When I went to UT (2007 – 2011) there were hardly any food options. We had J2, JCL, Kinsolving, Chipotle, Tapioca House, Coco’s, Hoa-Hoa (I ate here almost once a week), and the Wendy’s inside Jester.
SEE ALSO: 45 Top Things To Do In Austin
University of Texas Austin campus has changed drastically since I graduated so I’ve enlisted the help of my two interns, Sarah Teng and Bianca Hsieh, to put together this #kokoapproved guide to top options for food near UT campus. There are more options than the 4-piece (it use to be 5-piece, inflation is real y’all) 99¢ chicken nuggets 🤘.
Table of Contents
HALAL BROS
From their humble beginnings, Halal Bros have come a long way to find their home on UT campus. Located right next to In-n-Out Burger, HalalBros offers delicious halal meats (also falafel for vegetarians) and super flavorful rice to satisfy a hungry college-kid and their budget.
AVERAGE PRICE: $8
2712 Guadalupe St, thehalalbros.com
DON JAPANESE KITCHEN
Probably one of the most popular places to eat on UT campus, Don Japanese Kitchen recently moved into a brick and mortar store near 28th and Guadalupe St. During their busiest hours, wait times can exceed an hour and a half, but it’s worth it for their low prices and incredible donburi rice bowls. This one is definitely worth checking out if you have the time!
AVERAGE PRICE: $6
2716 Guadalupe St
MADAM MAMS
The best and the worst thing about Madam Mam’s is how large their menu is. Because there are so many dishes on the menu, everyone is bound to find a dish that they enjoy. On the other hand, that might take some time. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck and some laid-back Thai food, this is the place to go!
AVERAGE PRICE: $10-$11
510 W 26th St, madammam.com
PINCH
Pinch is a cute little trailer on the intersection of 24th and San Antonio St next to The Castilian that’s run by a UT Austin alumni couple. Yuzhuo inherited the skills of home-style cooking form his father and applies his degree in Mathematics in cooking to exercise precision. I (Koko) was surprised by how affordable and generous the portions are in the bento boxes! My favorite was the fried chicken bento.
AVERAGE PRICE: $6 – $9
518 W 24th St, pinch.one
LITTLE SHEEP HOT POT
All-you-can-eat Mongolian hot pot for $10.99 during lunch.
PRICE: $10.99 before 2:30pm, $15.99 for dinner
2400 Seton Ave, Austin, TX 78705, littlesheephotpot.com
SEE ALSO: 9 All-You-Can-Eat Buffets To Indulge In Austin
STEEL CITY POPS
Steel City Pops used to only sell their pops around Austin out of traveling vendor carts, but they’ve recently opened a huge brick and mortar on the corner of 30th and Guadalupe St. From a variety of fruity and creamy flavors, Steel City Pops makes and packages all their pops in-house. Dip, drizzle, or dredge them with yummy toppings for the perfect sweet treat at any time of year!
AVERAGE PRICE: $5
3001 Guadalupe St, steelcitypops.com
SNO BEACH
Being one of the original food trailers in Austin, Sno Beach has been an Austin classic for local Austinites since 1993. From a long list of flavors, Sno Beach offers fluffy snow cones to satisfy creamy and fruity palettes. Find them at any of their two food truck locations, on Guadalupe St. or Barton Springs Rd.
AVERAGE PRICE: $3.50
3402 Guadalupe St, snobeachatx.com
VIA 313
Located on Guadalupe St. right across from the Wheatsville Co-op, Via 313 has proudly served genuine Detroit-style pizza (the kind that’s shaped like a square) since 2011. Via 313 prides itself on using the freshest ingredients to provide Austin a different kind of pizza experience. With thick, chewy crust and the finest meats/cheeses, there’s no other place to find pizza like this in Austin!
AVERAGE PRICE: $11 – $15 per pizza
3016 Guadalupe St, via313.com
COLD COOKIE COMPANY
Cold Cookie Company food truck is stationed in the same trailer park as Julie’s Noodles, Korean Komfort Food, and Holy Macaroni. Curating their own ice cream flavors and baking their own cookies from Grandma’s recipes, Cold Cookie Company is the perfect sweet treat to indulge in with friends on any occasion.
AVERAGE PRICE: $3
2512 Rio Grande St, coldcookiecompany.com/
JULIE’S NOODLES
Located in the heart of West Campus (26th and Rio Grande St.), Julie’s Noodles food truck is a popular late-night food option for many college students. Julie’s Noodles offers authentic and delicious Chinese food to satisfy anyone’s food preferences. For a unique noodle experience, order their handmade noodles!
AVERAGE PRICE: $9 – $10
2512 Rio Grande St, juliesnoodles.com
COCO’S CAFÉ
Although mostly known as a bubble tea destination, Coco’s Café also serves delicious Taiwanese-style food and shaved ice. Popular dishes include their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and their famous Peppercorn Chicken with rice. Finish off with a heaping bowl of shaved ice (toppings of your choice) and maybe take a drink for the road!
