"Two veteran chefs fromAustin'spopular Uchi restaurant empire draw from various traditions for this modern take on Chinese cuisine. You will find inspiration from the Philippines in a chicken and rice congee dish fragrant with cilantro, jasmine, and ginger, while Texas grapefruit puts a local citrus spin on crunchy chicken. Thelively atmosphere pulses with a hip-hop beat and featuresan oversize portrait of a panda bear draped in a gold rope necklace like an ursine version of rap legend the Notorious B.I.G. The vibe is the first clueabout the irreverent attitude ofakitchen that drops classics like cumin beef and new-school favorites such as sunchoke fried rice."

"Great DJs can take two disparate musical tracks from different genres and find a way to combine them into one seamless groove. Great chefs can do the same thing with cuisine. So it makes perfect sense that DJs and chefs Tatsu Aikawa (Tokyo born, Austin raised) and native Austinite Takuya “Tako” Matsumoto would find harmony blending Japanese food and Central Texas barbecue. Following the success of their two Ramen Tatsu-Ya restaurants, the chefs created an izakaya smokehousethatserves hybrid dishes like ramen with brisket, crunchy octopus balls with beef chili, and fried tofu"hot pocketz"that squeeze together brisket and cheese. You can tell the chefs are having as much fun as the diners at this eclectic and playful spot."

"The McGuire Moorman Hospitality group has proven time and again that it knows how to develop a concept and deliver it in a stunning thematic package—from the coastal seafood vibes of Perla’s to the handsome brawn of Lamberts Downtown Barbecue. For June's All Day, the team has blended elements of a French bistro, a New York City wine bar, and a quintessential American diner. The menu, which ranges from chilled artichoke and croque madame to a fried chicken sandwich and cheeseburger, straddles the Atlantic. The restaurant’s namesake, June Rodil, is one of the country’s few female Master Sommeliers, and the smart and engaging wine list, highlighted by more than 30 white and sparkling options, invites guests to stay and sip."

"One might not think of asprawlingmixed-use development as a neighborhood, but L’Oca d’Oro helps prove that creating a strong neighborhood comes down to being a good neighbor. Not only does the restaurant take a stand for fair wages and equal rights, it serves the kind of dishes that provide comfort and warmth. The pastas—all handmade from locally milled grains—have greattexture, strength, and a depth of flavor that sets the restaurant apart from stereotypical red-sauce joints. It may be a sleek, modern space, but the chipped vintage Italian sinks and classic movie posters near the restrooms showthat L’Oca d’Oro is a place to feel both transported and at home."

"Peruse the wooden shelvesstacked with coffee table books about art and architecture, take in the sandy beiges of the wicker chairs and the sky-blue pillows and tiled walls, and you maythink you’vefallen into a coastal California dreamscape. The menu at this restaurant inside the über-chic South Congress Hotel also evokes California, with grain bowls, salads topped with lean protein, and fashionable avocado toast. The kitchen, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, doesn’t appeal only to the calorie- or trend-conscious, as evidenced by a great throwback cheeseburger draped with American cheese. Executive pastry chef Amanda Rockman is also one of the main attractions here, with her stunning creations, such as an airy kouign-amann."

"You might expect austerity and modesty at a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto, but that’s not what you’ll find at this remarkable jewel box of aplace secreted away inside the South Congress Hotel. Brightly illuminated white panelswith black stripes surrounding the 12-seat dining room echo Japanese shoji screens.The room looks like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, and knife-wielding chef Yoshi Okai plays to the design with mischief and edginess. His menu of more than 20 dishesbalances artistic presentation and bold flavor, from raw Japanese sea bream to jiggly mounds of Hokkaido uni . The dishes may look like something you’d get in Japan, but the colorful service from the tattooed chef (who moonlights as a rock-and-roll singer) feels uniquely Austin ."

"Thesheaves of wheat that decorate the interior of Emmer & Rye signal one of the staples of chef Kevin Fink’s kitchen: heritage grains. Therestaurant mills its own flourto make ribbons of pappardelle and robust spaghetti into a creamy nest of cacio e pepe . Episodes of The Splendid Table radio show play over the restroom speakers—a charming and idiosyncratictouch thatattests tothe kitchen's commitmentto itswork. A dedication to fermentation and scratch cooking makes this fine-dining restaurant an elevated retreat amid the boozylineupalong popular Rainey Street."

