South Congress Cafe in Austin is the South Congress brunch room since 2005, an all-day kitchen of pancakes, crab cakes and a brunch trade that runs weekend mornings hard.
Signature dishes: Carrot-cake pancakes, Crab cake, French toast
Must order: Carrot-cake pancakes; they are the room's most-photographed plate for a reason.
Tip: Weekend brunch books out by 10am; reserve a day ahead or arrive at the 9am Saturday open.
Address: 1600 S Congress Ave, 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.
Pueblo Viejo in Austin is Nestor and Margarita's East Riverside Mexican taqueria since 2010, a brick-and-mortar grown from a taco truck and a citywide breakfast routine.
Signature: Breakfast tacos, Barbacoa taco, Pastor
Order: Bean-and-cheese breakfast taco on a homemade flour tortilla.
Tip: The Tillery Street trailer and the St. Elmo and Pickle Road locations run the same kitchen with shorter lines.
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: Mole negro, Tostadas de atun, Pulpo y papas
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.
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.
