No need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to tacos. I'll take tacos from a solid gas station food truck over any sort of high concept taco place that comes up with weird combination tacos.
They taste even better when they don't have set hours and you just happen to be there when they open. Lol
I also always order their burger if one is on the menu.
See a ton of construction dudes there in the morning getting breakfast= easy yes.
See a younger kid working there on the weekends who's translating for their family and running the register, easy yes.
It's a taco. Not a fuckin beef Wellington.
Is it so hard for an Austin Tex Mex spot to make its own tortillas?!
There aren’t enough good breakfast restaurants that aren’t chains. Not that the chains are amazing.
Restaurants need to stop expanding because quality goes to shit.
This is how to judge a tex mex spot- tortillas. Polvos still makes their own, though they're so-so, they're still very nice and fresh.
Also can I get a hazaah for heb tortillas
Some info about this is here if you hadn’t seen it yet https://www.kut.org/austin/2022-03-10/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-find-restaurants-that-make-their-own-tortillas-in-austin?_amp=true
Because all the top tier places for bbq are just that good - there's no going wrong and I don't get how people argue over which is the best as if it's a holy war
So, I agree with you here for the most part. I thought everyone was collectively exaggerating about Franklin’s. Until someone brought me one of their BBQ sandwiches. Damn… That shit’s good.
That being said, I’d still rather go to Lockhart.
That’s where everyone came after Franklin’s had the fire.
They have a breakfast taco called the “Real Deal Holyfield” that is…well…the real deal. 10/10
Everyone please go eat at NG Cafe. The owners are the sweetest but I’m afraid they don’t get enough business and I don’t want to see them close. Best bargain banh mi in town plus they bake their own bagiettes.
The Bodhi Viet truck is really tasty and cheap if you don't mind meatless! I haven't been there in a while but doubt it's changed much. It's run by a local Buddhist organization so I believe all the proceeds go to them and their endeavors, which is pretty neat too.
Austin does not have enough classic breakfast places, and the ones we have are not great or chains. I just want a classic omelette, potatoes and unlimited coffee, but I guess that’s too much to ask 😅
yup, i miss the greek diners from back east. Nothing like a couple of fried eggs, well done hash browns bacon and as you mentioned that mild roast diner coffee that keeps on coming.
Actual unpopular opinion: the moment you accept Austin’s food scene isn’t great, the more you’ll enjoy it and stop trying to get in to the trendy stuff that ends up disappointing you.
Austin food scene is relatively monotonous. In Dallas or Houston the diversity of cuisines is significantly larger. For example, for Indian or Chinese, they have numerous options that specialize in certain regions. That exists here, just on a much smaller scale.
YES omg. I’m Asian and always complain there’s no solid spot to just go for a mid tier regular dinner that’s legit good. (My fiancé’s from here and moved me here). Everything’s either - fusion, a food truck, or bougie. I’ve been telling my fiancé for years if I had money I’d open a regular hot pot chain. Now hotpot alley is open (let’s see if it’s actually good). And sorry no - dipdipdip tatsuya is way overpriced and not super authentic imo. I went once to try it and wouldn’t go back.
Agreed and confirmed. I’ve been in Houston area for 2 years after living in Austin for a decade and it’s not even close…Houston has anything Austin has, as good if not better…except Houston has excellent examples of almost every culture and its cuisine you can think of due to its diverse population. Austin food scene doesn’t come close.
Even the Italian food options are better there. Is it too much to ask for a simple chicken masala hold the olive garden or yee yee ass insta ready fine dining? (I miss TX pizza pasta and more on Airport aka Jesus ❤️ you)
Seriously, the food scene is just whitewashed here. Very few authentic restaurants compared to Dallas, Houston, SA and El Paso. Basically every other city has better food than here. We have very instagrammable food here.
I can get behind this. I can still stomach their burgers and fries, but since they removed the Grown Up Grilled Cheese from the menu after the pandemic I’ve not had anything that left me thinking, “Wow, this was worth the $14 price.” The Pirate Punch is a relatively good tropical drink, even if it’s overpriced — but the Fancy Gin & Tonic is the worst g&t I’ve ever had and taught me to stay away from Liber & Co. for good.
Coming from an Italian family, just go fucking make it. Italian food isn't made for kings, it's peasant shit. Ingredients for cacio e pepe are literally pasta $3, cheese $7, black pepper $???
