A quintessential neighborhood spot from chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, a veteran of Gramercy Tavern and Blue Hill in New York, and her husband Arjav Ezekiel, who oversees one of the city’s best wine lists. The chill space is walk-in only. Pastas, like orchiette with fennel sausage and tomato, are handmade and beef tartare is pumped up with Texas pecans and green garlic.

Set in the well-appointed Commodore Perry estate/hotel/membership club, Lutie’s is designed by Ken Fulk and outfitted with enough plants to double as a greenhouse. Bradley Nicholson’s vegetable-focused menu runs from a photogenic grand aioli (the supersized crudité platter with garlicky dip) to a charcoal-grilled chicken with leeks and hominy.

This singular South Austin food truck is parked outside Meanwhile Brewing Co. and combines the flavors of the African diaspora with Southern cooking. “Chef Damien Brockway showcases his heritage of African flavors, executed with the hardwood smoke of central Texas rooted in local ingredients,” says Philip Speer, of modern Mexican restaurant Comedor in downtown Austin.

This very groovy, high-design bar and restaurant is set in an old bungalow in the Heritage neighborhood. Chandeliers and vintage mirrors decorate the outdoor patio; indoors are red velvet banquettes. A well-curated Texas beers sit alongside cocktails such as the Two Handed Touch, made with rye, ginger, and lemon.

Located in Bouldin Acres, a popular hangout with an outdoor bar and pickleball courts, the CM Smokehouse food truck is operated by Cade Mercer and offers dishes “far beyond the idea of standard barbecue that straight-up satisfies the feeling for classic comfort food,” says chocolatier Krystal Craig. “You can tell there’s a lot of hours put into the perfectly smoked meats behind each plate.”

The focus at Canje is Caribbean food, especially from Guyana, where chef and co-owner Tavel Bristol-Joseph was born. The menu features such dishes as an addictive family recipe for beef curry with green mango and coconut milk, alongside drinks like Island Hopping, a mix of cachaça, hibiscus, and honey.

The roots of Sammie’s go back to 1939, when the place started as a fried chicken and burger drive-in. It’s been resurrected as an Italian restaurant that pays homage to old-school East Coast places with a softly lit dining room lined with booths and family photos. The menu presents a checklist of the classics—from housemade mozzarella sticks to spaghetti with meatballs and chicken, veal, and eggplant parmigiana.

The Hotel Magdalena is home to this fun restaurant with midcentury modern dining rooms indoors and outside. The drinks menu showcases the tequila-based Texas Sunset with yellow Chartreuse and Aperol, as well as a good list of Champagne. And although the modern American menu includes a riff on caramelized onion dip and rib-eye for two for $80, Houston-based chef Aaron Bludorn says to order the seafood.

“Rogue Radish is a must-go when visiting the greatest city in America—Austin, Texas,” says Rene Ortiz, a veteran of the local restaurant scene. He calls Max Snyder, the chef-owner of the food trailer “a culinary genius.” Snyder specializes in just one dish: the grain bowl.

LeAnn Mueller and Ali Clem have been specializing in smoked meat since 2011, when they were based out of a little trailer. Last spring, they opened a new brick and mortar spot with long tables, engaging artwork, and wine and beer, including La Beer, made for them by Zilker, a local brewing company. Also front and center is their succulent, crispy brisket, sold by the pound or chopped in a sandwich.