Decisions, decisions: a diner peruses the
menu at Me So Hungry
I can so clearly remember a time, several Southbys ago, where I stood in a bulging line full of desperate drunks who’d forgotten to eat for most of the day. Teetering into each other with wide zombified eyes, we waited right outside the window of Lucky J’s for our names to be called, at which point we reached out, as if for the holy grail… in the form of waffle-wrapped fried chicken.
I remember thinking, “If they run out of food before I get to the front, I will collapse right here and now.”
Why the massive line? Because Lucky J’s was one of the only food trucks back then (save for a few eastside taquerias, which you can read more about in this post.) But gone are those days! Now sxsw relevers are spoiled with choices—everything from vegan pastrami to curried goat. Read on for the full eastside guide...
Thai Thani 2101 Manor Road
There is always a cluster of diners outside this bright yellow trailer on Manor Road, across from Thunderbird Coffee, where soups, curries, and noodles are made to order. Daily specials include Thai stewed beef and peanut-topped pad rama.. and they’ll even make custom dishes to order!
Hoover’s Tex-Mexi-Que BBQ Trailer 2021 Manor Road
Hoover’s latest meals-on-wheels venture sits right across the street from the original restaurant. Here, you can buy meat by the sandwich, plate or pound, with options like brisket, turkey, pork loin, hot sausage
The Vegan Yacht has been serving up animal-productless meals to Austin for quite some time now. Their tempeh chili “freeto” pie and mock chick’n salad never seem to go out of stye.
Head to Tony’s when you need some real, fulfilling sustenance. Plates come with a huge serving of meat (jerk chicken was great and I can’t wait to return for curried goat!), rice and peas, and steamed veggies or plantains. Just looking for a snack? Grab a beef patty or side of plantains for $3.00.
jerk chicken, rice and peas, and plaintains from Tony's Jamaican Food
Three Little Pigs 1209 Rosewood Ave (behind East End Wines)
Come for the specials, stay for the best-selling pork belly slider (maple soy glaze, apples, fried scallion, cole slaw) or meatloaf (with cheese grits, collard greens), all worth every penny of $7.00 and then some! You can even purchase wine from East End to enjoy with your meal too... now that’s a classy trailer.
Micklethwait Craft Meats 1309 Rosewood Ave
Micklethwait specializes in specialty sausages in flavors like pork belly/apple/rosemary or duck/pork/fig or lamb apricot, but be prepared to see anything from spare ribs to pork shoulder on the daily specials too. And everything is brined to juicy, flavorful perfection, with some of the best cole slaw (citrus, fennel, brussels sprouts) in the town offered as a side.
Micklethwait Craft Meats: BBQ and then some
All City Subs just recently relocated to East 7th Street from the nearby parking lot of St. Roch’s on Pedernales... but they’re still turning out the same hefty subs on fresh-baked Italian rolls-- from roast beef au jus and meatball parm to beer can chicken and balsamic portabella...and they deliver too!
Tacos here range from small Mexico City-style, which come three to a plate, to regular sized tacos, to large tacos served on 10” tortillas... and even giant “tacorritos” on 12” tortillas. Toppings range from the usual (fajita, pastor, etc) to a veggie blend of breaded eggplant, portabellas, red and green peppers, and onions. Relax and enjoy your meal on a couch in their courtyard, which has wifi and is a hop, skip, and a jump from CrazyTown.
Folks are already lining up for John Mueller’s latest bbq venture-- this one located in the yard of dive bar Kellee’s Place. He’s slinging brisket, beef ribs, sausage, pork ribs, pork shoulder, and turkey with sides of pinto beans, baked squash, and potato salad. Opens at 10:30am until they sell out (which happens pretty daily)!
Definitely the most upscale of the three ESK trailers, come here for Paul Qui-approved dishes like fried curry pig ears or to-die-for fish caramel glazed pork ribs. Heck, even their $2 side of eggplant is great!
Eggplant from East Side King @ The Grackle
You can always count on ESK at the Liberty for sizable portions of beet fries and chicken karaage (be prepared to share!) And their Liberty rice and brussels sprout salad meshi combo is one of the best veggie trailer-meals in town, if you ask me!