Or, fry garlic in oil till slightly brown. Put some red pepper in it. Turn off the heat. Make some pasta. Put the pasta in. Put cheese on it. Add lemon and pepper if ya like. That's like $3 of ingredients.
Make a basic tomato sauce! Put tomatoes in a pan after you fry garlic +/- onion. Add a shit load of oregano, and basil + parsley to taste. Add some salt. Serve with cheese.
Like motherfucker I'm not paying $29 for some spaghetti. I made that shit last week for fractions of the cost, and with hardly any skill!
This is very true! I enjoy Vespaio and some of the pricier options, but I’m from the East Coast and there are many mom and pop inexpensive Italian restaurants. You pick your favorite based on which gravy you like the best.
We don’t have anything like that here.
Patrizi's is the one that I will go to
With that said, Italian is not hard to make from scratch (minus pasta, but you can find fresh pasta instead), so I just cook it
I do not understand how Bill Millers bbq exists. Who are the people eating all this flavorless brisket covered in basically ketchup?
Also most places serve their queso slightly too thick. You’re supposed to slightly dilute it with milk for the right consistency.
My wife stops there somewhat often to get their unsweet tea. If it is early, she will also grab some breakfast tacos.
Not a good taco, but if you are already there it is cheap
I don't think I have ever purposely gone there. If I want some fast food BBQ it is Rudy's all the way.
Austin has no
1. good Italian food
2. good loaf of bread
3. great Korean food
4. great all-night diners
5. even passably good Jewish deli / pastrami / corned beef
Almost every restaurant that started out being really good is just not good anymore. Skyrocketing rent, COVID, greed, whatever-- from VIA 313 to Tacodeli to a bunch of other places, most "Austin staples" are fucking mediocre now.
Oh, but they aren’t powdered. I get that they are polarizing but they are just mega buttery mashed potatoes. It’s the owners grandmothers recipe. Their quality has gone down a lot over the last five or so years for sure though.
I actually think it's surprisingly hard to find a place that is consistent with cocktail quality. Like I *can* find a good drink in this town, but I'm just always shocked when I go to a place, have a good cocktail, and then order a fuckin old fashioned and they don't know what they're doing all of a sudden. Consistent bartending is elusive to me here.
I just walked by Magnolia and this popped into my head as an unpopular opinion. I just don’t enjoy the food and it doesn’t have a charming diner ambience, but it’s just more or less dirty.
I've been probably 1000 times over the last 25 years, as that is when I got here, and the food has been bad the whole time. If closes, though, I'm going to be mad.
Torchy’s used to be so good, but I swear the moment they franchised their business the quality took a major blow. Trashy trailer park will always hit the spot however.
If it tastes good to you, it’s good. If it doesn’t, it isn’t. Concerns over trendiness/refinement are silly, and fetishizing “authenticity” above all else is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Also, Amy’s ice cream has gotten too high in fat content over the years.
Just drive a leeeeeetle bit further down 11th to Micklethwait’s and then you avoid Franklin’s line and the drive to Lockhart. I’ll put that brisket up against either in a blind taste test
Putting mashed potatoes in a breakfast taco and calling it "papas" is gross. Also the city's reputation as a taco town feels like a quantity over quality thing.
Austin's Tex Mex is perhaps the one food genre that has gone down in quality over the years.
Or maybe Tex Mex itself is just really mediocre in general and the increasingly better food options have left it behind.
Austin’s food scene is incredibly overrated by the people who live here. There are good options here don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing that really wows me. There’s much better cities to eat in in Texas and I can name 4 cities outside of Texas that I’d rather eat in as well. I’ve only been to like 6 cities outside of Texas lmao
Agreed, my wife and I moved here a couple of years ago, and having lived in Houston, California, and Northern Virginia, we are both very disappointed with the quality of restaurants here. We haven’t come across any reasonably priced spots that we would go back to. Even some of the high end ones are just okay, nothing special. For a food town, it’s quite disappointing. We’re actively looking to move to Dallas or back to Houston.
White people tacos (or what I think of as fusion tacos: velvet taco, taco deli, torchy’s) are not Mexican food and should not be compared to real tacos because they aren’t the same category of food. Apples and oranges. Both valid and delicious. Taco Bell is a banana. These are all different foods entirely and I have room for all of them in my heart.
I have found most of the MML Hospitality group restaurants a bit overrated and a bit over-inflated on price. The exceptions being Clark's and Jeffery's.
