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Hand food: it's almost as awesome as food on sticks, but boasts the added bonus of carbohydrates! Food that comes in its own container is perfect for busy Fall days at work and school. Austin offers some great options for sandwich-y goodness on the go, so jump in your preferred mode of transport and grab some grub that requires little else than a hungry stomach, and perhaps a napkin or three.
Hog Island Italian Deli (Sandwich Shop)
Location: 1612 Lavaca St. [map]
Phone: (512) 482-9090
Cost: Sandwiches $6-8
Atmosphere: Clean, your basic sandwich shop setup, patio furniture for seating, counter service.
Food: The sandwiches at Hog Island Deli are East Coast deli style. The "Old Italian" comes on light, toothsome bread with perfectly crisped crust and toasted sesame seeds and is made up of layer-on-layer of wafer-thin cured meats and Provolone, topped with roasted red peppers. It's a great Italian-style sub. But the sandwich you'll be craving mere hours after your next trip to Hog Island is the Philly Cheesesteak. Spicy meat, delicious melted cheeses, and hot banana peppers; it's spicy meat heaven. It'll make you want to call up your boyfriend and remark, "Hey, I'm full of MEAT." Brave the bad parking and the near-campus location for a brief shining moment of beautiful meat-itude. It's better than the other guys' sammich, we assure you.
Photo by lizjones112 on Flickr
Sarah's Mediterranean Grill and Market (Middle Eastern)
Location: 5222 Burnet Rd., Ste. 500 [map]
Phone: (512) 419-7605
Cost: Sandwiches $4-6, Plates $6-9
Atmosphere: Neighborhood market in a strip-center with some utilitarian seating, but bright and clean, with counter service.
Food: Sarah's is crazy cheap and fabulously yum-tastic. The tasty falafel wrap is only $3.75. It's cooked crispy and accompanied by a generous amount of Sarah's really good fresh-made hummus, cucumber and tomato. The giant pita that holds the whole thing together is delicious in its own right - the thin and moist kind, not the thick, gummy pita we've all suffered through. The chicken shawerma wrap is satisfyingly hearty without being too heavy. Tomato, onion, perfectly grilled chicken and a slight smoke flavor marry perfectly in a delicous pita with a sauce of bright lemon and garlic flavors and fresh herbs. We didn't try the stuffed grape leaves, but they looked good, so we made a mental note to put them on our list for next time. And it's always nice to end a meal with a bit of baklava. Shop the aisles while they're making your sandwiches - Sarah's Market has a number of Middle Eastern ingredients not likely found in your local grocery store. Allandale residents are lucky to have such a yummy, cheap, and different option in the hood. Vegetarian, halal, and kosher options.
La Cocina de Consuelo (Tex-Mex)
Location: 4516 Burnet Rd. [map]
Phone: (512) 524-4740
Cost: Breakfast Burritos $2.45/ea.
Atmosphere: Tiny bungalow with cozy, homespun feel, counter service.
Food: Consuelo's makes huge delicious breakfast burritos until 11am weekdays and Sunday. If you're used to ordering a couple of tacos at Torchy's or Maria's, don't make that mistake here. One of these breakfast delicacies is all most normal humans would be capable of grubbing down on. The breakfast burritos are cooked while you wait with really high-quality ingredients. The large tortillas are housemade, warm and toasted to just-crisp. Our favorites are the Stacy's (avocado and machacado) and the Janey's (chorizo, rajas, machacado, and jalapeno). The machacado is just so good - a dry, very savory beef that complements the eggs and the spicy fillings perfectly. The beef chorizo is an unexpectedly fine departure from the pork chorizo to which we're accustomed. If we ever go through a dire financial period, we may seriously consider subsisting solely on Consuleo's breakfast burritos. No joke.
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I love the hummus at Sarah's!!!
Hog Island Rocks. Hard. They are as close to New England style grinders as you'll get west of Phillie.
I live across the street from Sarah's and it is amazing. Good size beef shawerma plates for $5.95. Awesome hummus and baba.
Philly ain't New England. Having lived in both places, I would say that Philly-style hoagies are what Hog Island is all about. If you want a New England grinder, stop by any Thundercloud sub.