Veracruz
Veracruz is my favorite taco place in Austin and one of my favorite restaurants in general. Everything is homemade from the tortillas to the salsas and all of the food is cooked to order. Sometimes the wait can be a bit long at the trailers but the cute seating areas aren’t a bad place to pass the time.
Gluten-free: al pastor taco with corn tortilla
Vegetarian: migas taco
Franklin Barbecue
I don’t even know what to say about Franklin. Words do not do their brisket justice. It is on another plane of existence compared to other barbecue. The brisket literally melts in your mouth. The bark is peppery and burnt and the best thing ever. I could eat the bark by itself. The Texas sauce is nice but not necessary. The sausage was honestly some of the best that I’ve had but it pales in comparison to the brisket. Do yourself a favor and focus on the main event. You won’t be disappointed.
Gluten-free: brisket
Vegetarian: slaw?
Chuy’s
My boyfriend and I always go to Chuy’s after traveling back to Austin. As much as I love the number of incredible restaurants in this city, nothing encompasses Austin to me like neverending chips and creamy jalapeno and Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom enchiladas. The Boom-Boom sauce is cheesy and spicy and everything good in this world.
Gluten-free: chicka-chicka boom-boom
Vegetarian: veggie enchiladas
Amy’s Ice Creams
I think I’ve brought almost everyone that has visited me in Austin to Amy’s. It’s local, delicious, and the people who work here are so talented! The creative menu art and ice cream tricks always make me smile.
Kerbey Lane
Kerbey Lane is another place where I always take visitors. Pancakes are good any time of the day and it has a very Austin clientele and staff. If you have the sugar tolerance of a 12-year-old like me, add a cinnamon swirl to whatever the pancake of the day is despite the amount of sugar that it probably already comes with.
Gluten-free: GF pancake of the day
