1. East Side Banh Mi
Michael David Rose Photography
This gleaming new fast-casual eatery on Gallatin Avenue is a bright and cheerful Vietnamese spot for sandwiches, salads, and bowls. Opened by industry vets Grace Nguyen and Chad Newton, the shop pulls in recipes from Grace’s family trove, and puts its own spin on classic bites. The banh mi arrives on homemade baguettes stuffed with options like roasted black pepper-caramel pork shoulder or “Xiu Mai” Impossible meatballs, as well as fried shallot mayo, pickles, cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapeño—add the house pâté for an extra dollar.
>>> East Side Bánh Mì's Roasted Lemongrass Pork Bánh Mì recipe
There are a handful of bowls, including the chilled rice noodle bowl packed with Bloomsbury Farm greens, pickles, herbs, crispy bits, and spicy fish sauce, as well as small bites like crispy pork sticks and summer rolls. The small shop is open for both indoor seating and takeout.
East Side Banh Mi, 1000 Gallatin Ave.; eastsidebanhmi.com
2. Pie Town Tacos
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You can’t miss the bright white and blue mural and yellow roof of the new Pie Town Tacos. Named for its tightly knit sliver of a neighborhood, it was opened in August by Jason and Lea Crockarell, who own Flavor Catering next door. The former Hot Diggity Dogs space has been reimagined with a fresh look and an enclosed patio in the back. The tacos are hot—go for classics like the carne asada or al pastor, or go full-on Music City with their hot options like chicken, cauliflower, and catfish. Our pick is the potato and chorizo bowl piled up with sautéed onions, beans, fried potato cubes, and chorizo, plus an ice-cold bottle of mandarin Jarritos.
Pie Town Tacos, 614 Ewing Ave.; pietowntacos.com
3. Ladybird Taco
Ladybird Taco
With a popular taco spot in Austin, the team behind Ladybird (Andrew Wiseheart and Ben Edgerton, along with local co-owner Gabe Scott) opened their 12 South location doing what they do best: breakfast and lunch tacos—and some insanely delicious queso. A takeout window serves walk-ups or to-go orders—peek inside and you’ll see the house-made tortillas being flipped on the griddle. Start with the chips and loaded queso (chorizo for the win!), then dig into a pile of tacos, like the scrambled egg-based breakfast option with chorizo and Monterey Jack (#4), the carnitas with pickled red onion and radish (#12), or the salsa verde-braised chicken with cotija cheese and pickled onion (#9). Patio seating is limited but the tacos travel well.
Ladybird Taco, 2229 10th Ave. S., 615-678-8049; ladybirdtaco.com