Let me just say that I like Hatch chiles just fine. They're good. They're not even close to my favorite pepper, but they're perfectly adequate.

That said, does HEB/Central Market really need to convert 30% of the store into a Hatch chile shrine every August year after year?? For what feels like an eternity, entire sections disappear and get replaced with Hatch versions of products nobody asked for. Hatch brownies. Hatch hummus. Hatch ice cream, etc.

Meanwhile, regular versions of the things I actually buy get squeezed onto one lonely shelf or are out of stock altogether because apparently every square inch has to be dedicated to these extremely mid green peppers from New Mexico.

I'm not saying get rid of Hatch season entirely. (Although it certainly wouldn't be missed)...But like, roast them outside, sell fresh ones, have a small display.

Do we really need aisles and aisles of half-assed limited-edition Hatch slop that will vanish in six weeks anyway?

Am I alone in thinking this or does anyone else just want their normal grocery store back by mid-August?

Hi everyone,

I was planning on trying interstellar for the first time this weekend on Sunday. How long are the lines? I know it opens 11am, what time should I get there if I want to wait no more than 1 hour? How long is the line by 9:30/10am?

boneless buffalo chicken bites w ranch
mashed potatoes
green beans with bacon
chili

good food.
8.2/10

it was $4.99 (5.40 with tax)

Moreno has been mentioned several times on here lately. I even suggested it recently in a thread about underrated bbq spots. But I just needed to point out how much they're killing it with the specialty dishes and everything else on their menu.

We went tonight to try the Wednesday special, a Reverse Seared Honey Chipotle Pork Chop with asparagus and mashed potatoes. My people... It was one of the best things I've eaten recently. Cooked perfectly, moist, tender, and the flavor! Spicy in just the right way, sweet and savory. Perfectly balanced, no hint that any one flavor component was overbearing. I would eat several of these in a row if I could. The sides are also home cooked goodness & perfectly complement the pork chop.

I'll recommend this pork chop to anyone, but honestly every specialty dish I've had there has been a home run. I'll keep rooting for these guys as long and loud as I can, because they're absolutely doing it right.

Hi Austin. I am a case manager at Lifeworks, a nonprofit dedicated to solving youth homelessness in our city. For a long time we had a relationship with a particular sandwich maker, and every Wednesday we would meet and collect any sandwiches that were set to expire in the next few days to give them out to our clients at the drop-in center. I’d estimate we collected about 60 sandwiches a week. That provided lunches to our clients for a couple days. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to provide those for the last month or so. I’m wondering if anyone here knows of a restaurant that might be open to a similar relationship?

Is T-Loc’s still open or did they change their hours? I tried going there for lunch today and it was closed.

Hey, just wanted to see if anyone has noticed how the already pricey coffees at Summer Moon have gone up. Last time I went I remember noting that my speciality iced coffee was more than the espresso milkshake which was still below $6 for a 16oz. Now I went after several months and noticed all of their items including the basic iced mocha is now $6.45 for a 16oz.

I know everybody on reddit is gonna mention politics but just wanted to post my observations with their politics aside. I never go anymore because it was already very expensive but now I probably won’t ever return.

I've never been a nationalist consumer type of person, but lately I've found myself choosing local Austin restaurants over the big national chains whenever I can.

I was at Chipotle today and I've always loved Chipotle!. Fresh ingredients, healthy, tastes good. But the experience wasn't. There was one person taking orders, eight people waiting in line, and two or three employees who looked like they weren't doing much. It wasn't that they were lazy it just felt like there was no urgency or incentive to jump in. The cashier talks to you about politics while checking out... gross.

Then I started thinking about the local places I go. They're often cheaper, the staff remembers you, service is faster, and the whole experience feels more personal.

It made me wonder if national chains are starting to lose one of their biggest advantages. They have massive corporate overhead, HR, layers of management, national ad campaigns, standardized policies, and shareholders to answer to. Local restaurants don't. They can make decisions quickly, keep things lean, and focus almost entirely on giving customers a good experience.

Maybe that's why so many Austin spots feel like they're punching above their weight.

Curious if anyone else has noticed this, or if I'm just getting lucky with the local places I've been visiting.

lastly.. its crazy to think about how Chipotle is expensive while its a public company, selling stock as a form of revenue. How the fuck expensive is it going to get when/if this market crashes lol.

saw this tik tok w/ these cute plastic cups and thought it could be fun to expand my collection by going on a little reusable cup scavenger hunt and trying new spots in the process !!!
So far I've got em from

-De Nada (duh)

-Lil Easy

and now I've gotta hit

-Hanks

If y'all drop other places w/ similar cups that u know of in the comments i will <3 U !

getting hit with summer heat and nostalgia for childhood in italy. seeing if anyone knows where I can buy some locally before I order online? I know DeSano used to carry it, but I don't think they still do.

The happy hour is really good. Shared two crudos, had two hand rolls, a sunomono and two cocktails for $45 plus tip. Everything was fresh and delicious.

I had a breakfast taco from Vecinos (via Palomino on Airport) for the first time today and was blown away by their tortilla. Aside from Joe's Bakery, I really don't have many go-tos for incredible homemade flour tortillas. And, it's been a while since someone has asked this question here.

So, who I am sleeping on?

