffee. The beans are sourced from Colombia and infused with CBD using a special process. This Austin-based product has all the revitalizing effects of coffee you’re familiar with if you love coffee, with the added calming benefits of CBD.
➡️ Keep reading: Ott Coffee Provides Premium Quality Beans Infused With CBD
23/ Steamm Espresso
The beans used for espresso are normally ground much finer and roasted longer than their drip coffee counterparts. Steamm Espresso’s beans are sourced from Mexico, and the espresso is steeped in Peruvian cacao to give it a richer, fuller flavor. You can choose to order bottles delivered to your door and can even subscribe to have them delivered regularly, at a discount.
Juice, Kombucha, and Tea
24/ ShadeTree Lemonade
ShadeTree Lemonade has close ties with the music and festival scene in Austin. It makes sense, since there are few things better than fresh, all-natural lemonade after spending hours under the Texas sun. Try the original or the flavors with bursts of strawberry or blueberry.
Look for ShadeTree at your local HEB.
25/ CLEAN Cause
CLEAN Cause is an energy drink made with Yerba Mate, a caffeinated tea that is a popular alternative to the coffee bean. In fruity flavors such as lemon lime, blackberry and raspberry, it’s as refreshing as it is energizing. And what is the cause, you might ask? They donate 50% of their profits to individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
➡️ Read more: CLEAN Cause: Fighting Addiction With Sparkling Yerba Mate
26/ Buddha’s Brew Kombucha
Buddha’s Brew Kombucha is a staple at many local farmers’ markets. And no wonder, since the business made its debut at Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market. Since then, Buddha’s started brewing at a facility on Williamson Creek, which is where it resides to this day.
27/ Kosmic Kombucha
Omar and Mina, creators of Kosmic, found out about about kombucha through the yoga community in Austin. Kombucha and yoga go together like peanut butter and jelly, so it makes sense that Kosmic still has strong ties to yoga. The duo also makes exclusive flavors for a few local shops, including Wheatsville Co-op and JuiceLand.
27/ Wunderpilz Kombucha
Wunder-Pilz is sold exclusively on tap to encourage the use of existing bottles and containers. This brew is a blend of the kombucha culture, plus healthful herbs like dandelion, mugwort, and skullcap.
Fans have reported that they love Wunder-Pilz because of the high-quality ingredients and super low sugar content.
Alcoholic Beverages
29/ Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Tito’s is “America’s Original Craft Vodka” and has become a staple not only here in Austin, but nationwide. Tito started as a one-man operation, learning everything he could about distilling, and building a stillhouse where he lived and worked.
The current distillery is undergoing constant growth and construction to keep up with the demand for this smooth, Austin-based vodka.
Fun fact: Tito’s actual last name is Beveridge.
30/ Mighty Swell
Mighty Swell makes fruit-flavored spiked spritzers (say that five times fast). Sweetened with grape juice, the light, sparkling flavor is a result of all-natural ingredients.
➡️ Keep reading: Mighty Swell Pours Natural Into Cocktail in a Can
31/ Deep Eddy Vodka
Deep Eddy Vodka is named after the swimming hole in Austin. It comes in various fruit flavors, as well as a sweet tea flavor. This local business prides itself on being playful and casual–made to be easy to enjoy, whether out on the town or poolside.
@theAustinot wants to know:
Which Austin food brands do you love to buy at local grocery stores?
This article was originally published April 23, 2019.
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