Where to eat in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas?
I am vacationing in Texas in December: 2 days in San Antonio, 1 day in Austin, 2 days in Dallas/Plano. Where should I eat? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner recommendations welcomed and appreciated!
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19 Comments:
I should add that I live in New York and probably won't want to go to any sushi or Italian or similar restaurants. I'm seeking a real Southwest / Tex-Mex / American culinary experience, so hopefully your suggestions will help me experience the breadth and quality that I know Texas has to offer!
lily314 at 9:27AM on 10/04/07
for cheap tex-mex in austin, i recommend las manitas, curra's (actually more interior mexican than tex-mex), maudie's, or angies, or even trudy's in a pinch (or if you just want to get sloshed on their mexican martinis). el chile, manuel's and z'tejas are a little more upscale. for great interior mexican that is a little more pricey, go to fonda san miguel, especially if you are there on the weekend and can have brunch. austin land and cattle for a good steak. i love ranch 616 for its quirkiness and moonshine more for the atmosphere than the food, which can be spotty, so just have a drink. salt lick for barbeque, which isn't perhaps the best, but the most fun, and you can bring your own drinks. no matter what anyone tells you about the view, do NOT go to the oasis or the hula hut if you are looking for edible food.
carriebwc at 9:59AM on 10/04/07
County Line BBQ in Austin. It's on Highway 2222. The road is treacherous but the reward is great.
Dave the Barbarian Chef at 10:14AM on 10/04/07
See my earlier comments here in Where to eat in Dallas
I disagree that County Line in Austin has the best BBQ. Overpriced and underwhelming. To get the best BBQ in the Hill Country you need to go outside of Austin (Salt Lick is one example, but at least 45 minutes from downtown). If you are only in Austin for 1 day I would go with one of carriebwc's tex-mex recommendations, or I second Ranch 616 or Austin Land & Cattle for their unique Austin-ness.
Jeana at 10:48AM on 10/04/07
Don't feel obligated to each only Tex-Mex or BBQ. There are over 100 cultures represented in Texas and you can try most of their foods while you're there. If you drive up IH35, you will pass through San Antonio Tex-Mex to German New Braunfels to eclectic Austin to central Texas Polish/Czech/Russian to Cowboy Dallas.
In San Antonio, hit the Pig Stand to try Onion Rings where they were created. Venture downtown to El Mercado to eat at La Fuerta, authentic Tex-Mex or hit the Republic of Texas on the RiverWalk for some "cowboy" food. If you head just 20 minutes north of SA-town, you will be in New Braunfels. NB still serves up authentic German food, like at Friesenhaus off the square that still has Stammstich every Friday morning complete with homemade strudel and spoken High German. Nagelin's on the NB square also has the best sticky buns you've ever had. Huisache Grill NB downtown serves up New American Classics with a daily special that includes speciality soup, main course and homemade deserts, all which highlight the season. Mamarita's, a Mexican food chain owned by Pakistani immigrants, highlights a blended Tex-Mex food. Just outside of NB is Gruene (pronounce Green), a more touristy town highlighting summer toobing, but with some pretty good eats at either the Gristmill or Gruene River Grill (all good for a lunch, dinner gets too crowded) for new American classic cuisine.
In Austin, I have to agree to hit up Salt Lick for BBQ, Amy Moo's for ice cream (great regional chain that has each store making its own ice cream daily) and Sixth Street for good times:)
(Can you tell I'm from New Braunfels?)
Fruiticake at 2:45PM on 10/04/07
Second the pick on Las Manitas. I went there for brunch on the advice of a friend and Austin native, and went back the last time I was there. Also, try Guero's (spelling?) on South Congress..
alyssa at 3:13PM on 10/04/07
While in Dallas/Plano: check out Breadwinners for breakfast/brunch or Mattito's for a delicious weekend brunch; for lunch, swing by Chuy's, Blue Goose or Manny's for Tex-Mex; and dinner - Hibiscus, Hector's on Henderson or The Porch are all located in the Knox-Henderson area of Dallas just off I-75, while Hattie's and Tillmans Roadhouse located in the Bishop Arts District are also well known for their gourmet home cooking. You can make reservations at a number of these restaurants on OpenTable.com or by calling them directly. Last I checked, these eateries offered their full menus online. Happy dining!
xtremlee at 3:25PM on 10/04/07
Dallas: Dream Cafe, or if you're more on the Fort Worth side, hit up Joe T. Garcia's and sit outside. Looove their fajitas!
