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This year, ACL comprised a large number of providers serving many different tastes. Whether you need a juice to beat the heat or a couple of late night tater tots, these food trucks are there for you. Photo courtesy ACL
Kamri Alexander | reporter
The Austin City Limits Music Festival means a lot to the Austin music scene. For a whole weekend, local and world-famous artists perform in the same place.
Although ACL is primarily known for music, you can’t go without food in Zilker Park in the 90 degrees Texas heat – at least you shouldn’t. Because of this, being in the food industry and having the opportunity to become a salesperson at ACL is a big deal.
Even after the ACL is over, these businesses will still be up and running and can use the momentum of the festival for new business. If you haven’t gotten around to it, but like many people in Waco on a road trip to Austin for a weekend, here’s a guide to where to eat at ACL to enjoy year round Austin.
Tamale addiction
These tamales were really good. I tried pork with tomatillo sauce and chicken with mole sauce. The first thing that caught my eye was how soft and tasty the masa was. This was possibly the best tamale masa I’ve ever had. The pork and chicken were both very tender and flavorful. His sauces took the tamales to a new level and packed a punch full of flavor. The light green tomatillo sauce tempts you to combine the spicy sauce with the subtly sweet pork, which goes well with each other. The chicken and mole felt like a classic that couldn’t be beat.
If you’re in Austin and looking for some authentic tamales, Tamale Addiction has a food truck and a website that lets you see where the truck is stationed.
Mighty cone
Mighty Cone may have been a fan favorite this year and it’s understandable why. It was popular at the weekend for three main reasons: hot ‘n’ crunchy chicken, avocado and shrimp. You can get one of these, a combination of two or all three in one cone if you are really hungry and adventurous. Topped with a mango jalapeño coleslaw and an excellent ancho chili sauce, all wrapped in a flour tortilla in a cone, these were fun and just plain good. No matter what combination you got, they were crispy, filling, and made a great photo.
At the weekend, enjoy a mighty cone at the Barton Springs location.
With the many vendors present, ACL did not overlook its vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free friends when it came to food. There were some meaty and high fat options, but there were also some healthier and more lifestyle friendly options in the park.
East Side Kings
East Side Kings only had two options, but both were foolproof, delicious choices. The star of the show for me was the Brussels sprouts salad. They were perfectly caramelized with a crispy base, sprinkled with lots of herbs and fresh jalapeños and served with a sweet and spicy sauce, inspired by Asia. These were seriously good. They were vegetarian and could be made gluten-free or vegan on request.
His Chicken Karaage wasn’t a joke either. For gluten-free meat eaters, this is a great option for lunch or dinner, with crispy Asian fried chicken with the same sweet and tangy sauce and fresh jalapeño. East Side Kings has something to do with the use of herbs. A mixture of basil, coriander, and mint is a taste explosion in your mouth that you just can’t get enough of.
They have two locations open daily, one in South Lamar and another in Liberty. Just choose the most suitable location and try out some of these great options.
In the middle of a hot Texas day, you had to cool down somehow, and these vendors had you covered. Austin natives like Amy’s Ice Cream were out with ice cream cones and Bananachy with its famous dipped bananas. But there were some places I hadn’t heard of that were worth buying.
Sno-Beach Sno-Cones
With the temperatures in the mid-90s, nothing cooled me down as much as this snow cone. I tried coconut and got cream on top – it was worth it. This ice cream was so soft and instantly melted in your mouth. Its cream was light, brushed the tip of the snow cone and then absorbed the ice.
Since the heat hasn’t left Texas, check out this snow cone lodge while in Austin.
Juiceland
This smoothie and juice spot is known and loved by Austinites because everywhere you saw ACL someone was carrying a Juiceland mug of refreshing juice. I got to try the blue raspberry lemonade and the cucumber agua fresca and both were delicious in their own way. The blue raspberry lemonade was just the right amount of sweetness and moisture to keep you cool while the Aqua Fresca was the ultimate refreshment. With cucumbers naturally moisturizing, this juice didn’t disappoint.
Juiceland has multiple locations and a large menu full of healthy, hydrating options well worth trying in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.
Goodpop
Nothing is as full and cold as a popsicle, is it? Goodpop had covered ACL with four popsicle flavors. The only flavor that caught my eye was the strawberry lemonade, but this is a reputable shop with lots of flavors to choose from. I enjoyed the popsicle but you could probably find better ones or maybe enjoy some of their other flavors.
Goodpop can be found in local grocery stores across Austin and even in HEB in Waco. For some of its flavors, ordering online and having them delivered to your door may also be a better option.
Wicky’s walkup
Two of my favorite things are elotes and a fried potato. Wickys Walkup put these two ideas together to create their Elotes Tots. This was a bunch of golden tater tots with toasted corn, cotija cheese, a good dash of mayo, coriander, and traditional elote spices in a serving big enough to share with friends. It was a great late night snack.
Try the Elotes Tots for yourself and their walkup window to understand why corn and tater tots magically go together.
Wing dad
I hadn’t had a wing in a long time and these wings reminded me why I love hot wings so much. I tried both buffalo hot and garlic parmesan. The difficulty with a good hot wing is getting them to stay crispy after tossing them in sauces, but Wing Daddy figured it out. The buffalo had the right amount of heat and the garlic parmesan was a dry grater that was the right mix of garlic with the hot, cheesy parmesan.
This year was packed with really good options. Some were fun, some filled, and some were a failure. Most were overpriced, but it’s the price you pay when you have to eat and the vendors are your only option. Plus, it’s a music festival, it’s worth it, and you support small businesses.
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