SXSW 2014: Where to Eat and Drink That Isn’t Brisket

With the iconic interactive, film, and music festival kicking off tomorrow, it’s going to be a crazy hot mess of a Texan city for the next couple of weeks. Having attended last year, I say this with confidence, and for all you booking your last-minute travels to Austin, I give you fair warning to not get overwhelmed.

Rather, keep calm and nom on to some of my favorite spots to eat at as you explore and to drink at while you network. Note that this list doesn’t include brisket or barbecue because I assume you will be eating mountains of them anyway –this is Texas, after all. These are the OTHER places to eat at, if you choose to be adventurous. Which you always should be.

Tacos

Sorry San Francisco, Austin wins at tacos. Don’t come back until you’ve had at least one, or two, or three, from these places.

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Torchy’s Tacos	Dirty Sanchez Taco	Scrambled eggs, roasted poblanos, cheese, yes.
Turf n’ Surf	Catfish Taco	With slaw, bacon (!), cilantro-ranch dressing.
Tamale House East	Breakfast Tacos	Eggs, cheese, potatoes, meat, jalapeños, and sometimes a taco cannon.

 

 Brunch

Living in San Francisco has made me a bit of a brunch snob. But these places pass the test, so before you check out the tech panels, fill up here with food and booze

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La Condesa	Margarita La Condesa & Guacamole tasting	Pineapple juice to start the day fresh and guacamole because it is delicious.
Frank	Red Headed Stranger & any Daily Dog	Bacon-infused vodka makes the drink a meal in itself, but still get a sausage to top it all off.
Elizabeth Street Cafe	Any Punch & Breakfast Banh Mi	Vietnamese meets brunch meets punch meets best morning ever.

 

Desserts

This may seem like a trivial category, but it is not. Dessert is very important and not to be skipped, especially at these places.

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Amy’s Ice Creams	Cop Stop	Espresso and mini donut ice cream. If you’re lucky, they might let you catch it across the street.
Sway Thai	Thai Tea Affogato	Condensed milk ice cream with black tea and macadamia nuts. Goodbye world.
Jeffrey’s	Seasonal soufflé	My old pastry chef helms the kitchen here and her soufflés are kick ass.

Bars

With all the tech-ing around, alcohol will be necessary.  The majority of bars are in downtown “Dirty 6^th,” but here are a few standouts to not miss out on.

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Handlebar	Any of the Boiler Makers	Mustache-themed drinks, décor, and life-sized Jenga. Into it.
W Hotel	Sazerac	One of the best Sazeracs I’ve ever had, and you might spot Shaquille o’Neal trying to invest in a new startup.
Stubb’s	A local beer and brisket	Okay I lied. There’s one brisket on this list; it’s still Texas.