Food Heads
This is a wonderful sandwich spot a little north of campus. Sweetmonger and I have probably made a monthly visit since we moved here and have tried many different things on the menu as the sandwiches are semi-creative and extremely well-executed.
The star is a Spicy Apple Pork Tenderloin sandwich with grilled pork loin combined with smoked Gouda cheese, spicy apple and onion relish, spinach, and a homemade honey Dijon mustard served on a toasted baguette. This is a great sandwich with an exciting flavor combination of the savory, sweet, bitter, and spicy. It also is a textural marvel as the bread is perfectly crisp, the Gouda is delicately smooth, the loin is porky, and the apple relish crunches just right. Other great sandwiches include: a Garlic and Herb roasted lamb with eggplant, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber-feta mayonnaise which is a great Austin take on Mediterranean; and a refreshing Grilled squash, fresh mozzarella, cilantro pesto, and blackberry balsamic.
Although it is not cheap and the restaurant can get a little crowded at peak times, one can really not go wrong with a sandwich from Food Heads.
Food Heads
616 W. 34th St.
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 420-8400
Lulu B's
The Lulu B's Chinese BBQ pork sandwich is the best sandwich I have had since I moved to Austin. The other sandwiches, which include a spicy lemongrass chicken, are not slouches and are almost just as good. On food alone this is probably Austin's best lunch spot. However, it is a trailer off the side of the road with limited kitchen space, and it does not appear as if Lulu B's was ready for quick popularity. Multiple visits have yielded an average wait time of 30 minutes. At any other sandwich place, including Food Heads, this would be unacceptable, but Lulu B's is worth it. I have been upset by the wait multiple times and have vowed never to return, but as soon as I taste the sandwich, I disregard my vow.
Lulu B's
2113 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 921-2828
The Screaming Goat
This place is great for a good, cheap, and wet lunch. The tacos are tasty and cheap. The daily beer specials are cheap as well, and the spicy queso is excellent: probabably as good as anywhere in the city. While the tacos don't quite approach the quality of the city's best quick tacos (Torchy's, among others), the price and the queso make The Screaming Goat hard to beat.
The Screaming Goat
900 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-4628
Phoenicia Bakery and Deli
There isn't a whole lot to say about this great little Middle Eastern deli on South Lamar. They simply make an excellent chicken shawarma (very garlicy) and a lamb and beef gyro (less garlicy).
Phoenicia Bakery and Deli
2912 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-4444
Salvation Pizza
This is most likely Austin's best pizza: thinish crust, minimal yet enough cheese, very tasty tomato sauce, and an abundance of available toppings. What makes it a great lunch spot is its daily special: $5.99 for two slices, a salad, and a non-alcoholic drink (although I typically go for one of the craft beers on draft).
Salvation Pizza
624 W. 34th St.
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 535-0076
2 comments:
I love Lulu B's and it's right by my house. But I think Tam Deli on North Lamar is at least as good, has a regular-sized kitchen, is equally cheap, and may be closer to you.
I live 3 minutes from Lulu B's. I rarely venture north.
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