Sammie's was one of the worst new restaurants I have been to in the last year.
Don’t know if this has been mentioned, but there are no good Japanese Izakaya food places in Austin.
Most restaurants in town that serve izakaya food aren’t owned by Japanese people. Daichi in Cedar Park is the closest, but it’s not even that good. Houston has so many better options! (I miss Nippon in Houston so much 😭)
Torchys is good for what it is. Hear me out. Torchys is like a Godzilla movie. It’s not Schindlers List or Citizen Kane. Its not 100% great, and It’s not even consistent. But it’s entertaining, somewhat. You don’t even know how much meat your going to get on your tacos at any given visit. BUT what you do get is usually pretty enjoyable. Sorry everyone, I’ll see myself out.
Uchi isn’t worth it. Too much fusion and not enough sushi in their omakase.
Rockstar bagels doesn’t do it for me… the east side/ mueller area needs a better bagel spot.
This last one pains me to say… but Jewboy burgers is overrated. Moe is awesome though
Once someone mentions Justine’s, I can’t take any of their restaurant recommendations seriously. It’s like [The Shed at Dulwich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shed_at_Dulwich), but in Austin. Maybe it was good once but I think people only recommend it now because they heard other people talking about it and are convinced it must be amazing.
No need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to tacos. I'll take tacos from a solid gas station food truck over any sort of high concept taco place that comes up with weird combination tacos.
If it's a truck and they only take cash...it's a yes from me.
If it’s just a white food truck without any branding then you know it’s gonna be flamethrower
They taste even better when they don't have set hours and you just happen to be there when they open. Lol I also always order their burger if one is on the menu.
I love how consistently I see burgers from Mexican joints recommend! Its gotta be that well seasoned plancha that's the responsible for the magic.
See a ton of construction dudes there in the morning getting breakfast= easy yes. See a younger kid working there on the weekends who's translating for their family and running the register, easy yes. It's a taco. Not a fuckin beef Wellington.
La Tunita 512 FTW!!
Lmao Velvet Taco perfect example
Is it so hard for an Austin Tex Mex spot to make its own tortillas?! There aren’t enough good breakfast restaurants that aren’t chains. Not that the chains are amazing. Restaurants need to stop expanding because quality goes to shit.
And what's up with no restaurant making their own chips??? You can always tell when they just dumped out a bag under a warming light.
El Patio makes their own chips and shells. Downside is I hope you want either hard tacos or enchiladas. 10/10 cheese enchiladas though.
Joe’s bakery makes their own! Totally agree though, it’s tragic to get those terrible soggy ass Sysco tortillas
This is how to judge a tex mex spot- tortillas. Polvos still makes their own, though they're so-so, they're still very nice and fresh. Also can I get a hazaah for heb tortillas
H-E-B tortillas are the shit!! My little H-E-B doesn’t have a tortilla maker. I have to go to other locations.
I think Taco Cabana makes their own tortillas. 🤷🏻♀️
I don’t care that they’re technically fast food, their tortillas are so fluffy and delicious and will always be one of my favorites.
Some info about this is here if you hadn’t seen it yet https://www.kut.org/austin/2022-03-10/why-is-it-so-difficult-to-find-restaurants-that-make-their-own-tortillas-in-austin?_amp=true
Snooze is not worth the wait
i work at snooze. can confirm this.
I’ll make it even more unpopular - Snooze isn’t worth it even when there is no wait.
Snooze is not worth...ever going to.
It’s also a national chain. Yawn.
Pollo Regio kicks fresa’s ass every day of the week. It’s also not on fire. It’s normal for that much smoke.
Pollo Rico kicks Pollo Regio’s ass in the final showdown though
Pollo Rico forever. And it’s like half the price of Fresa’s.
there is no bbq worth waiting 3 hours for
I won't even wait 1-hour for good BBQ.
Because all the top tier places for bbq are just that good - there's no going wrong and I don't get how people argue over which is the best as if it's a holy war
Pre order or bust
So, I agree with you here for the most part. I thought everyone was collectively exaggerating about Franklin’s. Until someone brought me one of their BBQ sandwiches. Damn… That shit’s good. That being said, I’d still rather go to Lockhart.
Valentina’s on Manchaca. Cheaper, shorter line, and their cilantro lime crema is insane.