AVERAGE PRICE: $4 for drinks, $7-$9 for food
1910 Guadalupe St, cocos-cafe.com
SUSHI JUNAI
For $25 during lunch and $30 during dinner, Sushi Junai serves up All You Can Eat sushi and appetizers that will not disappoint! On a hungry college-kid budget, this place is a dream.
AVERAGE PRICE: $25 for lunch, $30 for dinner (plus tax and tip)
1612 Lavaca St, facebook.com/sushijunai/
SEE ALSO: 9 All-You-Can-Eat Buffets To Indulge In Austin
TAPIOCA HOUSE
Comparable to Coco’s Café, Tapioca House serves up Taiwanese tapioca drinks and snacks to their customers. For just $3.25, you can get their popular crispy Taiwanese chicken nuggets!
AVERAGE PRICE: $3.00 for tapioca drinks and $5 for food
1906 Guadalupe St, tapiocahousetx.com
FRICANO’S DELI
Fricano’s Deli has been serving up fresh, quality sandwiches to Austinites and University Students since they opened in 2006. No matter the occasion, Fricano’s satisfies any lunch or dinner craving. And they cater too!
AVERAGE PRICE: $6 – $9
2405 Nueces St, fricanosdeli.com/
CREAM WHISKERS
Founded by two UT Austin graduates, Cream Whiskers is the perfect place to catch up with old friends over coffee and cream puffs. Modeling their recipes after cream puffs found in Japan, Cream Whiskers offers a light and airy dessert that won’t slow you down for the rest of the day.
AVERAGE PRICE: $4
2222 Rio Grande St, creamwhiskers.com
MANGO 8
Another popular spot for bubble drinks and snow ice, Mango 8 offers a large variety of flavors and specialty drinks. For a limited time, get a drink in one of their lightbulb cups for the Instagram!
AVERAGE PRICE: $4 for drinks, $8 for shaved/snow ice
705 W 24th St, facebook.com/mango8atx/
KUNG FU TEA
Originating from New York City, Kung Fu Tea serves up some of the most authentic Taiwanese style bubble drinks on campus. Competing for the best bubble tea on campus, Kung Fu Tea also offers snow ice and specialty “Milk Cap” drinks.
AVERAGE PRICE: $4 – $6
801 W 24th St, kungfutea.com
RANCH HAND
This new food truck was founded by two current MBA students at UT. They’re serving up all-natural protein, produce, and grain bowls from local Texas ranches and farms to the Austin community. Choose from any of their three pre-made bowls: Rosemary, Cilantro, and Ginger; or construct your own with the ingredients they offer!
AVERAGE PRICE: $8 – $12 per bowl
2011 Whitis Ave, weareranchhand.com
GET FRIED
UT’s newest food eatery is capitalizing on french fries and taking them to the next level. Founded in Buffalo, New York, the company is making its way south to Texas with a food truck location in San Antonio and now here in Austin. With a menu of six different cuts of fries and fourteen different sauces, Get Fried is a potato lover’s dream. The food truck also offers dessert fries which will be accompanied by their own set of sweet sauces.
AVERAGE PRICE: $6 – $8
2021 Guadalupe Street, getfried.com
K-Bop
For those that crave some Korean food, K-Bop is a genuine hidden treasure on the Drag. The restaurant prides itself on creating healthy meals with fresh ingredients and has various authentic Korean dishes from soups to rice bowls. Try their Beef Bulgogi and pair it with a milk tea.
AVERAGE PRICE: $3-4 for drinks, $6-10 for food
2002 Guadalupe Street, kbopatx.com
MOOJO
Moojo is one of the best dessert establishments for cookie and ice cream enthusiasts. Using gourmet ice cream and locally made cookies, Moojo offers endless combinations to create the perfect ice cream sandwich. Intimidated by all the possibilities? Check out their pre-chosen combinations like Strawberry Fields Forever or Snickerdoodle-Moo.
AVERAGE PRICE: $4 – $8
2322 Guadalupe Street, moojo.net
THE PIZZA PRESS
Playing on the newspaper and printing theme, the Pizza Press is a pizzeria where customers can build (or publish) their own pizzas or choose already crafted options such as the Herald. Along with the numerous craft beer options and salads, the Pizza Press is the perfect location to share some pizza with friends and family.
AVERAGE PRICE: Less than $10
404 West 26th Street, thepizzapress.com
TACO JOINT
Located near the engineering buildings and law school, Taco Joint is notorious for their delicious breakfast tacos and tortas. Try their breakfast tacos or El 4/20!
AVERAGE PRICE: $2 – $7
2807 San Jacinto Blvd, austintacojoint.com
