Best Dining Districts In Austin 2021, Named By Local Food Experts

As is tradition as we approach the end of 2021, Eater asked a trusted group of friends, industry guys and local bloggers for their take on the final culinary year in Austin. In light of this year’s craziness, Eater has adapted the standard survey into one that reflects the new realities of takeout, restaurant shutters and a volatile industry. All the answers will be revealed before the end of the year – cut, pasted, (mostly) unedited and in no particular order. Question number five:

Which neighborhood were you most excited about dining in this year?

Nicolai McCrary, Austin Editor, Enthusiasm, and photographer for Eater Austin
The area around Rundberg and Lamar is a bit of a treasure trove of good food hidden away in a seemingly endless series of linear shopping malls with parking lots that look more like guidelines than actual spaces. But if you’re willing to scour the area a bit and find the right spots, you’ll come across everything from great pho to Pho phong luu to the best carnitas I have ever had at Carnitas El Guero. I could spend weeks visiting all the mall restaurants and the trucks that line North Lamar and that still wouldn’t have enough time.

Paula Forbes, writer and cookbook critic, and former editor of Eater Austin
Excuse me while I get excited about my own part of town but NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN! From the taco trucks of North Lamar to the Crescent Mall at the airport and Lamar which is full of tasty places to Julie’s Noodles, House of Three Gorges and Ramen Tatsu-ya on Research to everything on West Anderson and Burnet. We have pizza, we have dumplings, we have tacos, we have conveyor belt sushi, we have top notch burgers. I can get some of the best chopsticks in town when I want at Easy Tiger and some of the best kimchi in town at Mom’s taste and one of the best wine and beer selections in town at Sunrise Minimart, all accessible by bike. What else do you need?

Pat Sharpe, Editor-in-Chief and Culinary Editor for Texas monthly
Looks like East Twelfth Street is gaining ground. Nixta and Birdie’s, both of which are excellent, have moved into the far east. The street becomes quite commercial on the I-35 side.

Jane Ko, blogger, A taste of Koko
I still love East Austin – there’s a mix of old beloved restaurants like Tamale House and newcomers like Birdie’s.

Lenny Dewi, @eats_n_noods and contributing writer Eater
Lakeline because Honey Pig is coming!

Raphael Brion, Editor-in-Chief of Texas, Enthusiasm, and former editor of Eater
I ended up having dinner most around the intersection of Rundberg and Lamar. It’s so dense and so diverse. To name just a few excellent spots: Carnitas El Guero, Phở Phong LÆ°u, of Aparicio, Usta Kababgy, Seoulju, Mi Sabor Oaxaqueño, Taquito Avilés, and Taco Dolores Hidalgo. And now there’s this whole row of trucks at Sports bar La Ultima Y Nos Vamos (where China Spice was located), including Machetes Doña Leova.

Erin Russell, Associate Editor of Eater Austin
I share Paula’s enthusiasm for North Central Austin (especially North Loop) and see great things on the horizon for East Twelfth.

Nadia Chaudhury, Editor-in-Chief of Eater Austin
As a South Austinite I’m always happy when places open up / move on my side of the river ie Distant Relatives, Ani’s Day & Night with the Las Alegres truck, Little Brother’s South Congress expansion, Keepers Coastal Kitchen, etc.

The North Loop neighborhood is another of those neighborhoods I always go back to: Drink.Well, Abo Youssef, Patrizi’s / Butterfly Bar (cats!), Jewboy Burgers, Kome, etc.

The East 12th Street corridor with Cuantos Tacos, Nixta, Fil ‘N Viet and Birdie’s (when can I ever go back to Birdie’s?). I also need to get to Dō’s Tiny Bread Shed as soon as possible.

Rundberg’s taco game is ridiculously strong.