Moveable feasts ... Lucky J's.Credit: John Lee
Kerbside cuisine is hitting the big time in groovy Austin. Just don't expect to find a salad, writes John Lee.
THE idea of Texas cuisine conjures images of Flintstones-sized steaks and barbecue pits sizzling with slow-roasted meat. But while esurient carnivores can fill their faces here, one Lone Star metropolis is serving a vast and ever-growing menu of adventurous street food. Already a savvy restaurant dining capital, cool-ass Austin is rapidly becoming the king of the US's street eats movement.
"Four years ago, we had 400 carts and we're expecting that to rise to about 1600 by the end of next year," says Mick Vann, the senior contributing food writer at The Austin Chronicle.
Chocolate cake thick shake from Holy Cacao.Credit: John Lee
Once serving only the downtown late-night bar crowd, most Austin carts - often brightly painted caravans clustered around picnic tables in disused lots - now open all day and, encouraged by laissez-faire by-laws, have spread across the city. Serving everything from kimchi tacos and fried-chicken waffles to shrimp sliders (small burgers) and iced cupcakes, they've become go-to dining spots for hungry Austinites. Eager to see what is on offer, I hit the city for a four-day calorific cart crawl.
First up is Torchy's Tacos, a big, red trailer in a sunny South First Street pull-off. Dismissing the tempting breakfast options, I am soon perched at a picnic table under a large tree gorging on an early lunch: two lip-smacking soft tacos overflowing with green chilli pork and deep-fried Baja shrimp, each served with little cups of sauce.
I wash them down with a Mexican sparkling water.
Naturally, since I am in the area, I also hit the cart next door. As happens with many of the multi-stand lots, dessert-focused Holy Cacao is a good complement to its neighbour. Thinking that its truffle-like cake balls - soft spheres fused with icing and served on sticks like lollies - might be too rich, I opt for a thickshake. Hardly a low-fat alternative, it is an addictive, velvet-textured blend of chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream. I make a mental note to remove my belt when I get back to the car.
Tacos and fusion wraps dominate Austin's street-food scene and there's lively competition to create the most interesting varieties.
I sample marinated tofu tacos - plus spicy fries topped with cheese, beef and caramelised kimchi - at downtown's Korean-Mexican cart Chi'Lantro, while chatting to a couple of locals at a shared table.
"I was away for three years and this whole scene blew up," Austinite Scott Walker tells me. "Ever since I got back I've been checking them out and trying to catch up."
He recites a long list of favourites and tells me that most vendors open about noon, many don't close until late in the evening and there's usually a bring-your-own-booze policy.
Following one of his tips, I head over to South Congress Avenue and hit the Mighty Cone for a toasted tortilla of almond and sesame-crusted shrimp with soft-centred slabs of crunch-covered avocado. It's this kind of experimentation - plus inviting prices typically between $US4 ($3.80) and $US8 - that encourages curious taste-tripping.
Which probably explains why the Mother Clucker doughnut from Gourdough's, a silver Airstream trailer on South Lamar Boulevard, is such a legend. Traditional cream-filled and fudge-topped varieties are available but it's hard to resist the signature: a glistening sweet treat topped with a sliced chicken strip and drenched in honey butter. It tastes of guilt.
On an artery-clogging roll, I follow up the next day with a sinful stop at Lucky J's in the city's up-and-coming east-side area. This time I gorge on spicy deep-fried chicken wrapped in a thick waffle and covered in hot sauce and maple syrup. Then I add a chaser from the stand next door: a burger slider crammed with coffee-rubbed barbecued pulled pork.
With my stomach now extending several steps ahead of me, I decide to take the afternoon off for health reasons. It turns out Austin isn't just about eating. I enjoy the Native American exhibit at the giant Texas State History Museum and browse the funky indie stores on South Congress Avenue. After free happy-hour music at the Continental Club, my appetite re-emerges.
While comfort food defines many of Austin's trailers, some carts push their menus deep into gourmet territory. Among the best is Odd Duck, which sells innovative, restaurant-quality dishes created from locally farmed ingredients for about $US4 to $US6 a pop.
On a warm, starlit evening, I tuck into its amazing pork belly and grilled sweet potato slider; a soft-boiled duck egg served on blue-cheese grits; and a perfectly seasoned grilled half-quail with "texmati" rice.
"We wanted to provide a fun atmosphere and the kind of plates you wouldn't normally see out of a trailer," says owner Bryce Gilmore, whose menu changes seasonally but often includes favourites such as the quail. "People here are really receptive to trying something new. And there's also an entrepreneurial spirit that explains why we have so many carts."
Gilmore says he is about to open a bricks-and-mortar eatery. "The goal of having the trailer was to eventually have a restaurant. The success of the cart has made that a reality."
Before heading to the airport on my last day, there is just time for a final stop that almost everyone has recommended. You have to join the queue at about 10.30am to have a chance of eating at Franklin Barbecue, a legendary trailer that usually posts a "Sorry, sold out" sign about 1pm every day.
That doesn't perturb the regulars, who patiently line up - sometimes with a Shiner Bock beer from the nearby liquor store - for about an hour or so.
It is well worth the wait for a feast of perfect, fancy-free Texas barbecue, served on paper plates with white bread: one of those giant meals that makes you believe everything really is bigger in Texas.
With a juicy, arm-sized sausage, a mound of tender pulled pork and glistening pork ribs that slide off the bone like melted ice-cream,
I roll my eyes and tuck into thick, butter-soft slabs of beef brisket. It's a fitting end to my Austin street-food feeding frenzy and a reminder that a salad is long overdue.
The big eat The best overall listing location information for Austin's street-food vendors is austinfoodcarts.com. Vendor hours vary, so check the websites below.
Torchy's Tacos, 1311 South First Street in the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery, torchystacos.com.
Holy Cacao, 1311 South First Street in the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery, theholycacao.com.
Chi'Lantro is downtown near the corner of Congress Avenue and West Second Street, chilantrobbq.com.
Mighty Cone, 1600 South Congress Avenue, mightycone.com.
Gourdough's, 1219 South Lamar Boulevard, gourdoughs.com.
Lucky J's is at the corner of East 6th and Waller streets, luckyjs.com.
Odd Duck, 1219 South Lamar Boulevard, oddduckfarmto trailer.com.
Franklin Barbecue, 900 East 11th Street , franklinbarbecue.com.
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