For truly wonderful Korean food in Austin, look no further than this fun North Lamar restaurant from owner John Lee and his mother, chef Sang Mi Kang. The menu showcases staples from crispy marinated Korean fried chicken and beef bulgogi rice plates to kimchi pancakes. Don’t miss the hot pots, especially the loaded spicy rice cake hot pot — and, yes, go ahead and add that slice of cheese. Pickup orders can be placed online. Email reservations are required for groups of seven or more people.

This casual Middle Eastern restaurant in North Austin focuses on delectable halal grilled meats. There are all sorts of kebabs, from lamb-and-beef adana to chicken, as well as shawarma bowls and wraps. the lahmajun (meat flatbread) is really nice, as are the falafels and dolmas. Pickup and delicious orders can be placed online.

The Chinese food truck-turned-North Austin restaurant from Julie Hong boasts wonderful, thick, chewy noodles. The noodle soups are salves during colder days or when you need a warming pick-me-up (the stewed options — especially the lamb — are particularly great). Round off the order with some of the best soup dumplings in town. Pickup orders can be placed online.

This fast-casual shop from Brian Batch and Ryan McElroy serves delightful biscuit sandwiches in Brentwood and at its original location in Cherrywood. The chicken sandwiches aren’t to be missed, especially the sweet and spicy Queen Beak with black pepper honey and chipotle mayonnaise. Pickup orders can be placed online.

It’s a tried-and-true Austin story: this Southern meets Asian food truck became so popular that owner Eric Silverstein was able to open a slightly more upscale restaurant space in Allandale. That’s where he and the team dish out an expanded comfort food menu that pulls from his upbringing in Tokyo and Atlanta raised by his Chinese-American mother and Jewish-American father. There are the kimchi arancini balls; a satisfying Hainan chicken; plus an array of tacos, salads, and bowls of noodles and rice. Pickup orders are placed online.

Co-owners and chefs Sarah Heard and Nathan Lemley are still knocking it out of the park at this North Loop restaurant with their fresh energy and ideas. The New American menu is familiar but spruced up, with soothing dishes like sweet pepper risotto and Parisian gnocchi. Adventurous eaters should seek out the offal dishes such as goat heart bolognese or foie gras mousse. The neighborhood restaurant works as well for spontaneous meals as it does for special occasions. Pickup and DoorDash deliveries are placed online.

El Paso native Mo Pittle honors his Jewish heritage and Texas border city upbringing with his food truck-turned-restaurant in the North Loop neighborhood. The unkosher diner menu centers on burgers and burritos, filled with beef, cheese, hatch green chiles, and even latkes. There are chili dogs and sides like queso. Pickup orders can be placed online.

Some of the city’s best sandwiches can be found at the casual Old West Austin deli from co-owners Derrick Smith and Conor Mack. The pastrami is amazing, so you can’t go wrong with the classic sandwich, which pairs the meat with mustard on rye bread. To-go orders can be placed online, and the indoor dining room is open.

The Cherrywood New Texan restaurant — which is so regionally minded that even beer and wine are exclusively from the state — is equally satisfying for brunch or a blow-out meat fest at dinner. The restaurant version of this formers farmers’ market stand/supper club from chef Jesse Griffiths is everything Austin could have hoped for. He even won a James Beard book award for his tome about wild hogs. The Texas-forever menu has heavier dishes like giant rib-eyes, fried chicken, and wild boar confit, as well as lighter fare, like mixed green salads and grilled marinated carrots. Takeout orders can be placed online.

Owner and chef Hoover Alexander has been bringing a good ol’ mix of Southern soul fare to Cherrywood for over 20 years with his homey restaurant. The menu highlights classic dishes done extremely well, from the chicken fried steak and the fried chicken to any of the sweet pies. Pickup orders can be placed online and there are third-party deliveries (DoorDash, Favor).

At this bustling Cherrywood Italian food truck, owners Nic and Matt Patrizi whip up some of the freshest pasta in Austin. There are classic pasta dishes, like cacio e pepe, pomodoro, and the Great Leopold (made with basil and arugula pesto and served with pumpkin seeds and crushed red chilis). No order is complete without a side of meatballs. Pickup orders can be placed online.

This casual neighborhood wine bar on the east side with a giant patio serves an ever-rotating menu of simple dishes done right. There’s usually handmade pasta, a hearty steak and potatoes dish, and a variety of wine-friendly seasonal appetizers like roasted beets with charred grapefruit, mascarpone, and hazelnuts. Don’t miss the creamy soft serve for dessert nor the after-dinner drinks. There are no reservations as it’s a walk-up joint.

The funky little taqueria, from co-owners chef Edgar Rico (who is James Beard Awards’s emerging chef of 2022) and Sara Mardanbigi, has quickly become a taco darling for good reason. Rico works magic into every single one of the East Austin spot’s new-school tacos and tostadas. While the meatier items are great, the vegetarian options really showcase his inventive skills: the beet tartare is a pure work of art. The multiple patios are great for spreading out, and there is a natural wine list worth exploring. Curbside pickup orders are placed online.

Pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s smoky meats have risen from their humble trailer origins to become a fixture at one of the country’s most talked-about barbecue destinations. Yes, you will wait in line. Yes, it will be worth it. Weekend waits can be very long, so consider opting for a weekday brisket fix instead. If pitch-perfect brisket happens to run out, try the ribs, turkey, and sausages. Advance preorders can be placed online.

The pan-Asian restaurant is a hidden gem in downtown Austin, where owner Jay Lee and his mother serve up balanced and flavorful dishes, including many vegan and gluten-free items, like curries with rice medallions, japchae, and miso-honey-glazed mahi mahi. Takeout orders can be placed over the phone, and there are third-party deliveries available.

At essential food truck Veracruz All Natural, sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez make the best tacos in the city, served on handmade corn and flour tortillas with fresh salsas. It’s not a complete order without the migas taco and an agua fresca. Pickup and delivery orders are placed online or in person for all six of its locations.

The spirit of the long-gone Austin institution Tamale House lives on with this colorful east side restaurant, which is run by Diane Valera, the fourth generation of the Vasquez family, to oversee the institution. The migas are plentiful and tamales are abundant (the chicken one is a good bet). The patio is lush, and yes, there are cocktails and beer. Pickup orders can be placed online.

The historic Mexican bakery, founded in 1962 by Joe and Paula Avila and now run by Regina Estrada, who leads the next two generations of the family, is a pillar to the East Austin community in two ways. First, there’s the quite exceptional daytime menu, from the wonderfully tender and juicy barbacoa breakfast and the migas to the lunch tacos. Then there is its community service: Estrada is an advocate for East Austin, making sure people are informed of what’s going on in local politics and even directly registering voters. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone or in person.

At his relaxed Zilker restaurant, chef and partner Bryce Gilmore and the rest of the team embrace Texas ingredients through the New American menu. There are magnificent dishes (grilled quail, crawfish queso fundido) and on-point desserts (yaupon tea panna cotta, honeydew sorbet).

Texas meets Japan at this Lone Star-influenced izakaya in Holly from the team behind the city’s best noodle shop Ramen Tatsu-Ya. Eater Austin’s lively restaurant of 2017 is full of fun dishes, like tofu hot pocket skins stuffed with brisket and cheese. Elsewhere, the menu spans yakitori, smoked meats (the sharable fish collar is a must-order), and a funky chinmi section featuring rare delicacies like jellyfish menudo salad.

This East Austin restaurant has all the makings of a neighborhood classic: French food with an east side twist in a convivial atmosphere. There are steak frites, escargot, duck confit, and ratatouille, along with a hefty burger topped with Gruyere cheese. Plus, the reasonably priced wine list means this tucked-away gem is great for a long, lingering meal. Opt for a bungalow table for ultimate vibes. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person.

For a really special evening out, opt for the high-end omakase at the South Congress Hotel’s hidden Japanese restaurant. It’s where chef Yoshi Okai puts on a delicious magic show in his 12-seat restaurant, slicing and dicing and presenting 20 or so courses full of Tokyo-style sushi and Kyoto-style kaiseki right in front of everyone’s eyes. Reservations are required for the $275 indoor seatings.

The fine-dining Mexican restaurant in the South Lamar neighborhood delivers the best taste of interior Mexico in Austin, thanks to James Beard Award-winning chef of the first-ever Texas category and co-owner Iliana de la Vega. The menu focuses on Oaxacan fare — where de la Vega is from — like rich moles and hearty cochinita pibil. Pickup orders can be placed online.

Chef Lakana Trubiana cooks up a small but mighty Thai menu from this South Lamar neighborhood truck. The flavorful Isaan-style dishes (rooted in the northern region of Thailand) range from comforting om gai to a very spicy laab moo. In the summer months, the mango sticky rice is worth it. Pickup orders have to be placed online (read: no in-person orders).

Austin’s best bet for Sichuan food is found in the no-frills South Austin restaurant off West Gate from owner Cindy Zhao. Bypass the Chinese-American selection for fiery dishes like the mapo tofu, spicy jumping fish, and exemplary spicy stir-fried chicken. Takeout orders can be placed online or over the phone.

The McKinney food truck parked at Meanwhile Brewing has grown into an essential Austin barbecue spot — there’s a reason we named it one of the best restaurants in the country and in the city in 2021. James Beard Awards semifinalist pitmaster Damien Brockway and his team explore and showcase the foodways of the African-American diaspora through a deceivingly casual menu. There are succulent chicken legs paired with a chili-vinegar dip, pillowy pulled pork with tangy tamarind-molasses barbecue sauce, and superb sides like buttery lima beans and burnt ends mixed with black-eyed peas. Takeout orders can be placed in person.

Choice Cajun fare can be found at this jovial far southwest restaurant from owner and chef Curtis Clarke. It’s a bonafide feast with chicken fried gator, hearty seafood gumbo, and plenty of catfish and crawfish dishes.

For outstanding South Asian food, head down to the far south Austin Indian restaurant from co-owners Pandiyan Kaliyamoorthy and Loganathan Appavu, found near William Cannon Drive and I-35. Dive right into the plethora of spicy curries (the lamb korma is nice) and naan. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone or in person.