Austin Takeout For Your Pandemic Era Cravings
Food has always been something that unites us; people from different cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds all use food as a way to relax and unwind. Since the emergence of COVID-19, many people have been sticking to cooking at home in order to avoid exposure, which is totally fair and valid. However, there are a lot of safe ways to continue enjoying food from your favorite restaurants while also helping these businesses stay afloat. So I say, treat yourself with some takeout if you can!
Below I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite restaurants in Austin that totally deserve our love and support. (Remember to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines when you go pick up your food!)
I couldn’t help but put my favorite late night snack at the top. There is something so exciting about walking down Guad at 2 am and hearing the music get louder and louder: a sign that you are one step closer to some delicious mediterranean food. Personally, I love getting their Sriracha fries—I never knew a simple blend of tzatziki sauce and Sriracha could ever taste so good. Abu Omar also has many great options of gyros and schwarma as well!
Photo Credit: Antara Gupta
After moving to Austin, I was always on the lookout for some good Thai food, and for the longest time, I couldn’t find any places that hit like the thai restaurants in Dallas (shoutout to Simply Thai). Then, I came across Mandala. Their red curry is to die for, and they pass my personal coconut milk to spice ratio test. The service is also amazing; last winter, I accidentally left my leftovers inside the restaurant, and the waiter ran down 2 blocks to give me my food!
Sushi Junai was the first sushi restaurant I tried after moving to Austin, and I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is very tiny with only 2-3 small tables, but it is the perfect takeout option. When I went there, I got the JJ roll and the Star Buck roll, and they were both very fresh and full of flavor. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other rolls from the vast selection they have.
Numero 28 is located in the heart of downtown, and when they say they serve authentic Italian pizza, they really mean it! When I went there, I tried the red sauce Capricciosa pizza and the white sauce 4 Formaggi Pizza. They also have a variety of traditional Italian dishes, like Chicken Parmigiana and Penne Bolognese. Needless to say, Numero 28 was a refreshing change from the Americanized version of pizza that I always eat.
Donuts are my favorite dessert, and going to Gourdough’s to stress eat is always fun. My favorite donut at Gourdough’s came as a surprise to me because I normally don’t like banana-flavored items, but the combination of cream cheese, pecan, and banana in the Granny’s Pie donut truly did some magic.
Pizza Press is quite literally a play on words, with the entire restaurant adopting a newspaper theme. This is a campus fan-favorite, and also my go-to meal when I have too much going on to cook. Everytime I go there, I always get a jalapeño and pineapple (yes, I love pineapples) pizza with basil pesto and Frank’s Redhot sauce drizzled on top. No matter how hungry I am, I always have leftovers, and as a college student, I love knowing that my dinner comes with a late night snack!
These are just some of my favorite restaurants that I found over the course of my freshman year at UT. I encourage all of you to keep exploring and looking for ways to help our locally owned restaurants. Always remember to stay safe when picking up your order!