Savoring Austin: Your Ultimate Guide to the City’s Best Food Trucks
Hungry for the taste of authentic Austin, Texas? Look no further than the city’s vibrant food truck culture, a treasure trove of scrumptious eats and cultural explorations ready to roll into your culinary adventures. Austin’s food trucks serve up a delectable mix of flavors from around the world that are bound to titillate your taste buds and leave you craving more. This Guide to the Best Food Trucks in Austin lets you in on where locals love to chow down and why these portable kitchens are a must-visit when in town.
Austin’s Food Truck Culture: A Forkful of History
Before you whip out your napkin, let’s travel back to how it all started. Once termed “roach coaches” and associated with quick, simple meals for workmen, Austin’s food truck scene has evolved into an eclectic mix of gastronomic experiences. Bursting with creativity and flavor, these trucks are an essential part of Austin’s cultural fabric – turning car parks into culinary hot spots, and serving everything from melt-in-your-mouth smoked brisket to tequila-infused snow cones.
Whether dishing out divine, doughy goodness on bustling avenues or tantalizing your taste buds in cozy park spaces, Austin’s food trucks have become a foodie’s paradise. This guide dives headfirst into Austin’s most loved food trucks, savoring every mouthful of the city’s eclectic culinary landscape.
Digging In on Congress Avenue – Austin’s Food Truck Mile
South Congress Avenue, fondly known as SoCo, is the flagship brigade of Austin’s food truck fleet. This bustling foodie haven houses an array of delights that range from soul-satisfying BBQ to innovative vegan eats.
Torchy’s Tacos
An Austin food truck guide without Torchy’s Tacos would be sacrilege. What began as a humble food trailer on Bouldin Creek was destined for culinary greatness. Now with multiple locations, their ‘Damn Good’ slogan truly lives up to its name.
- What to Try: Far from mere tortilla, filling, and salsa, their creations are refreshingly innovative. Try the ‘Trailer Park’ (fried chicken, green chiles, lettuce, pico de gallo, and cheese on a flour tortilla) or the ‘Dirty Sanchez’ (scrambled eggs with fried poblano chile, guacamole, escabeche carrots, and shredded cheese). Don’t forget to sip on their cool, refreshing margaritas – ‘Trailer Park’ style of course.
Burro Cheese Kitchen
Next on the gastronomic road trip is Burro Cheese Kitchen. This isn’t your predictable paper-wrapped, flattened sandwich. Oh no, this is grilled cheese made gourmet.
- What to Try: Every sandwich here is a masterpiece of artisan bread, cheese, and carefully balanced flavors. The ‘Waylon & Willie’, with gooey gouda, sharp cheddar, sweet caramelized onions, and spice provided by pepperoncini peppers, is a crowd favorite.
East Austin: The Offbeat Foodie Wonderland
Then there’s East Austin. Rich in cultural diversity, this neighborhood has embraced the underdog stories of food truck owners, creating a vibrant environment where food experimentation thrives.
Veracruz All Natural
At the heart of East Austin’s diverse food scene is Veracruz All Natural. This family-owned food truck serves some of the most authentic Mexican food in Austin.
- What to Try: Veracruz’s migas tacos, featuring light, homemade tortillas enveloping fluffy scrambled eggs, ripe avocado, shredded cheese, and zesty pico de gallo, have gathered a cult following. Squeeze a lime, add their secret recipe hot sauce, and have a comida fiesta.
La Barbecue
Tucked into the Quickie Pickie convenience store, La Barbecue serves BBQ so heavenly that the hour-long wait seems trivial in hindsight.
- What to Try: Masterfully smoked and seasoned, their brisket is a must-try. Their pull-apart tender sausage and pulled pork are also crowd-pleasers. Try their hit sandwich, ‘El Sancho’, which piles expertly smoked meats onto a soft bun for a journey of textures and flavors.
Rainey Street: Foodie Fun Meets Nightlife Nirvana
Rainey Street is where food truck magic meets Austin’s kinetic bar scene. In this corner of the city, decadent desserts and Detroit-style pizzas dazzle amidst twinkling lights and live music strains.
Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts
After a night of bar-hopping, you might find yourself outside the hot pink establishment of Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts. Here, late-night sugary craving find their match.
- What to Try: These mini sweets are fried fresh right before your eyes, and then dusted with flavored sugars of your choice – perhaps cinnamon, vanilla or pumpkin spice. You’ll fall in love with these simple yet irresistible treats.
Via 313
Rainey Street also houses Detroit-style pizza haven, Via 313. Their signature thick yet fluffy crust, high-quality ingredients, and sauce-striped topping style have captivated Austinites and tourists alike.
- What to Try: Do try their house favorite, ‘The Detroiter’, which doubles down on smoked pepperoni for a meaty bite. Vegetarians can opt for the ‘Rocket’ with wild arugula, a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Feasting and Bonding Over Austin’s Flourishing Food Trucks
Food is a shared experience, a way to forge connections, spin stories, and experience the world. And in Austin, every food truck comes with a tale, a delight, and a sense of community. With this Guide to the Best Food Trucks in Austin in hand, you’re ready to navigate the city’s bustling food truck landscape. Get ready for a festival of flavors, one food truck at a time.
Remember, the heart and soul of Austin’s culinary scene are as mobile as the kitchens that serve them. Always check their websites or call ahead to confirm the latest location and timings of these trucks.
