Austin Weekend: East Austin & East Cesar Chavez

My coworker recommended that we try to stay in East Austin for our trip, knowing our propensity for having good food and drink as a priority!  She couldn't have been more right... I loved East Austin and East Cesar Chavez!

One of her tips was to grab breakfast at Hillside Farmacy, on 11th street.  We walked there from our Airbnb.  I loved the inside, which definitely reminded me of an old apothecary, but the weather was so gorgeous we decided to eat outside.

I started with their hibiscus lemonade, which was out of this world delicious!  (And beautifully pink!)  They have a bunch of other homemade fountain sodas from which to choose too. 

For breakfast, Dan got blueberry pancakes and brown butter.  We also split an order of their home fries. OMG those crispy potatoes were the bomb.  As in, MUST GET THEM.  Perfectly fried and delightful.

As for me?  I had the fried egg sandwich, minus the sprouts but adding bacon.  The avocado and fried green tomatoes count as my veggies (sort of), right?

This is my favorite food pic from our whole trip.

We also had a couple of breakfasts at Cenote, just a couple of blocks from where we stayed.  I loved their iced chai with almond milk, and their breakfast burrito was awesome.  I had chorizo and avocado on mine, and it was delicious.  The burrito probably could feed two people, as the portions were huge!  I loved the outside space at Cenote too; it was definitely a neighborhood hangout.

Another neighborhood favorite we visited was Las Trancas, a local taco truck.  It had rave reviews on Yelp, so we figured it was worth checking out.  There was a steady stream of people lined up, so you knew it was good!  We each got three tacos; I had Barbacoa, Pastor, and Asada, with cilantro.  These were basic, no-frills, authentic tacos.  Delicious and simple!

There was also some cool street art in the neighborhood too.  I joked to Dan that this mural was perfect for us, as some of his tattoos are skull-related...  maybe this should be his next one?

And of course this one.  Of course.  Because bacon.

It was also bluebonnet season!  If we had passed a field of them, we probably would have stopped, but this pic will have to suffice.  How pretty they are!

We also grabbed drinks at Brew & Brew, a coffee shop/craft beer spot.  It was weirdly quiet, with a bunch of hipsters on Macbooks drinking silently, so we bailed after a drink.  Good selection though, and great to-go bottles available!  We also had a drink at dive bar Violet Crown Social Club.   While divey, there were plenty of people and the booths were really nice!  Perfectly located next to a Via 313 pizza food truck, so definitely a primo spot for boozing.

Overall, if I had to pick a neighborhood in Austin to relocate, I think I'd end up in East Austin.  But then again, judging by the prices on the rise and the new construction in the 'hood, it's Austin's version of 12South or East Nashville... so it would be out of our range pretty soon!