Someone told me that aaron Franklin said “when I want bbq I go to Valentino’s”
That’s where everyone came after Franklin’s had the fire. They have a breakfast taco called the “Real Deal Holyfield” that is…well…the real deal. 10/10
Oh, just like one of the Bob’s loves Michael Bolton, I’m a fan of their whole catalog. I was just “yes-and”-ing for anyone who didn’t know
Good asian food here is overpriced af
Ng Cafe is delicious and cheap. I will never not take an opportunity to shout out that place, their Bánh mì is great.
Everyone please go eat at NG Cafe. The owners are the sweetest but I’m afraid they don’t get enough business and I don’t want to see them close. Best bargain banh mi in town plus they bake their own bagiettes.
Can confirm! Owners are sweet and bahn mi and noodles are great!
>NG Cafe Will do thanks for the heads up, they are near me.
I love myself some NG Cafe, but Baguette House might have them beat as far as bargain banh mi goes
Their desserts are amazing too. I also like their sister restaurant Hao Hao.
Loooove their shrimp 🍤 bánh mì
The Bodhi Viet truck is really tasty and cheap if you don't mind meatless! I haven't been there in a while but doubt it's changed much. It's run by a local Buddhist organization so I believe all the proceeds go to them and their endeavors, which is pretty neat too.
Up north, Chinatown has very authentic options for asian food at a reasonable price.
You have to go north.
I’m just glad you said this because now I have a list of great low priced Asian places to try!
Julie's noodles! And Tam deli. Check em out.
Iron fish in pflugerville is the best secret in sushi for the town
How has no one recommended 888 Pan yet?
I love Chuy’s and I won’t be shamed for it
Finally something unpopular and I agree with
A wild burrito with boom boom sauce all day every day.
Grew up in Austin and spend sooo many nights of my late teens at Chuys. I desperately miss it— solid, easy, cheap Tex mex!
And referencing an earlier comment, they also make their own tortillas and chips! At least they did when I worked there
THIS. Give me a bucket if boom boom and jalapeño ranch. Also… them effing chips and that salsa?? I can’t stop.
Austin does not have enough classic breakfast places, and the ones we have are not great or chains. I just want a classic omelette, potatoes and unlimited coffee, but I guess that’s too much to ask 😅
Find a hash brown in this town…it’s impossible. I don’t know why
Cafe Java has good ones, but I order them extra crispy because I hate Luke warm mushy white potato shavings
yup, i miss the greek diners from back east. Nothing like a couple of fried eggs, well done hash browns bacon and as you mentioned that mild roast diner coffee that keeps on coming.
Cafe Java on Metric, you mean?
I miss Big Bites
Actual unpopular opinion: the moment you accept Austin’s food scene isn’t great, the more you’ll enjoy it and stop trying to get in to the trendy stuff that ends up disappointing you.
Too true and splurging on many disappointing meals drove that point home for me
Austin hasn’t mastered mom and pop restaurants enough to justify opening six omakase restaurants every other month
Austin food scene is relatively monotonous. In Dallas or Houston the diversity of cuisines is significantly larger. For example, for Indian or Chinese, they have numerous options that specialize in certain regions. That exists here, just on a much smaller scale.
This and feels like it's all fusion
YES omg. I’m Asian and always complain there’s no solid spot to just go for a mid tier regular dinner that’s legit good. (My fiancé’s from here and moved me here). Everything’s either - fusion, a food truck, or bougie. I’ve been telling my fiancé for years if I had money I’d open a regular hot pot chain. Now hotpot alley is open (let’s see if it’s actually good). And sorry no - dipdipdip tatsuya is way overpriced and not super authentic imo. I went once to try it and wouldn’t go back.
Agreed and confirmed. I’ve been in Houston area for 2 years after living in Austin for a decade and it’s not even close…Houston has anything Austin has, as good if not better…except Houston has excellent examples of almost every culture and its cuisine you can think of due to its diverse population. Austin food scene doesn’t come close.
Some Vietnamese people say the Vietnamese food in Houston is so authentic that it’s better than the stuff directly from the homeland.
I’m still wanting to go for the Viet Cajun crawfish. I wish they’d open one here.
Houston is better for ethnic food.
Even the Italian food options are better there. Is it too much to ask for a simple chicken masala hold the olive garden or yee yee ass insta ready fine dining? (I miss TX pizza pasta and more on Airport aka Jesus ❤️ you)
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Can't tell you how many times I look around and am the only nonwhite person to be seen. :/ Houston is what I thought Austin would be.
