The chilaquiles of El Naranjo come topped with your choice of their homemade salsas.
Story by Andrea Cos
Photos by Ley Herr and Dorian McCradic
Some things are truly worth getting up for. Believe us, there is nothing better than an aromatic cup of coffee and an excellent breakfast. As the most important meal of the day, it’s important to get it right. We know mornings can be tough, but don’t let them get away from you without partaking in the most delicious breakfasts the city of Austin has to offer.
Let ORANGE Magazine guide you through the most scrumptious breakfast foods, conveniently identified in relation to the city’s most iconic and quirky districts. Wherever you are, you will be sure to find a reason to wake up and start your morning off right.
South Lamar— Luke’s Inside Out
South Lamar is arguably the inspiration behind the iconic phrase “Keep Austin Weird.” This quirky neighborhood is filled with an eclectic mix of local establishments ranging from coffee houses to movie theaters. Among these shines a hidden gem— Luke’s Inside Out, an unassuming food truck that serves French-inspired sandwiches as well as a brunch buffet every Sunday morning.
The all you can eat “Son of Brunch” buffet is definitely worth waking up for. For $14, you are given unlimited access to a plethora of their classic dishes, including chicken and waffles, tater tot casserole, migas breakfast sandwich, and “porn dog,” an upgraded corn dog drenched in their homemade honey mustard sauce.
Juan in a Million captured every aspect that is great about Austin and stuffed it into their famous Don Juan taco.
East Cesar Chavez— Juan in a Million
East Cesar Chavez is a vibrant and diverse area that continues to maintain an old-town vibe because of the cultural venues that have been there from the beginning. Among these is Juan in a Million, a traditional Mexican restaurant that has been serving breakfast tacos since 1980.
Their Don Juan taco, a combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese in a delicious homemade flour tortilla, is more than enough to get anyone out of bed and ready to start the day.
Pro-tip: don’t miss their bloody mary specialty drink—the combination of tomato juice, vodka and Mexican spices is out of this world.
Rainey Street— El Naranjo
Rainey Street is located right in the middle of a unique neighborhood that holds as much personality as the quirky city of Austin. The street is lined with historic houses that have been converted into restaurants and bars providing an easy-going atmosphere filled with good food and live music. Among these stands El Naranjo, a Mexican restaurant that incorporates traditional flavors by creating their own salsas, baking their own bread and making their own corn tortillas.
Their green chile chilaquiles, a dish consisting of crispy corn tortilla chips covered in a spicy green chile sauce and a sprinkling of fresh cheese, are a staple Mexican breakfast classic. This dish along with their freshly baked sweet bread and their cinnamon coffee combine to create a divine breakfast experience worth getting up for.
The carrot cake is dipped into a cinnamon vanilla egg batter and is served with cream cheese pecan syrup.
South Congress— South Congress Café
South Congress, more commonly referred to as “SoCo” by locals, is Austin’s ultimate hipster destination. This neighborhood gets its funky vibe from the trendy businesses that line the street. From its top-notch cuisine to its cute boutiques, SoCo has it all including the perfect place to brunch.
Nothing beats a lazy Sunday morning breakfast at South Congress Café, a retro-modern restaurant known for its daily brunch. Their carrot-cake French toast, made with homemade carrot cake mix, vanilla cinnamon egg batter and a drizzle of cream cheese-pecan syrup, has become a staple dish on the café’s menu.This scrumptious French toast definitely proves that there is nothing better than dessert for breakfast.
Rosewood— Hillside Farmacy
This ethnically diverse neighborhood is actively attracting more and more Austinites every day because of the close proximity to the city’s downtown area, their gorgeous green spaces and parks, and the recent openings of some of the most winsome eateries in town. Among these stands Hillside Farmacy, a chic farm-to-table restaurant, inspired by the 1950s pharmacy that previously occupied the building.
Nothing will give you more energy on a lazy morning than their big brekkie, a combination of two eggs, bacon, home fries and toast with an assortment of leafy greens and avocado. What makes this seemingly average breakfast so special lies in the fact that they specialize in cooking with the freshest ingredients possible, often picking up their supplies that very morning from neighboring urban farms. Their big brekkie will give the term “farm fresh” a whole new meaning.
