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Where to Find the Best Austin Food: Tex-Mex, BBQ, Breakfast Tacos and More

Discover popular Austin food including Tex-Mex and BBQ. Learn about must eat places in Austin including steak restaurants and breakfast taco spots. Experience Austin street food through the city’s food truck culture.
Austin food is world renowned. Austin is just a 3 hour drive from Houston and is known as a mecca for foodies, or at least a mecca for people with big appetites. 

There are so many fun places to eat Austin featuring Tex-Mex (breakfast tacos, anyone?), world-class barbecue, sweet treats, and more.

Join me as I share some of my food finds from my recent business trip in Austin. All must eat places in Austin that we tried come locally recommended or at least highly rated on Google Maps. 

Take time to eat Austin, you won’t regret it. The city has something for every taste.

Pork rib and brisket BBQ platter at the Salt Like in Austin, Texas

1. Torchy's Tacos at the Food Truck Trailer Park

Torchy's Tacos sign at the Food Truck Trailer Park in Austin, Texas
Food trucks are a big thing in Austin and Torchy's Tacos is one of the best according to fellow travel blogger Danielle from Boots Not Roots. 

Located in the Food Truck Trailer Park, the menu comes with some memorable options like the Democrat (shredded beef barbacoa, avocados, queso fresco, and tomatillo sauce on a corn tortilla) and the Republican (jalapeno sausage, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, and poblano sauce on a flour tortilla). 
Torchy's Tacos menu at the Food Truck Trailer Park in Austin, Texas
We also sampled deep fried cookie dough to finish off our Torchy's feast.
Deep fried cookie dough at Torchy's Tacos in the Food Truck Trailer Park in Austin, Texas
The Food Truck Trailer Park also features an eclectic mix of bronzed art. The place has great atmosphere.
Bronzed eclectic artwork at the Food Truck Trailer Park in Austin, Texas

2. Chuy's Tex-Mex and Shrine to Elvis

Enchilada platter from Chuy's Tex-Mex in Austin, Texas
My friend Alisa from Travel Sandwich, a former Austin local now living in Dublin, told me that Chuy's Tex-Mex is a can't miss stop. She happened to be in town at the same time I was and so we treated ourselves to a two margarita lunch (the Texas version of a three martini lunch ;-)). 

The margies were by far the best that I had in Austin and the enchiladas were pretty darn good too. Chuy's also has a shrine to Elvis and seems to be holding out hope that he's still alive...somewhere.
Shrine to Elvis at Chuy's in Austin, Texas

3. Mexican Al Fresco at Polvo's

Mexican food at Polvo's in Austin, Texas
For food that's less Tex and more Mex, check out Polvo's. We ate outside on the patio and enjoyed generous portions of enchiladas with all the trimmings. Polvo's also features a help yourself salsa bar which definitely won them points in my book!

4. Breakfast Tacos at Tacodeli

Breakfast tacos and coffee at Tacodeli in Austin, Texas
Considering how much I love Mexican food, you can imagine how excited I was to learn that Austin is famous for breakfast tacos. Yes, that's right...tacos for breakfast! 

Once again, my friend Alisa came through for me and pointed me at Tacodeli. 2 eggy, cheesy tacos later drenched in salsa and washed down with a cup of coffee and I was ready to face the day. 

5. Saltgrass Steakhouse

Saltgrass Steakhouse: Texas Cookin' Goin' on here! in Austin, Texas
One of my colleagues really wanted to try a Texas steak so we sought out the Saltgrass Steakhouse. We enjoyed tremendously large (roll-me-home-I'm-so-full) portions and were surrounded by Texas kitsch decor.
Saddles inside Saltgrass Steakhouse in Austin, Texas
Kitschy decor inside Saltgrass Steakhouse in Austin, Texas

6. The Salt Lick for Texas BBQ

Pickled jalapenos at the Salt Like in Austin, Texas
No trip to Texas is complete without a stop for BBQ. We sought out The Salt Lick and enjoyed enormous platters of pork ribs and brisket with sides of beans and sweet potatoes. I loved being able to spice things up with a side of pickled jalapenos.
Pork ribs and brisket platter at the Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, Texas
We somehow managed to save room for dessert: chocolate pecan pie a la mode...
Chocolate pecan pie a la mode in Austin, Texas
...and apple pie shared among all of us at the table.
Apple pie a la mode at Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, Texas

Austin Food Map

Click on the image of the map below to open up an interactive version in Google Maps to help you plot a course to the tasty Austin food destinations covered in this post.

Austin Food Map

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Sidewalk Safari | Part-time Travel Blog: Where to Find the Best Austin Food: Tex-Mex, BBQ, Breakfast Tacos and More
Where to Find the Best Austin Food: Tex-Mex, BBQ, Breakfast Tacos and More
Discover popular Austin food including Tex-Mex and BBQ. Learn about must eat places in Austin including steak restaurants and breakfast taco spots. Experience Austin street food through the city’s food truck culture.
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