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Texas summers are hot, and even though it finally dropped to below 100 degrees, it’s still pretty damn sweltering out there. To help Austinites cool off, Eater put together this nifty guide highlighting the best refreshingly cooking dishes throughout the city. From ceviches to cold noodles to seafood towers to tartare, here’s where to find excellent cold dishes at Austin’s best restaurants and food trucks, listed in alphabetical order by dish name.
Aguachile
Among coastal Mexican seafood restaurant Simar Seafood Cocina’s ceviche menu are three aguachiles, the Mexican raw marinated shrimp dish. One is traditional, another is made with spicy jalapenos and serranos, and the other is made with chiles and a black sauce. (9503 Research Boulevard, Unit 400, Gateway, takeout orders can be placed online)
Ceviche
The Peruvian dish of citrusy marinated raw fish is delightful in these hot times. Therefore, a Peruvian spot is Austin’s best bet. Food truck Ceviche7’s ceviche de pescado is made with mahi mahi fish mixed with bits of corn both steamed and crispy, bell peppers, and onions paired with lettuce and boiled sweet potatoes. Then there’s Peruvian restaurant Lima Criolla with a larger ceviche menu spanning ceviche mixto with a mixture of fish and seafood to the tiradito, a Japanese-Peruvian take made with tilapia and corn. (Ceviche7: 502 West 30th Street, North Campus; Lima: 6406 North I-35 Frontage Road, Suite 1550, the Linc, takeout orders can be placed online)
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Cheese Boards
Cheese is fantastic and importantly not hot, and Spread & Co. does the dairy product proud with its various cheese boards. For these purposes, forgo the charcuterie and just load up on all sorts of cheeses such as chevres, pave du nords, blues, and more, plus condiments, nuts, fruit, almonds, and crostini. (1601 West 38th Street, near Oakmont Heights and Rosedale; takeout orders can be placed online)
Chilled Soups
Of course soup slingers Soup Peddler often has cold soups on the menu, such as the Green Detox jammed with all sorts of green veggies or gazpacho. (multiple locations, takeout orders can be placed online)
Cold Meats
Naturally, butcher shop/restaurant Dai Due prepares an excellent and oft-changing cold meats board, featuring potential items like chicken liver mousse dressed with pickled strawberries, wild boar summer sausage, plus bread and condiments. (2406 Manor Road, Cherrywood)
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Cold Noodles
There is something soothing about slurping down chilled noodles. Premier noodle mini-chain Xian Sushi and Noodle offers lovely cold sesame noodles paired with steamed chicken and a bunch of vegetables including cucumbers. Newer restaurant Noodle Alley offers a spicy take on cold sesame noodles mixed with chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns, plus cucumbers. The highly coveted liangpi (spicy cold skin noodles) at West Campus truck Chef Hong is perfect, but remember to place your order ahead of time as the dish is only available in very limited quantities. (Xian: multiple locations, takeout orders can be placed online; Noodle Alley: 1201 North Bell Boulevard, Suite 100, Cedar Park, takeout orders can be placed online; Chef Hong: 907 West 24th Street, West Campus)
Crudo
For raw fish in the Italian and/or Spanish way, crudo is the answer, where the uncooked seafood is paired with various dressings and seasonings. Texas seafood restaurant Salt Traders Coastal Cooking offers a daily crudo with toppings and seasonings depending on the fish, so you know it’s fresh. Recent offerings have included a yellowfin tuna with yellow watermelon and kiwi plus a black garlic soy dressing. (2850 North Interstate Highway 35, Round Rock & 1101 South Mopac Expressway, Zilker)
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Dips
Martin Sheen’s character in Only Murders in the Building knows what he’s talking about: dips make for easy cold meals. For hummus, check out downtown food hall Israeli restaurant TLV. For hummus and baba ganoush, scope out Mediterranean food truck Abo Youssef. For labneh, hummus, AND baba ganoush, Mediterranean restaurant Kismet Cafe is the destination. For sikil p’aak, a pumpkin seed dip, Mexican restaurant Nixta Taqueria offers a nice one. (TLV: Fareground, 111 Congress Avenue, Austin, Downtown, takeout orders can be placed online; Abo Youssef: 2101 Manor Road, Cherrywood; Kismet Cafe: 1000 East 41st Street, Hancock, takeout orders can be placed online; Nixta: 2512 East 12th Street, Chestnut, takeout orders can be placed online)
Oysters
For a perfect cold oyster-and-martini combination, go to the Thompson Hotel restaurant Diner Bar, where, especially for happy hour, there’s a rotating selection of sweet and briny oysters plus a choose-your-own vodka or gin martinis (make it dirty). (Thompson Hotel, 501 Brazos Street, downtown)
Poke
The wonderful Hawaiian dish of cut-up marinated raw fish served with greens and/or rice and other seasonings fits the bill of this guide. For the best iteration in Austin, stop by Poke-Poke with spicy tuna poke, shiso salmon, yuzu hamachi, and more. (3100 South Congress Avenue, Dawson, 9911 Brodie Lane, Suite 800, far south Austin, 2320 Hancock Drive, Rosedale, takeout orders can be placed online)
Sashimi
For the thinly sliced Japanese fish minus the rice, fine dining restaurant Uchi offers a nice array of various tuna, salmon, flounder, yellowtail, sea bream, and mackerel. For a more casual sashimi destination, go to Kome for a slightly wider range of options, including more tuna plus striped bass and octopus. (Uchi: 801 South Lamar Boulevard, Zilker, takeout orders can be placed online; Kome: 5301 Airport Boulevard, North Loop)
Seafood Towers
There are few things more decadent and chilly than a seafood tower, and, luckily, there are two options over at seafood restaurant Shore Raw Bar & Grill. The smaller Bay Tower comes with oysters, ceviche, and chilled Gulf shrimp; the later Shore Tower adds Gulf oysters and crudo. (8665 Highway 71 West, Suite 100, Oak Hill, takeout orders can be placed online)
Tartare
One of the city’s best ground raw steak dishes can be found at wine restaurant Birdie’s, where the meat is studded with pecans and paired with a giant crispy carta di musical. Pair it with one of the colder wines on the list. (2944 East 12th Street, Chestnut)
Veggies
The tomato-zucchini salad at barbecue restaurant Interstellar BBQ is bright and zingy and refreshing. For something different, try the more interactive chilled artichoke at wine restaurant June’s, served with a dijon vinaigrette and eggy sauce gribiche. (Interstellar BBQ: 12233 Ranch Road 620 North, far northwest Austin; June’s: 1722 South Congress Avenue, Bouldin Creek)