Welcome to another edition of Austin Eats Round-Up! Think of these posts as little glimpses into where I’m going and what I’m loving right now.
This is the first round-up of 2020! Let’s get into it!
Previous editions can be found here: Austin Eats Round-Up.
Nervous Charlie’s
5501 N. Lamar Ste. B101, Austin, TX
I finally went to Nervous Charlie’s! This place has been on my “to-visit” list since it opened in 2018. They make some delicious bagels that can be ordered by the dozen to-go, toasted up and spread with cream cheese, or turned into breakfast sandwiches. Their simple bagels are made in Austin with ingredients shipped straight from New York City. Owner Chris grew up on Long Island and wanted to bring the deliciousness of a New York bagel to Austin! I’m so thankful he did.
A couple of things I really liked about Nervous Charlie’s: They have a parking lot, the price points are perfect ($3-3.50 for a bagel with cream cheese, $6-10 for large breakfast sandwiches), and the bagels aren’t too thick! One of my main complaints with bagel sandwiches is it’s too much dough! These bagels have the perfect dough to filling combo, though. OH! And their business is named after their ADORABLE dog, Charlie!
Menu highlights include the Classic (fried egg, cheese, and choice of breakfast meat), the Longhorn (classic sandwich plus potatoes), bagel with lox, and the Alexa (tomato, avocado, and cream cheese). They also serve lunch bagel sandwiches filled with various lunch meats and fried chicken cutlets.
Bear King Brewing Co.
207 Avenue G, Marble Falls, TX
Ok, not in Austin, but SO worth the drive. Bear King Brewing Co. had its grand opening in February of 2019, so they’re just about a year old. Apparently, “Bear King” comes from a myth that, centuries ago, there was a half-man half-bear that roamed the Marble Falls area. Bear King’s website says they’re all about camaraderie – spending time with family and those you love. I have to say, their set up totally gives that vibe.
They’re located in the same parking lot as the Bluebonnet Cafe (pro tip: pick up a pie to-go on your way home!), so they have ample parking spaces. They have a large space with a huge indoor and covered outdoor seating area. Their food menu is pretty extensive, ranging from tasty appetizers to tacos, salads, and burgers. There’s something for everyone here!
Now to the main attraction – the beer! Most pours are $6, but they do have special, limited-edition brews available as well which are a dollar or two more. If you’re going to be a regular, you can purchase one of their Bear King glasses and when you bring your glass back, you get discounts on beer! They also offer flights, which is probably what we’ll do next time.
Honestly, one of my favorite things about Bear King is their branding. The little bear with a crown is so CUTE. It’s simple, clean, and memorable. I love it!
Coffee Run
608 B South Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
More bagels! Coffee Run opened on South Lamar a couple weeks ago. I’d seen some tasty photos on social media so I went to visit! They have a pretty cool business model: You pull into their lot and a Coffee Run employee (or the owner himself!) will come out to your car with a menu, take your order, then deliver your to-go order right to you. You can really just make it a quick “coffee run.” I had time, so I hung out at their picnic table and ate.
Everyone at Coffee Run was super nice. We ordered bagels with cream cheese and they brought out one of their berry bagels for us to try for free! I have to be honest – the reason I only went with an everything bagel with cream cheese was that the fancier, gourmet bagels cost too much money for me. The gourmet bagels are only half a bagel (open-faced, as pictured below) and cost between $9-11 dollars.
NOW LET ME BE CLEAR – the berry bagel was incredibly delicious! My brother and I “Mmm”ed the whole time we were eating it. The mix of cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon-basil honey, and berries was perfect. Truly, gourmet. I’m not saying it’s not worth the money, it’s a finely crafted bagel! I just wasn’t ready to pay $10.
Chicken’s Kitchen
DM Gloria at @ChickensKitchenATX for info.
ATTENTION: New cookies in town! Chicken’s Kitchen is cooking up some tasty treats out of her home kitchen in South Austin. Gloria (AKA ‘Chicken’) is sharing her love of baking with the Austin community and I am SO here for it. I love supporting local, women-owned businesses.
I sampled some of her Andes mint chocolate chunk, Oreo cookies and cream, s’mores, M&M chocolate chip, and cake batter with chocolate chips. OMG. Break your resolutions now. Here’s how you order: Each week, there will be three flavors. Pricing will be posted on Fridays @chickenskitchenatx– DM her if you want a box! Let her know how many dozen you’d like and what day of the week you want to pick them up. You can also do a combo box, like mine.
Thanks for my free boxes, Gloria!
All the cookie dough is prepped in small batches and baked on the day you pick it up – my boxes were perfectly gooey when I arrived. What are you waiting for?? DM @chickenskitchenatx today!
Better Half Coffee & Cocktails
406 Walsh St, Austin, TX 78703
Better Half is another place that has been on my “to-visit” list for a long time. They’re a cool place! Most days, they’re open from 8am until midnight or later. Their menu starts with delicious breakfast items and coffees, then transitions to happy hour, dinner, and drinks. I ordered their breakfast sandwich (English muffin, crispy hash brown, smoked paprika aioli, arugula, and a fried egg). It was delicious! I loved the inclusion of hash browns on the sandwich. Also, the chai latte was perfect – not too sweet, just enough spice.
As for later in the day, they have an incredible Tuesday-Friday happy hour that includes $5 burgers! They also do a reverse happy hour from 9pm-11pm that includes $5 draft cocktails and $2 Pearl Beers. Dinner entrees range from hamachi crudo to hot chicken sandwiches to baby back ribs. Also, their dessert looks pretty delicious as well. Next time I go back, it’ll be for happy hour and dessert. Thai tea puddin’ pop, which chocolate magic shell and toasted coconut, cheesecake, donut holes… what’s not to love??
Jugo Austin
603 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78701
I always love checking out new juice bars. Jugo Austin is perfect for everyone that works downtown. If you need a quick, healthy, grab-and-go lunch, Jugo is a great hit. They offer juice, smoothies, coffee and tea, and packaged foods. They operate “farm-to-blender,” so they work with several local farms to make sure they have the freshest ingredients. They also compost all the extra produce and give it back to their farm partners!
I was able to try some of their food and smoothies for free (thanks, Jugo!).
I took their roasted beets, kale and squash salad and deviled eggs to work the next day and was SO happy to have them. Tasty and refreshing. I liked the green smoothie the best (spinach, banana, oat milk, cinnamon, ginger, and almond butter). The spice from the ginger was perfect! The yellow smoothie (mango, banana, pineapple) was also good, but a bit sweet for me. No sugar added, of course, just sweet fruit!
Pro tip: If you’re looking for a healthy snack while you travel, Jugo Austin just opened a new location at ABIA!
And that’s a wrap for Edition 21 of the Austin Eats Round-Up!
Where should I go next? What are you loving in Austin right now?
