Guide to Austin: Texas being fantastic hosts

Is that taco place still open near the Whole Foods / Fresh Market place?

Also, there was a good breakfast place but sobriety (or lack of it) from the night before has clouded my memory.

Publix > HEB > Kroger, FWIW

Dang autocorrect does not like Publix apparently.

I'm guessing you mean Central Market (which is actually an HEB company). There's a Taco Shack across the street, yep.

But I'd recommend Veracruz All-Natural, Fresa's Al Carbon, or Pueblo Viejo for tacos. Get the orange habanero sauce at Pueblo Viejo. That stuff is amazing. It's not as hot as it sounds.

I am from the south and grew up on Creole and Cajun cooking. Hot is not an issue with me.

What about breakfast food. Waffle House is consistent but what is good in the Mom & Pop category?

With your handle is that avatar your interpretation of Steve Dallas?

I always look at the Restaurants Andy Staples (The Athletic) put out in his "guide" for college town eating.

If I was going I would be trying BBQ somewhere and a great Tex-Mex place.

I've never been to Austin and have no idea if they are good, but here is the list:

Juan In A Million
Don Juan El Taco Grande (potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a hot tortilla

Hoover's
Jerk chicken or jerk ribs. Jamaica meets central Texas in the best way at Hoover’s, which also serves more standard barbecue and meat-and-three fare. I have a tough time ordering anything but the jerk chicken with sides of black-eyed peas and mustard greens, but they also make decadent meatloaf and a gut-busting country fried steak. After that, it’s just a matter of deciding whether you want apple, peach, blackberry, or cherry cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

La Barbecue
The Texas Trinity with one substitution. You’re getting the brisket and the pork ribs, but swap out sausage for turkey. La Barbecue’s brisket is up there with the best in the state, but it absolutely makes the best turkey in Texas.

Leroy and Lewis
Something that isn’t in the Texas Trinity. Sure, they smoke Lone Star State staples like brisket here, but the mission of Leroy and Lewis is to encourage diners to get out of their low-and-slow comfort zone. The menu changes frequently, and the fun part is trying whatever they’re experimenting with this week. Try the beef cheeks or the barbacoa. If they’re smoking burgers the day you come, order one of those. They’ve currently got pork hash and rice on the menu as a side. That’s the first time I’ve seen that South Carolina-bred dish in Texas.

Loro
The most addictive chip-and-dip dish in America. Wonton chips come with Thai green salsa and peanut sambal. No matter how hard you try and no matter how many other delicious dishes you order — and there are plenty from which to choose — you won’t be able to stop dunking chips. When you finally reach the end, you’ll seriously consider ordering more chips no matter what else is on the table. But do try to branch out a little. The char siew pork belly is a good place to start.

The Peached Tortilla
Charred brussels sprouts with bacon jam and bahn mi tacos. The traditional bahn mi (pork belly, pickled carrots and cilantro) always lent itself to the taco format, so this is a logical (and tasty) move. For dessert, you’re getting the Asian Movie Night. That’s popcorn ice cream with caramel and rice puffs. The entire time, you’re drinking Margarita De Peached (habanero infused tequila, thai basil, Cointreau, lime juice). It simultaneously heats you up and cools you down, and isn’t that what we’re all really looking for?

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Is Chuy’s on Barton Springs still there? That used to be a pretty good place, and not outrageously priced either.

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Yep, the OG Chuy's location. It's still there. Definitely take an Uber or taxi because parking sucks around there.

A lot of Austinites would disavow Chuy's but I still love it. Screw 'em. Get the BoomBoom sauce and big arse margarita.

I though Chuy's was a chain?

OK, but if I am on the road I want local

Is there a place I can exchange my dollars for pesos? You usually get raped on the exchange rate when you use green backs in the local economy.

Yeah, didn’t realize it has become a chain. BS is the original, went there years ago. My wife loved the place, and the OP is correct … you need to use Uber, for more than one reason :)

Torchy's is trash. I've never understood why they're so popular. I guess they have a good logo and aesthetic?

Go to Veracruz instead.