The Better Half Team Tackles Good Drunk Food With New Burrito Truck on Rainey Street

The team behind Better Half, Austin’s best new restaurant of 2018, is opening a burrito truck called Bummer Burrito on Rainey Street. The truck will be parked outside of tiny sibling coffee shop/bar Little Brother at 89 Rainey Street starting on Thursday, February 20 at 5 p.m. in downtown Austin.

Bummer will serve burritos featuring local meats and produce, with “a little Taco Bell thrown in for good measure,” according to co-owner Matthew Bolick. This includes a breakfast option with “trashbrowns” and oaxaca jack cheese, the Frito Rito with chili cheese fritos, and another with jalapeno poppers. There’s Beyond Meat chorizo too, for vegans and vegetarians, as well as the dedicated vegan burrito with squash. Sides include those jalapeno poppers, nacho fries, and chips and queso.

Guests can order at the truck or at the bar inside Little Brother. Rich Reimbolt, the chef of Better Half, consulted on the menu. Travis Burson (formerly of Elizabeth Street Cafe, Snooze, and Native) is in charge of the truck, and Mike Johnson (the general manager of Little Brother) oversaw the truck’s branding.

Bummer was inspired by a burrito-filled trip through Arizona. It’s not the only new burrito purveyor on the block: record store and restaurant Troublemaker opened in November 2019 on East Seventh Street, serving San Diego-style burritos.

Bummer’s hours are from 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Saturday, and then 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Four-seat bar Little Brother opened on Rainey in January 2019. Opening after South by Southwest in March is Little Brother’s second location on South Congress and West Fifth Street brewery Hold Out Brewing.

Update, February 18: This article has been updated to include Bummer Burrito’s opening date, hours, and menu, as well as Rich Reimbolt and Travis Burson’s involvements.

• Bummer Burrito [Instagram]