Hot Luck 2025 Delivered Another Festive Weekend of Cocktails, BBQ, and Good Vibes
By Taylor Tobin, May 28, 2025, 1:02pm, On the Range
Between South by Southwest and ACL Fest, Austin’s status as a festival hot spot can’t really be disputed. But when it comes to Austin food festivals, one name always rises to the top, claiming the Best Food Fest crown year in and year out:
Hot Luck, y’all.
This annual celebration of all things smoked, grilled, and fire-roasted first came on the scene in 2017, and because Hot Luck counts Aaron Franklin – yes, that Aaron Franklin – as its co-founder, Hot Luck immediately gained a premium reputation among Austin food enthusiasts. I’m happy to inform you that Hot Luck doesn’t just coast on a bold-faced name and good vibes; this is a food event with serious chops, and it’s genuinely worth its relatively high price tag.
As is tradition, Hot Luck 2025 started its weekend-long run with a cozy parking-lot picnic event hosted at Franklin Barbecue on East 11th. This year’s rendition, Giddy Up, featured bites from chefs like Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp of My Loup in Philadelphia, Ana Castro of Acamaya in New Orleans, Geoff Davis of Burdell in Oakland, Lawrence Smith of Chilte in Phoenix, and – of course – Franklin himself. Hot Luck’s inaugural event usually has an intimate friends-and-family atmosphere, largely because only holders of the Whole Enchilada three-day pass are invited to attend, along with some industry pals and media members. This year, however, the event was strictly limited to Whole Enchilada holders, making it smaller and more exclusive than ever before.
On Friday, single-day ticket buyers and Whole Enchilada guests alike got to enjoy Nite Moves, an indoor-outdoor party at Assembly Hall in East Austin. Along with a cocktail menu featuring spirits from Tito’s Vodka, Still Austin Whiskey, and Carabuena Tequila (among others), wines from William Chris Vineyards, and beers from New Belgium Brewing, Nite Moves provided handheld dishes meant to be savored while moving around and socializing with friends. Highlights included tender and savory carne asada tacos from Cuantos Tacos, spicy salmon larb from Lao’d Bar, lobster rolls from Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, Maine, and beef-filled puri puri served alongside a fountain of lively “firewater” by Mister Mao in New Orleans.
Hot Luck’s events all deserve a visit, as the festival organizers take care to ensure that each one is uniquely themed and special. But if you can only go to one happening, Al Fuego was, is, and always will be the right move. Because it’s the biggest Hot Luck event and requires a sizable amount of outdoor space, Al Fuego usually takes place outside of Central Austin, and this year, organizers chose the iconic grounds of Jester King Brewery near Cedar Valley as Al Fuego’s location. Jester King’s extensive property proved an excellent choice; while past Al Fuegos have suffered from long lines and confusing layouts, this year’s event was perfectly spaced and streamlined, with abundant seating both at picnic tables on the lawn and in the barn-style beer hall (which was also well-outfitted with misters and fans).
[image-2-left]Al Fuego is all about open-fire grilling and smoking, which allowed participants to really dig into the barbecue training and produce exciting plates. Evan LeRoy of LeRoy & Lewis generously provided guests with full-sized baby back ribs coated in a peppery and salty seasoning; the Discada team, Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, and the Taqueria de Diez folks did a one-two-three punch of zesty meat-focused tacos; and Olamaie chef Amanda Turner hosted long lines all day long for her The Fiery Talon hot chicken wings. On the dessert side, beloved Austin ice cream truck Bésame delivered an ice cream sandwich starring grilled peaches that was the ideal southern-style antidote to the heavy smoke flavors and serious heat quotient in many of the other Al Fuego dishes.
The bar offerings at Al Fuego were largely similar to the other Hot Luck nights, although East Austin wine shop LoLo’s natural wine booth was a charmingly eclectic option (and the fizzy orange wine served at that booth matched up beautifully with the food served by the nearby Taco Trifecta I mentioned before). My only complaint on the beverage side is an admittedly petty one: the event is hosted at Jester King, so I would have expected at least one Jester King brew to be available at the bar kiosks as part of the ticket purchase. While Jester King did allow Hot Luck guests to order its beers, they had to order at one (not very well-marked) bar and needed to pay separately for each beer – even for the proprietary Hot Luck brew designed for the occasion.
[image-3-right]The final food event of Hot Luck was, as usual, a daytime fête centered around breakfast fare, coffee, and Bloody Marys. Hosted at Fair Market in East Austin, Camp Sunnyside definitely seemed to understand its (largely hungover) audience; java vendors like Fleet, Jo’s, and Barrett’s Coffee kept attendees well-caffeinated, the indoor bars were more than prepared to offer hair-of-the-dog libations, and the food stands provided an even split between savory brunch favorites and sweeter pastries. The McGriddle-inspired hot cake sandwiches with jalapeno sausage patties served by Poeta and Intero chef Ian Thurwachter was an understandable hit, as were the cream-filled conchas from Mariela Camacho of Comadre Panaderia. Lighter bites like snapper ceviche from Este’s Fermín Núñez offered an appealing contrast to the heartier brunch fare, and the event’s playful kid-friendly vibes kept things positive – even though, when compared to Al Fuego, seating was sadly limited.
All in all, Hot Luck 2025 was one for the books, and Franklin & Co.’s steady guidance continues to make this Austin’s premier food festival. Here’s to Hot Luck 2026!
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