There are so many paleo friendly restaurant options available in Austin, TX. It’s like a mecca of some of the best food around, not even considering whether it’s paleo or not, and you’ll find most restaurants also mostly source ingredients locally. There are a good amount of paleo restaurant recommendations here on Paleo Porn that can be found in Austin so if you travel there you’ll probably be on a food tour. :)
This is a guest post by Alison Ver Halen. Alison is a novelist and a long time member of the Paleo Chicago Meetup group. As a life-long foodie, she has found Paleo to be a great way to stay healthy while enjoying delicious food.
Enter Alison
When we first arrived in Austin, TX for Paleo f(x) in April of 2015 we were immediately on the search for someplace to eat.
Thanks to Randi at Picnik Austin, who recommended we try Salty Sow, we were able to taste several different items (and at a reduced rate!) since we just so happened to arrive during Happy Hour.
Salty Sow
1917 Manor Road, Austin, TX
Bite Size And Tasty
If you were wondering, Happy Hour is every day from 4:30pm-6:30pm. During that time, Salty Sow serves a special Happy Hour menu where everything is around $5. Options consist of a bunch of appetizers and drinks, so we were able to order several dishes and share.
Well, we shared most everything, except when it came to the last bite.
I’m normally not a huge fan of brussels sprouts or liver but the Crispy Brussels Sprout Leaves and the Chicken Liver Mousse were so good, we had to order seconds of both.
The mousse was so smooth and creamy and it didn’t have that strong liver taste.
The truffled deviled eggs were another winner. They were some of the richest, creamiest deviled eggs I have ever had. And the crunch that the sprinkle of bacon on top added was just perfect.
Between the eggs and the chicken liver, we knew we were getting one nutritious meal!
Ask For Gluten-Free Options
Our waiter was also super helpful. The chicken liver mousse is normally served with crackers, but because he knew we were gluten-free, he brought us apple slices instead.
There weren’t enough apple slices for the mousse, but it was so good we didn’t care. We just ate the rest of the mousse with our forks!
You know we love our duck fat, so when we saw duck fat fries on the menu we had to order them. They were served with a 110-minute egg, which I had never heard of before (I always boil my eggs for fifteen minutes, at which point they’re fully cooked).
We asked the waiter about it and he explained that they sous vide the egg and cook it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. The result is an egg that’s fully cooked, but extremely creamy.
The texture was a little bit like mayonnaise and when they served it on top of our fries we were all fighting for that last bit of yolk.
Ask Before You Order
We also ordered a plate of the eggplant fries, but when they arrived we realized they were breaded. Just an example where asking before you order is always best.
Signature Drinks
Their Happy Hour menu also includes some of their signature drinks. They’re known for their craft beers, but I’ve never been much of a beer fan and going Paleo has just been an excuse for me not to drink beer.
I still find it hard to turn down a good cocktail though, so I ordered a sparkling sangria (shown above). It was just what I needed to help me cool off on a warm Austin night (they also have outdoor seating, which we took advantage of).
Dave had the Maple Glazed Old Fashioned. Not only did I not hear any complaints, but he ordered a second, so if you like a good Old Fashioned, be sure to try one out if you find yourself at Salty Sow.
Overall, everything was delicious and I would absolutely go there again.
Are you interested in more Paleo friendly restaurants? Have a recommendation of someplace we should check out? Let us know!
Salty Sow
1917 Manor Road, Austin, TX