Friends of Eater Pick 2014's Best Dining Neighborhood

Melanie Haupt, restaurant critic for The Chronicle and author of Historic Austin Restaurants
Burnet Road

Megan Giller, editor of Zagat Austin
Rosedale/Allandale/Crestview

Jane Ko, editor at A Taste of Koko and food photographer
East Austin. It's hard to beat staples like Contigo, Hillside Farmacy, and Justine's, and newcomers like Dai Due, Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, Sa-Tén Coffee, and Gardner.

Dan Gentile, staff writer at Thrillist
East 6th. It seems silly to use the word revitalization in relation to such an already popular street, but just when the bar scene on East 6th was starting to feel dull, restaurants picked up the slack. It felt like smart growth as opposed to the foot-race that filled out the street with bars in the last five years, in that unfilled niches like sushi, Thai, French(ish), and Southern food now have solid destinations that aren't just late-night fuel.

Meredith Bethune, CultureMap and Serious Eats contributor
So many new restaurants have popped up on Burnet Road so quickly: Fork and Taco, Noble Sandwiches, Taco Flats, and Peached Tortilla. I expect even more in 2015.

Veronica Meewes, CultureMap and Austin Monthly contributor
The East Side definitely just keeps blowing up and I look forward to seeing what else opens up there this next year. Anything that's within walking distance from my house is a plus in my book! I hope more opens up on East 7th Street-- not sure what the zoning is like toward Airport/183, but there seems to be a ton of open space over there!

Tom Thorton, CultureMap food and drink editor
East Austin. With qui and LaV within a block of each other, and La Barbecue, Franklin, Micklethwait, Kerlin all repping top-quality 'cue, that's a pretty easy win. Add in Veracruz, Tamale House East, Las Trancas, and Pueblo Viejo for tacos and Via 313 and Bufalina for pizza and your argument is essentially over. And that doesn't even cover the 'further out' East Austin gems like Contigo and Eden East.

Patricia Sharpe, executive editor/food writer, Texas Monthly
The E. Sixth and E. Seventh corridors.

Melody Fury, Serious Eats and Eater Austin contributor and blogger at Gourmet Fury
East Austin. With an explosion of newcomers like Jacoby’s, Sawyer and Co., Gardner, Dai Due, and LaV, there’s never a lack of dining options on the East Side.

Nadia Chaudhury, associate editor at Eater Austin
Burnet Road is booming.

Meghan McCarron, editor at Eater Austin
East Sixth and Seventh (with East Cesar Chavez on its heels) are home to the most dynamic mix of restaurants in the city. (I might be biased -- that's my neighborhood.) That said, real estate prices are skyrocketing, and the city isn't doing enough to protect affordable housing, so the mix of taco trucks, classic Tex Mex, fusiony food trailers, high end destination restaurants and neighborhood cafes could be imperiled. Here's hoping the new city council follows through on maintaining affordability and fixing the permitting process.