On Tuesday, the line for the Foo Fighters stretched from Stubb's all the way to I-35.

SXSW is not just about the music. Let’s be realistic: It’s about waiting in line. But anyone can wait in line, anywhere. The doctor’s office, H-E-B, Six Flags. Oh, but how to cozy into the cool queue rather than trail in the terminal tier! Don’t worry. With a round-up of the best, hippest trailers in Austin, you’ll look as good waiting for your lunch, dinner, or two a.m. snack as you did rocking at that secret show and afterparty last night.

1. East Side King. The Uchi chefs who started their own trailer in the back of Liberty bar know what they’re doing (according to certain sources, Anthony Bourdain thinks so too). My favorite dish? I can’t ever decide between the Thai Chicken Karaage (crunchy fried chicken nuggets in a sweet-spicy sauce, with fresh herbs and onions) or the “fried” brussels sprout salad (a bed of purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, basil, and jalapeños topped with crispy brussels sprouts and a sweet and spicy sauce). The fried beets and steamed buns will blow your mind even more than that last band blew your eardrums. At the Liberty bar. 1618 E. 6^th. Open 7 days a week, 7 p.m.–1:45 a.m.

2. Old School BBQ and Grill. The brisket smoked in this yellow schoolbus may be more Southern than Texan, but the style they’re sporting tastes lip-smackingly delicious. They have a special South By menu, so you may not get to try the macaroni-and-cheese wedge or pork ribs, but you can bite into a juicy steak burger or a chopped brisket sandwich stacked higher than Joan Holloway from Mad Men. Be warned, though: Their sausage tastes overwhelmingly smoky, and their barbecue sauce is way too sweet. So ask for your sammy virgin and lay off the sauce. At least until your friend hands you another Lone Star. E. 6^th and Waller. Check Facebook and Twitter for hours.

3. #19 Bus. You can’t get much more punk rock than this. The #19 Bus is a blindingly red double-decker monstrosity straight from the U.K. whose name hails from the Clash song “Rudie Can’t Fail.” No one there is named Rudie, but it’s true that this food could never fail. The enormous, plush eight-ounce burgers with all the fixins; famous cheesesteaks, loaded with zesty beef straight from Philly and roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese; and simply delicious hot dogs, served on a sweet bun, would satisfy a bear. Or anyone who’s been partying for ten hours straight. E. 6^th and San Marcos. Tues & Wed 12–4 & 7–10. Thurs, Fri, & Sat 12–4, 7–2:30. Sun 11–4.

4. Counter Culture. Sick of all that downtown noise? Tired of eating hamburger after hamburger? Check out this vegan and raw foods trailer on North Loop for a tasty meal that might even do your body some good. I lust after the PacMan Caesar salad, with kale and carrots. For a hearty sandwich, look no further than the garbanzo “tuna,” with chickpeas, lettuce, and tomato on a nice wheat bun, or the Philly seitan, with a big hunk of seitan, creamy cashew cheeze, onions, and peppers. Much better than the cheesy indie rockers who were hitting on you at that day party yesterday. 120 E. North Loop (at Avenue F). Wed–Sat 12–8. Sun 12–6.

5. Lucky’s Puccias. Are you ready for the most mouth-watering Italian sandwich you’ve ever had in your life? Lucky, who hails from the Puglia region of Italy, has brought the best sandwich bread to America. Called a “puccia,” it’s like pizza dough in the shape of a pita, but better. Did I mention that Lucky bakes it in the back of his trailer, in a special wood-firing oven, on the spot? Prepare to be amazed by the Puccia Arrostita, with roast beef, arugula, tomato, mozzarella, and walnut spread, or the Lucky’s Puccia, with prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, tomato, and basil oil. Complete your meal with the peanut-butter-and-Nutella dessert puccia. It may be St. Patrick’s Day, but you’ll have forgotten all about the leprechaun, his pot of gold, and the Sixth Street parade of frat boys drinking green beer by the time you bite into one of Lucky’s golden sandwiches. At the Tiniest Bar in Texas, 817 W. 5^th. Special SXSW schedule: 7 days a week, noon–midnight.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: #19 Bus, Counter Culture, East Side King, Lucky's Puccias, Old School BBQ and Grill, SXSW, Trailer Thursday

Poor Snoopy. He concocted the best Thanksgiving dinner he could, but Peppermint Patty flew into a rage when she saw the spread: buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn, ice cream sundaes, and jelly beans. I’ve never understood why Patty got so angry at Charlie Brown about that assortment of carbs and sugars: It seems like Snoopy and Charlie had a firm handle on the fattening spirit of Thanksgiving.

But, thank goodness, here in Austin, we don’t have to rely on simple sugars from a package to carry on the junk food tradition. We have trailers.

Sure, you could pick one place to satisfy all your tryptophantastic needs, like Biscuits + Groovy, a sometimes-vegan trailer off 51st Street. Try the Donnie + Turkie Osmond special: Fluffy, homemade biscuits are slathered with mashed potatoes, chunky cornbread stuffing, and thick turkey gravy, with studs of sliced turkey, turkey bacon, and fresh, round cranberries on top. As satisfying as this dish was, Biscuits + Groovy lost points for the special’s bland mashed potatoes (most likely from a box) and their other specialty, french toast, which was overly eggy and extremely soggy.

