Plopped amidst the raucousness undergrad haven of West Campus is one of Austin’s newest food truck collectives, Rancho Rio Eatery. The spot revived favorites like Mighty Cone and Wurst Tex after their uprooting from the legendary SoCo spot, and included newcomers like Thai of the Town and Cow Tipping Creamery. Battling the lunch-rush parking pandemonium may not be worth it unless you're already in the area, but the amenable hours and plentiful seating make it a great evening spot.

Rio Rancho Eatery
2512 Rio Grande
512/320-0077

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Austin-based Gourmet Texas Pasta knows life can be messy, especially when trying to eat pasta by twirling it around a fork. They stock 25 varieties (artichoke, Szechuan orange, Cajun, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc.) of whole wheat, all-natural pasta made from whole vegetables, herbs, spices, and olive oil. When pasta tastes this good on its own, the method of getting it from plate to mouth is a moot point.

Gourmet Texas Pasta
1100 Sam Bass
Round Rock
512/487-8241
www.gourmettexaspasta.com

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First, Austin Baked for Japan following the devastating tsunami in 2011. Then, Austin Baked for Bastrop just a few months later to soothe the burn of the worst wildfires in Texas history. Then, after the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant leveled a chunk of the town of West, Texas, an intrepid team of Austin food bloggers, restaurateurs, and good-hearted citizens banded together for a citywide fundraising bake sale. Organized by Kathryn Hutchison, Austin Food Blogger Alliance president and head of "Sproutreach" at Greenling, the bake sale raised more than $18,000 for AmeriCares' relief efforts for our neighbors to the north.

Austin Bakes
www.austinbakes.com

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If you expect a fresh, all-natural Scottish salmon dish to be available at a convenient chain location, we might have said you were insane – before Snap. With six locations around town, Snap Kitchen is serving up some fine butter-free, premade meals, just as they’ve been doing for over three years now. And it’s good food. Damn good. Try the Bison Quinoa Hash or the Chicken and Butternut Squash dishes if you don’t believe us. Sure, the prices are a bit higher than your average fast food joint, but the service is just as swift. Considering the quality of the food, at Snap, you get your money's worth.

Various locations

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Back in 2005, we gave Craig Long and crew a "BOA" for their little kitchen on the I-35 access road between a strip joint and an adult video store ("Best Green Light in a Red Light District"). Well, here we are, eight years later, with a less titillating title and a new location that feels more like home, tucked in the old Fricano's Deli location just a few blocks north of campus. Longhorn lunchers and neighborhood noshers alike know what fun it is to watch Craig and his now grown-up son Edgar once again sling the best casseroles, lasagnas, beet- and other to-die-for salads, entrées and sides for every diet, and desserts for days. Go in for a meal, and remember their names, because it will only take one visit, and they'll remember yours.

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You still haven’t decided where to take your crush on a date?! Wipe off those sweaty palms, swallow that breath strip, and put away your small-talk cheat sheet: The Goodnight’s here to rescue you from Faceplantville, pop. 1. Offering great daily drink specials, fancy pizzas, and a truffle oil Five Cheese Mac that will make your intended weak at the knees, the gentle yet gregarious Goodnight guarantees that you and your future boo will feel right at home. And if you find yourself in the first-date convo rut, stuck talking about the weather or what type of canned tuna you had for lunch, mosey over to the bowling alley and let some friendly competition fan the flames of "like."

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Kombucha lovers will argue until their next homebrew batch ferments about which local ‘bucha is best. Some for breakfast, some for hangovers, all delicious. The creative concoctions of Kosmic Kombucha are handcrafted locally and boast fresh, nutritious ingredients. All the recipes are based with organic oolong and green teas, and the 14 (and counting) flavors vary by location. Some of the faves are Mint Julep (organic white grape juice, fresh squeezed orange and lemon juice, fresh mint), Texas Blues (organic blueberries, fresh basil, lime, and agave), and Black Magic (organic blackberries and raspberries, organic ginger, spirulina, and agave). Otherworldly.

kosmickombucha
www.kosmickombucha.com/

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You might not expect to find a real coffeehouse in a food trailer, but thoughtful owners Uri and Esther Ondras make you feel right at home. In addition to using Texas Coffee Traders organic fair trade to brew their brew, the Ondras chat you up and stock board games and offer specials like Toddler Tuesdays (kids get free hot cocoa, 9-11am) to make you feel comfy and cuddly. You can grab 'n' go, but we recommend sticking around, as the Velveteen is more of a sit-down-and-stay-a-while kinda place. And once a coffeehouse becomes real, it can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.

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Chili con queso may be an Austin Tex-Mex staple, but it's also fattening. Full of calories. Did we mention artery clogging? Oh, and, to boot – for the vegans among us – made from milk! So what's a dedicated cheesehead to do in the era of fit living and healthy dining? With Food for Lovers' Vegan Queso, the answer is: keep on eating! This jar of tasty goodness will make you forget you ever loved Velveeta, or even real cheese. Who knew that water and nutritional yeast when blended together with the right amount of spice could taste so cheesy – and more to the point, so damn good! Austinites Chris and Crystal Tate, the masterminds behind this creamy delight, have hit the big time: With zero fat and just 20 calories per serving, it's Tex-Mex with all the taste and none of the guilt.

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