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    • How we chose the 33 Best Restaurants in Austin for our 2024 Dining Guide
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    How we chose the 33 Best Restaurants in Austin for our 2024 Dining Guide

    Harry Posted on

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    Whenever our list of the best restaurants in Austin narrows down, questions arise: What’s the benchmark? What is the selection process?

    We have answers.

    For subscribers: 2024 Food Guide: Austin’s Best Restaurants

    What research would fit into such a list?

    I’ve visited every restaurant on this list at least once in the last 15 months, and many more than once. Besides these restaurants, I visited dozens of others.

    What do visits look like?

    I do not warn the restaurants I visit and the American statesman pays for every meal.

    Does a restaurant have to be luxurious or expensive to be on the list?

    No. In fact, none of the three restaurants that served me the most expensive meals last year were on the list. Restaurants range from intimate omakases for 8 people to counter-service restaurants.

    For subscribers: Guide to the 40 best bars in Austin that capture the spirit of Texas’ capital

    Why no food trucks or trailers?

    Austin has a great food truck scene; a scene that creates a pipeline for talent and vision and helps shape food culture at large. I discovered that readers wanted a list dedicated specifically to restaurants. I’ll have a list of the best food trucks (and other non-traditional concepts) in Austin – everything BBQ at Distant Relatives And KG BBQ Southeast Asian cuisine Fusion of the New And Dee Dee – coming in the coming months.

    Which cuisines are represented on the list?

    While it can be difficult to categorize some restaurants by cuisine, I’ve done so below as a handy quick note and to illustrate the breadth of cuisines (14 here alone) that make Austin a great food town. The number of restaurants represented in each category is listed in parentheses.

    Barbecue (5), Mexican (4), Modern American (4), Italian (3), Southeast Asian (3), Sushi (3), Seafood (2), Texan (2), Caribbean (1), Chinese (1), Classic American (1), Indian (1), Middle Eastern (1), Southern (1), and Vegan (1).

    Why a list of 33?

    From where? Twenty-five just didn’t seem enough to me, and once you hit 40 people’s eyes start to wander from information overload. There are probably 20 more that could take the 34th spot, and the list is an organic object of much shuffling throughout the research process. I felt like 33 told the story I was trying to convey.

    Why are 3 restaurants tied for first place?

    Where we have been lately is a place of unrest and harmony. Ironically, two seemingly opposite things are both true: Food is too expensive, and restaurants should charge more. With higher costs of goods due to inflation and supply chain disruption, higher costs of living and rent (especially in Austin), and fewer workforces demanding and deserving of higher wages and more benefits, food prices have increased everywhere. At the same time, restaurants still operate on razor-thin margins for businesses their size, and good food costs money.

    The current environment requires innovation and agility and benefits operators who can adapt with the times. That’s one of the reasons why I have the top three restaurants in Austin this year. Led by couples with nearly constant connections, all three have taken creative approaches to their work.

    One is a counter-service restaurant that still offers thoughtful hospitality along with excellent food; one is an outdoor taqueria that turns its small indoor space into one of the city’s best tasting menus several nights a week; and one, an almost exclusive supper club that rewards long-time customers and offers a delicious meal for nearly half the price.

    These three restaurants all find unique ways to succeed and provide guests with exceptional food and experiences.

    Harry
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