PLAY VIDEO AUSTIN EATS Nixta Taqueria Lively food trucks, luxe dining rooms and mom-and-pop joints — Austin’s restaurant scene delivers on every level. MICHELIN STAR Austin is home to six prestigious MICHELIN One Star restaurants. Sit at the bar at rustic-chic Barley Swine to watch the masters work with Texas ingredients, from Akaushi beef to Fredericksburg peaches. Tiny Craft Omakase seats just 12 for its nightly 22-course tasting menu of fresh, cured and dry-aged bites in a warm, intimate hideaway. InterStellar BBQ is a little old, a little new. You’ll find classic kielbasa alongside pulled lamb tacos in its strip mall setting. Balance the peppery dry rub on woman-owned la Barbecue ’s tender brisket with spicy pickles and sweet pepper kimchi. The cow takes center stage at mid-century-inspired LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue , from shoulder to cheek to brisket. Nearly every dish touches the 20-foot hearth at New American Hestia . Charred, seared or blistered, it all gets the live-fire treatment. Sustainability and value unite Austin’s three MICHELIN Green Star/Bib Gourmand winners. Dai Due ’s rotating menu features seasonal and house-preserved Texas ingredients like wild boar, nilgai antelope and Texas citrus. Micklethwait Barbecue BARBECUE Bib Gourmand barbecue, anyone? Franklin Barbecue chef Aaron Franklin helped put Austin on the culinary map. Their best-in-class brisket is always worth the wait. Micklethwait Barbecue is a sanctuary of low-and-slow, with pork ribs and Try the oak-smoked wings and rotating monthly sausage at Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew — waits are typically short. Savor something different at Space Kat Barbecue , with smoked tri-tip, lamb and hot links. Sam’s Bar-B-Que is an Austin institution, serving tender smoked mutton and ribs since 16 visitaustin.org TOP TO BOTTOM: ARTS+LABOR; ANDREW THOMAS LEE Heirloom grains and house-made pasta are the stars at Emmer & Rye , where a roving bread cart delivers house sourdough throughout the airy dining room. Nixta Taqueria is chef Edgar Rico’s love letter to handmade tortillas — the duck carnitas tacos and ahi tuna tostada are standouts. Tex-Czech sausage served in a renovated church. Even food trucks earn Bib Gourmand status. Briscuits has sweet-and-savory down pat, with brisket and smoked strawberry jelly served on perfectly flaky biscuits. Middle Eastern flavors punch up the menu at KG BBQ , with inventive eats like za’atar and pomegranate-glazed pork ribs.
Austin Insider Guide 2027: Page 16