So rather than call it a day with their breakfast, mix and match your very own trailer Thanksgiving feast with this scavenger hunt guide. Some of these choices may seem far from traditional, but sometimes a little edge is just what the standard dishes need. Plus, considering that most trailers carry finger food, you may not find many mashed potatoes or casseroles made with good ol’ cream of mushroom soup. Nontraditional but delicious, here is my fantasy trailer Thanksgiving meal.

(Disclaimer: If your stomach hurts when you finish this meal—and it will hurt—I take no responsibility.)

Turkey: Who better than the original Austin trailer, Torchy’s, to supply us with a fried turkey taco? The Turkey Mole piles fried turkey, Oaxacan mole, rice, avocado, queso fresco, and fresh cilantro onto your choice of tortilla. For our purposes, you may need to skip the fixins and pull the turkey from the tortilla and onto your plate.

Meat: I know ham is traditional, but I can’t think of an occasion where the moist, decadent brisket from Old School BBQ and Grill doesn’t fit the bill.

Stuffing: Try G’Raj Mahal’s puffy, rich samosas. Their spicy potato filling is one step above plain old stuffing.

Green Bean Casserole: Make like the hipsters and order the Fried Brussels Sprout Salad from East Side King at Liberty Bar. You won’t miss the casserole’s fried onions from a can when you try shredded brussels and cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, and fresh basil, cilantro, mint, onion, and jalapeño, all in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Potatoes: Franklin Barbecue‘s mustardy potato salad is just what the turkey ordered.

Cranberry sauce: Quick! Pick up some of Counter Culture‘s tangy seasonal cranberry sauce before it’s too late.

Gravy: I’ve still got the decadently rich turkey gravy from Biscuits + Groovy on the brain. Just avoid the tasteless, gloopy vegan “groovy.”

Rolls: Zubik House’s yeasty, sweet kolaches should do the trick.

Pie: Nothing can beat the Cutie Pie Wagon‘s White Chocolate Coconut Pecan.

So, Austin, two requests before I leave you with your piled-high plate: 1) Where would you find your perfect Thanksgiving trailer feast? and 2) Dig in!

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: Biscuits + Groovy, Counter Culture, Cutie Pie Wagon, East Side King, Franklin Barbecue, G'Raj Mahal, Old School BBQ and Grill, Thanksgiving, Torchy's, Trailer Thursday, Zubik House

You could say that the “Pac-Man” in vegan trailer Counter Culture‘s Pac-Man Caesar salad refers to all the good nutrients packed in such a simple salad: chopped kale, carrot rounds, and a light, nutty dressing somehow reminiscent of Parmesan. Or you could say it means that upon visiting the trailer, you will, like Pac-Man, want to eat everything in sight.

For those of you turned off by the idea of wimpy vegan vegetables, try the Philly Seitan sandwich: Huge chunks of crisp, grilled seitan and lightly sautéed green peppers and onions nestled in a thick-slicked, toasted vegan hoagie roll (made specially for owner Sue Davis by Moonlight Bakery). Instead of the traditional Cheez Whiz typically squirted on cheesesteaks, Counter Culture uses cashew cheeze. Creamy, tangy, and not nearly as neon, it brought the whole sammy together. An unlike Cheez Whiz, it will actually nourish your body rather than sitting in your stomach for years to come.

Speaking of questionable foodstuffs, let’s just say that it takes an adventurous eater to dig in to a regular tuna salad sandwich. Pinkish-brown meat that comes in a can. Some sort of cream sauce made from egg whites, known as “mayonnaise.” And, usually, mysterious bits of diced greenish things that may or may not be crunchy. So I’d say the garbanzo “tuna” sandwich was a vast improvement. The combination of mashed and whole chickpeas, white onion, and celery tasted like real tuna, plus offered a similar protein punch. Paired with ripe red tomatoes and healthy leaves of romaine on a tasty, toasted hoagie, this sandwich will do you right.

I liked the cashew cheeze, fresh tomatoes, and slivers of basil on the bruschetta, but I wasn’t so fond of the homemade flax “bread” that tasted like a slightly sweet, chewy cracker. Compared to the hearty sandwiches for $6, this measly appetizer seemed overpriced, at $5. The quinoa seasonal salad, with quinoa, corn, and black beans, tasted bland and generic, and I was also disappointed with the lavendar chocolate. “Lavendar” implies a certain delicacy, but this large chunk of frozen chocolate, studded with slivered almonds and dates, with a strange coconut aftertaste, melted in my hand long before some of it made it into my mouth.

All in all, though, you wouldn’t suspect this was a vegan trailer, or a two-person operation. Their food is hearty, plentiful, and delicious. I might just go there for dinner tonight. I’ll tell you how many points I rack up, Pac-Man-style, tomorrow.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: Counter Culture, sandwiches, Trailer Thursday, vegan