Secrets Uncovered

Sit down with East Austin’s Top chefs as they reveal their faves

Words Abby L. Johnson | Photos Baptiste Despois & Ashley Haguewood

“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food,” opined the late Anthony Bourdain in his beloved memoir, Kitchen Confidential. The leaders of East Austin’s culinary scene know this all too well. Achieving excellence isn’t always easy, though. The French omelet, with its three humble ingredients, is a beast to master and serves as the litmus test for experienced chefs. When done right, the delicate dish dances. One wrong move, and it’s burnt to a brown crisp. Simplicity in food is a deliberate choice, backed by skill and vision. The chefs on the following pages have both. But this time, they humbly pause to tout fellow chefs doing something special. Get ready for the scoop because they reveal some of their most craved dishes, secret sauces, and coveted hot spots.

Chef Jesse Griffiths
of Dai Due

Regional food reigns supreme at chef Jesse Griffiths’ Dai Due. The Michelin Bib Gourmand and Green Star award winning butchery focuses on crafting dishes around what is geographically available: organic local produce and, most importantly, wild game and fish.

Q: What’s a local restaurant that’s doing something truly unique?
JG: Lao’d Bar. It’s really fun and has incredibly good food. Their Lao sausage and crispy rice just can’t be replicated.

Q: What’s a hidden gem in East Austin that more people should know about?
JG: Cuantos Tacos. They have superlative tacos that are made with extreme care and are consistently delicious. They’re always perfect. 

Chef Je Wallerstein
of Fabrik

Global influences and attention to sustainable practices mark the menu at Fabrik, the white-tablecloth marvel of Austin’s ever-expanding plant-based scene. Bostonian chef Je Wallerstein pulls from Nordic, Japanese, and Italian traditions that together culminate in kaleidoscopic seasonal prix-fixe menus.

Q: What’s a hidden gem in East Austin that more people should know about?
JW: At the end of a long prep day, I love to pop into the Community Garden for a cheeky glass of wine, great music, and a chilled atmosphere.

Q: Is there a dish from a certain restaurant that evokes strong emotions of nostalgia for you?
JW: The falafel wrap at Kebabalicious makes me feel like I’m back in Berlin.

Hand Picked

Mr. Natural
This East Austin staple is known for their vegetarian and vegan Tex-Mex and Mexican-inspired pastries. If there is just one dish that delivers the real heat, it must be the vegan menudo.

Mi Trailita Y Mas 
This eatery has faithfully served as a member of Austin’s taco truck fleet since 2011. They have all the classic tacos, tortas, and quesadillas one could ask for. And on the weekends, menudo and quesabirria tacos pack a powerful flavor punch.

Chef Kareem El-Ghayesh
of KG BBQ

Pit master and chef Kareem El-Ghayesh, or KG for short, took a leap in 2016 and relocated to Austin from Egypt, bringing the flavors of his culinary mother-tongue with him. The synthesis of Egyptian and Middle Eastern flavors with Texas barbecue is stupendous.

Q: What’s the one dish in East Austin everyone should try at least once?
KG: Cuantos Tacos (get one of each taco). If you are hungry, you can smash 10 tacos easily, so make sure you over order just like me.

Q: What’s an underrated restaurant in East Austin that deserves more attention?
KG: I’m very excited for Perish BBQ to open next door to us. My buddy, Holden, is offering a Cajun twist on Texas barbecue, and I can’t wait to try it.

Chef Sonya Coté
of Store House Market & Eatery

Sustainable agriculture advocate chef Sonya Coté connects people with their environment through vibrant plates plucked straight from the land. After the pandemic-induced closure of Eden East, the restaurant she opened on Springdale Farm in 2013, Sonya didn’t allow her concept to wither away…

Q: Do you make your own items from scratch?
SC: Yes, all the time. We pickle, ferment, and preserve a lot—both at the restaurant and on the farm. It’s not just about extending the life of ingredients but also layering in flavors that make a dish more interesting. A house-fermented hot sauce or a pickled vegetable can completely change a plate. Plus, the process is really satisfying; it’s a way to respect the ingredients and the seasons.

Q: What’s a local restaurant that’s doing something truly unique?
SC: Canje. They showcase Caribbean flavors with such vibrancy and depth, which you don’t often see in Austin. Every dish has a story, and the way they highlight tropical ingredients in a fresh, modern way is something really special.

Hand Picked

Canje’s Caribbean Cuisine 
Guyanese chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph brings traditional Caribbean flavors to shareable plates such as Wild Boar Pepperpot and Haitian Griot.

Kerlaches 
A play on the Czech kolaches Texans adopted as our own, Kerlaches features the barbecue of the renowned Kerlin family. The handheld brisket-and-bread treats are the standout here. Smoke and sweet dough live in perfect harmony with ingredients that complement the smoked meats perfectly.

