Ep 4. Austin

The Zimmern List is a food and travel show where American chef and food enthusiast, Andrew Zimmern travels to different cities in America in search of amazing food and dining experiences. In the fourth episode of season one, Andrew explores the amazing culinary scene in Austin, Texas.

Andrew starts off his journey at the Tamale House, a local institution that has been serving up delicious tamales for over 60 years. He tries their signature pork and chicken tamales, as well as their hot sauce which is made fresh on site every day. Next, Andrew heads to Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, a food truck that has taken the city by storm with their fusion of traditional Texas BBQ and Mexican flavors. Andrew tries their famous smoked brisket taco and their amazing pulled pork sandwich with a side order of their creamy jalapeno cole slaw.

After his delicious lunch, Andrew meets up with legendary pitmaster, Aaron Franklin at his highly rated restaurant, Franklin Barbecue. Aaron shows Andrew the process of smoking meat and how it is an art form in itself. Andrew tries their brisket, ribs, and sausage, which he described as "life changing". He also meets up with Aaron's wife, Stacy Franklin, who runs their sister restaurant, Loro, where Andrew tries their amazing Asian-inspired grilled chicken and pork belly.

Andrew then heads to the east side of Austin, known for its vibrant arts scene, to visit one of the city's hidden gems, Takoba. Takoba is a Mexican restaurant that specializes in traditional dishes from different regions of Mexico. Andrew tries their pozole, a hearty and spicy pork stew, and their tortas, a traditional sandwich with a variety of toppings.

Next, Andrew visits the famous South Congress Avenue, also known as "SoCo", to try some of the iconic food trucks that line the street. He visits Torchy's Tacos, known for their creative and delicious taco combinations, and tries their Baja shrimp taco and their green chile pork taco. He then stops by the Hey Cupcake! food truck, which serves up gourmet cupcakes in unique flavors like red velvet and sweetberry.

Lastly, Andrew visits the iconic bar, Shangri-La, to taste their famous Frito pie, a hearty dish made of Fritos, chili, cheese, and jalapenos. He also tries their buffalo chicken wings and a very unique dessert, a fried honey butter sandwich.

Throughout his journey in Austin, Andrew discovers the city's unique blend of traditional Texan and Mexican flavors, as well as its innovative and creative food scene. He meets with some of the city's most talented chefs and discovers some of the best dining experiences Austin has to offer.