Austin Eateries

I believe it's common knowledge that some of the best Tex-Mex food is housed in strip malls, right? After a trip to AAA (we joined in time for our upcoming road trip), we found ourselves hungry in an unfamiliar part of Austin (ok, who am I kidding? All of Austin is unfamiliar) and not knowing where to go. I am still head over heels in love with the conveniences of America and obsessed with all the cool applications I can put on my Blackberry...like Yelp! So Yelp helped me identify a few good choices but Camino Real really stood out and was just a couple of strip malls away (strip malls - didn't miss those in Italy).


It was delicious! I went with the taco platter as its my Tex-Mex litmus test and it didn't disappoint. My husband with his years in San Diego is still adjusting to the differences between SoCal-Mex and Tex-Mex but said his enchiladas were pretty great (he claims that fish tacos overall are not as good in Texas. I will concede that one). The refried beans were kind of greasy but the veggies in the taco were fresh and the meat was well-seasoned. The salsa was incredibly tasty and fresh with just the right amount of cilantro.

A couple of days later, we were driving home from the dog park in the evening and found ourselves compelled to pull over to the side of the road and check out the cupcake-selling Airstream trailer. Hey Cupcake! was started in 2007 and inspired by Magnolia Bakery in New York. I got the Red Velvet and M got the Carrot Cake. The cupcakes were pretty good, not too crumbly. The frosting actually tasted better on the half I saved in the fridge and ate the next day. The trailer schtick is pretty inventive - the bright silver definitely got our attention. It was way better than anything I've had in awhile but I really think DC has better options in the cupcake market (Georgetown Cupcake, Bittersweet Bakery in Alexandria). Good value (they were huge), good cupcakes overall.


Camino Real, 8650 Spicewood Springs Rd #137 , Austin TX
Hey! Cupcake, multiple locations, 6900 Rand Rd Rt 620, Austin, TX