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I know I talk a lot about the tunes, that is why I go. And so, usually, I end up just scarfing a quick bite in between shows rather than taking a lot of time in the food lines. But you also gotta pay attention to the food you can get in the Fest - key thing to think through before you walk in the door. Actually, this year, it feels like they increased the number of vendors by a lot! I wonder if that is real or just my perception. Here is the full list.
Although what I really want is for them to release a list of what each booth will sell. Hard to know how pumped I might be about El Patio, when they could fire up some plain saltines and salsa like back in the day, or they might fire out some weird enchilada. You never know!
You will eat well at this festival. They do an awesome job of bringing legit local food folks out there to offer a wildly diverse menu, from pizza and burgers to ethnic and back to BBQ. I know for most of you, it is no longer a big deal to see legit food available at a festival, but I'm old enough to have suffered through Willie's Picnic at the big field beside Luckenbach, where your choices were like cold, stringy turkey legs and cheese whiz nachos. It ain't cheap, but you can probably do two meals for about $30 total (plus $800 in beer) for a good day at Zilker. Or you can bring your kids and watch them blow through $300 in food and yet refuse to finish any of it because it "tastes funny." Whatever! Wheeee!
The original Eats zone is still over there between the Tito's tent and the Big Tent (on the river side of the park), and then the smaller Eats space is still over by that Beatbox stage that is across Barton Springs Drive from the rest of the park. They also added in an ACL Sweets zone, which can be found on the map near the Kiddie Limits area. The goobers at Tribeza seem to think that the South end one is new, but not true.
One great piece of news - Mighty Cone is BACK BABY! Those things are awesome. They have a chicken and a shrimp, and I recall destroying several every year. Great crunch on the fried protein, plus a tasty sauce, some slaw, and a bad, hard tortilla. Yummo. However, I note that many of the usual best taco places are GONE - no Taco Bronco, no Torchys, no Taco Deli - many of the good ones from prior years have evaporated. BUT, looks like lots of maybe more authentic things popped in their place like Cuantos Tacos, La Santa Barbacha, or Taqueria Los Regios.
Awesome Things I Have Had And Can Vouch For:
- Burro Grilled Cheese. I've eaten these things several times and they are freaking good. Those little King's Hawaiian rolls with cheese melted inside are mighty tasty!
- Pizza Rolls from Austin's pizza. Easy, greasy, and good.
- Happy Chicks tenders are fried perfection. Nothing swanky or weird, just good.
- Hawk's Hot Chicken. Got the little hot nuggets and they were great. Hot from the frier and good spice level.
- Koko's Bavarian is very good - grabbed one of the buttery, soft pretzels and it was money!
- Veracruz All-Natural is amazing - if they have the miga's taco go for it.
- Chi'Lantro Kimchi Fries. $8. This trailer used to be right across the street from my office and it was awesome. They pretty much serve that one kind of meat 7 or 8 different ways. The burger, with a fried egg on it, is so fantastic. But that wasn't an option here, so I went with the fries. I recall them being less than warm, and kind of sad and soggy underneath the yummy kimchi. Mediocre.
- Also had their chicken taco one year, and the meat was pretty cold. Kinda nasty.
- Lonesome Dove Austin. I can't recall what I ordered, but I remember thinking afterwards that there was no line at that booth for a reason.
- I'm sad to put them here, but East Side King used to be my jam. The Poor Qui Buns were amazing, but they aren't on the menu now. They also do fried chicken thigh chunks that are sometimes awesome, but usually overly crunchy, like they were cooked 8 hours ago (and then just kept warm).
- Shawarma Point. The pita was dried out and cool, and the meat is more like a ground meat thing and not sliced off of the trompo. We also got felafel bites and they were rock hard.
- Skull and Cakebones - Double Smashburger. Soggy and unappetizing. They had a super short line (I wonder why?!?!?) so I went with it but it was pretty gross.
- I was to try Cuantas Tacos real hard. I'd heard awesome things about it
- Salt & Time is good in its brick and mortar location?
- New Pizza thing in the BIG TENT where you get the beer - Bambino pizza. Sounds good to me!
- Mama Fried is interesting solely because of the name. I dig it.
- NADC Burger (not a damn chance) has been getting a ton of buzz for their brick and mortar smashburger. Sounds yummy.
- Honestly, a ton of new things that sound interesting - Coat & Thai? Brotherton's BBQ? Jab's Burgers? OKO? T-Loc's Sonora Hot Dogs?
Also, regardless of how tired you are of standing, you likely are not going to get a spot to sit in the shade by the food stands unless it is an off time. Usually, every seat in the big eating tent is occupied by some large group of bored-looking college kids who are texting each other and fanning themselves. They aren't eating, but when you glance around with food in hand, hopefully scanning for a spot to sit, they do not move, or offer their seat, they just continue to chew their gum and stare. I love the youth.
The new food area by the Beatbox stage did not have any seating or tents in which to eat, it was just a place to buy the food and shove it into your gullet. The map appears to reflect that again this year.
There are a handful of other weird things you can get, like Amy's ice cream or snocones or cake pops or bananas covered in stuff or juice or popsicles, but I'm not about that stuff. I want fuel to get me to the next show and soak up my beers. I AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THE BULLHONKEY BANANA COATED IN PEANUT DUST! GIMME MEATS AND CHEESES WRAPPED IN CARBS!
