Eating at the food trucks in Austin, Texas

The self-anointed "Live music capital of the world" was also an early supporter of food trucks

Austin has been circling the food wagons for some time – food trucks have become such an institution in the capital of Texas that they’ve prompted innumerable blogs and even a next-generation fashion truck called Bootleg, which is a shoe shop in an Airstream trailer featuring hard-to-find labels.

Heart-stopping appeal at one of the trucks

We go to Austin every summer and every summer I love to visit the food-truck enclave on South Congress. The trucks are all around the city, but the original Austin food trailer The Mighty Cone is based here, started by one of Austin’s star restaurants, Hudson’s on the Bend.

The menu at the Mighty Cone on a recent visit

Ordering at the Mighty Cone

Food from the Mighty Cone: Yes, even the burgers come in cones

While according to some food trailer blogs, this isn’t even the best place to get “truck food”, I like this location. Back when I lived off South Congress this was a decidedly less cool part of town to say the least. (Think: a surfeit of porn shops – yeah, that’s a vintage sentence.)

Now it’s crawling with hipsters. One of the best burger places I’ve been to is just across the street (that’s a whole other post). There are other cool restaurants and shops that are busy day and night. Plus, you’ll find one of Austin’s premier live music clubs here: the Continental Club.

It’s a long, straight shot down from the capitol building and home to a wide range of trucks serving sausage sandwiches, thai food, cupcakes and more.

The Hey Cupcake food truck, housed in a shiny Airstream

We tend to come in the middle of sizzling August afternoons for shaved ice, then sit on one of the picnic tables to watch the cars and people go by. Eating at one of these establishments just feels cool. Most of them are run by small independent traders, I’m told, and the funky vibe of these places just feels like Austin. The food is decidedly Texan. It’s cheesy, meaty, sugary…in a word, tasty. I can sit on a picnic table in the afternoon heat with sweat pouring down my face and feel a part of the spark of the city, even as it has transformed into a vastly wealthy, tech-focussed metropolis. It kinda’ reminds me of Austin the way it was, but with better food.

In the baking heat we never seem to be in the mood for barbecue or other big meaty sandwiches, but one day I hope to try them all. My advice for anyone visiting Austin and wanting interesting, fun food: Keep on truckin’.

A window for ordering

Texas-sized cups of shaved ice in various flavours

Read more about Austin food trucks

Austinfoodcarts.com

Foodtrailersaustin.com

6 good food trucks on South Congress

4 Responses to “Eating at the food trucks in Austin, Texas”

1. Mari says:

   September 4, 2012 at 7:45 pm

   They look really cool, there’s something special about trucks, vans and caravans and I’d love to try the pulled pork one day

   Reply
   • Jennifer Howze says:

     September 4, 2012 at 10:12 pm

     I do love a pulled pork sandwich, especially if it’s served off the back of a truck.

     Reply
2. Windmillfields says:

   September 15, 2012 at 6:35 am

   Some bizarre food items there! Would love to try some Food trucks aren’t that popular here you mainly get the Chips and Frikandel ones and the Olliebollen ones (deep fried balls of batter)

   Reply
3. Susanna says:

   September 26, 2012 at 6:32 am

   I wish I had stopped at some of the food trucks on my Austin trip last summer. I saw them all lined up. Yum.

   Reply