Austin: Chuy's for a real "Austin" experience (it's a chain now, but began in Austin with two guys who only had $20 for decorating, and a penchant for Elvis, hubcaps, and painted wooden fish). Fonda San Miguel or El Chile for Sunday brunch, Kerbey Lane Cafe (the one on Kerbey Lane) for breakfast all other times. Skip Trudys unless you want a super good Mexican Martini - the food is only so-so. Good BBQ, either County Line or Salt Lick.. everyone's pretty split on which one is better. I like 'em both, but County Line makes the best turkey. Skip most of the steak places though, you'll get a better one in NYC, have to say. Oh, and definitely hit up Amy's Ice Creams if you're an ice cream fan. Best ice cream anywhere, ever, period.
San Antonio: Eat on the Riverwalk, lots of great restaurants. Boudro's for game birds - duck and quail, soooo good. They also make great guacamole, right at your table. Pesca for fish dishes, especially their lunch specials. Las Canarias for upscale, reliably done standards - everything they make is good, but it's not adventurous or creative by any means. Most of the restaurants on the Riverwalk post their menus outside, so wander around and you're bound to find something that catches your interest!
Hope that helps, and enjoy your visit!
myzkyti at 4:10PM on 10/04/07
Austin: I'm all for Fonda San Miguel, and for a truly delicious Italian experience, try Vespaio, or Enoteca Vespaio (the smaller lunch place next door) on South Congress Avenue. I recommend the calamari and the panna cotta. You might also want to try Wink Restaurant, which I hear is good. And if you want some of the BEST sushi around, go to Uchi, on South Lamar. The sushi chef there is rumored to be a contestant on The Next Iron Chef (which might or might not be a plus in your book, but it IS interesting!).
For amazing all-organic fast food with killer milkshakes, go to P. Terry's (definitely get the chicken burger). Myzkyti is totally right about Amy's. Best ice cream around (soooo creamy and rich) with interesting flavors and super-friendly staff.
I don't think I'd agree with Chuy's. Sure, nice atmosphere, but you can get WAY better Tex-Mex at other places. For Mexican, I'd recommend Curra's and El Chile (1809 Manor Rd), which has a simple menu made of fresh ingredients and a small cult following orienting around their smoky salsa.
Let us know where you go!
Christina at 4:41PM on 10/04/07
Christina, only reason to recommend Chuy's is that it is completely "Austin" in the Keep Austin Weird sort of way. I'd say the TexMex is pretty much on par with most of the other places around, not a real stand out, but definitely something to experience to get a feel for the area. :} I love El Chile for brunch, and Curras for their avocado margaritas.. and I agree with you about El Chile's salsa.. They're supposedly going to start bottling it for sale soon! Vivo, right up the block, also has really great TexMex - great lunch specials, too.
Oh! And Eastside Cafe is another good one - on the same street as Vivo and El Chile. All natural, lots of vegetarian options, most of their vegetables and herbs are homegrown, and some of the best soups around (I have both of their soup cookbooks). I'm sure I'll think of a few other places as this thread continues!
