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Austin
Local Tastes
2008 10Best Bet - Award Winners
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SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE. Austin's diverse local flavor includes this authentic Argentinean café, where patrons sip Vienna roast coffee and engage in quiet conversation over piping hot empanadas and tostado de jamon y queso (toasted ham and cheese). The charming, cozy ambience is reminiscent of the busy streets of Buenos Aires. Relax on the shaded patio, or take a hummus wrap and espresso to go.
WEST AUSTIN. Most of Austin makes you forget you're in Texas, but County Line snaps you back to reality. This homestyle honky tonk is a true Texas treat, with loud country music, weathered tables full of families, cold beer, warm bread, and downright finger-lickin' good barbecue. Prepare to over-indulge with all-you-can-eat platters of baby back ribs, peppered pork, and extra-moist brisket.
NORTH AUSTIN. Look for the giant fork-and-french-fry sign in the heart of Hyde Park, and you won't be disappointed. Situated in a creaky old house, Hyde Park Bar & Grill presents the casual yet upscale atmosphere that Austinites enjoy during the dinner hour. Stop here for Southern favorites like chicken-fried steak or homestyle meatloaf. A sampling of Hyde Park's award-winning French fries is also a must.
NORTH AUSTIN. This colorful café exemplifies the "Keep Austin Weird" ideal with its wacky waitstaff, eclectic menu, and local artist decor. Try the Tex-Mex platters for a satisfying snack, or choose a short stack of made-from-scratch pancakes. The Kerbey cooks use ingredients from local farms to create their Austin-inspired menu, so you're guaranteed freshness, be it at 3:30am on a Thursday or after your 45-minute wait for Sunday brunch.
NORTH AUSTIN. You may find a line out the door at Mi Victoria, but patience is a virtue, and it's worth the wait. Austinites flock to this authentic Mexican bakery for foil-wrapped, 99-cent breakfast tacos, fresh salsa, flan, tres leches, tortas, and spicy menudo (chili soup). The cash-only hole-in-the-wall is perfect for a family breakfast on the cheap or a post-lunch pastry fix.
EAST END. Central Texas boasts an abundance of community coffee shops, none of which are blessed with the unique view of downtown that Progress can offer. Begin your weekday on the breezy patio with a boost from their fair trade coffees and brown sugar organic oatmeal (arguably the best in Austin). Or, hold out until Saturday for their specialty, the Weekend Waffles, which come with a variety of scrumptious toppings.
SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE. Centrally located and subtly elegant, moderately priced South Congress Café is a crowd-pleaser, especially for Sunday brunch. Here, you'll find young professionals nursing Bloody Marys, empty nesters enjoying crab cakes and seafood parfait, and most customers drooling over carrot cake French toast, a South Congress staple. Go early to avoid the rush, and allow plenty of time for parallel parking.
NORTH AUSTIN. Long-time, upstanding members of the Austin community, Thundercloud Subs is the go-to sandwich shop for turkey clubs, Texas tuna, or egg salad (the box-lunch office party favorite). Thundercloud's no-frills approach to food makes it a mainstay with on-the-go families, and students and busy professionals appreciate the many convenient locations. Order the California club on wheat with Thunder sauce to experience lunch as a local.
THE DRAG. Worshipped by veggie lovers and embraced by carnivores, this vegetarian dreamland dishes up some of the best all-natural Asian food in the state. The one-room, one-waitress restaurant is cramped and devoid of decor, but steaming dishes of tofu, vegetables, and sticky rice are delivered to your table literally minutes after you've ordered. Austinites show their admiration by bustling around town in $5 Veggie Heaven t-shirts.
EAST AUSTIN. East Austin is home to young, hip Vivo, an ideal retreat for folks in need of a strong drink after a long day. Low-lit and sexy, its stylish interior invites you in for cold cervezas and spicy Tex-Mex. Pair Vivo's signature puffy tacos with a build-your-own margarita, or enjoy chips and queso on the lush outdoor dining patio. Maybe you stumbled upon it during your travels. Perhaps a friend told you to go. Maybe you live in the city, and it's your special place. However you've come to know it, it's that one special restaurant that just defines the city. You know the ones you love; now, we'll tell you the treasures in other cities. Discover established eateries with distinct character, hole-in-the-wall diners, or high-end, chef-run establishments. We'll let you know what locals like and give you a leg up on what's best and brightest.
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Maybe you stumbled upon it during your travels. Perhaps a friend told you to go. Maybe you live in the city, and it's your special place. However you've come to know it, it's that one special restaurant that just defines the city. You know the ones you love; now, we'll tell you the treasures in other cities. Discover established eateries with distinct character, hole-in-the-wall diners, or high-end, chef-run establishments. We'll let you know what locals like and give you a leg up on what's best and brightest.
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