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 dishes: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Must 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.
Address: 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
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.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin is the Tatsu-ya team's izakaya-meets-BBQ casual room on East 2nd, a Bib Gourmand kitchen built for big shared plates and sake flights.
Signature: Brisket ramen, Smoked-tongue maki, Tonkotsu
Order: The brisket ramen and the smoked-tongue maki; the menu cross-references both kitchens.
Tip: The sake list runs 80 bottles; ask the bar to walk you up from Junmai to Daiginjo as a flight.
Bouldin Creek Cafe in Austin is South First's vegetarian neighbourhood cafe since 2000, a bungalow-cum-coffeeshop with all-day breakfast and gluten-free and vegan options.
Signature: Veggie burger, Migas, Vegan breakfast tacos
Order: The award-winning veggie burger and a side of migas; both run all day.
Tip: Walk-in only; Sunday brunch from 11 to 2 has the longest queue, weekday breakfast moves fast.
Joann's Fine Foods in Austin is the Bunkhouse Group's Tex-Mex diner at the Austin Motel on South Congress, a palapa-bar patio of fajitas, queso and frozen margaritas.
Signature: Wood-grilled fajitas, Joann's queso, Frozen margarita
Order: Wood-grilled fajitas and a frozen margarita; the tortillas are pressed in-house each morning.
Tip: The Austin Motel pool is members-only but the diner patio runs walk-in; arrive 5pm Saturday for shade.
