Food Archives - Page 46 of 47

Johnny T’s BBQ: Mouthwatering Texas Joint in Round Rock

June 13, 2012 by Eric Highland 4 Comments

I’m always looking for those great Texas BBQ spots anywhere close to Austin, and you know that when I’ve found one I’m going to share it. Those that have kept up with the Austinot also know that when we review a spot, we shoot straight from the hip.

Recently, Brittany and I were out and about just north of Austin in the Round Rock area. We were hungry after a long day of work, so we did a quick search on our phones and found that people were pretty happy with Johnny T’s BBQ. We decided to check it out for ourselves. [Read more…]

The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge #5: El Mercado

June 11, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 3 Comments

Summer is well on its way, and this weeked I had a chance to beat the heat at El Mercado. So far during The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge, I’ve learned that the title of “Best Tex-Mex in Austin” is very subjective. Plus, it takes a ton of time and work for an out-of-state immigrant like myself to fully understand it.

Despite these hurdles, I can do my civic duty by telling people a bit about some Tex-Mex places they haven’t visited yet. Check it out! [Read more…]

Guest Blog: The Mighty Cone – Pioneer Among Austin Food Trucks

June 6, 2012 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

Editor’s Note: Since The Mighty Cone’s food trailer court shut down on South Congress, they relocated to The Picnic at 1720 Barton Springs Road.

This guest blog post is by Kristin Sheppard.

Austin is inundated with so many fantastic food trucks that it’s easy to forget they weren’t always here. In the last couple years there’s been a sonic boom, with gourmet delights exploding from every vacated Airstream, bus, and trailer. Each day it seems that new ground is broken and we are testing the limits of what complicated concoctions can be produced in a tiny room on wheels. Mere street food is elevated to an art form, and isn’t that the way it should be? [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt #2: Genuine Joe Coffee

May 21, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 5 Comments

Austin coffee shops come in many different shapes and sizes. You can find them in strip malls and shady groves. Today I’m delighted to review Genuine Joe Coffee, a house-turned-coffee-shop with a unique concept of its own.

I haven’t seen a city that enjoys renovating houses into businesses as much as Austin, Texas. It’s pretty rad, I admit. There is a type of informal and rejuvenating je ne sais quoi that comes with ripping out the carpet of an old two bedroom to set up shop. Because Genuine Joe is among Austin’s [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt: What Makes A Coffee Shop Great?

May 16, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 10 Comments

According to those of you who read my last blog entry about Epoch Coffee, every coffee shop should be treated individually, according to its own strengths and weaknesses.

So I come to you with a question:

What makes a coffee shop great?

A popular and intelligent coffee blog called Coffee Cup News uses the following criteria to rank the quality of a coffee shop. I’d like to run the list by any coffee gurus who read this blog regularly and get your thoughts. Here is this list with my thoughts on each topic. What do you [Read more…]

The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge #4: Taqueria Arandas

May 9, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 18 Comments

Hi, everybody! Thanks for keeping up with my Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge series. Though the Austinot is more than an Austin food blog, we do love to feature good food! We’ve made a lot of progress on the hunt for the best Tex-Mex in Austin, and I’m grateful for all of the advice you’ve sent my way. There have been a few specific suggestions I will focus on from here on out:

Branch out food-wise. Since I’m relatively new to Tex-Mex, I’ve been sticking to traditional Tex-Mex entrees. You’ve given me so many different food suggestions that I don’t know where to start! From now on, I will branch out and order plates that include more that one type of food. If nothing else, I’ll order different styles of food wherever I go.
Eat less gringo-ey. I had no clue that every Texan is a self-proclaimed Tex-Mex connoisseur. Now I know. I have been directed toward multiple restaurants where “true” Tex-Mex can be found by readers who live and die by their Tex-Mex.

[Read more…]

Austin Java: More Than Just Austin Coffee

May 2, 2012 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Austin Java is closing its Barton Springs location on July 1, 2018, due to rising property taxes. A new location will open at 5404 Manchaca Road.

Running an Austin blog, I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. Every day I get to explore Austin, meet fascinating people, and write about a city that I love to discover.

Most days, I’m out and about and normally have a long list of people who I’m meeting with. More often than not, my meetings are one right after the other. Because of this routine, I’m frequently looking for great local spots to work from for the day.

Enter Austin Java on Barton Springs.

I don’t know about you, but in order for me to plant myself for a few hours and get down to interviews and writing, I have certain things that I’m looking for when it comes to establishments. [Read more…]

The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge #3: Chuy’s Tex-Mex

May 1, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 22 Comments

I am sure you’ve heard of Chuy’s. It’s basically a household name around Austin. Beginning in 1982, Chuy’s Tex-Mex was formed from the remains of an old barbecue restaurant on Barton Springs. Two friends named Mike and John barely scraped together enough cash to buy the building, much less fill it with decorations. So the guys thought for a second and bought the first cheap decor they saw, which happened to be paintings of Elvis and Stevie Wonder. Thus an avalanche of color and diversity flowed into Chuy’s Tex-Mex…that hasn’t stopped yet. Today, you’ll find Chuy’s spreading Austin Tex-Mex to various states beneath the Mason-Dixon line.

Walking into Chuy’s N. Lamar location for the first time was a shocking experience. [Read more…]

Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge: Trudy’s Tex-Mex and Bar

April 23, 2012 by Dustin Vegas 16 Comments

Today marks another leg of my journey to discover the best Austin Tex-Mex. When I first wrote about Maudie’s, I asked you to recommend restaurants that I should check out. Instantly, you blew up The Austinot’s Facebook, Twitter, and email accounts.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Hopefully you can see that I’m doing my best to make it to your favorite places in Austin. Due to popular demand, I most recently checked out Trudy’s Tex-Mex and Bar.

Trudy’s may be the most controversial Tex-Mex restaurant on my list. Small verbal skirmishes erupted whenever somebody mentioned its name. Our readers either praised it or condemned it for various reasons.

A business doesn’t attain that level of [Read more…]

Where Is the Best Thai Food in Austin?

April 16, 2012 by Eric Highland 57 Comments

Editor’s Note, February 26, 2014: Titaya’s is back! It took forever and I seriously lost hope that it would ever open up again. But it has and – in renovated form – it is absolutely beautiful! I tried it out to make sure the quality of the food didn’t bite the dust with the demolition of the old space. I liked what I saw and tasted. The world is right-side-up again.

Editor’s Note, September 20, 2013: To our immense disappointment, Titaya’s shut down for “temporary renovations” in December 2012 and has yet to reopen. Our hopes of tasting Titaya’s tempting cuisine has faded over the past months, and we’ve found ourselves hiding under the eaves of Thai Cuisine for solace.

At the Austinot, we are always searching for the next Austin gem. Just recently, we were wondering the answer to this question:

Where is the best Thai food in Austin?

I’m going to share my pick with you in this post. I know that our readers might disagree, but let me challenge you to comment if you disagree, and tell me your favorite. We’d be happy to go check out your recommendations because we love Thai food. And to say that we love exploring new restaurants in Austin would be an understatement.

Ready for my thoughts on the best Thai food in Austin? Check this…

So the other night, Brittany and I had a hankerin’ (this is Texas, you get hankerin’s ’round here) for some [Read more…]

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