Well, I tried to narrow this list down to the 100 Best Dishes in Austin but with my sweet tooth and all these at-home bakers, it became 112! While outsiders think Austin and Texas is just full of queso, tacos, and fatty brisket, you’ll find some great seafood, dim sum, Thai, remarkable food trucks, pizza, ice cream, and vegetarian options. Let me know if you have something to add!
2. Aster’s Ethiopian Traditional Ethiopian with a daily lunchtime buffet including: Gomen (Ethiopian-style collard greens) and Alicha Miser (split lentil with ginger and garlic)
3. ATX Cocina Short Rib Queso Fundido
4. Le Beef Burger Cheeseburger (check @lebeef.burger for pop-up times)
5. Bento Picnic Rice Bento Box with Salmon
6. Bésame Over the Rainbow Ice Cream, the Compost Cookie and any of their holiday specials (the White Chocolate Peppermint was my favorite during Christmas)
7. Better Half Cauliflower Tots with Beet Ketchup
8. Birdies Sablefish with Chilled Corn, Seafood Broth and Beet Toast (menu changes regularly)
9. Bouldin Creek Cafe Buddha Bowl special
10. Bufalina Pepperoni Pizza
11. Canje Striped Bass: Tamarind, Rum Butter, Green Mango, Papaya
12. Carpenters Hall Turkey Club Sandwich
13. Carnitas el Güero Carnitas and Quesadilla
14. Casa de Luz Guacamole Tacos on Wednesday
15. Chapulin Cantina Barbacoa De Chivo Con Consomé
16. Churro Co. Campfire Churro with Graham Cracker Sugar, Mexican Chocolate Sauce, Marshmallow
17. Cisco’s Migas Plate
18. Clark’s Cioppino
19. Comedor Bone Marrow Tacos
20. Deckhand Oyster Bar Seafood Gumbo
21. De Nada Cantina Fried Mexico City Carnita Quesadilla
22. Eberly Grilled Octopus
23. Emmer & Rye Mushrooms: Lion’s Mane, Icicle Radish, Carolina Gold Rice, Roasted Koji (comes with best Roti), menu changes daily
24. El Alma Ceviche with Fried Chips
25. El Borrego de Oro Chicken Tortilla Soup
26. El Primo Breakfast Taco with Beans
27. Elizabeth Street Cafe Bún with Red Fish + extra greens and Wonton Soup
28. Epicerie Grits Bowl with Lion’s Mane Mushrooms & Funfetti Cookie
29. Este Tuna Crudo
30. Dovetail Bittersweet Pizza
31. Fonda San Miguel Calabacitas Rellenas: Baked Zucchini Filled with Corn, Cheese, & Jitomate
32. Four Seasons: Live Oak Lounge Tuna Nachos
33. Franklin BBQ Brisket & Pork Ribs (they fall off the bone)
34. Fresa’s Power Bowl: Chicken, Sweet Potato, Avocado, Chickpeas, Cauliflower, Pickled Onion & Cookies n’ Cream Ice Cream
35. Gati Golden Milk or Pandan Ice Cream (all ice cream is vegan)
36. Granny’s Tacos Chilaquiles Taco
37. Hestia Scallop in Beef Tallow, Shoyu, Apple
38. Il Brutto Lasagna Alla Bolognese with Beef Ragu, Bechamel, Parmigiano
39. Intero Wood Fire Pizza
40. Jim Jim’s Half Sour Watermelon and Half Melon Water Ice with Vanilla Soft Serve (It’s called Creamsicle)
41. Jeffrey’s King Crab, Avocado Toast & the Burger (I prefer to sit at the bar)
42. Joann’s Fine Foods Avocado Tacos & Green Chicken Enchiladas
43. Josephine House Huevos Rancheros
44. June’s All Day Matzo Ball Caldo
45. Juniper Cacio e Pepe
46. Justine’s Steak Tartare
47. Kalimoxto Spanish Tortilla
48. Kellie’s Baking Co. Stuffed Reese’s Cookie
49. Kiin Di Ka Pow Street Style with Chicken
50. Kinda Tropical Sesame Chicken Salad & Yucca Fries
51. Kome Spooky Roll
