THIS is the best food truck: Boteco in Austin

It’s not often a business on Yelp yields a near perfect user review average, but this Valentine’s day I got to meet the owners and operators of a food truck that does just that. Boteco, a food truck on the east side of Austin holds true to the owners’ Brazilian roots, proudly defying all statistical odds with their own charming style of warm customer service.

In the Austin food truck scene, new contenders come and go often, a fact not so surprising given that high risk endeavors like restaurants boast low success rates as the business ages. But this street food vendor team seems determined to make their presence known amidst the others in the area. The menu itself, like most street food shops is abridged and features chef specials. With some guidance from Lauren, we settled on a sampling of yucca fries with a flavorful aioli , an empanada, and the Sunday dish that caught our eye, feijoada, the national dish of Brazil. An addition of a steak cooked to order proved an enticing offer, and we sat down to wait for our South American dish.

Boteco doesn’t want for big name customers after playing host to that one dazed and confused chap* from the Dallas Buyer’s club film. It gave me great joy to see the owner’s own documentation of significant events via their website and social media accounts, so be sure to Google them and check out their own food truck tales.

For his less than celeb status patrons like us, Fernando did manage to bring out interesting chiles straight from the Amazon for myself and my friend to try out. I passed on the first after being warned of its biting sting, but I did manage to try the small yellow chili.

After the initial burn of the capsaicin subsided, I was able to taste interesting undertones in the new pepper’s skin and couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that I probably wouldn’t have had much of a chance to try that particular plant were Boteco not there.

Our own food featured several other novelties that didn’t disappoint, including the flowers of the yucca plant. With so many ingredients, I was quick to notice that every component seemed excellently executed. I could tell this chef had cooked those dishes again and again.

As he checked in with us, Fernando eagerly explained the dish as well as his own food philosophy in the restaurant world. It was clear to me that he does not take his work as a chef lightly and understands the interplay between food, tradition, and family. Food service occupies an important role in the hospitality of any city, and we should always support those who support us.

And the Valentine’s dessert Fernando slipped to my friend to give to me seemed a fitting gesture for a day about love and kindness. With food and family so dear to everyone’s heart, I found it a pleasure to be able to share in another Austinite’s experiences back home.

Boteco $$
1403 East 7th Street