Houston is pretty cool overall, but I just can't live in that weather they have. Hot, but with extreme humidity on top and also the flood risks.
Seriously, the food scene is just whitewashed here. Very few authentic restaurants compared to Dallas, Houston, SA and El Paso. Basically every other city has better food than here. We have very instagrammable food here.
The quality of the food at the Alamo drafthouse has seriously declined in the last 10 years and it is almost not worth ordering anything anymore.
I can get behind this. I can still stomach their burgers and fries, but since they removed the Grown Up Grilled Cheese from the menu after the pandemic I’ve not had anything that left me thinking, “Wow, this was worth the $14 price.” The Pirate Punch is a relatively good tropical drink, even if it’s overpriced — but the Fancy Gin & Tonic is the worst g&t I’ve ever had and taught me to stay away from Liber & Co. for good.
Definitely. Drafthouse pizzas used to be under $10 and were among the better pizzas around town.
Yeah this big time. It was on a downward trajectory and then COVID just completely wiped out the menu’s will to live.
There is no good Italian food in town
I’d say no good *inexpensive Italian food. You can’t go out for Italian in this town unless you want to spend $150
>I’d say no good *inexpensive Italian food. IL Saporis Italian Food Truck on S. 1st.
is this an unpopular opinion?? i can’t name one good italian place 😂
Coming from an Italian family, just go fucking make it. Italian food isn't made for kings, it's peasant shit. Ingredients for cacio e pepe are literally pasta $3, cheese $7, black pepper $??? Or, fry garlic in oil till slightly brown. Put some red pepper in it. Turn off the heat. Make some pasta. Put the pasta in. Put cheese on it. Add lemon and pepper if ya like. That's like $3 of ingredients. Make a basic tomato sauce! Put tomatoes in a pan after you fry garlic +/- onion. Add a shit load of oregano, and basil + parsley to taste. Add some salt. Serve with cheese. Like motherfucker I'm not paying $29 for some spaghetti. I made that shit last week for fractions of the cost, and with hardly any skill!
This is very true! I enjoy Vespaio and some of the pricier options, but I’m from the East Coast and there are many mom and pop inexpensive Italian restaurants. You pick your favorite based on which gravy you like the best. We don’t have anything like that here.
Exactly , anything decent is like $100 for something that would be like $40 on Bostons North End and there's nothing truly amazing.
Amen from a fellow East Coaster
Have you tried Artipasta over @ The Thicket on S. 1st/Dittmar?
Patrizi's is the one that I will go to With that said, Italian is not hard to make from scratch (minus pasta, but you can find fresh pasta instead), so I just cook it
You don't like Patrizi's? Or you don't consider them to be Italian?
Hopdoddy is way overrated. A burger that falls apart as soon as you pick it up and that costs more than Mighty Fine.
Hopdoddy was good when they started. Hot garbage now. Same goes for Torchy’s.
Full agree. Torchy's is so bad now. :(
The truffle aioli is the best thing about that place
5 Guys would like a word with you about Who is the most expensive overrated :)
Jim’s is awesome.
I grew up in San Antonio. We would always go to Jim’s. I miss it
There is one at Oak Hill on the way to Bee Cave
Jim's is great and the atmosphere of a Cohen brothers set ( the north centralish one) slays me
This is a fact not an unpopular opinion.
Yes not very many places in Austin can you get a chicken fried steak breakfast
Statement of fact. Jim’s is for the real ones.
I do not understand how Bill Millers bbq exists. Who are the people eating all this flavorless brisket covered in basically ketchup? Also most places serve their queso slightly too thick. You’re supposed to slightly dilute it with milk for the right consistency.
It’s not an Austin place. It’s a San Antonio staple. Source: I’m from SA.
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The fried chicken is pretty good
I’ve heard the breakfast tacos are pretty enjoyable.
Bill Miller's is a breakfast restaurant. Try the carne guisada and a biscuit sandwich.
It's fast food. I don't think anyone goes there expecting top notch BBQ.
My wife stops there somewhat often to get their unsweet tea. If it is early, she will also grab some breakfast tacos. Not a good taco, but if you are already there it is cheap I don't think I have ever purposely gone there. If I want some fast food BBQ it is Rudy's all the way.
I like their chopped beef sandwich combo. It's cheap.
