(Southern rock music)
- Hey guys, I'm here in Austin, Texas,
during South by Southwest.
But I'm actually not here to check out
any of the discussion panels or concerts.
I'm here to eat.
Today, we're gonna be checking out three different spots
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
to get the ultimate Austin culinary binge.
We're not gonna be hitting up any of the cliche,
over-hyped restaurants.
We're gonna be goin' a little deeper,
goin' off the beaten path to find some spots
that are serving up Austin staples with a little twist.
Let's get it.
We're at Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches
to kick off our food tour.
When it comes to breakfast in Austin,
most people think of breakfast tacos.
But for Austin locals, there's a Czech pastry
that they hold near and dear to their heart, the kolache.
I am so excited -- I have never had a kolache before.
I'm gonna start with this sausage, jalapeño, and cheese.
Oh, wow, look at that cheese.
Mmm.
You get sort of kicked in the tongue
by the spice from the jalapeño.
But the dough, they're adding honey to it,
and that really counterbalances that spice.
Mops it off your tongue, and just sort of
refreshes you with each bite.
Nice piece of sausage there.
Tastes like it's only seasoned with black pepper.
I think I'm gonna switch it up from the spicy smokiness
and go for something a little sweet.
Traditionally, a sweet kolache is filled with sweet cheese
and a fruit preserve or a jam.
But here at Batch, they've put a nostalgic twist on that,
taking the jam, adding peanut butter,
and making a peanut butter and jelly kolache.
They also top it with a oat and peanut butter streusel
to sort of add an extra crunch.
Mmm, this reminds me so much
of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
I used to always eat after school.
It wouldn't be Texas if there wasn't brisket for breakfast,
and they've stuffed this one with brisket,
pickles, and Swiss cheese.
This really reminds me of a Reuben sandwich.
It's got Swiss, brisket, and the sour pickles in there.
I don't wanna play favorites,
but this is the clear winner in my book.
I would start every morning with one of these.
(upbeat rock music)
We're at a food truck that specializes in serving
Mexican-style street hot dogs.
Being located in the borderlands, Austin benefits by having
some of the best Mexican food in the entire country.
This is T-Loc's, and we're gonna find out
what the Sonoran hot dog is all about.
What you've got is a bacon-wrapped hot dog
covered in pinto beans, raw onion, grilled onion,
tomato, mayonnaise, mustard, and this delicious,
perfectly spicy jalapeño sauce.
Let's get a bite.
Mmm.
Oh, wow.
You know, low-key, I would say the bun
is the star of this dog.
It really holds the whole thing together.
And the Sonoran bun, it's a little sweeter,
and they're also brushing it in butter and toasting it
so you get this great balance of the buttery and the sweet,
and it just complements the richness
of the bacon-wrapped hot dog so well.
You're also getting this great, smooth taste
from the pinto bean.
It's its own beast, it's so delicious.
It belongs in the pantheon of hot dog greats.
Let's take a break from this and get into these fries.
'Cause, I mean, what is a hot dog
without crinkle-cut French fries?
So good.
Mmm.
When we were watching them make these,
they took the carne asada, put it down on the grill,
were grillin' it up, gettin' it nice and crispy,
then they just laid this beautiful blanket of
Monterey Jack on top.
Got it nice and melty.
Boom, right on top.
It's almost like carne asada nachos, but just,
with French fries.
It's A-plus.
I'm gonna need at least another minute with them
to make a dent.
I'll catch up with you in a minute.
(twangy rock music)
When you come to Austin, the one food you have to eat
is barbecue.
Today, we're checking out a new
experimental barbecue food truck, where you're more likely
to find meats like quail and beef cheeks
rather than brisket and chicken.
This is LeRoy and Lewis, where they serve
the most unique barbecue in all of Austin.
Look at this spread.
We've got so many different things from LeRoy and Lewis,
and, to be honest, I know exactly where I wanna start:
this mac & cheese-stuffed quail.
I've been thinking about this the entire time
on the airplane.
I'm so excited to try this.
Mmm, wow.
It is perfectly smoky on the outside, and that's from
the paprika rub that they're putting on it.
Smoking it just for 45 minutes, so it just gets that
nice kiss of smoke on the inside.
The macaroni & cheese, it's really creamy, cheesy,
I think it probably helps the meat itself
stay nice and tender and moist.
It's incredible.
I'm really excited to check out this beef cheek sandwich
that they serve, which comes with kimchi
and their signature barbecue sauce.
What they do is they take bits and pieces
of leftover brisket and render the fat out of it,
then confit their beef cheeks in that fat.
Mmm, wow.
This meat is so tender and rich.
It's like next-level brisket, and I think the kimchi
is the perfect addition because that funkiness
cuts through that richness and really rounds out the bite.
I mean, I can't forget about the barbecue sauce.
It's got this great sweetness and tanginess.
And what's crazy is they're taking tomato-based sauce,
vinegar-based sauce, and mixing 'em together
and then adding in beet juice, which adds that sweetness
and this great color.
It's incredible.
I am completely stuffed, and I think I'm gonna head downtown
and keep this party goin'.
Let's link up in a few.
Today was incredible.
I got to eat so much and check out so many hidden gems
in Austin.
Maybe I'm gonna try and burn some of this food off first.
You think I could take this for a spin and have you
ride in the back?
- Oh, deal, let's get rowdy, man.
- Hell, yeah.
- Boom.
- Ready?
- Yeah, you ready?
- Yeah.
If you liked what you saw today, please check out
another Thrillist video and like, comment, and share below.
Let's get it.
Oh, my God!
- Let's get it, 'cmon.
- Here we go. (laughs)