52. Koriente Obake Bowl A- Chicken Sautéed with Mushrooms, Broccoli, Carrots, Rice
53. La BBQ Turkey
54. La Condesa Esquites
55. La Piscina Chicken Fajitas
56. La Tunita 512 Birria Taco
57. Lamberts Prime Niman Ranch Ribeye with Mustard & Brown Sugar Crust
58. Launderette Birthday Cake Ice Cream Sandwich
59. LeRoy & Lewis Akaushi Brisket Saturday and Sunday only & Kale Caesar Slaw
60. Lichas Choriqueso
61. Lenoir Goan-style Crab Curry Whole Fish
62. Local Foods Gulf Seafood Sandwich & Fancy Peanut Butter Cookie
63. L’Oca d’Oro Meatballs
64. Loro Malaysian Chicken Bo Ssam
65. Love Supreme Pizza Roasted Cauliflower with Almond Vinaigrette, Golden Raisin Pesto
66. Magnolia Cafe Chocolate Chip Pancakes
67. Maie Day Mac N’ Cheese
68. Malibu Poke Classic Tuna Bowl
69. Manuel’s Crab Nachos
70. Matt’s El Rancho Bean and Cheese Nachos with Fajita Chicken
71. Maudie’s Tamale Breakfast Taco
72. Mattie’s at Green Pastures Biscuits
73. Mum Foods Pastrami Sandwich
74. Musachino Escarole Nigiri and Sushi
75. Monger’s Smoked Fish Dip and Tuna Poke (for lunch)
76. Nixta Duck Carnitas Taco
77. Oseyo Wood Grilled Mackerel
78. Otoko 20-course Omakase (p.s. special $150 omakase First Thursdays)
79. Pacha Cafe Banana Pancakes
80. Perla’s Red Fish on the Halfshell with Red Chimichurri & Shrimp Cocktail
81. Pho Please Grilled Chicken Rice Paper Rolls
82. Pieous Smoked Pastrami
83. Polvo’s Fish Fajitas
84. Qi Shanghai Soup Dumplings & Egg Drop Soup
85. Red Ash Hot & Crispy Country Italian Garlic Bread
86. Russell’s Bakery Coconut Cake
87. Rollin Smoke BBQ QuesaTaco with Beef Cheek on Sunday
88. Sammie’s Orecchiette
89. Saps F11 aka Guay Teaw Kua Gai: Flat rice noodles stir fried with your choice of meat, eggs, bean sprout, pickled radish & soy sauce
90. Spicy Boys at St. Elmo Panang Curry
91. Suerte Goat Barbacoa
92. Summer House Whole Branzino with Pickled Chilies, Preserved Lemon Saffron Sauce, Greens & Ribeye for 2
93. Sushi by Scratch Restaurants 17-course Nigiri Sushi Omakase
94. Sway Jungle Curry: Black Angus Brisket, Okra, Thai Eggplant, Corn, Fresno Chili
95. Taco Flats Black & Green Breakfast Taco: Grilled Jack Cheese, Black Beans, Eggs, Guac, Onion
96. Tamale House Chicken Tamale
97. Terry Black’s BBQ Giant Beef Rib & Corn Muffin (Barton Springs location)
98. Texsueño Sweet Potato Taco
99. Thai Fresh Pad Prik King or Red Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice & Salted Caramel Brownie (heated up) or Coffee Cake
100. TLV Salatim’s: Israeli Salad, Cumin Beets, Babaganoush and Moroccan Carrots
101. The Peacock Short Rib Hummus and (extra!) Pita & Wood Fire Grilled Octopus
102. The Well Overnight Oats with Blueberry and Banana
103. Thorough Bread Banana Nutella Cookie
104. Tomodachi Miller Roll
105. Uchi Hama Chili
106. Uchiko Wagyu Tartare Nigiri & Eggplant Nigiri
107. Uncle Nicky’s Mortadella Sandwich & Olive Oil Sardines with Ritz Crackers
108. Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ Smoked Chicken Fajita Taco with Lime Guacamole, Tomato Serrano Salsa
109. Vera Cruz All Natural Migas Originales Breakfast Taco & Grilled Fish Taco at Radio location
110. Vespaio Pappardelle Bolognese
111. Walton’s Golden Egg: Nutmeg Infused Yellow Cake Dipped in Butter & Cinnamon Sugar
112. Watertrade Hamachi with Smoked Tamari, Binchotan