10 Foods That Every Austinite Craves When They Leave Austin

Austin's food scene is quirky, spicy, and covered in queso. You'll be hard pressed to find culinary creations like these anywhere else. Within the city limits sit thousands of creative kitchens eager to push the envelope in flavor. These are ten foods that every Austinite craves when they leave Austin.

1. Kerbey Lane's Cowboy Queso

When you leave Texas, suddenly "queso" becomes "cheese dip," and it's nothing more than thick, barely-melted processed cheese. After a few tortilla chips full of that stuff, you'll be daydreaming about the delicious blend of fresh cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and black beans found in Kerbey's Cowboy Queso.

2. Ribs that fall off the bone

Your salivary glands will tickle and your heart will skip a beat as that delicate, tender piece of rib meat crashes to the placemat. Endorphins will shoot through your brain even before you take that first bite. It's that good, and nobody does it quite like La Barbecue.

3. Decked out frozen bananas from Bananarchy

Bananarchy turns everyday bananas into scrumptious treats you'll crave again and again. Many people attempt to reach their level of dessert mastery, but no one can even come close.

4. Kimchi french fries from Chi'lantro.

Chi'lantro: where Tex Mex meets Korean barbecue. You'll be hard pressed to find food like this anywhere else.

5. Tex Mex German food from Scholz Garten

The Scholz Schnitzel Plate is everything you'd expect from a German meal in Austin. This thin, deep-fried pork loin comes coated in queso and pico de gallo.

6. Cilantro chutney nachos from Whip In

We sure do love our fusion food in Austin, and this scrumptious bar snack from Whip In is no exception. These nachos come topped with all of the typical toppings like black beans, queso and pico, but they're also topped with a spicy Indian-inspired cilantro chutney.

7. Donut hamburgers from Gourdough's

You may not think this combination would play out well, but you'd be surprised. These donut hamburgers will keep you full all day, and the calories are so worth it.

8. Migas

Eating a delicious blend of eggs, cheese, and tortilla chips in the morning almost guarantees that you'll have an epic day.

9. Juiceland's refreshing pick-me-ups

No matter how you're feeling, Juiceland has a smoothie that will take your mood to the next level. You can't help but smile when you have a Juiceland smoothie in your hand.

10. A perfect chicken fried steak

Austinites are loyal to their chicken-fried steak restaurants. Whether you prefer Threadgill's sweet southern charm or Hyde Park Bar and Grill's modern elegance, there's no denying the joy of a scrumptious chicken fried steak. In Austin, you can find these delicious dishes just about everywhere.

What do you crave when you leave Austin?