Bahadi’s Chicken and Lounge
When Dawan and Tiffany Anderson relocated from Chicago in 2016, they settled in Pflugerville to be near family. Looking for a taste of home, they opened Bahadi’s Chicken and Lounge, a Chicago-style eatery with live entertainment in a lounge environment. [Read the full profile here.]
Danny’s BBQ
Daniel “Danny” Wright Caldwell knows a thing or two about Austin’s barbecue scene. Danny’s BBQ’s shop, located behind Hanovers Draught Haus in Pflugerville, serves up brisket, pork ribs, sausage, catfish and more. [Read the full profile here.]
The Downtown Hall of Fame
Since opening in 2011, The Downtown Hall of Fame in Hutto has expanded its space to accommodate dining areas, a billiards room and a live entertainment space. Now equipped with an expanded kitchen, owners Judy and Sean Smith have shared their passion for burgers with the greater Hutto community. [Read the full profile here.]
El Taquito
In 1980, three blocks from his grandmother’s house in the Mexican city of Matamoros, Eloy Saenz regularly passed a food cart serving queso fresco with a slice of avocado—a combination he could not find anywhere else. Around 15 years later, Saenz brought the dish with him to Central Texas—including his restaurants in Round Rock, Pflugerville and Austin. [Read the full profile here.]
Hippo Cafe
Hippo Cafe owners Scott and Stacie Feller said the restaurant has become a community fixture in Hutto since its opening in February 2019. For the Fellers, providing tasty food in a welcoming environment is a way to give back to the town they call home. [Read the full profile here.]
Hoody’s Sub Shop
More than 30 years after it first opened in Round Rock, Hoody’s Sub shop has become a city staple, noted for its authentic East Coast subs and Philly cheesesteaks.
[Read the full profile here.]
Joe’s Italian Kitchen
Joe Karimani, owner of Joe's Italian Kitchen in Pflugerville, said he first fell in love with authentic Italian cooking during his childhood in northern Italy. Karimani said cooking is so much more than the individual ingredients that compose a dish. Cooking, he said, is a labor of love. [Read the full profile here.]
Little Mama’s Filipino Kitchen
In January 2015, Nita Armildez opened Little Mama’s Filipino Kitchen, bringing plates and flavors from her home country of the Philippines to Round Rock. Meyer describes Filipino cuisine as Asian food with a strong Spanish influence but an identity of its own. [Read the full profile here.]
Moi Vietnamese Grill
Seven years into a career as a process and quality engineer at Samsung, Tru Tran quit his job. He spent the next three months baking bread—a recipe that is now a staple at his Pflugerville restaurant, Moi Vietnamese Grill. [Read the full profile here.]
Poke House
A trip to Hawaii led to a business endeavor for siblings Edin and Aida Tabakovic, owners of Poke House in Round Rock. Pronounced “poh-kay,” which means to slice or cut, the Hawaiian meal consists of cubed raw fish marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil. [Read the full profile here.]
Sabor Colombia
Vivian Borja and her husband, Ricardo Alvarado, opened Sabor Colombia in September 2018, their first storefront and a reimagining of the food truck they had been operating off East Sixth Street and I-35 in Austin since June 2017. Borja said she and Alvarado had noticed the lack of Colombian food options in the Greater Austin area and wanted residents to explore Latin food options outside the typical Mexican and Tex-Mex offerings. [Read the full profile here.]
Wen’s Cafe
Xinming He, owner of Wen’s Cafe in Hutto, said his culinary journey is 20 years in the making, beginning in mainland China. General Manager Winnie He said local customers have been the heartbeat of the restaurant’s success. [Read the full profile here.]