Chef Fermin Nunez
of Suerte, Bar Toti, & Este

Perhaps one of the most well-known faces of Texas cuisine for his appearance in Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, chef Fermin Nunez brings the flavors and traditions of his native Mexico to a ravenous American public at two Michelin Guide recommended restaurants. He also flexes his prowess through a European-inspired menu at his newest concept: Bar Toti…

Q: What’s the one dish in East Austin everyone should try at least once? 
FN: I have a wild card answer, the esquites from Hay Elotes on 7th, or if it’s a more special occasion, go for the tostilocos.

Q: What is the thing you cook most at home? 
FN: Lately, sandwiches. But when I’m actually cooking, cooking not just to feed myself, I love recreating classic French dishes. 

Chef Kazu Fukumoto
of Fukumoto

Chef Kazu cut his teeth in the thick of the dish pit, working his way up to head sushi chef of Austin restaurant Musashino Sushi Dokoro. He led the charge there for a decade before launching Fukumoto, a sushi and yakitori destination modeled after Japan’s izakayas…

Q: What’s a hidden gem in East Austin that more people should know about?
KF: Skylark Lounge. Whenever I’m feeling a little down or tired, I go to Skylark: oh man, the vibe, all ages of amazing people, blues music, dancing in the tiny spaces, all the smiles and happiness. Once you step inside, you can feel the positive energy. Oh, I love that place!

Q: What’s an underrated restaurant in East Austin that deserves more attention?
KF: All the small, locally owned mom-and-pop restaurants that have been in East Austin for a while. I know a lot of new trendy restaurants are opening up, but let’s not forget your old go-to restaurants and support them. 

Hand Picked

Vic & Al’s 
Break out of the ‘roux-tine’ of tacos and barbecue and taste the culinary delights of our Cajun neighbors to the east. Gumbo, beignets, and comforting red beans and rice transport diners straight to the bayou.

Cuantos Tacos 
The Mexico City-style tacos at this beloved yellow food truck hold massive flavor in a tiny nixtamalized corn tortilla. The Suadero (beef brisket), in particular, is a masterclass in simple excellence.

Chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel
of Birdie’s

Not every neighborhood in East Austin can claim walkability to a Michelin recommended restaurant, but Rosewood residents of the 12th Street block know that an exceptionally crafted seasonal meal is just a breezy stroll away. Chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel runs a scrappy kitchen at Birdie’s, the counter-service eatery that, in just under five years of operation, garnered national attention for its Italian and French-inspired fare…

Q: What’s one thing about Austin’s food scene that people don’t talk about enough? Or that you wished more people knew?  
TM: More people should check out Boggy Creek Farm from 8am to 1pm, Wednesday through Saturday. You can grab local fresh eggs (from their chickens, depending on the time of year), the most vibrant and peppery arugula you’ve ever tasted, and other seasonal vegetables they grow on their farm. Support your local farmer! 

Q: What’s an underrated restaurant in East Austin that deserves more attention? 
TM: Holiday. I know it gets talked about a lot for its cocktails (they are amazing), but their food is also great, and more people should eat a meal there, too!  That’s one of the spots we send chef friends when visiting from out of town. I think it’s my favorite burger in town. 

Chef Brian Batch
of Bird Bird Biscuit

Practiced hands, a serene mind, and a palate highly attuned to the nuance of a seemingly simple staple in Southern cuisine birthed the blue-ribbon biscuits that hold Bird Bird Biscuit together. The fast casual eatery led by chef Brian Batch is now itself a celebrated staple in the Austin food scene…

Q: What’s the one dish in East Austin everyone should try at least once?
BB: Mi Trailita Y Mas makes breakfast burritos, and you can ask them to make it crispy. They take the tortilla and crisp it up around the edges. You can get just a simple egg and cheese and add either bacon, potato, or sausage; just don’t add too much stuff. Get a side of their table salsa and their red spicy salsa, and blend it. Get a side of sour cream, then take that burrito, and eat ‘til your heart’s content.

Q: What’s a local restaurant that’s doing something truly unique?
BB: One spot that I really love to go on dates with my wife is this vegan sushi restaurant called Nori. From the visual component to how they put everything together, the dishes are beautifully made, and the esthetic is great. The flavor combinations are fantastic.

Hand Picked

Intero
Traditional Italian techniques combine with a sustainable ethos committed to using the entirety (Intero means whole) of a given product at this charming restaurant. They’re known for layers of savory flavors in their main courses and their house-made artisanal chocolates to finish off the delectable meal.

Holiday 
The bar on East 7th has martinis galore and lovely snacks to go with them. The hearty baguette and creamy butter alone is worth the trip.