El Naranjo in Austin is Iliana de la Vega's James Beard-winning Oaxacan dining room on South Lamar, a family kitchen of regional moles, ceviches and slow-roasted meats.
Signature dishes: Mole negro, Tostadas de atun, Pulpo y papas
Must order: The mole negro de Oaxaca; de la Vega trained at the source in Oaxaca City.
Tip: Daughter Ana Torrealba runs the kitchen as chef de cuisine; the Sunday-supper menu is the most experimental.
Address: 2532 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Loro in Austin is the Franklin and Uchi teams' Asian smokehouse on South Lamar, a casual walk-in patio for Texas BBQ and Southeast Asian small plates under live oaks.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Boat noodles, Thai-style sausage
Order: Smoked brisket with rice noodle and Thai chiles, plus a tall papaya salad.
Tip: Walk-in only; come at 5pm sharp or after 9pm to dodge the 90-minute weekend wait.
Ramen Tatsu-ya in Austin is Tatsu Aikawa's Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen on South Lamar since 2012, the city's most-followed ramen counter with no-booking lines.
Signature: Tonkotsu Original, Mi-So-Hot, Kara-age
Order: Tonkotsu Original with the extra-fatty setting; the menu calls it Kotteri.
Tip: Walk-in only; the 6pm window moves slowest on Friday. The Research Boulevard location is the shortest queue.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room since 1952, home of the Bob Armstrong queso dip and a citywide birthday-dinner tradition.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: Bob Armstrong dip, beef enchiladas with chili gravy, plus a frozen margarita on the side.
Tip: The patio under the oaks holds 200; arrive 5:30pm to dodge the 7-to-9 family wait.
Loro in Austin is the Franklin and Uchi teams' Asian smokehouse on South Lamar, a casual walk-in patio for Texas BBQ and Southeast Asian small plates under live oaks.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Boat noodles, Thai-style sausage
Order: Smoked brisket with rice noodle and Thai chiles, plus a tall papaya salad.
Tip: Walk-in only; come at 5pm sharp or after 9pm to dodge the 90-minute weekend wait.
Ramen Tatsu-ya in Austin is Tatsu Aikawa's Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen on South Lamar since 2012, the city's most-followed ramen counter with no-booking lines.
Signature: Tonkotsu Original, Mi-So-Hot, Kara-age
Order: Tonkotsu Original with the extra-fatty setting; the menu calls it Kotteri.
Tip: Walk-in only; the 6pm window moves slowest on Friday. The Research Boulevard location is the shortest queue.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room since 1952, home of the Bob Armstrong queso dip and a citywide birthday-dinner tradition.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: Bob Armstrong dip, beef enchiladas with chili gravy, plus a frozen margarita on the side.
Tip: The patio under the oaks holds 200; arrive 5:30pm to dodge the 7-to-9 family wait.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar in Austin is the South Congress flagship since 2010, a counter-order burger room that grinds chuck daily and built a national chain from this corner.
Signature: Llano Poblano burger, Truffle fries, Hand-spun shake
Order: The Llano Poblano with house-ground chuck and truffle fries on the side.
Tip: The line moves; queue at 5pm or 10pm. The Sack of Sliders is a four-burger flight worth ordering once.
Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin is the central all-day diner since 1980, the 1930s bungalow that started a chain on pancakes, queso and 24-hour breakfast service.
Signature: Gingerbread pancakes, Migas, Queso
Order: Gingerbread pancakes and a bowl of queso; the queso comes with bacon for an extra dollar.
Tip: The Central and South Lamar locations run 24 hours; Mueller closes at midnight, useful to know on weekends.
Lin Asian Bar in Austin is Ling Qi Wu's dim sum and Chinese kitchen on West 6th, a bright counter room with an open kitchen and Sunday brunch dim-sum carts.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Wagyu dumplings, Pan-fried buns
Order: The xiaolongbao and pan-fried beef buns; dough rolled in front of you at the counter.
Tip: Sunday brunch is the only dim-sum-cart service; book a week out for the 11am seating window.
