So, what is it with these airstream trailer restaurants in Austin? They’re everywhere, and “all the rage,” if that phrase can even be linked with the down-to-earth feel that is Austin. Well I don’t believe that it’s the potential mobility of these eatery anti-establishments that makes them magnetic to customers from near and far, or their decorative outsides, or their ability to just pop up out of nowhere and stake a claim in their parking spots that would be hard to argue with even if you tried.

After giving some thought to why airstream trailer restaurants have found their niche in this amazing Texas capital city, I believe it’s the localism that is so abundant in Austin, and Austinites’ support and craving for local businesses, the creativity that surrounds the food concepts inside these pseudo-stationary start-ups, and the rare and much-appreciated offering of fresh, healthy, and fun fast-food.  I love the fact that Austin is so health-conscious, and I believe that the ability to simply walk up to a window, and receive a healthy, tasty, and freshly-made meal in return in less than 10 minutes is such a luxury that I have yet to find in many other cities.  Goodbye drive-thru’s, hello bike-thru’s, or walk-thru’s!

Two fun fast-food finds I have come across recently are:

Lulu B’s Vietnamese Sandwiches (and more)- This trailer restaurant is smack in the middle of a construction site at the moment at 2113 S. Lamar, but the noise and and disruption didn’t stop Jen, Paul, and I, or the other 10-15 customers, who enjoyed our delicious lunch at small and feeble picnic tables in the middle of the sandy lot it calls home.  And, the food was delicious, and so fresh! Jen and I split a Chinese BBQ Sandwhich, which had chili in it that caused me to lose my focus for a minute (soo good!), and I had a soft tofu spring roll. Paul had a noodle bowl that he said “was very good” when he paused for one second between non-stop bites.

Holy Cacao at 1207 S. 1st Street- Chef Mary Margaret (who I met at Art City Austin, and wrote about in a previous post last month) was so kind to create a special order of orange and white cake balls for Allyson’s UT graduation! They were delicious, and adorable, and my family, who has limited dessert resources in El Paso, was very impressed! We had the wedding cake (vanilla) and chocolate flavors, and the family said they taste like donuts! We even had them served truffle-style, but usually they are mounted on a popsicle stick to create a “cakesicle”.  They are just the right solution to a quick sweet-tooth fix!

Hats off to the chef and the graduate!