Carmelo’s: From Italy To Texas

This top-flight Italian eatery has been dazzling Austinites for years. And with just one bite of Chef Carmelo Mauro’s spectacular cuisine, you will know why. In 1978, Mauro opened the first Carmelo’s in Houston, then expanded to Austin in 1985. In the thirty years he’s been in the business, Mauro has assembled a legion of devoted fans who claim that his place offers the best Italian in Texas, hands down. Begin your meal with the beefsteak tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, or try the mussels, flavorful and simmered in garlic white wine broth. Entrees that garner special attention are the chicken Parmesan, which is lush and delicious, as well as signature dishes like the tender Ossobucco and fettucine carbonara, which is cooked tableside. Overall, the seafood is delectable, with tender, perfectly-cooked salmon a highlight. Carmelo’s also has an excellent wine selection. For dessert, try the lemon cake, served from an old-school three-tiered dessert cart – it's some of the best in town.

Carmelo’s
504 E 5th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 477-7497

Elixer Coffee: Coffee With A Conscience

Sometimes it seems that organic food is only available exclusively to those with deep pockets, but the times are a-changin' and Austin's Elixer Coffee is proof. A cup of their smooth, smoky, organic drip coffee will only run you $2, and a latte is a mere $3. That's less than you'd pay at some chain coffee shops! Along with making exceptionally good coffee, Elixer offers incentives to encourage kindness towards our environment. Bring your own mug on Mondays and the barista will fill it with coffee for just 50 cents. Elixer offers other specials, too, like 2-for-1 Tuesdays and the Wednesday baked good special: buy any baked good and you'll get a drip coffee for free. This coffee with a conscience will leave you with a smile, without emptying your piggy bank.

Elixer Coffee
4209 Airport Boulevard
Austin, TX 78723
(512) 689-1448

Threadgill’s: Meals with Music

This legendary restaurant is open 365 days a year at both of its two locations. Threadgill's offers traditional Southern comfort, home cooked meals, and live music. Famous for being the place where Janis Joplin developed her sound, this restaurant and music hall has showcased countless talented musicians over the years. Not only are they making history with their musical acts, the North Austin location, the original Threadgill’s, has bragging rights as owning the first beer license in the county.

"Threadgill's World Headquarters", its South Austin location, hosts a family friendly beer garden as well as a Sunday Gospel Brunch. Both Austin locations have “Howdy Hour,” Monday through Friday, from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m and brunch on Sundays from 10 am – 1 pm. The North location also offers an additional after hours "happy hour" Monday through Friday from 9 – 11 p.m. Still can’t get enough? The restaurant also has an online store for restaurant merchandise including t-shirts and a cookbook.

Threadgill’s

North Austin:
6416 North Lamar
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 451-5440

South Austin:
301 West Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 472-9304

One Love Kitchen: Jamaican Cuisine in Texas

Texas may have built its culinary place in the world around a fusion of the tastes of Mexico and America, but that doesn’t mean Tex-Mex and barbecue have a monopoly on deliciousness. Austin's One Love Kitchen brings inspiration from that other region south of the border — and maybe just a few miles east — to deliver fresh, crispy jerk chicken and plantains to the Lone Star state. Try the jerk chicken plate, complete with boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in peppers and spices. It's then hardwood-smoked to achieve that just-charred jerk chicken crisp. And at only $5, the jerk chicken plate delivers on both flavor and price! Complement any of One Love Kitchen's entrees with quintessentially Caribbean sides, like coco bread or the plantains for only $2. Wash it all down with a Jamaican coffee or Caribbean soda.

One Love Kitchen
3109 E. Cesar Chavez Boulevard
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 921-2645

Barley Swine: Pork, Beer, and More

No, it’s not a grain-flavored pork dish. Austin's Barley Swine is so named because Chef Bryce Gilmore has imported his lifelong love of pork and beer to his chic Lamar Boulevard restaurant. Barley Swine keeps about 10 craft beers on draft (a few are always local Texan beers) along with dozens of bottled beers and wines for you to sip on while you ponder over Gilmore’s creative, gourmet menu. This isn’t an Austin roadside barbecue spot! Barley Swine’s offerings are all full of depth and care, like the grilled rabbit terraine with bacon-liver mousse and sweet onion, or the grilled wagyu tri-tip with onion puree and roasted pepper. Dishes run from $8-15, with the chefs recommending around three dishes for the average eater.

