'It's nice to have a place where I can have a conversation,' says Contigo bartender Houston Eaves.
Classic thin, griddled burgers. Think Burger King, but good. Order a double for proper bun/meat ratio.
Try The Last Supper ($9), a giant hoagie roll filled with housemade roast beef, bacon, sliced tomato, shaved onion, shredded lettuce, and queso.
From grilled quail with Southern hot water grits, to Peruvian scallop tiradito, Japanese chicken tsukune, and even Canadian tater tots poutine, the menu is wildly diverse, but somehow it all works.
Bratwurst in Pretzel Bun: Resist the temptation to stuff yourself with bread and beer cheese and save room for this sausage sandwich.
110 Minute Egg & Smoked Pork Hock: Cheesy polenta topped with chopped smoked ham hocks and a perfectly slow-cooked egg. Green speckled parmesan basil sauce smothers the egg for additional richness.
A riff on the Mexican drive-through chicken joints popular in Austin, sourcing pasture-raised birds from a local farm.
The Silly Cheesesteak Panaani is where the quesadilla, roti roll, and cheesesteak intersect—and how could you go wrong with that?
Shiner Bock Beer-Battered Monte Cristo: Pit-smoked ham, mesquite-smoked turkey, cheddar cheese, provolone cheese, homemade cherry-fig jelly, AND housemade potato chips. This is a monster sandwich!
Chef Josh Watkins has transformed The Carillon into one of the top restaurants in town. No small feat considering its location, and the crispy pork belly is a can't-miss dish.
The burger here: perfect bun to meat ratio, best served alongside a pitcher of Shiner Bock.
Don't miss the best fries in Austin: twice fried in peanut oil, served warm, sprinkled with coarse salt and a little tarragon, and served with a side of house made aioli.
Don’t miss out on the annual SXSW Parking Lot party. It’s a doozie. Do people still say doozie?
Micklethwait's homemade sausage—varieties like duck and cherry, lamb and apricot, which rotate daily—is what truly distinguishes his operation. Even the beef sausage is moist and snappy.
Best brunch. There. We said it. And coming from NYC, we know a bit about brunch.
