I was in Austin for a couple of days last week.  Besides eating a lot of breakfast tacos, I tried out a lot of other new spots and a couple of old favorites that I was glad were still around.  One thing I could not get over was how vegetarian and vegan friendly most places were. It definitely made eating out with Will a lot easier. And the quality of the food was in some ways better than the average place in Los Angeles.

I was going to make a simple list of places to eat in Austin, but since I have so much to say about each place, I figure a short post about each would do them more justice. So first up:

East Side King

Maybe not as well known as the quintessential breakfast taco, but ESK is one of my favorite places to eat in Austin.  If you’re over 21 and don’t have a child, I recommend the original trailer behind Liberty Bar in (duh!) the east side.  Sure, some may say the neighborhood can get a little rough, but man up and visit that place.  Get a tall glass of beer, walk back to the patio, and anything you order from the truck will be delicious.

Because we had a toddler with us, we couldn’t go to the Liberty Bar location, but the brick and mortar spot on Lamar sufficed. To first-timers, I recommend the classic bento to get a little bit of the greatest hits: beet fries, brussels sprout salad, Paul Qui’s buns.

I’ve eaten pretty much everything on the menu and my favorite thing is the tako taco.  Octopus taco may sound chewy and tough, but this was not at all. The thin slices of octopus braised in butter was well…buttery soft and the acidic punch of the pickled onions and vegetables brought this to a whole other level. Don’t like the yonic shape of the crispy taco scare you away. This taco is great.

What I love about ESK is that while each dish is a flavor explosion in your mouth, it’s not some obscene umami bomb. You could tell some thought went to how flavors and textures are combined. And unlike some restaurants, this one isn’t afraid to have a handful of vegetarian things on the menu that actually taste good to omnivores.

East Side King (south lamar)
Suite 101, 2310 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 383-8382