John Anderson
Operating out of a brightly decorated Airstream, Abo Youssef is as cheerful as the food it serves is delicious. Look for enormous platters of shawarma, gyros, and falafel, plus cucumber salad, legendary lemon mint tea, homemade hummus, and some of the best tzatziki in town.
2101 Manor Rd.
512/815-6804
www.fb.com/abo-youssef-1637500513173618
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Blue Dahlia’s array of inexpensive tartines, lush salads, and decadent desserts make it a perennial favorite for Mother’s Day brunch. But it also happens to be the ideal place to throw back a bottle of Pinot during happy hour. It’s good that you two can finally agree on something.
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John Anderson
John Anderson
We’re not saying you want all the drama of George Cukor’s 1939 classic The Women, but we bet you wouldn’t turn down an invitation to its dude ranch. At Contigo, you don’t need to be a socialite in town for a quickie divorce. But if you wrap yourself in a Mexican blanket, order an El Pepino and a skillet of rabbit & dumplings, you’ll feel as glamorous as one.
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A lot of Austin restaurateurs talk the locavore talk, but few walk it as religiously as Dai Due’s Jessie Griffiths. Everything at his eatery and butcher shop comes from around these parts – from the wine and beer to the proteins to the tea. That in itself is enough of a reason to go and go often. It also helps that their Sunday fried chicken dinner is so good you’ll forget to be upset your weekend’s over.
2406 Manor Rd.
512/524-0688
daidue.com
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John Anderson
John Anderson
If you don’t know about Franklin by now, we’ll gladly send this in a letter to that rock you’ve been living under. That brisket is witchcraft – good enough to convince us to wait for hours and (gasp) start up conversations with complete strangers. You’ll want to get all your chattiness out in the line anyway. Once you reach the end, you’ll be speechless.
900 E. 11th
512/653-1187
www.franklinbbq.com
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The Thonet chairs, penny tiles, and art nouveau wallpaper in the dining room of Hillside Farmacy might convince you that you’ve traveled back in time. And, truth be told, the facial hair of the clientele certainly won’t tell you different. But with a sprightly farm-to-table menu and a view of the hippest stretch of East 11th, this cafe is anything but old hat.
1209 E. 11th
512/628-0168
hillsidefarmacy.com
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John Anderson
John Anderson
Some Austin sushi places are all flash and no substance. At Kyoten Sushiko, you get the opposite of all that. The dining room is austere, and chef Otto Phan does not spend much time glad-handing, but none of that really matters. The toro with fresh wasabi or the Miyazaki A5 Wagyu will demand all your attention anyway.
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You’re not going to find meatballs drowning in red gravy and endless breadsticks at this casually upscale Italian restaurant. But you outgrew all that somewhere around your 18th birthday. Celebrate the pleasures of adulthood with chef Fiore Tedesco’s locally sourced, seasonal dishes (the wood-roasted mushroom lasagna is already legendary) and botanical cocktails – all served by fairly paid workers in a breathtakingly beautiful space.
1900 Simond
737/212-1876
locadoroaustin.com
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John Anderson
John Anderson
At this stunner, old-school can mean a few things: the care they put into their modern takes on Chinese classics like mapo tofu, clay pot pork belly, and congee; the hip-hop vibe that informs everything from the decor to the soundtrack; even the cheeky names of the cocktails. Put together, they remind us that dining out should be fun. That’s about as old-school as you can get.
1000 E. 11th #150
737/222-6637
oldthousandatx.com
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On a spring evening, there is something magical about sipping on a glass of rosé and watching the neighborhood go by. But if you live in certain parts of East Austin, you want to be able to see it from your front porch. The gang is all at Patrizi’s, scarfing down handmade semolina pasta with vibrant pomodoro and beef fat toast covered with grana at a boho backyard party where everybody gets an invitation.
2307 Manor Rd.
512/522-4834
www.patrizis.com
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John Anderson
While some of us at the Chronicle Food section care about the difference between Kylie and Kendall and some of us are still hoping Lindsay Lohan will finally make it through the storm, there is one thing that brings us together. The duck fat fries – only $5.50 at happy hour – are GOAT.
1917 Manor Rd.
512/391-2337
www.saltysow.com
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This Manor Road staple is like a long-distance lover: always on your mind, delicious every time, but only available for dinner. Their Neapolitan pies feature quirky toppings like sweety drop peppers and cauliflower, and a delightful menu of ambitious sides, salads, and desserts. Pencil in this hot spot every chance you get, especially on the $2 pint night.
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John Anderson
Photo by John Anderson
Pull up a chair and savor the moment with strangers. At Blue Dahlia, tables are arranged so that diners brush elbows while they enjoy a midmorning tartine or fill up on French classics like ratatouille. The idea is to create community around a baguette. After all, that’s what breaking bread is all about. Inducted in 2018.
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There once was a little house on Manor Road that served the best artichoke manicotti in all the land, but carrot pasta and sun-dried tomato cream sauce were only the beginning of the story. It’s a tale with plenty of romance (those sparkling limosas) and some very deep drama (the chocolate almond torte), perfect for all our happily-ever-afters. Inducted in 2017.
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John Anderson
photo by John Anderson
We’ve been loving those brisket burnt ends since Aaron Franklin’s trailer was located not far from the Chron offices near I-35, way back in 2009. The smoke signals at the now Eastside restaurant are nationally recognized – an Obama fist bump, a James Beard award, and even bad boy Bourdain’s unabashed obsession. Even the notorious hours-long lines can’t deter the steady cult following. But when it comes down to it, Franklin Barbecue has earned its crown because the food comes first, and it’s always delicious. Inducted in 2018.
900 E. 11th
512/653-1187
www.franklinbbq.com
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It’s the chicken-fried chicken, y’all. Many of the Southern comfort food pleasures on the menu at Hoover’s Cooking, a two-decades-and-counting Manor Road eatery, have made it an icon: their enormous and delicious pepper-fire soaked and smoked chicken wings, sweet potato coffee, banana pudding, and a side of broccoli that looks like one of the tree people from Lord of the Rings (yeah, we know, they’re called Ents). While the Smokehouse options (Jamaican jerk ribs!) compete with the best of ’em, it’s that chicken-fried chicken, paired with mashed potatoes and a side of jalapeño creamed spinach, that offers something equivalent to the culinary version of a long hug from an old friend. Inducted in 2019.
2002 Manor Rd.
512/479-5006
hooverscooking.com
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photo by John Anderson
You’ve seen their quirky, quintessentially Austin sign and enjoyed their fun-loving approach to social media, but did you know that this family-owned and -operated business has been around since 1990? Founders Aurelio and Rosa Torres opened their 10-seat Tex-Mex restaurant serving hella good tacos, and over the years made so many loyal fans that the business expanded to occupy the entire corner, plus some. Now owned and operated by Torres’ son and daughter-in-law, Edgar and Christina Torres, the menu also boasts burritos, platos fuegos (mole enchiladas! carne guisada!), and your new favorite drink menu. (If you imbibe, don’t you dare skip the mango chamoy margarita.) The Torres crew also owns nearby School House Pub and not-so-secret speakeasy Techo Mezcaleria & Agave Bar. And if there’s one good thing about the last year, it might just be to-go margs from this truly beloved Manor Road staple. Inducted in 2021.
2201 Manor Rd.
512/322-9721
www.mimadresrestaurant.com