"Via 313 Austinites had seen pizzas come in square or rectangular shapes before brothers Brandon and Zane Hunt arrived from Michigan, but they may not have associated the style with Detroit. Cooked in replicas of metal pans usedon automotiveassembly lines, these thick pies have a cheesy layer that extends to the edge of each slice. The Detroiter features two types of pepperoni, one smoked and one natural casing, mixed with a layer of cheese, atoptomato sauce, with some of the curled cups of pork ridingto the surface of the slice.The brothers startedwith one pizza trailerand have since expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations and added a second trailer."

"Few Austin businesses, much less restaurants, have a history that stretches back as far asthat of Mattie’s at Green Pastures. Before it opened as a restaurant in 1946, the elegant Victorian wasa private home. A successful Austin hospitality veteran and his partners purchased the property in 2016 and have transformed it from a sleepy establishment kindly referred to as a grande dame of Austin dining into an exquisite showpiece. Plush couches offer seating areas, two handsome bar areas both upstairs and down make for ideal spots to sip cocktails, and the sweeping patio and veranda are well-suited for alfresco dining and peacock-watching. The menu is a pan-Southern celebration, with fried chicken and eggs Benedict starring at brunch and pimento cheese grabbing the spotlight of the evening appetizers."

"Bufalina Bufalina owner Steven Dilley once lived in New York City, where hetaught himself how to cook pizza inhis subsequently overheated apartment. He was a good teacher and a good student. The University of Texas alumnus became one of the early movers in the Neapolitan pizza game in Austin andnow operates two Bufalina locations. The igloo-shapedstoves that turn out charred and supple pizzas never would have fit in that old apartment, but theyhave become the centerpieces of his Austin restaurants. The menus celebrate local bounty with a couple of fresh salad options, and the daily pasta is always a must. Dilley has also put together one of the city’s most intriguing wine lists, an unexpected page-turner for restaurants the size of Bufalina."

"Yes, Austin is home to some serious stick-to-your-ribs Tex-Mex food, but as the city has grown, so have its pure-Mexican culinary offerings. Chef Iliana de la Vega operated a restaurant in El Naranjo for about a decade before moving to Austin, where the clean flavorsof her traditional Mexican cooking immediately came to the dining world’s attention. The Oaxacan influence is never hard to find, and de la Vega serves an assortment of the region’s beloved moles, from amarillo to negro and all shades in between."

"The Vazquez sisters movedfrom Veracruz to Austin in 1989 and started their empire with a modest fruit and sno-cone stand. When they expanded toa food truck, it gave them a bigger stage from which toshowcase their skills. In a town full of taco trucks, the sisters differentiated themselves with their exceptional fresh migas tacos. The plump, flour-dusted tortillas wrap a jumble of soft-scrambled eggs, seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper and topped with melted cheese and a feather of avocado. With the addition of some green salsa, it is the perfect breakfast taco."

"The Vietnamese banh mi offers everything you’d ever want in a sandwich. It is an explosion of flavors and textures: tangy, crunchy, spicy, and savory. Chef Tebi Nguyen creates this culinary alchemyin an East Austin trailer:He takespork that’s been marinated in fish sauce, garlic, red shallots, and a touch of honey and pan-sears it, then appliesa final char with a blast ofa torch. The meat istucked into a baguette that’s been swiped with mayonnaise, and then showeredwitha crunchy tangle of cucumbers, jalapeños, and daikon."

"Just because food is served from a truck, you shouldn’t consider it fast food. Lakana Trubiana doesn’t simply make a bunch of sauce and cook meat and then play mix-and-match from insideDee Dee's black truck in East Austin . She prepares meals from scratch, but loyal customers know it’s worth the extra few minutes for dishes likea minced pork laab moo that carries a double-fisted pop of sour (lime juice) and heat (smoked chili powder). Trubiana is from Northern Thailand , so you can expect someheat in most of her dishes, even the unassuming papaya salad. Don’t letits cool name fool you: The heat in theservingof shredded papayas and green beans flecked with roasted peanuts may be invisible, but it is real."

"You want locally sourced? The sourdough starter at this East Austin restaurant was made using wild grapes foraged from a nearby alley and a recipe from the Chez Panisse cookbook. That should tell you almostall you need to know about Dai Due.A butcher shop and restaurant (may as well throw bakery in there as well), Dai Due was started by Jesse Griffiths, a chef who had previously run asupper club and a stand at a farmers' market. The restaurantoffers quintessential Texas food. All the ingredients are local, or only from about as far away as the Gulf of Mexico, and Griffiths has thesense to do just enough to let the ingredients shine while staying out of their way. Beet-cured onions add zing and earthiness to a killer pastrami sandwich, honey shinesup apork chop, and pickled cabbage enlivens the huge beef rib."