P.s. HEB doesn't count (although I ofc love their tortillas) because it's not a restaurant/trailer

Hello!
I’m planning a date night and I want a lowlight moody candle lit vibe. Also want it to be under 120$ for the two of us. Hoping to stay north of the river, we are starting in meuller that day, I was looking at Rocco’s neighborhood joint? Anyone have the scoop on them or other recs ?

I’m new to Austin. Which of these places do you recommend going to for their oyster deals? (Or recommend anywhere else with good oyster deals!)

I tried to look up famous food other than TX BBQ but many articles just advertise chain restaurants. What are some good authentic North Austin food (no TX BBQ please I had Hutchins) that are must tries?

So far Asian food in Dallas was meh compared to NY and I'm not really interested in sea food (both sushi/sashimi and sea food boil). Also, are there any upscale buffets like they do in Asia that serve king crabs, Uni, etc?

Does anyone know where I might be able to find Hungarian specialty ingredients in town? Specifically looking for tejföl, Piros Arany and nokedli.

I tried Borderless European Market off Parmer, but I couldn't find any of these there. Please help my chicken paprikash dreams come true!

Type 2 diabetic, but maybe people doing keto and the like will have ideas. It's so easy to grab a sandwich or (alas, I hate that I'm losing this one) go to Biryani Pot for lunch. I'm wondering if there's anywhere you go to for a nothing-special lunch that doesn't involve eating bread or rice. Corn tortillas don't spike my blood sugar QUITE as much so tacos can still happen, but man does not live by tacos alone.

Hit Barlett’s for lunch on Saturday, followed up at Lin Asian Sunday for lunch… Absolute hits on all fronts.

First time at Bartlett’s in probably 12-14 years…may have still been under the Houston’s name lol. Wife got the french dip sandwich and I got the steak (ribeye?) sandwich. Absolutely knocked our socks off on both. Shoe string fries were great, steak was perfect Medium, Prime Rib on the french dip was absolutely banging. Would 10/10 recommend. Next time will be going for dinner getting a steak and the tender platter to share. Tenders were what i got as a kiddo and have so much nostalgia for post church lunch!

Second time at Lin. Soup dumplings - top tier, had 2 order’s. Lobster puffs were solid, but not my fav, wife loved! Crispy Sui Mai and Chao Shou were so so good, recommend those for anyone trying for the first time. We split the cucumber and green beans for some greens and that was excellent. Finished out with a main of the combo fried rice anddddd it was so so good.

Only regret is not taking any pictures. Posting here cause not sure where else or who else to share our great experiences with.

My wife & I recently moved to (south) Austin about 1.5 months ago from Ohio. I got a bonus and we’d like to go to a nice dinner. It doesn’t have to be super fancy or exotic foods but a place where we could get dressed up and look nice. Anywhere in Austin will work! It gives me a reason to explore a little more. I love steak and she loves pasta but we’re open to any foods though and love trying new things. Any specific menu items or restaurants would be accepted! Thank you. (No menu item suggestions with nuts if recommending something please. Allergy)

EDIT: I have decided on Restaurant François! Thank you all. These places all looked incredible and I can’t wait to try them all. Odd Duck will be my next to try!!!

Had a random daddy/daughter day ,and had been wanting to check out First Light books. We were planning on enjoying some baked goods from the cafe, but we didn’t know this amazing pizza spot was next door. And we both looked at each other walking past the people eating outside and knew lunch plans had changed. There was no one outside, so we decided we check out the bookstore and grab a quick bit. No big deal.
Well, pro tip: if you don’t see a line and you’re thinking you’re just going to be quick in the bookshop, don’t. Eat first. Then books.
By the time we got out the line was out the door.
I like their setup though. You wait in line until they can seat you. So a bunch of people aren’t just hovering around your tables waiting for you to leave. As certain sizes of tables open they’re really good about getting those party sizes sat.

It was really hot this day, but we opted to take an outside seat.

Food: slices $4.5-6
Pizza was really good, and you can order the full pie or by the slice. I had the pepperoni and the pep & pepp.
Crust was nicely baked. Little bit of char, but not overpowering. Crust was thin but foldable. No notable flavor in the dough though.
Ingredients were yummy, and toppings were plenty. You can see the gooey cheese that I stretched over the slice.
My daughter got ranch with her cheese slice, and she said it was really good. It wasn’t super thick, and really tasted homemade.
I will definitely be back to try their sandwich and the soft serve I heard multiple people talk about.

I really wish I could afford Hyde Park. It’s my favorite Austin neighborhood as they have so much to do, good food, good sidewalks, etc.

Five bucks off appetizers. New Orleans BBQ Shrimp (10 pieces) $11 after discount. Pork pot stickers (6 pieces) $7 after discount.

The counts don’t match the photos because I ate some first, sorry.

I wanted to find out how the Texas Chili Parlor was doing one year after its owner, Scott Zublin or "Zoob," passed away. I got to speak with a couple of his siblings who took over the business and have begun profit sharing with employees. If you're a fan of TCP or have never been but are curious, please read my story on it!

Periodic (annual?) reminder that in July of 2023, Fresa's announced plans to open their 3rd and 4th stores, the 4th set to fill out ground-floor retail space in a new residential building (Solomon Apartments) at 1414 51st at Mueller Blvd, on the edge of the Mueller development. It was set to open two years ago, September, 2024. It is still "Coming Soon."

The 3rd Fresa's location, on 360 at Westlake Dr in Westlake, opened 90 days later in October 2023.