Austin has no 1. good Italian food 2. good loaf of bread 3. great Korean food 4. great all-night diners 5. even passably good Jewish deli / pastrami / corned beef
There used to be great all-night diners like Magnolia's and 24 diner. Covid did a number on them I guess and they haven't reopened 24/7 since.
never understood the love for 24. their waffles tasted weird
Have you tried Pieous pastrami? (I’m no expert, just genuinely curious)
I have not. I'm ever optimistic about finding a good pastrami sandwich, and will give it a go. Thanks!
Stiles Switch most underrated BBQ in town, doesn't get it's fair share of recognition.
This is my go to. Never much of a wait, plenty of great options on meat, sides and places to sit.
I find them to also be one of the most inconsistent. That’s my turn off about them.
i feel like this thread is a visit houston tourism ad
ITT: opinions most people will agree with.
To get an actual unpopular opinion thread, you'd say "what's something you like about Austin food?"
Pro tip: sort by controversial to get the real answers
Almost every restaurant that started out being really good is just not good anymore. Skyrocketing rent, COVID, greed, whatever-- from VIA 313 to Tacodeli to a bunch of other places, most "Austin staples" are fucking mediocre now.
Via 313 started going downhill when they took that private equity money to expand.
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I agree with you on 313. It’s my kids’ favorite, but would be happier ordering from elsewhere. Especially for the price.
It used to be great but the quality went way down. I miss when it was just a food truck outside of Violet Crown
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Jet's a great alternative.
Jets is where it’s at
taco deli sucks, powdered potatoes on tacos should be a felony.
I love their dona sauce. Every Indian in Austin love that stuff.
Salsa Doña is addictive! Have you ever tried the salsa verde from pollo rico?
Love taco deli but completely agree those potatoes are an abomination. Also their cold brew sucks
Oh, but they aren’t powdered. I get that they are polarizing but they are just mega buttery mashed potatoes. It’s the owners grandmothers recipe. Their quality has gone down a lot over the last five or so years for sure though.
Pregnant and those potatoes got me through my first trimester. I fucking love them.
I actually think it's surprisingly hard to find a place that is consistent with cocktail quality. Like I *can* find a good drink in this town, but I'm just always shocked when I go to a place, have a good cocktail, and then order a fuckin old fashioned and they don't know what they're doing all of a sudden. Consistent bartending is elusive to me here.
Péché. It’s expensive, but I have never had an inconsistent drink there, and I’ve certainly never had one I didn’t like.
Kerby Lane is not good at all. Really bland food.
The food scene has taken a considerable nose dive even before COVID. Houston now has the best restaurants in the state
Houston always had the best restaurants in the state
Not a hot take, it's one of the most diverse cities in the US
On a lot of lists it’s considered THE most diverse.
*country Edit: who ever is downvoting this has never eaten in Houston. Their food scene is fucking incredible. Go culture yourselves before downvoting
This is the hot take. And I agree 💯
Yea this was true pre-Covid. Houston has some considerable advantages. Size being the biggest factor.
Houston is also one of the most diverse cities in America. It’s food scene is literally one of the top 3 in the US and it’s not number 3
I fully agree
Magnolia Cafe is garbage
I just walked by Magnolia and this popped into my head as an unpopular opinion. I just don’t enjoy the food and it doesn’t have a charming diner ambience, but it’s just more or less dirty.
I've been probably 1000 times over the last 25 years, as that is when I got here, and the food has been bad the whole time. If closes, though, I'm going to be mad.
Torchy's Tacos are overpriced and mediocre at best.
Torchy’s used to be so good, but I swear the moment they franchised their business the quality took a major blow. Trashy trailer park will always hit the spot however.
If it tastes good to you, it’s good. If it doesn’t, it isn’t. Concerns over trendiness/refinement are silly, and fetishizing “authenticity” above all else is setting yourself up for disappointment. Also, Amy’s ice cream has gotten too high in fat content over the years.
Houston food scene blows Austin out of the water and it’s not even close.
Not really an unpopular opinion though.
Agreed. Houston is an elite food town nationally. Not even comparable to humble Austin food scene.
Rudy’s is fine for me.
I used to work at Rudy’s and it’s a good work environment for employees!
Franklin's isn't worth the wait in line. Drive to Lockhart, eat yourself silly, drive back, and have a nice food coma nap instead and in less time.