"Part of keeping Austin weird means you might end up eating a five-star meal in an old gas station and laundromat. The 10-foot paintings of speakers aren't the only things that blow your mind. The food is delicious—especially the fried olives and pimento cheese to start. Brick chicken is a crispyand juicy specialty of the house, and anytime you throw a burger on challah we're in. Don't forget to pick up a six-pack of beer from the bodega that shares a parking lot: It offers a great selection and is open late!"

"Fresa's Chicken al Carbon is an Austin-owned restaurant serving charcoal-grilled, locallyraised chickens, freshly prepared tortas, salads, sides, homemade ice creams, aguas frescas , anda selection ofbeer and wine. The family-style meals feature the highest quality pasture-raised birds from Vital Farms. Either marinated in achiote and freshly squeezed citrus or rubbed with fresh oregano and cracked pepper, the chicken is grilled slowly over hardwood charcoal and served with house-made tortillas, rice, beans, and fresh salsas. Don't leave without orderingthe cajeta churros for dessert!"

"Find smoked meat worth waiting for at this Austin trailer and picnic table setup. Whilestanding in line, keep your fingers crossed that therewill be brisket left when you reach thecounter, as each party in front seems to orderpounds and pounds of barbecue.The pink smoke line runs deepin the brisket, and you can taste it in every bite. The pulled porkis also delicious. It's hard to squeeze side dishes in, but the cheese gritsare worth that extra effort, and if you have room forpie, order it."

"When you take the time to smoke a brisket for 14 hours you usually don't do much else to it, but the folks at Valentina's have figured out the perfect fusion of Tex-Mex and barbecue. Located in a gas station parking lot, this family-run smoker and taco trailer is slinging some of the best bites in Texas. Add a little guac, a little lime, and some homemade barbecue sauce to that brisket, wrap it all up in a soft taco shell, and eat as many as you can! It'sBYOB, so feel free tobuybeer at that gas station to accompany your meal."

"You'd never know that the little house near the Texas State Capitol building was a restaurant, andits inside resemblesa tony private residence.Chef-owner Michael Fojtasek—named one of Food & Wine 's 2015 Best New Chefs in the restaurant’s first yearof operation—hascreated a menubased on refinedSouthern dishes. Chilled melon gazpacho with crab salad, elevated ambrosia with granita, hoppin’ John, and grapefruit icebox pie are just a few of the dishes that blend Texas and the South to stunning results."

"Elizabeth street cafe is the charming outpost offering French breakfast bites & creative Vietnamese plates you didn't know you needed in your life. The menu consists of everything from ho and bun bo hue to sticky rice, banh mi, and chocolate croissant and macaroons. It's most known for its brunch, but they also server dinner."

"There are a few locations of Jo’s, but the on South Congress has jus the basics from breakfast tacos to their signature i"iced turbo" and Belgium Bomber—more chocolate milk than iced coffee. It’s open until 9pm, so post up all day and get some work done, or stop by for something quick."

"Torchy’s tacos are really as good as you've heard. With shops all over Austin and Colorado , you can find this chain everywhere. Breakfast tacos are served all day and honestly everything on the menu is good (get it “trashy” with queso)."

"This is the ultimate farm to table dining experience in most dreamy setting. Eden East's dining room is a grouping of communal wooden tables, under the stars and trees at Springdale Farm, lit by dangling orbs, crystals. The cooking takes place in a mobile kitchen trailer. Dinner is served on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and each meal consists of between five and eight courses, tailored to the season."

"Originally just a coffee shop, Patika only recently started serving a full breakfast menu. This retro coffee shop off the side of the road is full of UT Austin students on a study break and Austin professionals taking breakfast meetings. The food is made by one young cook in a trailer out back, and man this woman has a gift. Its no secret avocado toast is good, but Patika's serves theirs up with sprouts and a green chile sauce but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu."

"Let's Be Frank 'Purveyors of artisan sausage' is an excellent description of this gourmet dog and beer spot in Austin 's Warehouse District (4th and Colorado ). The loft ceilings, large vintage murals, friendly neighborhood bar and funky table seating all create a cool, hipster spot to chow down. They're now serving coffee and breakfast and it's a great place to hit on a Friday or Saturday night, when they often have live music to kick off the weekend. Don't forget the waffle fries and the root beer float, to make your trip to Franks complete."