My love for food and discovering new places inspired me to do the food tour around Austin. I brought my sister along for the ride so we can adventure for new places together. Once we both had a free weekend, we spent the day hanging out around Austin to see what the city has to offer.
The next stop on the tour is our happy hour location. The Little Darlin' is a popular bar that's highly rated by the community and Austin blogs. The Little Darlin' also has a huge outdoor area with a stage for live music. Unfortunately we went at a time when there were no performances, but we stuck around. I ordered the strawberry chili mule, another fruity and spicy drink. The drink had a good flavor, especially with the ginger, but there was a little too much alcohol. Unlike Victory Lap's college aged crowd, The Little Darlin' was geared towards older adults. Although the outdoor area was cool, we didn’t stay as long since there was no music.
We set off to East Austin for the next stop on the tour. Before we grabbed dinner, we walked around the area and took pictures and videos of the lively streets and street art in the area. East Austin has a more unique vibe compared to the rest of Austin. I love seeing all the creativity and diverse art styles on the murals. It was great to see artist cultural expression so prominent around the area.
Nestled in the center of East Austin, Licha's Cantina is a top rated favorite restaurant to get delicious authentic Mexican food. Licha’s is unique and full of charm which perfectly fits the cool East Austin vibe. The size of the restaurant is very deceiving. From the outside it looks like a quaint house, but is much larger than I ever expected. Licha's personality shines through with the decor around each area of the restaurant. The walls displayed the founding family’s photos and expressions of Mexican culture. We were provided chips with green and red salsa. The green salsa was very spicy but still tasty, but the red was my favorite. The red salsa had a nice smoky flavor from the roasted tomatoes. I ordered Birria tacos, one of my favorite Mexican dishes. The tacos came with a chickpea and pickled onion paste on the side which elevated the flavor of the meal. Licha's Cantina lives up to the hype and is a great place to enjoy authentic food.
Craving a sweet treat after our meal, we headed down to South Congress for the Churro Co. The Churro Co. is a latina owned business specializing in handmade churros. The dessert truck was very cutesy, lit with neon pink and purple lights and fun designs. The seating area was nestled between a vintage shop and illuminated by string lights. The menu includes both traditional and specialty churros, something everyone can enjoy. Since we spent our day dining through town, my sister and I shared our dessert. We opted for a traditional churro topped with ice cream, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. We did have to wait a while for our order because it was bustling with people even after 10pm. The churros were hot and fresh with the perfect amount of crisp making the wait worthwhile.
To end the night, we went back to Victory Lap to meet up with some friends. The bar looks even better at night by the lights strung across the courtyard. The vibe was more laid back compared to earlier in the day. They had live music this time which created the perfect atmosphere to hang out and socialize. It was a great way to wrap up the tour.
Overall, I loved the adventure this tour took me on. I got to explore more of the city and discover new restaurants to add to my roster. A food tour is the perfect way to explore other areas of the city and expand your dining horizons. I would love to do another food tour agin with a new set of restaurants to discover.