Flying into the heart of Barbecue Country can be like entering the belly of the beast for those of us who are meatless. But Austin for vegetarians is really not a bad place to be. As the city has grown the hospitality industry has gained a prominent place in local culture. Food trucks are still a big part of the dining scene here, but even the most modest neighborhood joints have ambitious chefs in the kitchen making a name for themselves. The city is now so crowded with good food that you can’t survive by being mediocre.
This isn’t a best of list. It’s not even researched or curated at all.It’s simply everything I ate on a weekend in Austin. Many of these places were introduced by a friend who’s a local, for a unique weekend of eats.
Spicy Boys
1701 E. 6th St at Zilker Brewing
Right in the heart of East Austin’s barhopping circuit, fried chicken food truck Spicy Boys is one of the more popular and addictive choices for locals. I had the vegetarian fried tempeh sandwich with a side of papaya salad. The same zoodle-style shavings of papaya that constitute the salad’s base carry over onto the sandwich. There’s a lot of flavors and textures mixing it up here but it’s all in balance and works well together.
This is definitely closer to the junk food end of the spectrum even though it’s soybeans and fruit. Spicy Boys also features tots and cauliflower nuggets along with a curry & roti side. It’s not hard to see why locals are hooked.
Yellow Jacket Social Club
704 E 5th St
First of all they should call this place Mosquito Social Club. Didn’t see any bees but the skeeters were out in force. A visit is worth the risk though for elevated casual bar food. I had a second fried tempeh sandwich that was just as good as the one from Spicy Boys, but a different construction altogether.
Yellow Jacket also features a variety of fresh salads, a mezze plate, grilled cheese, a vegan BLT, and a roasted beet sandwich. So there’s plenty of variety for vegetarians.
Pueblo Viejo
641 Tillery Street
This was my first visit to Austin in about 10 years and it wasn’t until we arrived at Pueblo Viejo that I realized the city has followed the full Brooklyn trajectory. It used to be that everyone was 26 and hot in a sort of indie sleaze way. Now all those same people are still here but instead of tacos and tattoos the most noticeable features on the streets of Austin are strollers and goldendoodles. Sometimes gentrification is when you kick your roommate out and turn their room into a nursery.
Anyway, Pueblo Viejo is in a small park that looks like it used to be a gas station. It’s another truck and there’s plenty of seating scattered around outdoors. I had the Migas Plate which mixes scrambled eggs with cheese and corn tortilla chips. Threw in a Tico Taco for good measure which was better than anything I ever ate in Costa Rica.
Food here is fairly authentic and there’s a good range of choices on the menu. If you’re not a vegetarian the torta sandwiches look huge and amazing.
The Cavalier
2400 Webberville Road
The Cavalier was our guide’s main local bar so we had the benefit of visiting alongside some regulars. This place is sort of a new concept in that it’s essentially a straight-friendly gay bar. It claims inspiration from New Orleans but the blending of gay and straight clientele (along with an open invitation for day drinking) was the main New Orleans similarity.
We visited for brunch (which in Austin typically runs until 3 or 4 pm) and had the hash with the addition of veggie sausage. The sausage is the Morningstar breakfast patty variety, diced. Mixed into homemade home fries and topped with poached eggs and pesto these are simple ingredients executed very well.
The deviled eggs (can be made vegetarian) are dijon-forward and a great compliment to a salty Bloody Mary. Beignets were delicate and just lightly sweet.
Hotel Breakfast
Homewood Suites- 78 East Ave.
They can’t all be the best meal of your life. If the hotel offers free breakfast sometimes the most prudent course is to take them up on it. Especially when it climbs above 90 degrees by breakfast time and you don’t want to go out walking.
I enjoyed my stay at the Homewood Suites Rainey Street and would definitely recommend it. The breakfast goes above and beyond the typical hotel fare with items like overnight oats, fruit compotes and southwestern touches like tortillas and salsa to compliment your eggs. Can’t beat the price.
Pool Burger
2315 Lake Austin Blvd.
Located right next to Deep Eddy Pool, Pool Burger is an incredibly popular choice for people coming out of a day in the Sun. This little place is printing more money than the US Mint. Be ready to wait in line if you go.
I’m not usually a great fan of house made veggie patties but I have to admit this was about the best one I’ve ever had. It has an earthy ‘veggie burger’ flavor that doesn’t lean too hard in any direction (meaning it’s not overly reliant on black beans or any other single ingredient). The cocktails here are top notch too and very fruit-forward and Summery.
Our table also had the beets and avocados, tossed in house made dressing. It’s all the good stuff from the big trail salad but for half the price. Skip the crinkle cuts and make a healthy choice.
Veracruz All Natural
2505 Webberville Road
Directly across the street from the Cavalier in East Austin is a food truck park that’s home to Veracruz All Natural. The tacos here were the best thing I ate in Austin and it wasn’t particularly close.
At $6 each I tried a Migos Poblano, a La Reyna, and the Furioso, which is primarily spicy cauliflower. There were more veggie choices I’d have loved to try but even 3 tacos here is stretching it a bit. These things are large and heavy and two will satisfy most visitors.
Good Burritos
82 Rainey St.
Chosen because it’s right behind the hotel, Good Burritos actually serves terrible burritos. The Dr. Green burrito I had didn’t match the menu description at all and was incredibly bland. One of the worst burritos I’ve had and you’d be far better off going to Taco Bell. They have raccoons crawling around the grounds here and getting into the trash.
In fact, you’d be far better off avoiding Rainey altogether. Even if you dismiss concerns about the Rainey Street Ripper The street has become a cacophony of bad music, woo girls and construction noise as luxury condo towers rise all around it.