Barley Swine
2024 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 394-8150

Torchy’s Tacos: Tacos Perfected

If you haven’t ever had an elaborate taco, it can be hard to imagine that such a thing exists. After all, how interesting can a dish that comprises nothing but a bit of meat, a handful of veggies, and some grated cheese be? Check out Torchy’s Tacos in Austin to see the true potential of the taco. For its signature taco, Torchy’s has taken a tip from New Mexico and crafted the Green Chile Pork: roasted pork carnitas with green chiles, dressed in fresh queso sauce and topped with cilantro, onions, and lime. Or check out Torchy’s Tacos's monthly specials. One recent favorite was the American (their proudest taco yet, they say), with crispy fried chicken, pineapple coleslaw, jack cheese, pico de gallo salsa, and cilantro, drizzled with chipotle ranch sauce.

Torchy’s Tacos
5119 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 382-0823
www.torchystacos.com

Pablito’s Bakery: Tacos, Tacos, Tacos

The unassuming exterior of Pablito’s Bakery in Austin — along with the cheap prices of its food! — belie what’s in store here for your taste buds: delicious, authentic Mexican flavor with a few American dishes thrown in to boot. Pablito’s Bakery has largely built a reputation around its breakfast tacos. Pick two among your choice of egg, bacon, potato, ham, bean, sausage, and cheese. The tacos are gargantuan: one is enough for a whole meal. And despite its enormity, a taco only runs $1.29 (extra toppings for only 20 cents). Come back for lunch for more of Pablito’s affordable and generous portions. You can sample their tostadas, non-breakfast tacos, quesadillas, and cakes. This is a bakery, after all. And if your pennies are really pinched, grab some tamales for only a dollar each!

Pablito’s Bakery
1015 E. Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 491-8902
www.pablitosbakery.com

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer: Locavore Delights

Do you know where that burger came from? Unless the restaurant has made a point of telling you where they got it, you'll likely never know. At Austin's Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, your food comes without mystery. All the restaurant’s products come from around two-dozen local farms. Odd Duck posts the farms' names on its website, but you can also just ask your waiter. As any member of the growing locavore movement will tell you, local tastes good. Try the parmesan grits with duck egg or the porkbelly sausage with sauerkraut, arugula, and aioli and you’ll see just how much of a difference fresh makes. Since the food's locally sourced, it's seasonal too. So you should check Odd Duck’s website frequently to see what’s currently on the menu!

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer
1219 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com

Stubb’s: Legendary BBQ and Live Music

The legendary Stubb’s Bar-B-Q was originally opened in Lubbock, Texas, under the careful supervision of barbecue king Christopher B. Stubblefield. His insanely good slow-cooked meats quickly became a favorite food for central Texas’s burgeoning music scene, and eventually live music became a part of the Stubb's experience. Some of the biggest names in Lone Star rock and country played on his stage, and when the business moved to Austin it prospered even more. Stubb’s is now one of the hottest spots in Austin, continuing the tradition of bbq and great live music. Regulars rave that the beef brisket here can go toe-to-toe with any ‘cue in the world, and the sides, especially the rich macaroni and cheese, are out of sight. Live music most nights of the week features local and national bands, and the Sunday gospel brunch is truly awesome. Live gospel music, traditional Southern brunch foods like migas and fried catfish, and a great crowd will have you coming back for seconds.

Stubb’s
801 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 480-8341
www.stubbsaustin.com

Home Slice Pizza: Get a Great Slice in the Lone Star State

Pizza isn’t what you would consider a regional specialty of Texas, but you have to realize that Austin isn’t really much like the rest of the state. It’s a semi-isolated town that plays by its own rules, which means in this case, great pizza. The creatively-named Home Slice was founded to present authentic New York-style pizza—thin crust, minimal toppings, lots of attitude—and it accomplishes that task splendidly. Regulars rave about the no-nonsense pies—there’s no fusion food going on here, and none of the barbecue chicken pizza that locals seem to love. Instead, these are classic Italian combinations of fried eggplant, white sauces, and more. If you want a side, the classic salads will do you up, with special mention given to the Greek. The place is small and almost always crowded, which should give you a hint as to how good the pies are. Some also complain that service can be rude, but they learned it from the masters in New York, so fuhgeddaboutit.

Home Slice Pizza
1415 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-7437
www.homeslicepizza.com

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