Jason Neff, Author at 365 Things Austin

Three Great Hill Country Breweries

Jason Neff — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 14:31:17 +0000

With so many breweries right here in Austin, it’s easy to get into a beer rut. We tend to visit the same handful of spots when we’re in the mood for a cold one. But with fairly mild temps and wildflowers everywhere—it’s nice to bust out of Dodge and explore the outskirts of town. Here you’ll find a few lesser-known breweries that are a bit outside the city limits—but are totally worth the trip.

Note: This list makes an assumption that you’re already familiar with Jester King Brewing, but if that one is still on your bucket list, go there first. Do you have suggestions on other breweries on the outskirts of Austin that should be on our radar? Shoot an email to Hello@365ThingsAustin.com

Acopon Brewing (Dripping Springs)

Acopon Brewing is a small but mighty brewery in downtown Dripping Springs that specializes in British beer classics—some of which are served on cask, which is rare in Austin. If English-style ales aren’t your cup of tea, fear not, they also brew really tasty IPAs and other styles that will keep any beer drinker happy.

Location:
211 W. Mercer St.
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Hours:
Monday-Tuesday: 1–7 p.m.
Wednesday-Thursday: 2–8 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: noon–8 p.m.
Sunday: 1–6 p.m.

Ghost Note Brewing (Dripping Springs)

Ghost Note Brewing is located on a beautiful piece of land off Ranch Road 12, a few miles south of downtown Dripping Springs. The beer is awesome and the property has a ton of tree-shaded picnic tables, a stage for live music, a play area for the kids, and a food truck with standard bar food items on the menu.

Location:
23663 Ranch Road 12 @ Ghost Note Lane
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Hours:
Friday: 2–9 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: noon–9 p.m.

Roughhouse Brewing (San Marcos)

Hitting one of the two aforementioned breweries and then heading to Roughhouse Brewing (don’t forget your DD) allows for a gorgeous drive through the Texas Hill Country. Once onsite, you’ll be greeted by a friendly staff and an environment that feels more like you’re at a friend’s ranch than a brewery. The beer is excellent, with farmhouse ales and traditional lagers that use ingredients and well-water collected onsite from the Roughhouse property.

Oh, did we mention they have a cave?

Location:
680 Oakwood Loop
San Marcos, Texas 78666

Hours:
Monday and Thursday: 4–9 p.m.
Friday: 2–9 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

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CM Smokehouse Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 27 May 2021 14:54:57 +0000

South Austin’s car-dealership-turned-playground-for-grownups, Bouldin Acres, is home to the CM Smokehouse food truck. CM specializes in smoked meats, but they’ve gained recent notoriety for an off-menu ode to Taco Bell’s Crunch Wrap Supreme. CM’s version of the drive-thru treat is loaded with smokey chopped brisket, and contains other high-quality ingredients down to the tortilla.

I also order ordered the CM Classic Burger, which honestly outshined the wrap. This is a juicy burger that comes dripping with melty cheese, pickles, and dijonaise on a fluffy potato bun. My advice: Order the crunch wrap for the ‘gram, then get the burger for yourself.

Website: www.bouldinacres.com/food-menu

Hours:
Daily 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Location:
2027 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

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Mighty Cone Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 13:25:38 +0000

I tried my first Mighty Cone, like many other people, from the food court on the grounds of Austin City Limits music festival. I don’t remember the exact year, but it has become a tradition that I eat at least one Mighty Cone while at the festival ever since. They canceled the fest last year, but I decided to keep my cone-eating tradition alive. So I wandered to down to their food truck, located just a stone’s throw from Zilker and the festival grounds, and ordered The Monster.

The Monster isn’t necessarily the massive amount of food the name conveys, it was actually created for people who have trouble making decisions and can’t eliminate one of the three choices of fried chicken, shrimp, or avocado from their cone. People like me. “I just want all three,” I tell them.

