Best of Austin: Queso

Day: 375
High Temp: 96F (yay! it's not in the triple digits anymore!)

In an effort to continue celebrating my one-year anniversary in Austin, I bring you the somewhat anticipated (at least by Adam Simon) queso blog! Below, in my humble opinion, are the three places you have to hit if you want to eat the best queso in Austin.

It may come as no surprise to you that I love cheese in pretty much any form. From fried mozzarella sticks to the squeaky cheese curds of Wisconsin, to the sharpest and bluest blue, I love it all. When we were planning our move, I was excited to read about the reverence with which Austinites approach queso. I decided I wanted to try it all, but unfortunately, my year's research was by no means exhaustive. There are plenty of places I ate at this past year that have queso on the menu that I didn't try (do you really want to order queso at an Italian place?) There are probably dozens of places I haven't even heard of that serve a mean queso, but here is the best I've come across so far. And I promise to have fun exploring all the other queso the city has to offer in the years to come.

If you like it classic...
You have to try the queso at Maria's Taco Xpress. The queso here is smooth and rich with just a hint of spiciness. It tastes exactly how liquid cheese should taste. Served with a big pile of fresh tortilla chips, it's so good. I should also mention this place has a killer pollo guisado taco, nice and tart margaritas, and more quirky Austin ambiance that almost any other eatery I have been too.


If you like it chunky and spicy...
Go to Torchy's!  If you are visiting us, Tom will probably insist we go here anyhow, so why not order the Green Chili Queso while we are there? This queso has a nice cheesy base, but mixed in you will find a hearty portion of chopped green chilis. It's all topped with cilantro and a dab of their diablo sauce. The result is a spicy (but not too spicy), chunky dip and I personally could eat as a meal. The flavor is amazing, and is unlike anything I have found anywhere else.


If you like it with other stuff...
The venerable Kerbey Lane Cafe is the place to go. When I first started at UT, my boss was giving my tips on where to eat around town. Upon learning that I had never been to Kerbey Lane, she told me that I had to go, and even if I was there for breakfast, I had to get the Kerby Queso. Boy was she right. The queso itself is actually quit thin in consistency compared to most others in town. It is also noticeably paler in hue (most are orange). Don't let the thin consistency and pale color fool you. This queso has an amazing smoky flavor that is a show stopper. And if that weren't enough, they ladle it over a big mound of creamy guacamole and top it all with fresh pico.


I had originally envisioned this blog as a top 3 or a top 5, with me ultimately naming one queso "the best" but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I could not pick just one favorite, because they are all so unique and delicious.

I am toying with the idea of doing more Best of Austin blogs, but am not sure exactly what to write about. Best BBQ? Best use of Avocado? Best Tacos? I am particularly interested in finding the best brunch, as that is what I am missing most about Chicago recently, but I haven't found many good brunch places yet. A blog would be a good excuse to do more exploring, though. It's all food related but I am sure there are other things I could explore... What do you think?