Best of 2022 - Food

Last year I ate out about 300 times, this year...about 450. I need to cut back a lot next year.

These are my top 20 favorites, the ones that are accessible, affordable *and* delicious enough that I went there numerous times during the year. 

Favorites:

1. Jewboy Burgers (still my favorite burger place, I ate there at least once a month, sometimes twice)
2. Julie's Noodles (soup dumplings, cucumbers, scallion pancakes, pretty much every month)
3. Hopdoddy (pricey but always good, and the burger of the month usually gets my attention)
4. Jewboy Subs (I love Jewboy Burgers, but Subs became a favorite this year too, in no small part due to monthly specials and that smoked meatloaf sandwich)
5. Tso Chinese Delivery (This is my favorite Chinese delivery place)
6. Ziggy's Kielbasa (Amazing kielbasa and pierogis, it's way up in Leander but delicious)
7. Tumble 22 (now that this is closer, I eat there every month at least)
8. Chuy's (Yes, I'm a basic bitch for tex-mex)
9. Mod Pizza (build your own pizzas, a favorite of my son)
10. Smokin Beauty (pretty good Vietnamese/BBQ mash-up, close to the house, I should eat here more often)
11. Deckhand Oyster Bar (love their crawfish etoufee, we'll sometimes escape work for a sitdown lunch here)
12. Liberty Barbecue (maybe my favorite chicken fried steak, only on Thursdays)
13. Texas Roadhouse (best affordable steak, great sides, delicious bread)
14. Torchy's Tacos (I ate this less this year, but I still like the over-stuffed not really tacos tacos here)
15. Brotherton Black BBQ (the brisket reuben and grilled cheese put this on my regular rotation this year)
16. Jack Allen's Kitchen (really delicious local southern comfort food)
17. Pinthouse Pizza (close to the store and really good, I'm surprised I don't go here more)
18. Kerbey Lane Cafe (not 24 hours, but still one of the few places to get late night food)
19. Sushi Nini (man am I glad to have these guys back, it's recent so I only had them twice this year, but I expect it'll be more next year)
20. El Dorado Cafe (I found this gem late this year, I expect I'll eat there a lot more in 2023)

I also kept track of where I ate lunch this year, and these are my favorites, based on how often I ate there. It's not just quality of food, here, but also closeness to work, where I'm usually eating lunch. I doubled my options this year.

Lunch Favorites:

1. P. Terry's (still my favorite quick burger place, and the only place I ate every month besides Jewboy Burgers)
2. Culver's (good burgers, good cheese curds, near my house *and* my work)
3. Popeye's (my favorite fast food fried chicken by a mile, and I love their sides)
4. Raising Cane's (just chicken strips and delicious sauce)
5. Whataburger (I don't *love* Whataburger, but it's in the parking lot of my store, so...)
6. Smokey Mo's (see above about Whataburger, it's in the same complex for lunch)
7. Vera Cruz (really good tacos, near the store, lunch only)
8. Arby's (curly fries. That is all)
9. Tarka (surprisingly good fast casual Indian food)
10. Wingstop (Solid wings with lots of flavors)
11. Wiseguys (chili dogs, beef sandwiches and other good Chicago food)
12. Cotton Patch Cafe (good fast southern food)
13. Fire Bowl (decent stir fry)
14. Firehouse Subs (like their meatball subs)
15. Juarez Mexican Bakery (good, cheap tex-mex, located near the store, but closes early)
16. Taco Pelenque (solid enough fast Mexican food)
17. Waffle Love (really good chicken and waffles and waffle grilled cheese)

Other places I like but only went to a couple times: Arepitas (Aleida's is better, but much further away), Chi'lantro (good, just a rare craving), Garbo's (delicious but so expensive), Mighty Fine Burgers (always solid), Rodeo Goat (delicious burgers in Dallas), and Short Stop (good place to get a cheap chili burger),

I didn't fully avoid chain fast food this year, had a couple meals at KFC (I wish someone else had chicken pot pie), McDonald's (sometimes you just need a comfort burger or chicken nuggets), Wendy's (cheap combos), and Sonic (chili cheese dogs and delicious drinks).

Then there were the places that I ate at once or twice, due to either it's location (downtown especially) or price, or because it's too new to have tried many times. This list is purely down to my favorites, where I'd eat if location and price were no object. 

I didn't make it to Estancia this year, so I'll likely do that in 2023. 

Rare Treats:

1. Kemuri Tatsu-Ya (my favorite restaurant in Austin)
2. Franklin BBQ (my parents get it for Christmas, and sometimes I'll put together an outing with a group of friends, order ahead of time, and we eat at my place. The line is for tourists or special occasions only)
3. Cork & Barrel (upscale Irish pub food in Round Rock, pricey but delicious)
4. Valentina's Tex-Mex (so far south, sells out often, but when I can manage it, it's always amazing)
5. Salty Sow (fantastic happy hour)
6. Gus's Fried Chicken (My favorite fried chicken, and I'm happy to learn there's one in Dallas when I go to BGG Con)
7. Interstellar BBQ (Really good BBQ, not as long of a wait as Franklin, easier to get to than Valentina's, but pricey)
8. Tiki Tatsu-Ya (more expensive and not as good as Kemuri, but a good show)
9. Culinary Dropout (overpriced, but their charcuterie plates, especially the grilled bread, are really good)