How good is Maritza and Reyna Vazquez’s migas taco? It has famous fans in Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray. It helped the sisters land nationwide recognition with a New York Times feature. And it’s been the basis of a growing restaurant empire that now touches upon a large swath of the city, including locations in Tarrytown and downtown (at the Line Hotel) that are close enough to the fest to make the necessary detour. If sneaking away for lunch, check out Veracruz’s buttery shrimp macha tacos on house-made corn tortillas.
2401 Winsted Lane, 111 E. Cesar Chavez St.
The second location of this casual counter-service spot from MML Hospitality opened in May and is tailor-made for festival weekends. In the morning are glazed crullers, pastries from its sister bakery, Swedish Hill, and breakfast tacos elevated by Lamberts brisket and vegetarian options like roasted cauliflower. There’s also an enviable outdoor patio for those that just want to cool off with a pitcher of Live Oak Hefeweizen or Pinthouse’s Electric Jellyfish IPA for practically the same price you’ll be paying for a single can inside the festival gates.
Convenience is king, especially when you’re facing daunting lines all weekend. This homegrown brand offers efficient online ordering so you can just click and pick up. And for the more ambitious among us, the Barton Creek Greenbelt is located just across the street from the Spyglass location, in case you want to work off all those cheesy mashed potato tacos with Doña sauce…or maybe just a regretful number of libations from the evening before.
Let’s say you’re taco’d out (we know, not likely), or you just need an a.m. change of pace. Try the best breakfast sandwich in the city: Avocado mashed into every nook and cranny of a toasted English muffin, a fried egg, house-made sage sausage, and a crispy hash brown patty slathered with smoked paprika aioli. Along with chef Rich Reimbolt’s take on the Whataburger honey butter chicken biscuit, and pastry chef Lindsay O’Rourke’s laudable selection of sweets (spiced churros, orange blossom crullers, pecan-maple sticky buns, and more), you can see why we named it one of the Top 10 Restaurants in Austin.
Fair warning: Due to its immediate vicinity to Zilker Park, crowds to get in here might rival those at the Tito’s stage. Plus, its shrunken menu—still not amended since the start of the pandemic—is an outrage (No chile relleno? No Elvis green chile fried chicken?!). But it’s hard to argue with the siren call of salty tortilla chips dunked into jalapeño ranch dip, enchiladas enrobed in Boom-Boom sauce, and chilly margs just waiting to give you glorious brain freeze after a day in the sun.
Most of the city’s best barbecue is over on the East Side…minus a few outliers, including this conveniently located exception. One branch of the iconic Black family (Terry is the brother of Kent Black in Lockhart), they specialize in traditional post-oak smoked meats like juicy brisket, turkey, and massive beef ribs. The sides are what really sets them apart though, with dill-flecked baked potato salad, decadent cream corn, and some seriously outstanding mac and cheese.
The rooftop patio at this high-end counterpart to El Chile is some of the most coveted real estate on Barton Springs Road come ACL weekend. Perched high above Peter Pan Mini-Golf, it’s an ideal spot to get away from the madness with a fresh watermelon margarita or a bowl of its signature queso enriched with crab simmered in ancho chile butter.
Maybe you had the forethought to book a room at this boutique hotel months ago. If so, kudos…although everyone staying five-deep in an overpriced AirBnb hates your guts right now. Nonetheless, bask in your privilege by casually imbibing on frozen negronis and blood orange mimosas just a stone’s throw from the festival. Or explore its menu filled with Central Texas comfort food like tender chicken schnitzel, cashew queso, and a gooey labneh-feta dip that can be sopped up with green olive focaccia.
So many possibilities in such a small stretch. At the bottom of the hill is Deep Eddy Pool for all those early-rising go-getters who want to take an invigorating dip before the festivities. At street level is the eternal dank and dusk of Austin’s greatest dive bar: Deep Eddy Cabaret. And right smack in-between is this Airstream cooking up Wagyu beef burgers like the Blue Hawaiian with griddled pineapple, bacon, and blue cheese crumbles. Take your selection inside the shadowy confines upstairs to lounge alongside Willie and Conway Twitty on the juke, or just grab a mai tai at the adjoining Tiki bar and enjoy the sounds of the fest drifting down from the Roberta Crenshaw Bridge.
Not only does this joint project from Aaron Franklin (Franklin Barbecue) and Tyson Cole (Uchi) have one of the best oak-shaded patios in Austin, but it also has one of the last great happy hours in town. Starting at 2 p.m., you can get $5 frozen gin and tonics or mojitos, inexpensive smash burgers, and the chance to try Franklin’s vaunted brisket minus the hours-long line. Regarding the latter, the only difference here is that each peppery slab comes layered on a tostada with shishito salsa verde.
Hearty tonkatsu ramen in the Texas heat? Consider the viscous pork bone broth, chewy noodles, and salty ajitama egg your guaranteed hangover buster. Even if you didn’t overdo it on Pacifico tallboys yesterday, it’s worth checking out ground zero for ramen in Austin. Started by Tatsu Aikawa in 2012, the restaurant has since launched a thriving scene for the Japanese specialty, not to mention five highly influential locations of the chef’s original concept.
Whether it’s Via’s trailer in front of Star Bar, its Rainey Street digs, or the brick-and-mortar on East Sixth next to Suerte, carb-y contentment awaits until midnight (or later). The airy crust, that outer ring of crispy melted cheese, and even the red sauce ladled over the top are all signatures of the Detroit-style pizza largely codified by owners Zane and Brandon Hunt. The always-satisfying square pies have been the preferred way to cap off a night since they opened their first food truck at the Violet Crown Social Club in 2011.
600 W. Sixth St., 96 Rainey St., 1802 E. Sixth St.
Post-fest feasting is not for the diet-conscious. Good, now that that’s established, you can go guilt-free into this gluttonous menu that has one goal in mind: keeping you standing while partaking of Nickel City’s standout array of classic cocktails inside. Don’t be afraid to get dirty (or even dirtier than you probably already are after 10 hours crammed into a sweaty crowd) with sloppy chili cheese coney dogs, double-fried Buffalo wings, onion rings slathered in ketchup, or even an elevated take on McDonald’s’ McRib sandwich.
If you’re considering a trip over to Rainey for Via 313, you might also consider Spicy Boy’s truck outside of Half Step. A 2019 Best of ATX winner for best fried chicken, the trailer has tasty options like its traditional bone-in versions dredged in sweet chili honey and fried shallots, nuggets, or a fiery sandwich topped with house-made chili oil and massaman curry mayo.
Granted, this is a little further afield than you might like to Uber, but it’s well worth it for a premier East Side patio that’s open until 2 a.m. Choose from sandwiches like its herby grilled cheese oozing with fontina and Havarti or indulge in its vegetarian-friendly Frito pie covered in green chili beer beans.
We look back at the breakout stars, curious misses, and wildest moments of weekend one.
Show some love to these homegrown talents gracing the festival stage this year.
From how to get there to where to grab a bite to what you can bring to Zilker Park, here is a helpful primer for festivalgoers.
1712 Rio Grande Street, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78701
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1712 Rio Grande Street, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78701
Website by Web Publisher PRO