Over the past few years, glistening trailers have colonized vacant parking lots and flat open spaces across Austin, offering innovative and delicious cuisine from all around the world. Playing on traditional Texan trailer parks, these kitchens on wheels pride themselves on quality, value, innovation, ethical produce, and providing an unpretentious eating experience. The trailer park located on trendy South Congress Avenue is no exception. One of the founding fathers of the trailer park eating movement is restaurant owner and chef Jeff Blank who was approached by the Austin City Limits Festival to provide local quality food for the festival goers in 2002, and in 2009 opened The Might Cone. Not to be confused with an ice-cream van, the Might Cone sells tortilla cones filled with chicken, avocado, or shrimp, coated in the special Hot and Crunchy batter of Chilies, Almonds, sesame seeds and corn flakes. Look out for specials as these guys like to experiment by putting their batter on everything: “If it sits still long enough, we'll put Hot 'n' Crunchy on it”. For the most exotic German Sausage you could conceive of then visit Wurst Tex next door; I recommend the Predator and Prey which is rattle-snake and rabbit with a hint of jalapeño, but the El Wursto (Chicken and Turkey, with mild habenero, green chilies and Tequila) may be a safer bet for those of you seeking something more familiar. If you have space, or even if you don’t, you shouldn’t leave without trying the “decadent goodness” of Hey CupCake! The creamy fluffy infusion embodied in the signature cupcake Vanilla Dream must be tried, but so too should the chocolate, carrot, and strawberry flavours – to be inspired I recommend that you watch their promotional video at www.heycupcake.com/. If you are too stuffed to try a cup cake first time, look out for their super shiny trailers at four other locations across the city and their café.
Closing times vary and can be erratic, as they are often determined by the moment that daily provisions have been devoured, which is something I have always found reassuring. Picnic benches are laid out alongside the trailers and these offer a convenient spot for those seeking to watch the cool people making their moves up South Congress.
1600 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704
+1 (512) 383-9609 _
Google map: http://g.co/maps/2sm8v
Wurst Tex: www.wursttex.com
Opening Times: Wed 11am – 7pm. Thurs 11am – 8pm. Fri & Sat 11am – 9pm. Sun: 11am – 6pm
Hey Cup Cake: www.heycupcake.com/
The Mighty Cone: www.mightycone.com/index.html
Opening times: 11am – 9 pm every day except Monday
* Mark Sheaves is our Been there local for Austin. You can read his profile and about Austin here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/austin-local-mark-sheaves.jsp and you can follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/MarkSheaves. Check out other locals here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp
Is this your business?