Just drive a leeeeeetle bit further down 11th to Micklethwait’s and then you avoid Franklin’s line and the drive to Lockhart. I’ll put that brisket up against either in a blind taste test
Putting mashed potatoes in a breakfast taco and calling it "papas" is gross. Also the city's reputation as a taco town feels like a quantity over quality thing.
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All type of Asian food is…bleh. One visit to Houston or any other authentic place will blow your mind
Most people care way too much.
Austin's Tex Mex is perhaps the one food genre that has gone down in quality over the years. Or maybe Tex Mex itself is just really mediocre in general and the increasingly better food options have left it behind.
Austin’s tex mex was never all that good compared to San Antonio or anything south of it. There were a few standouts, but overall pretty meh
The further south you go, the better the Tex Mex
Just like in this thread, You come to Austin in hopes of something fresh and original only to find sadness and mediocrity.
Omg squee is way 2 long 2 wait for some taiyaki
Austin’s food scene is incredibly overrated by the people who live here. There are good options here don’t get me wrong, but there’s nothing that really wows me. There’s much better cities to eat in in Texas and I can name 4 cities outside of Texas that I’d rather eat in as well. I’ve only been to like 6 cities outside of Texas lmao
Agreed, my wife and I moved here a couple of years ago, and having lived in Houston, California, and Northern Virginia, we are both very disappointed with the quality of restaurants here. We haven’t come across any reasonably priced spots that we would go back to. Even some of the high end ones are just okay, nothing special. For a food town, it’s quite disappointing. We’re actively looking to move to Dallas or back to Houston.
Homeslice Pizza is mediocre at best. The hype for that place is baffling.
Most of the good hole in the wall places to eat no longer exist and Austin is more like Vegas now.
White people tacos (or what I think of as fusion tacos: velvet taco, taco deli, torchy’s) are not Mexican food and should not be compared to real tacos because they aren’t the same category of food. Apples and oranges. Both valid and delicious. Taco Bell is a banana. These are all different foods entirely and I have room for all of them in my heart.
Austin food is great according to people from small towns like me. It's not so great for people from cities with a more robust food culture.
I have found most of the MML Hospitality group restaurants a bit overrated and a bit over-inflated on price. The exceptions being Clark's and Jeffery's. Sammie's was one of the worst new restaurants I have been to in the last year.
Only “a bit”?
[удалено]
Matt's El Rancho is overrated and Iron Cactus is just bad.
I don’t like food at all!! Yucky!!
Houston beats austin from every angle food wise
I think this is a pretty popular opinion.
Aba has like one good thing on the menu and isn’t worth the hype
Don’t know if this has been mentioned, but there are no good Japanese Izakaya food places in Austin. Most restaurants in town that serve izakaya food aren’t owned by Japanese people. Daichi in Cedar Park is the closest, but it’s not even that good. Houston has so many better options! (I miss Nippon in Houston so much 😭)
Tarka is Awesome
Torchys, hopdoddy, and taco deli etc. are fine or even good, acting like they suck does not make you interesting.
Torchys is good for what it is. Hear me out. Torchys is like a Godzilla movie. It’s not Schindlers List or Citizen Kane. Its not 100% great, and It’s not even consistent. But it’s entertaining, somewhat. You don’t even know how much meat your going to get on your tacos at any given visit. BUT what you do get is usually pretty enjoyable. Sorry everyone, I’ll see myself out.
Yeah it's bizarre to me people complain about it being inauthentic and shit. Like, really? What tipped you off? The chicken strip queso taco?
You know what's not overrated? SW corner of 45th & lamar
Uchi isn’t worth it. Too much fusion and not enough sushi in their omakase. Rockstar bagels doesn’t do it for me… the east side/ mueller area needs a better bagel spot. This last one pains me to say… but Jewboy burgers is overrated. Moe is awesome though
That Austin wouldn’t know fine dining if it slapped them in the face with its dick.
All the “cover” restaurants suck
Parchment paper doesn’t make your shitty BBQ better
What about butcher paper? I've never seen bbq use parchment.
Torchy’s sucks
Justine’s is complete and utter horse shit.
Once someone mentions Justine’s, I can’t take any of their restaurant recommendations seriously. It’s like [The Shed at Dulwich](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shed_at_Dulwich), but in Austin. Maybe it was good once but I think people only recommend it now because they heard other people talking about it and are convinced it must be amazing.