Mighty Cone came to be in 2002 when the folks at ACL reached out to Lake Travis’ favorite Hudson’s on the Bend, and invited them to add to the culinary options available at the festival. One of the chefs (most likely high) had the genius idea of putting their crunchy trout batter onto chicken, wrapping a tortilla into a snow cone cup, and then tossing the aforementioned chicken into the cone with slaw and ancho chili sauce. The result is a self-contained meal that festival goers can hold in one hand whilst walking the festival grounds, freeing up the other hand to do all of the things one does at festivals.

Genius.

Website: www.mightycone.com

Location:
The Picnic
1720 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704

Hours:
Fri–Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

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Pepe’s Tacos Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 11:40:27 +0000

Birria tacos are sweeping Austin, and Texas as a whole. Pepe’s Tacos on Lamar just north of 6th serves some of the best ones I’ve tried thus far, without the wait and risk of selling out that comes with some of the more hyped birria spots in town.

For those unfamiliar with the birria taco, it’s basically tender, stewed meat in a half soft, half crispy shell, with onions and cilantro (optional, but recommended), served with a side of consomme, which is broth used for plunging your taco—similar to what one would do with a French Dip sandwich.

The menu is limited here—they do one thing and they do it well. Go for the taco plate, which comes with three birria tacos and a cup of consomme. Colorful salsa is included as well, but I admittedly just went straight for the broth dip.

Website: www.pepestacostx.com

Location:
704 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78703

Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
Saturday noon–11 p.m.
Sunday noon–8 p.m.

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Hawaii Nei Cafe Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 13:52:01 +0000

I was admittedly hesitant to order raw fish from a food truck, but the warm spring temps had Austin feeling a bit like Hawaii last week, so I gave Hawaii Nei Cafe a go. It was actually their Hawaiian barbecue that originally sparked my interest in the truck, and I was feeling adventurous, so I went ahead and ordered both the barbecue bulgogi plate, and their tuna poke.

The Beef Bulgogi is both sweet and savory, and served with white rice and a choice of side. I recommend the Li Hing Pineapples for the side order—they’re basically chopped pineapple dusted in chili powder, and they compliment the bulgogi well. The tuna poke took a back seat to the hot bulgogi, but since it is served cold, I just threw it in the fridge and had it for dinner that evening. Two meals in one stop. I’ll be back for the Loco Moco and to try the rest of the dishes I usually only see on vacation.

Website: www.hawaiineicafe.com

Location:
7814 S 1st St.
Austin, TX 78745

Hours:
Mon-Thu, Noon-8pm
Fri & Sat. Noon-10pm

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Shirley’s Trini Cuisine Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 12:40:49 +0000

I was a little hesitant to bring a Jamaican-born friend to a Caribbean food trailer in South Austin. I’d heard great things about Shirley’s Trini Cuisine, which serves up the tastes of Trinidad and Tobago. Surely Shirley’s food would fall short of his expectations.

He ordered the jerk chicken, and I, the stew oxtail with a side of pelau—a rice dish with “pigeon peas” which my friend informed me are a legume native to the Caribbean. When the food arrived, we dug in, and Shirley’s jerk chicken put a smile across his face. The oxtail was tender and falling off the bone, and the pelau complimented the stew perfectly.

The Stew Oxtail from Shirley’s Trini Cuisine

Both these dishes are available on their regular menu, but they often have special entrees and sides, so be sure to follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on their latest offerings. And if you’ve got a hot tip on where I can find pigeon peas in Austin, drop me a line.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/shirleystrinicuisine

Hours:
Wednesday – Friday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday noon – 8 p.m.
Sunday noon – 5 p.m.

Location:
7800 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78745

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Cuantos Tacos Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 11:54:00 +0000

I was admittedly late to the Cuantos Tacos party. This spot has been on my list for over a year but I finally dug in and struck taco gold. Chef Beto and his team crank out delicious nixtamalized corn tortilla tacos, costras (tacos in a griddled cheese shell in lieu of a tortilla), quesadillas, and a rotating slew of daily specials from their food truck on East 12th Street.

