Sandwiches are just one popular takeout option in Austin.
There are few things in life that are as fun as getting all dressed up and going out to some high-end restaurant for a night of good company and great food. On the other hand, it can be just as satisfying to spend an entire evening enjoying some scrumptious food, all from the comfort of your very own home. Luckily, there are plenty of spots across Austin that offer great takeout, from burger joints and sandwich shops to cuisine from Southeast Asia and beyond.
So, if you’d like to explore Austin’s culinary scene in a slightly different way, here are some of the best takeout spots in the Texas capital:
1. FoodHeads Cafe: Even with a quick read through its website, you can easily discern how much people love the decor of FoodHeads. With a mix of comfy and cozy, it’s no wonder so many people regularly flock to this quaint cafe just outside of Hyde Park. Fortunately, you can get the same sense of emotional ease at your own place, as so much of FoodHeads’ appeal comes from the actual food. The restaurant has a slew of signature sandwiches, including chimichurri steak, egg salad and prosciutto, pulled pork, tuna nicoise salad, hot pastrami, grilled squash and mozzarella, and the Gypsy Grove, which features grilled pork tenderloin and grilled ham on ciabatta. Don’t forget to grab one of FoodHeads’ line of coffees for the road.
2. Jack Allen’s Kitchen: Founded by chef Jack Gilmore and his business partner Tom Kamm, Jack Allen’s Kitchen has a unique mantra it’s adapted over the years: “Local in source, Texan in Spirit.” For the owners, that translates to offering a fun, casual dining experience, the kind enjoyed by Texans for generations, while taking steps to be give back to the community and foster sustainability. It’s those very attitudes that have helped define the JAK menu. Menu standouts include buttermilk fried chicken, the hefty steak salad, the five cheese macaroni and chicken, 13 spiced chicken pasta, a collection of Texas-inspired street tacos and the grade A New York Strip steak. It’s beef the way it was intended to be eaten.
3. Bombay Bistro: No matter what city you’re in, Indian take out is a decidedly popular option for many diners. Austin is no different, and Bombay Bistro serves hungry residents with two possible locations for takeout, one right near Scofield Farms and the other on the 290 just outside Garrison Park. No matter which of the two you end up visiting, though, you can expect to take home some truly tasty Indian cuisine. The Bistro has a bevy of curry options, including red, yellow, shrimp and tikka misala. Or, get something off the Tandoori grill, like the chicken tikka, garlic-flavored shrimp or Bharwaan Aloo Kabab, which features potato barrels, sauteed onions, nuts and cheese. No order would be complete, though, without the extra spicy Paneer chili.
4. Nanking Restaurant: Austin is full of truly amazing Chinese restaurants. However, very few have served the city for as long as the Nanking Restaurant, which has been serving the city for some 15-plus years . Nanking has a slew of amazing dishes, including curry and Kung Pao chicken, shrimp with broccoli, prawn chili sauce, Moo Shi beef, twice cooked pork and fried tofu. However, the menu is built on a number of tantalizing specials, including beef with scallops, the Nanking-style lamb chops, beef and oysters, Sa-Chai shrimp, and the Dragon and Lion Flight, which features chicken, shrimp and vegetables grilled in a custom brown sauce.
