Goodbye, Austin (Part 1: Eating)

In October Kimmie and I will celebrate our five year anniversary in the fifth place we've lived in. I've discovered that with each move Kim becomes convinced that the place we left was heaven on earth, and the place we've moved to is the pit of despair. She feels this same way about changing jobs as well. I decided to put a few posts together to help foster that feeling (although we have already lived in D.C. before, and when we moved away Kim was pretty sure we had left behind the greatest place ever, so maybe this move won't be as hard.)

We pretty much judge everywhere we live (and visit) based on the food that is available. Austin has won high marks. Here are some of our favorites, in no particular order.

Despite being a chain barbecue restaurant located in a gas station, Rudy's has some of the best barbecue going. The brisket is simply the best brisket in all of Texas, bar none, and the smoked turkey is also awesome. Make sure to complement your meal with creamed corn and new potatoes (if you like a cup full of butter with your potatoes) and top it all off with some banana pudding.


Ski Shores is the only place on the lake that I will eat at (everywhere else is always too crowded and the food is only so-so.) Ski Shores is totally off the beaten path (take City Park Rd. off of 2222 and follow the signs) and it has been in the same rickety old wooden building since the 1950s. The Border Burger is about the best burger you can imagine (jalapenos, grilled onions, guacamole, cheese), and it's all made fresh to order. Plus, eating on the dock on the water in such a laid back atmosphere really can't be beat.


I know Austinites are going to hate on me for bringing up the Salt Lake on 360, but in all honesty the original Salt Lick that is clear in the hell out there isn't worth the drive when I have a Rudy's right down the road. Besides, we don't go to the Salt Lick on 360 for the barbecue anyway. It has something that the other one doesn't: chicken fried turkey with jalapeno bacon gravy. Yeah, that's right, jalapeno bacon gravy. I'm drooling right now thinking about it. Every time that we go Kim and I both order it. Make sure to ask for some of the Salt Lick's awesome sauce to dip your bread in.


Kerbey Lane can't be beat for breakfast. Any of their pancakes are spectacular, and I particularly like the Eggs Francisco (eggs, ham and avocado over toasted english muffins with a hollandaise sauce.) Don't be surprised if everyone eating by you (and your server) smells like weed. Hey, it's Austin.


Dirty Martin's lives up to its name, and first-timers may be wary, but if you like greasy burgers it's the place to go. My brother ran into Mack Brown here, so it's got official UT endorsement. Also, for fun try out the hand dryers in the bathroom. I'm pretty sure they run off of the same engine and rotor system as a Vietnam era Huey chopper. They'll blow your shirt off if you're not careful.


Central Market is our favorite grocery store of all time, and it has the added bonus of having a great cafe and free live music on the weekends, as well as a playground for Megan. I like to buy their soups (tomato and basil is great) with a few rolls and a Mexican Coke in a bottle (real sugar -- no high fructose corn syrup)


Rudino's was a lucky find, as we wouldn't normally frequent a place next to the grocery store (besides the cafe at Central Market.) We're glad we did this time. The pizza is pretty dang good (make sure to ask for some ranch sauce to dip it in) and the grinders are spectacular. If you don't know what a grinder is, go in and order the Buffalo Chicken grinder and prepare yourself to never be able to satisfy your sandwich craving at a Subway again.


Anybody who reads our blog knows that we love Cooper's out in Llano. The meat is smoked to perfection, and they have an incredible thin, vinegary barbecue sauce that is habit forming. We really like the chicken and the pork, and you have to top off the meal with some peach and blackberry cobbler.


I know there are a lot of burger joints on here, but hey, what's better than a good burger? P Terry's is very reminiscent of the fresh and greasy goodness of In-n-Out Burgers, and you get to eat outside under the trees by a sandbox that Megan can play in. Get the double burger, and you can easily split the homemade fries.


We usually finish off a trip to P Terry's with a snow cone from snow beach. You gotta bring cash, but it's worth it. Try the sour green apple with carmel (it's way better than you think) and ice cream. An Austin original.



The eating scene in D.C. is nice (Kim's favorite eating experience of all time is a Moroccan restaurant there), but the east coast servers are surly and everywhere seems to want you to pay in cash. Never mind that our rent has just skyrocketed by a thousand dollars a month with this move. Looks like a month or so from now we will be looking back at this post and crying. So if you are in the vicinity of any of these incredible eating establishments, quit wasting time and precious stomach space on home cooked meals and get out there and eat.