If you thought Austin was only famous for its live music obsession and hippie-infused weirdness, think again. We’ve also got some seriously amazing street food, and word of that is getting around fast as people visit and relocate to Austin in hoards.
In their “Best of Travel” list for 2015, Outside Magazine named Austin the top city in the world for wanderers seeking to devour delicious delicacies from food trucks and trailers. Indeed, with hundreds of mobile restaurants operating throughout the city and food-court trailer parks like Barton Springs Picnic Park and South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery sprouting up all over the place, the ranking seems more than fitting.
Here in ATX, we host annual food cart-specific festivals and taste-offs, we rave about our favorite trucks through blogging and social media, and we’ve even created detailed, interactive maps, apps, and directories of all of the trucks and trailers who set up shop in town.
Outside is one of the leading lifestyle print and web magazines in the U.S., covering sports, travel, health and fitness, adventure gear, and more. In other words, these guys know what they’re talking about! Every year, Outside‘s staff selects 30 of the world’s top travel destinations and classifies them in a much-anticipated “Best of Travel” list.
This year, staff gave shout-outs to seven other U.S. locales besides Austin:
- Montana — Best of the Wild West
- Portland, Maine — Best Place to Tie One On
- San Juan Mountains, Colorado — Best Way To Get Strong Quads
- South Carolina — Best Beaches
- North Carolina — Best Domestic Adventure Hub
- California — Best Road Biking
- Philadelphia — Best Urban Upgrade
Outside cites Tommy Want Wingy and Chi’Lantro as two of the most beloved of our trucks, but we all know that Torchy’s Tacos, Gourdough’s, and Holy Cacao are just as epic. In fact, we’re willing to bet you’ve never met an Austin food trailer you altogether hated, unless you’re not much of an adventurous eater.
Feeling hungry? Check out The Austin Food Blogger Alliance, AustinFoodCarts.com, and FoodTrailersAustin.com for resources to discover new food trucks and trailer parks. They can even help you figure out exactly where your favorites carts are parked on any given day. You can also download the Austin Food Carts iPhone and Android app for an interactive map of trucks near your current location.
Another fun way to connect with new and upcoming trailers is to get yourself an Austin Passbook, which features a bundle of 2-for-1 deals honored by food trucks and other small businesses across town.
Happy eating!
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Featured photo: A meal at Lucky J’s Chicken and Waffles, by Flickr user Tracy Hunter, creative commons licensed.
