By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor, Kalena Reynolds | Opinion Editor
With all the cheering and dancing we did at the Austin City Limits sets we attended, we worked up hearty appetites throughout those three days. Good thing there were endless food options within a short walk of each stage. We took the liberty of trying the good, the bad and the ugly of these stands and dishes so that you know where to get the best snacks and drinks next year, and maybe which places to avoid.
Here are our ratings of a few ACL foods and drinks, based on presentation, flavor, food quality, price and whether or not we would return.
Elote Tots
For me, both “elote” and “tots” are buzzwords, so obviously I had to try this curious delicacy from Cavalier’s Party Dogs & Tots; however, I found this dish to be a watered-down version of what I had in mind. If what you want is a traditional Mexican-style elote plus the tots, take your $15 to one of the birria stands instead.
While the concept was actually quite pretty — a paper tray of tots sprinkled with fresh cilantro, corn, queso fresco and drizzled with lime crema — the flavors were lacking. The cilantro had a nice zing, but the amount of it was definitely overkill. It’s elote, not a salad. The tots were nice and crispy, but weren’t warm anymore by the time I got them and needed salt. Lastly, considering all the dry elements in this side, it needed more sauce. Overall, I gave this order a 2/5.
Wagyu Smash Cheeseburger
If you’re looking for a great smash burger, head over to Salt & Time, but only if you’re slightly hungry. This $15 burger was only about the size of my palm (my hands aren’t big) and was gone in about four bites.
When I first received my cheeseburger, I felt kind of bad for it. I get the concept of a smash burger, but this one looked like it had been run over by a bus. Flavorwise, the patty was caramelized to perfection and the bun was slightly sweet, pairing and contrasting well with the pickles and cheese. Patty was slightly crispy when I bit in, and still hot, the cheese was melted, but not burning and the bun was nice and moist.
In a pinch, maybe I’d order this again, but I’m sure there are bigger, better burgers to be had at other stands. I give this burger a 2.5/5.
Strawberry Dragonfruit Lemonade
This lemonade from the Juiceland stand was served in a frosty aluminum cup with a strawberry slice floating on top — very cute. The drink itself was a lovely orchid shade. For all you Starbucks lovers, this is basically the equivalent of the dragonfruit refresher, except without the fruit chunks.
Both sweet and sour flavors were slightly present in this drink, with the dragon fruit shining through beautifully. A little watered down, but overall very tasty.
If you need a quick fix for the mid-day ACL sweats, I recommend this thirst-quencher. It stayed cold long after I bought it, and the aluminum cup kept the ice frozen. For a $12 drink, the serving size was a little small, even for festival prices, but I will, hands down, be buying this again next year. I’ll give this one a 4/5.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
I got the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries from BBG’s. The sandwich was bare, with just chicken and sauce sandwiched between the burger buns. The crinkle-cut fries were crispy, but not Instagram-worthy.
The first few bites were divine; however, as the meal progressed, the overwhelming amount of buffalo sauce, with nothing to offset it except warm Heinz ranch, resulted in an underwhelming dinner. The presentation was the highlight and made up for the lack of vegetables and lukewarm chicken. The price was comparatively reasonable at $15, making it one of the best bangs-for-your-buck.
Honestly, I wouldn’t go back, not for any obvious reason, but because of the lack of produce. The meal had nothing inherently wrong with it, but it seemed to need vegetables and less sauce. Overall, I rate this purchase a 1.5/5.
Strawberry Banana Acai Bowl
After a sun-soaked Austin day, a refreshing acai bowl was exactly what I needed to recharge. I ordered the strawberry banana acai bowl from Blenders & Bowls, which came with organic acai, granola, strawberries and bananas.
The presentation was solid, with granola and sliced fruit placed neatly on top of the bowl.
The flavor was decent; however, midway through the bowl, the sweetness of the acai started to kick in. In an ideal world, the bowl would have been more fruit-forward. The strawberries and granola were wonderful and added to the overall score of the meal.
The consistency is where the food lost points. The bowl came already half-melted and before I could get halfway finished, it was a sort of fruit acai soup. However, it was nothing short of scorching at ACL, so I’ll give grace here. The cost didn’t help, with a $16 price tag and a bowl that was slightly bigger than my palm, it was hard to justify three stars on this one.
Ultimately, I would not go back unless heat-fueled desperation called for it, leading me to rate this 2/5.
Chicken Cone
In ode to our last day at ACL, I decided to try the famous OG Chicken Cone from The Mighty Cone. The meal came with a slice of crispy chicken wrapped in a tortilla, accompanied by coleslaw and ancho aioli.
While the flavor did not disappoint, the presentation was hard to overlook. The meal came in a paper cone, similar to the ones beside the P.E. Gatorade buckets in middle school. The coleslaw was placed at the bottom, and although the sauce was delicious, it wasn’t evenly spread on the chicken. While this didn’t take away from the flavor, it was hard to fully appreciate the whopping $16 chicken in a nearly bare tortilla.
As far as consistency goes, the food was served very warm, which definitely earned back some credibility for freshness, so I conclude this review with a 2/5 rating.
