Zilker Specialty
Establishment
neighborhood
Boteco
1720 Barton Springs Rd., Zilker
The food trucks of Austin deserve their own guide. Boteco is just one (really noteworthy) highlight. The yucca fries here get a lot of well-deserved praise, along with the empanadas and feijoada (a hearty Brazilian stew). Boteco catered the birthday party of Austin local Camila Alves, whose insider tips have helped us find many of Austin's other gems (e.g., the margarita at Hotel Saint Cecilia, the peanut butter dessert at Uchi, and the Zilker Park train ride).
Lick
1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Zilker
Real-life couple Anthony and Chad met in New York in the early 2000s, bonding over the fact that they were both from small towns. As Chad waxed poetic about the ice cream he ate growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (a.k.a. hand-made with locally sourced ingredients), Anthony began imagining the types of flavors he could create with ingredients unique to his hometown in Texas. Today, their ice cream shop has stores in San Antonio and Austin, with inventive, Texas-specific flavors like cilantro lime, dewberry corn cobbler, and sweet persimmon.
Chi’lantro BBQ
1509 S. Lamar Blvd., Zilker
Chi’lantro BBQ’s most famous dish is their kimchi fries—classic french fries topped with caramelized kimchi and melted cheese that taste as good as they sound. The rest of the menu offers comfort food inspired by Korean BBQ, including a rice bowl, an asian salad, an excellent burger, and more. Cubicle types, take note: Their online ordering system is really easy and streamlined. There are other locations in Rosedale, Downtown, and North Burnett.