Holy Cacao

Cake Shake

by Cheri Lucas

After you fill your tummy with tacos and goodies at the neighboring food trucks in this South Austin trailer lot, end your meal on a high (and sweet) note with a thick, creamy cup of heaven--a milkshake with bits of cake batter--at Holy Cacao. When ordering your milkshake, you choose the type of cake you want and mix with chocolate or vanilla ice cream. My recommendation? Pair the carrot cake with vanilla. If you fight off other pe ... Continue

Gourdough's

Round Doughy Perfection

by Sarah Enelow

Dramatic as it may seem, Gourdough's redefines the word doughnut; no longer is it a ring of stale cake with a thin layer of dry sugar. These doughnuts are serious and made fresh upon ordering. Served out of an unassuming airstream trailer, the menu offers a wide range of sweet and savory concoctions to be consumed at picnic tables with umbrellas to ward off that brutal afternoon sun. This is absolutely the freshest doughnut I've ever tasted: soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, warm with g ... Continue

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer

Gourmet on Wheels

by Sarah Enelow

This "restaurant" revives the funky spirit of old Austin by serving top-of-the-line food out of a trailer. The menu at Odd Duck Farm to Trailer is seasonal and brief, but features such succulent gourmet items as pulled rabbit leg with grilled squash, quail with brussel sprouts, kale salad, and pork belly sliders, all for around $5-6 each. Clearly you're not paying for the chandelier, or even the trailer hitch, so be prepared to BYOB and stake out a picnic table with the other discerning foodies. ... Continue

Stubb's BBQ

Chopped Beef Bonanza

by Sarah Enelow

For my money, based on growing up in the Texas Hill Country and sampling eats for miles in every direction, Stubb's has some of the best BBQ in Austin. Donn's in Oak Hill is also a personal favorite, though all you fellow Texans out there could debate this topic for hours. Despite all of Austin's business turnover and transient University of Texas population, Stubb's has been here through it all, since the city's glory days in the 1970s. Their slow-cooked chopped beef is seasoned impeccably and ... Continue

Vulcan Video

VHS Memories

by Sarah Enelow

Austin is in a state of constant evolution (or devolution, depending on who you ask), but Vulcan Video is still amazing and still standing. This independent video store appears to be thriving despite the internet takeover, due to their impressive and quirky selection, late hours, and rock-bottom prices. They have all your old favorites, cult classics, foreign films, new releases, and pretty much everything, so even if you're addicted to Netflix, pay Vulcan a visit and between the two you'll have ... Continue

Taqueria Arandas

Comfort Comida

by Sarah Enelow

The fine city of Austin is blessed with many homestyle Mexican joints and Taquería Arandas just joined my list of favorites. Not only is this friendly little diner inexpensive (you can fill up for $3-5), but the portions are generous and everything is fresh and well cooked. Their cheesy enchiladas are blissful, the corn tortillas and huevos a la mexicana are excellent, and both the red and green salsas remind me of what Mexican comfort food ought to be. The service is good and it's no-frills, me ... Continue

Good Bike Cafe

Street Food, Austin-Style

by Robby Mark

This place is amazing for several solid reasons: #1 = Cuban coffee rocks! Iced or hot. The bagels and lox are just like being in NYC while the croissants are baked fresh daily and transport you to France. Espressos are simply perfect--a rich crema on top and always smooth. Their homemade food items change each week (e.g. Jamaican jerk pork and brie; slow-braised lamb), and even their comfort foods (hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches, etc.) are tasty and satisfying. This is the only place servi ... Continue