You can’t go wrong with your order, but asking for a “one of each” taco plate is a good place to start. Then, add a few of whatever the daily special is (Saturday hosts pastor tacos and quesadillas from the Trompo), and a side of “Frijoles Especial.” Pro-tip: They typically sell out and a line starts to form daily a few minutes before they open at 5 p.m.—so get there early, or call ahead with your order.

This past-week, Chef Beto shared that he has health issues that will require heart surgery in the near future, and a Go Fund Me page has been created by friends to help with the costs of surgery and to support his family through the procedure. If you’re already a fan of Cuantos or if you’d just like to help another member of our community, I encourage you to donate.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuantostacos512/

Phone Number for Call In Orders: 512-903-3918

Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m. (or until they’re sold out!)

Location:
1108 E 12th St
Austin, TX 78702

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Ranch Hand Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 12:08:14 +0000

In continuing with healthy themed food trucks for the month of January, Ranch Hand serves up wholesome grain bowls, burritos, and more. They now have two locations in Austin, most recently popping-up at the Armadillo Den in South Austin. They encourage their patrons to “eat like there’s a tomorrow.”

Their bowls are delicious and likely their most popular menu items, but I’ve also had their burritos and burgers and can vouch for both of those as well. The burrito is a standout, with forbidden rice, avocado, soft cheese, and your choice of protein.

Website: www.weareranchhand.com

Locations: Multiple

Hours: Varied

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BOGO Tuesdays At Bummer Burrito

Jason Neff — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 12:08:09 +0000

Do you ever use Yelp in the opposite way that it was intended? Intentionally looking for terrible reviews on otherwise 4 to 5 star-rated restaurants? When Ian B. from The Colony, TX wrote in his review of Bummer Burrito that it was the “Worst experience I have ever had. Burrito is complete trash.” I had to find out for myself how one burrito could make one man so angry, and fill so many other reviewers with joy.

I decided to go for a breakfast burrito, mostly because I procrastinated until the morning of this review’s deadline to visit the truck. Ordering online is easy, and they allow you to make pretty much any modification to your burrito you’d like, including a “cut it in half” option which is gloriously pictured below. Incidentally, it doesn’t just give you a great shot of the burrito’s interior, it also makes it easier to eat.

The breakfast burrito is stuffed with eggs, trashbrowns, oaxaca jack cheese, bummer sauce, and your choice of protein. I opted for bacon. The burrito is quite thick and they grill it after it’s wrapped, which makes it a little crispy on the outside, which is nice.

In summary, I’m not sure who hurt Ian, but I would give this burrito five stars. I’ll be back for all-day burritos and take-out bevvies from the adjoining Little Brother Bar soon.

Website: www.bummerburrito.com

Location:
89 Rainey Street
Austin, TX 78701

Hours:
Mon 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tue-Thu 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Use the code BOGO on Tuesdays for twice the deliciousness!)
Fri-Sat 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sun 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

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Picnik Food Truck

Jason Neff — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 11:00:01 +0000

I thought I’d start 2021 out with a healthy food trailer since there’s a decent chance some people are still on track with their healthy eating resolutions. Picnik has been around since 2013 and aimed to provide gluten-free and other healthy eating options in a quick, casual setting. The truck on South Lamar was also the first place I remember serving “butter coffee” in Austin.

They now have a brick and mortar location as well, and you can find their packaged coffee creamers in your local grocery store. The truck on South Lamar is still there serving up quality, healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On my last visit, I opted for their Avocado Toast and a Matcha Golden Latte. Both were delicious, and the smaller sizes on both items were more than enough.

Picnik proves that eating healthy on the run doesn’t have to be a chore. Consider giving them a visit when you’re looking for a break from the monotony of cooking at home, without sacrificing the health benefits.

Website: www.picnikaustin.com

Hours: Varied

Locations: Multiple

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