Austin continues to delight. So far I’ve visited 3 breweries all of which not only had well brewed selections but also crazy good venues. But I came to Austin primarily for music and last night, after some research headed out to hear some.
My original plan had been to stop for an early 6:30 show in the South Congress area. It was a blues singer of the BB King ilk. I was slightly late leaving, was having pain and a headache from my unplanned dental work, hunger said hello and traffic was really bad. Not Atlanta on a Friday bad but enough to not want to take the F-350 back into downtown. So I passed the exit and decided to get to my other destination early and find some food on the way.
A little quick searching and I discovered that my destination had plenty of food trucks. So on to Armadillo Den I went. Before I go any further I should share that Austin has more food trucks than restaurants. They are everywhere and these are not the so, so, sometimes good trucks we have back in Chattanooga and other places I’ve stopped. No, These are food trucks with food as good as any sit down restaurant. I haven’t had bad meal at one yet.
Armadillo Den had four trucks. One focused on chicken that had amazing looking burgers and human consumable doggie treats, a Tex-Mex, a farm to fork and a pizza place.
I chose a burger, with goat cheese, from the farm to fork, Ranch Hand was the name. It was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. All of their veggies and meat are locally sourced and it was high quality. It was also $12 which is affordable for a good burger these days. The burger and waffle fries from the chicken place. I think it was called Yardbirds, looked even better. Some people sitting next to me got the pizza and they were ooing and ahing over it and talking about how good it was. The quesadillas from the Tex-Mex place were huge and looked delicious also. I would love to have tried them all. Of course then I would have needed someone to wheel me back to my truck in a wheelbarrow.
The first thing you notice about Armadillo Den is the parking. This is a venue that spans several acres but has the parking lot of a Dollar General Store and yes I’m pretty sure there was one of those down the street. People were parking over the curb in the grass. They are cognizant of the issue and they offer a discount to anyone who uses a ride-share service to get there. Yep, I had to park Big Ass Pearl, my F-350 in this craziness. Navigating the parking lot was an adventure. Add in that there were food delivery services and others picking up from the food trucks and it was chaos.
I was fortunate that a truck left as I was coming in but I had to go all the way around the one way lot to get there. luckily no one took it before I got there. Now I was there early. Well before the band was scheduled to play. I cannot imagine trying to park closer to 8 pm when the venue filled.
There was no cover tonight but there was a guy checking ID’s. I walked straight past him. After all I just turned the big 55 this week. I have visited four venues this week and all had great outdoor areas, three have had massive outdoor area’s. When you walk into the Den you are immediately struck by the size. The bar is on the left, its a large, two story building. Mostly open air but two large inside areas, one on each floor.
To your right are the food trucks with picnic tables. In front of you are more picnic tables and the large stage with a massive TV on the building. The Masters and the Astros game were playing on this TV through the night. Beyond that is an area underneath a canopy of trees that has a mix of picnic table, camping chairs and large gas fire pits and behind that is a large field you can gather in, let your dogs play and I’m guessing host events.
As you walk in there is a sign instructing you to scan a QR code. They also had these on the tables and fire pits. This is how you order drinks and it runs the tab for you. Tells you when you can pic your drink up from the bar and when your ready you close out and pay from the app. It has ApplePay which makes it so easy. My drink was ready by the time I could walk to the bar. Even when the place was packed. I never waited for my drink. Super efficient.
Some of the food trucks had an app also, some gave you a little buzzer. You didn’t have to stand and wait for your food at the truck. There were a couple of guys walking around all night just picking up empty glasses. You empty glass never sat on a table longer than it took you to place your next order in the app. They had a really good selection of Texas crafted beers, an extensive full bar menu and certain items that you earned bonus points for ordering. The whole experience was an efficient combination of service and self-service that really removed the normal negative things about being in a crowded restaurant or bar.
Speaking of crowded. Did I mention this place was several acres in size. Regardless of the number of people it did not feel crowded. I felt like I was sitting in my backyard with friends. Well, if my name was JR Ewing maybe. The place is big.
The Wyatt Weaver Band was so good. See them if you get a chance.
Those of you who know me or have met me along my travels, know that I usually make some friends. Tonight was no exception. I spent the first set under a big live oak where the couple sitting there immediately greeted me and started a lively conversation. They were from Dallas, he was born and raised in that area. They were delightful but left at the end of the first set. Then I was joined by a family whose daughter had recently moved to Austin, her sister had come in from D.C. and mom and dad from Ohio to visit. They were so nice and I enjoyed talking music, bourbon and Austin with them.
As night feel and the temps cooled from 84 to a slightly chilly 74 degrees. The staff lit the fire pits and that was good since I had worn shorts. The band had two more sets and wrapped up around 11pm local time. I tapped close my tab on my phone. Added the tip and I was done. I bid farewell to the lovely family who’s company I enjoyed very much and headed back to my resort. I could not have had a better experience. I wish all of my experiences could be this good.
- Campgrounds, Curveballs, and Cold Beers
This summer was supposed to be spent in the great state of Wyoming, checking off some more national parks. The President and Mr. Musk had different plans. Due to the federal cuts, the national park scene has a lot of uncertainty. - Chateau Le Coeur
Just a short ways off of I-10 you will find a winery named Chateau Le Coeur. The owners moved to northern Florida from the Great Northwest. They have wineries and vineyards in Washington and Oregon. They have an interesting story they tell about starting the winery. - Sunday Morning Musings Ep. #6
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot - WildEdge Brewing Collective
The food was delicious, at least the chicken salad sandwich, was very, very good. The locals were friendly and as I often do I spent a few beers in bar side communion with them. I am a little bummed that I did not pick up any packaged beer or swag from here.