fountain is a margarita paradise. The menu is simple at old-school icon Sam’s Bar-B-Que — meat by the pound, a BBQ sandwich and classic sides. The tender smoked mutton is a must. The sister team at Veracruz All Natural has built a mini food truck empire with their authentic street tacos and fruit juices. You’ll ooh and ahh when you enter Fonda San Miguel ’s beautiful hacienda. Try savory cochinita pibil (Yucatan pork in a banana leaf) and tres leches with mango sorbet. Covered in lush greenery, Tamale House East is a family-owned gem with a beloved weekend breakfast. Dig into pork, chicken or vegetarian tamales, plus all-day tacos on fresh flour tortillas. Boho Bouldin Creek Cafe welcomes vegans and vegetarians with hearty egg and tofu scrambles. You won’t miss the meat. When The MICHELIN Guide came calling, Austin’s affordable eats scored big with Bib Gourmand awards. Micklethwait Craft Meats smokes Texas-style brisket, plus unexpected meats like pulled lamb. Check out their new home inside a renovated church. The simple Mexico City-style tacos at Cuantos Tacos food truck are small but tasty. Try brisket, barbacoa or pork stomach on paper-thin corn tortillas. Get even more MICHELIN Bib Gourmand eats! At Franklin Barbecue , celebrity pitmaster Aaron Franklin has been perfecting Texas brisket since 2009 (it’s worth the wait in line). Tradition meets creativity at Nixta Taqueria . Their house-made tortillas crafted with heirloom Oaxacan corn elevate everything from duck carnitas to the beet tostada. Or try Distant Relatives , a casual barbecue truck inspired by African American cooking. Brisket with mustard butter and black-eyed peas with burnt ends will keep you coming back. AUSTIN’S MICHELIN STARS ONE STAR Barley Swine ’s rustic dining room reveals an elevated, seasonal menu. Small plates are playful, like corn custard served in an eggshell. The two-hour, 22-course tasting menu at Craft Omakase pairs cured and dry-aged bites with fresh sushi for a one-of-a-kind experience. Smoked, charred, grilled or blistered — luxe Hestia uses its 20-foot hearth to finish nearly every dish over flames. Inside a 1930s bungalow, Olamaie reimagines Southern fare. Menus change daily, but buttermilk biscuits with whipped honey butter steal the show. InterStellar BBQ rethinks the Texas barbecue tradition with pulled lamb shoulder, peach tea-glazed pork belly and Frito pie sausage. Woman-owned la Barbecue dials up the flavor with peppery brisket, spicy house pickles and chipotle slaw. At LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue , brisket shares the spotlight with spiced beef cheeks and flat iron steak in mid-century style. SCAN HERE for an update on Austin’s MICHELIN-rated restaurants Micklethwait Craft Meats GREEN STAR ISAAC OBIOMA Dai Due keeps their footprint small, sourcing nearly everything — game, produce and wine — from Texas. Try wild boar or antelope tartare in their cozy wood-and-leather dining room. Bright and airy Emmer & Rye gathers some of the best local ingredients for their in-house fermentation program and handmade heirloom grains pasta. PLAY VIDEO 17
Austin Insider Guide 2026: Page 17
