Tens of thousands of people converge on my birthplace, downtown Austin, Texas, each March for the annual SXSW, South by Southwest, Festival and Exposition for Music, Film, and Interactive. This year’s gathering occurs on the following dates: Interactive: March 9-13, Film: March 9-17, and Music: March 13-18. With all of the thousands that are in attendance, it can be difficult to navigate through all of the crowds in the city and downtown, and even if you are a native, it can be difficult to know where to go to enjoy great food that is close by so that you can spend more time in attendance at the various venues and parties rather than being caught in traffic.
With this in mind, when I attend SXSW, I prefer to grab my dinner from any number of mobile food trailers and other mobile eateries that are all over Austin during SXSW. Due to crowds and limited space, it can be hard to find out where all of your favorite eateries are located on a particular day. Thankfully, there is a food trailer website that provides continuous updates as to vendors, locations, and hours during SXSW that makes it easy to find your favorite mobile food vendor.
The following are some of my favorite mobile food vendors from past SXSWs that are in attendance for SXSW 2012.
The Peached Tortilla, (512-222-8781.) This mobile eatery features tacos and sliders that are a luscious meld of traditional Southern and Asian cusine. This is my absolute favorite place to grab a bite on the go when in Austin, and they also provide catering services in addition to their conveniently placed food trucks. You have to try their bahn mi sliders for $3.50. These sliders contain braised pork, pickled daikon, carrot salad, Sriracha mayonnaise, and fresh cilantro on a Hawaiian-style bun. They are also available on tacos or as a burrito. Pair them with their sweet potato fries and peach mint dipping sauce for an extra $3.50. Also great are their Japanese-inspired hamburgers or their Yumé Dog. This hot dog contains an all-beef hot dog, wasabi mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce, nori, and crispy onion strings. Don’t forget to try their fried banana Nutella wontons drizzled in cajeta for dessert for an extra $3.50. The Peach Tortilla is unique, delicious, flavorful food at a great price!
The Texas Cuban,(1700 S. Lamar on the Lawn, Austin, Texas. 512-294-9259.) Another great mobile food eatery, The Texas Cuban also has a dine-in location. They provide hot pressed sandwiches with a Cuban flavor. A bit more expensive than The Peached Tortilla. They are best known for their $13 Texas Cuban sandwich. It is large enough for two people and features pork tenderloin, ham, swiss and provolone cheeses, and pickles pressed on garlic Cuban bread. I prefer their $7 South Austin Veggie Soul; it features organic zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions, red bell pepper, and provolone cheese pressed on garlic Cuban bread. All of their sandwiches come with orders of fried plantain chips, and they are great paired with Zico (coconut water) to drink.
Rockin Rolls ATX (3205 RR620 N. Austin, Texas. 512-297-4140.) Rockin Rolls bakes oversized specialty rolls fresh every day and fills them with heavenly creations. My favorite is the James Hetfield Roll. This gourmet roll is filled with bacon-wrapped meatloaf that’s encased with a spicy, honey ketchup glaze for $6.50, and you can add chips and a drink for an extra $1.50. This is a great way to enjoy comfort food on the go.
One Taco (Sixth and Nueces, Austin, Texas.) This mobile food vendor also features a convenient dine-in location and provides traditional Mexican-themed tortillas and tacos at a great price. Breakfast is served all day. I usually order from the lunch and dinner menu when I eat here, and I love the Mixto Al Pastor. It’s spicy marinated pork, steak, cheese, onions, and pineapple for $3.49. Pair it with a personal serving of chips and queso for an extra $3.25.
Hill Country Pierogi (11th and Lydia Street, Austin, Texas. 512-765-2260.) Convenient location and food trucks provide traditional Polish pierogi and treats, as well as sandwiches, salads, and desserts. I really like their bacon pierogi; it’s a mashed potato-based fried dumpling with cracked black peppercorn bacon and caramelized onion. It’s served with sour cream and peppercorn bacon crumble for $7. The kielbasa sandwich for $4 is also great – it has a full link of grilled Smokey Denmark Jalapeno Kielbasa, sweet jalapeno mustard, shredded carrots, red cabbage, and mango pepper sauce on a grilled sweet Hawaiian roll, and it’s scrumptious! Pair either one with “The 420” for dessert. The 420 is a warm brookie (chocolate chip cookie baked into a brownie) smothered in dulce de leche, mini marshmallows, powdered sugar, and whipped sweetened mascarpone for just $4.
There are many other great mobile food vendors and restaurants in Austin to enjoy for SXSW and throughout the year, but these are the ones that I have found to be the most convenient to visit during the festival and to have the best food all year-round.
