Austin City Limits is almost here and sure, the bands are the headliners, but for anyone that’s attended the festival before, we all know the real endurance test happens between sets when you’re wandering around Zilker Park deciding what to eat. Music fuels the soul, but tacos, fried chicken, BBQ, and foot long corndogs at 2 pm fuel your survival. This year’s ACL Eats lineup has more than 15 new vendors, the return of ACL Eats South, and even food options inside The Grove for the first time. Translation: you’re not leaving Zilker hungry, unless you spent all your cash on bucket margaritas.
ACL Festival Food Guide
Northside Heavyweights
The original ACL Eats section on the north end is still where the big names set up camp. Returning favorites like Veracruz All Natural, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Chi’Lantro, and East Side King are basically the festival’s comfort blanket. You know exactly what you’re getting, and it’s the culinary version of hearing “Mr. Brightside” at a bar.
But the new kids on the block are the real intrigue. Brotherton’s BBQ is rolling in with brisket so smoky you’ll smell like it the rest of the day. Iron Burger and JABS Burgers & Fries are here for anyone who wants to test how many patties you can handle before you have to sit down on the grass and reflect on your life choices.
Other newcomers like Oko and Saigon Le Vendeur add global flavors that’ll make you forget you’re eating out of a compostable cardboard boat while sweating through your band tee. And yes, The Corndog Company will be there. The name is subtle, but they sell corndogs.
ACL Eats South
The south side food court is back, tucked between the merch tent and Beatbox stage. If you’re camped out at Tito’s or too lazy to walk across the park, this is your move. Returning vendors like Blenders & Bowls, Chilan’tro, Southside Flying Pizza, and The Mighty Cone are joined by Goodtimes Burgers, which sounds like a Guy Ritchie pub and hopefully delivers on the name.
The Grove
New for 2025, The Grove near the Bonus Tracks stage has food for the first time. Expect Ranch 616, Ceviche Tostilocos, and of course, the ever-roaming Corndog Company. This is perfect if you want to eat while pretending you’re at a podcast panel you swore you’d check out but really just needed a shady break.
ACL Sweets
Don’t worry sugar fiends, you’re covered. Amy’s Ice Creams, Bananarchy, and Tiff’s Treats headline the dessert lineup, joined by new names like Gati Ice Cream, Oro Bianco, and San Ginés. Imagine eating churros while watching a headliner and not spilling cinnamon sugar on a stranger’s blanket. That’s growth.
VIP Eats: Fancy Pants Edition
If you’re balling in VIP, congratulations on your life choices. Exclusive options include Desnudo Coffee, Dovetail Pizza, Mexico C-eat-Y, Rockman Bakeshop, NADC Burger, Royal Blue Grocery, and The Party Cart Co. Translation: you can sip espresso, eat wood-fired pizza, and feel smug while the rest of us are wiping nacho cheese off our shorts.
Top 10 Must-Try Eats at ACL 2025
Top 10 Must-Try Eats at ACL 2025
There are over 70 vendors across Zilker, but if your stomach only has room for a few, here’s our shortlist of ACL eats worth standing in line for:
1. Brotherton’s BBQ
Brisket that tastes like it came straight out of Central Texas smoke country. Warning: the smell will haunt you until you give in.
2. Veracruz All Natural
Austin taco royalty. Their migas taco is basically ACL’s unofficial breakfast, no matter what time of day you order it.
3. Gus’s Fried Chicken
Crispy, spicy, juicy — this one’s for when you need fried chicken to soak up that third frozen margarita.
4. Cuantos Tacos
Street-style tacos that punch way above their weight. Grab a few and suddenly you’re everyone’s best friend in the crowd.
5. Oko
A fresh newcomer with Japanese street food flair. Perfect for when you want something adventurous but still handheld.
6. The Mighty Cone
An ACL classic. Fried chicken, avocado, and slaw stuffed into a tortilla cone. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s tradition.
7. Saigon Le Vendeur
Vietnamese banh mi with crunchy bread and bold flavors that hit different after hours of sun and music.
8. Chi’Lantro
Home of kimchi fries that are pure festival fuel. A glorious pile of fries, Korean BBQ, cheese, and magic — exactly what you’ll crave after dancing for hours.
9. Gati Ice Cream
A vegan-friendly option that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Coconut milk-based scoops that even dairy lovers will respect.
10. The Corndog Company
It’s a corndog the size of your forearm. Is it gourmet? No. Will it make you laugh, pose for a photo, and then demolish it? Absolutely.
Survival Tips
- Scout early: Food lines get brutal right before 7 pm sets. Grab something in the dead zone around 5.
- Budget your stomach: The lineup’s stacked enough that you’ll regret filling up on just one plate. Treat this like a culinary mixtape, not a full album.
- Popsicles on wheels: Roaming vendors will bring frozen sugar directly to you. This is either the best idea ever or a plot twist when you realize you just spent $12 on a single paleta.
ACL 2025 isn’t just a music festival, it’s a weekend-long dining court with live bands attached. Between corndogs, barbecue, tacos, and fried chicken, this is the rare time you can crush 5000 calories in one afternoon and nobody will judge you because everyone else is doing the same thing. Just remember to pace yourself, drink water, and maybe bring stretchy pants.