This ESK is a mostly bun-centric menu-- try the chicken skin buns with Chinese sausage, cuke kimchi, green onion, and hoisin... but don’t underestimate the super-tasty avocado buns either! The togarashi-spiced edamame also never disappoint!
This trailer sells “rockets” right beside ESK at the Grackle. What are rockets, you ask? Why, fresh pocketless pita wraps, of course! For an even healthier route, opt for the bijou box-- quinoa salad, veggies, hummus, and pita.
Be More Pacific 1500 E 6th Street
This is one of the only places in town to find Filipino specials like loganisa sausage, adobo chicken, pancit noodles, and lumpia. BMP gives their menu a soulful twist with slider variations and spicy dipping sauces.
Be prepared for a bit of a wait, but it will be well worth it when you sink your teeth into a cheesy, thick square of the Detroit-style pizza served at VIA 313. And-- I never say this-- but the golden, crispy crust is the best part! The double pepperoni Detroiter is a must-try, but luckily you don’t have to settle for one-- any pie can be made two ways.
half pepperoni two ways/half sopressata and arugula pizza from VIA 313
Me So Hungry is your one and only stop for banh mi on the eastside (vegan options available too). They also offer small and large noodle bowls, salads, and generous Vietnamese-style spring rolls (only $5 for two delicious Sprung Rolls!)
There really is a solution for burger-fiending vegans, right here in East Austin! Arlo’s bac’n cheeze burger is supposedly the seitan jam. They also serve a chik’n sandwich, a tomato basil dog, and tacos made with veggie crumbles.
East Side Eats Food Trailer Park 907 E 6th Street:
Folks seem to love the Don Chago (cheese, beans, bacon, and avocado) and the Pueblo Viejo (steak, peppers, mushrooms and avocado). They also serve fresh local chips from El Milagro with unending housemade salsa. However, the tacos will run you $3-3.50. I've eaten here a couple times and it's never been very memorable, but I must admit, it always hit the latenight spot!
Baton Creole
I was hard-pressed to find much info on this (new? I assume) trailer but I know what my eyes saw, which was: gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, and jalapeno-cheese green bean casserole. What else you wanna know?
Not just a clever insult, but also a food trailer, the Juicy Jerk pumps out fresh juice and-- you guessed it- jerk chicken and pork! But not only that: curried goat and oxtail, fried dumplings, a daily soup, a “JahMexican” wrap, and more!
East Side Fillin’ Station 1104 East 6th Street (at Waller- next to Cheer Up Charlie’s):
WK specializes in Middle Eastern kebabs made of beef, chicken, turkey, or egg-based kuku. Gluten-phobes can opt for basmati rice bowls dolloped with hummus.
Way South is way serious about their cheesesteaks. How serious? They ship their par-baked bread in from the City of Brotherly Love and squirt Cheese Whiz on that shiz to boot.
it ain't pretty, but it's a mouthful of yum
Not just a clever name: the “fire” menu contains items like chili cheese fries and buffalo chicken quesadilla, while the “soul” offers up a roasted beet wrap and fried avocado, among others. Which side reigns supreme? You decide..
Everything here is fried. So how can it bad, really? Pickles. Bacon. Fritters. Brownies. Corn dogs. Funnel cake. Yeaaaah.
Veracruz All Natural (there’s also another location @ 1704 E Cesar Chavez)
Read about their tacos in my eastside taco post, but don’t neglect to try their picadas-- a savory eggy fritter topped with your choice of steak/chicken/scrambled eggs/veggies and their winning salsa.
Build your own pizza or choose from any one of their Grecian-inspired specialty pies. Or opt for their cheesy, saucy (read: filling) garlic cheesesticks for only $5.00!
Follow the giant cock (atop their trailer) to find smoothies, milkshakes, juice, salads, wraps, and sandwiches.
Follow the Gonzo chickenhead for juices and smoothies
That’s right, it’s the OG trailer I mentioned in the opening-- still alive and kickin’ out fried chicken and waffles to the drunken masses. Order in bulk (the Shotcaller serves up to 12) or by the single waffle taco. Hot sauce, honey, and repeat.