myzkyti at 5:24PM on 10/04/07
for breakfast in austin you definitely have to get breakfast tacos! I think I've pretty muchc always gotten them from Taco Shack, but there are many different places - here's a list:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A149216
crafty at 6:29PM on 10/04/07
Look in San Antonio its simple- stay away from the river walk the food is mediocre, basically a tourist trap. Hit Taco Taco on Hildebrand for breakfast, go to Liberty Bar on Josephine for Lunch or Dinner, check out Cascabel on Saint Marys for terrific Mexican food for lunch or dinner (do not confuse with Cascabel at the Doubletree) -
jojo55 at 10:40PM on 10/04/07
If you're driving from Austin to Dallas, you should stop in West, Texas for kolaches, Czech pastries filled with fruit or cheese. I dream of their sausage klobasniki, like a pig in a blanket but better! There are several places that sell them, but my family's favorite is the Village Bakery. There's only one exit for West, and you take the main road (Oak Street) east into town. The Village Bakery is past the railroad tracks on the left side of the street. West even got a write-up in the New York Times in 1990. They're not open past 5 or 6, so we usually time our drive on I-35 to ensure we can get our kolache fix!
jcwest47 at 10:57PM on 10/04/07
Oh snap, I missed the note about wanting a pure Tex-Mex feeling! Sorry for the irrelevance, lily314. My bad. : (
Christina at 10:19AM on 10/05/07
I live in San Antonio and for me, TexMex means ChaCha's (not Chacho's - ugh!), Bandera or Babcock locations. Wonderful margaritas, excellent service, very reasonable prices and some great food. Another Mexican place, a little more upscale than ChaCha's - Paloma Blanca, 5800 Broadway. Great flavors, food is fresh and not covered with a lot of sauce; fish tacos are great.
For breakfast in San Antonio, you have to try a breakfast taco - come in lots of varieties, bacon/egg, egg/potato, egg/chorizo, egg/potato/sausage, etc. Lots of places serve them, so I can't recommend just one.
In San Antonio, BBQ - Rudy's, hands down - several locations around town. Their brisket and ribs are the best.
I second Eastside Cafe in Austin and Joe T's in Fort Worth.
Y'all have a great time! =)
Kimc54 at 1:49PM on 10/05/07
Dallas: Taco Diner and La Cucina (same owners and w/ locations in Fort Worth) are good, more casual; the steakhouses are nice, but I'm vegetarian so just ate lots of creamed spinach and roasted vegs - but Guidelive.com is a popular DFW guide.
Forth Worth - the Modern art museum cafe is nice; the food's alright and they have a brunch but the atmosphere is what's really yummy!
and second on checking out the Czech bakery en route from DFW to Austin.
Austin: for a drink, San Jose Hotel has a great outdoor bar; go for a swim in Barton Springs! and if you want to go to Chuy's, there's one very close, and P. Terry's is close too. Guero's food is so-so, but again great atmosphere - and featured in Quetin Tarantino's "Death Proof." I like Magnolia Cafe for brunch and you must go to Whole Foods - it's the flagship! More than a grocery store, it's an amusement park and then go to Waterloo Records across the street.
Have fun!
porter 3 at 3:48PM on 10/06/07
If you want a great-big-anything-goes burrito check out Freebirds World Burrito (http://www.freebirds.com/fast/locations.htm). It is like Subway for burritos, but better. I went to university in College Station, & those suckers were primarily responsible for my "freshman 15".
KitchenHawk at 9:48PM on 10/09/07
see this article in today's nyt.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/24texm.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
i've eaten at el jardin and it is just fine.
carriebwc at 9:47AM on 10/24/07
I have lived in both Austin and the Hill Country - here are my votes:
Austin - Kerby Lane for breakfast
Texas French Bread - breakfast or lunch
Eastside Cafe for lunch or dinner
Z-tejas lunch or dinner
Central Market on N. Lamar - fabulous grocery store - this is the original CM - pick up beautiful, fresh food to go or just wander around and taste
Magnolia Cafe - good
San Antonio
Madhatters Tea - breakfast
El Mirador - lunch - authentic food, delicious food
Liberty Bar - lunch or dinner
BBQ - Rudy's in Leon Springs OR the Shell Station at River Road and Main Street in Boerne (really it is great)
Feel like a fabulous meal - pricy but good - Bistro Vatel in Olmos Park and, fantastic and expensive - Le Reve (you need to make reservations immediately if you want to try to get in)
Good luck and happy eating,
cmckenna at 9:44PM on 11/06/07