B&D has been off the radar for a bit, but I can only assume they’ll be slinging poutine and fish-nchips for sxsw since that unmistakable British flagged trailer has appeared once again.
Hot Dog King and Best Wurst rule downtown proper, but the eastside is surprisingly devoid of dogs. Enter Evil Weiner to save the day with everything from chicken fried jalapeno sausage to grilled brats topped with kraut.
East Austin Trailer Park & Eatery 2326 E Cesar Chavez Street:
A Japanese pancake might be just the thing you want-- but you never knew they existed! Eggs, cabbage, flour, scallions, and various root veggies, topped with Japanese mayo, fried scallions, bonito, and a sweet sauce= yum.
a pancake of a whole other genre @ Yoko Ono Miyaki
Coffee, chai, juice, iced tea, smoothies. But mostly coffee.
Adoo’s welcomes diners with a friendly little bonfire right outside the truck-- and a promise of 20% off if there’s any meat (sausage, brisket, pulled pork, boudin, and pork ribs) left by 7:30pm! Daily specials include things like brisket chili and quesadillas.
Cazamance 1102 East Cesar Chavez (in the CTC Garden)
You can’t see it from the road, but look a little closer and you’ll find Cazamance, tucked away in a lovely garden space and serving up wholesome West African cuisine, like lamb stew, yassa chicken, bunny chow, and peanut curry.
Schmaltz 913 East Cesar Chavez (behind Farewell Books)
This vegan deli on wheels resides behind the newly established Farewell Books (formerly Domy Books), crafting homemade seitan pastrami you could mistake for the real thing, crispy falafel, fresh cole slaw, housemade refrigerator pickles and kombucha!
housemade vegan pastrami on marbled rye from Schmaltz
Tapas Bravas 1808 East Cesar Chavez (at Weather Up)
Nothing goes better with classy cocktails than classy small plates, and Tapas Bravas specializes in just that: fried artichokes, meatballs in tomato brandy sauce, rabbit terrine and duck liver pate, and all that jazz.
El Pollo Rey Riverside 1725 East Riverside Drive and 2209 East Cesar Chavez
If you need to feed a crew, El Pollo Rey is where you should be. Get a whole charcoal-grilled chicken and all the fixin’s (rice, beans, tortillas, salsa) for $14 (or a half chicken for $8). They also do tortas if you’re flying solo.
Oh! Bento 1620 East Riverside Drive
Besides six types of bento boxes (which come with rice and two sides), Oh! Bento also offers udon noodle bowls, bibimbap, buns, gyoza, and sides a la carte.
Cowbells Burgers and More 1620 East Riverside Drive
Whether you order ground chuck, turkey, or black bean, Cowbells makes it their mission to turn out the “best burger you’ve ever had,” with all sorts of topping combinations-- they had me at fried pickles.
The Blue Ox 1505 Town Creek Drive (behind The Buzz Mill)
Besides having inherited Aaron Franklin’s old pits, their house specialty is a succulent espresso-rubbed pork tenderloin (using coffee from the 24 hour coffehouse they share space with)! Starting at 5pm, you can order the Paul Bunyan for only $5: a hefty buttermilk pancake topped with chopped beef or pulled pork and an egg cooked to order...and full-on pancake breakfasts occur on Sundays. They’ll be open for extended hours during sxsw!
but above all, ALWAYS REMEMBER ^
Click HERE for the AFBA guide to North Austin food trailers, HERE for South Austin trailers, and HERE for Central/Downtown Austin trailers. Happy dining!
Oh and please comment below if I left anything off-- these things never stay put and I'm sure many more will make their way downtown in time for the festivities...
Oh and please comment below if I left anything off-- these things never stay put and I'm sure many more will make their way downtown in time for the festivities...
Great post! So many trailers that I am not familiar with too. I would be VERY excited if Bits and Druthers was making a comeback!
ReplyDeleteSo sad...I've only been to 1 of these places!! I need to step up my food trailer patronage in 2013!!
ReplyDelete