Asleep at the Wheel’s Frontman Shares His Favorite Restaurants for Texas Cookin’ in Austin

A Texas resident for over 50 years, Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson knows a thing or two about Texas cookin’ — and where to find it. The band’s most recent album celebrates their half-century in the Lone Star State by covering songs about their chosen home. That includes a take on Guy Clark’s “Texas Cookin’,” which highlights some of the state’s best dishes in the lyrics. 

Benson met up with Eater Austin at Texas Chili Parlor to talk about his favorite spots to find the Texas dishes mentioned in the song. It turns out he is not only the right man to do Clark’s song justice (the two were friends), but an adventurous eater who carried a habanero pepper in his pocket during a trip to France and watches Andrew Zimmern shows for inspiration on weird bits to eat. 

Here are Benson’s recommendations for each of the Texas dishes mentioned in “Texas Cookin’.”

“Well I’m going down to Austin, Texas
I’m going down to save my soul
Get that barbeque and chili
Eat my fill then come back home”

Barbeque — Stiles Switch

The first meal in Austin that Benson ever had that gave him a lasting impression were ribs at B.L. Howard’s BBQ. He was familiar with barbeque from his time in Oakland, California, but the Texas stuff was something else. These days, he’s partial to Stiles Switch, going for their brisket, ribs, and particularly their sides. “You could take a vegetarian there and they’d enjoy it,” he says. “When my family comes to visit from back East, I take them there and they just love it.” 

Chili — Texas Chili Parlor

Benson believes good chili comes from the chiles used for the red sauce. His go-to order is chunky with no beans, but he’s not a stickler about legumes like most Texans. “I’ll eat chili with beans — I’m not a purist,” Benson says. 

He loves Texas Chili Parlor in particular because he celebrated his 30th birthday there by taking a bunch of friends bar-hopping in a big Silver Eagle bus. Unfortunately the bus broke down and his intoxicated friends had to push it down the street — right past a police station (the group made the journey unscathed). 

“Sure do make a beer taste fine”

Beer — Lone Star Beer

Benson has been doing commercials for Lone Star Beer since 1974. He has a connection to the beer because Jerry Retzloff, the representative for Lone Star during the ‘70s, made a huge impact on the Texas music scene. 

“Well, I know a man that cook armadillo
Tastes so sweet, he called it pie
I know a woman makes pan dulce
Tastes so good, it gets you high”

Pan Dulce — Joe’s Bakery

While serving armadillo may have gone out of style, there are many options for pan dulce around Austin. Benson favors Joe’s in East Austin calling it “the real deal.” “You can’t go wrong with all that milk,” says Benson.

“Get them enchiladas greasy
Get them steaks chicken-fried
Sure do make a man feel happy
To see white gravy on the side”

Enchiladas — Chuy’s

Though he compares choosing a favorite Mexican restaurant to choosing a favorite album, he says Chuy’s is “as good as you can get” for Tex-Mex. Though he was friends with Chuy’s co-founder Mike Young, he appreciates that Chuy’s has stayed the same even after its acquisition. (He does add that for mole enchiladas, he’ll go to Fonda San Miguel.)

Chicken-fried steaks — Hoover’s

Another restaurant owned by a friend, this was a classic spot for Benson to visit post-UT football games. Benson, a big soul food fan, also recommends the sides — unless the doctor’s got you on a particular diet.

“I know a place that got fried okra
Beat anything I ever saw
I know a man that cook cabrito
It must be against the law
We gonna get a big old sausage
A big old plate of ranch-style beans
I could eat the heart of Texas
We gonna need some brand new jeans”

Fried okra — Cherry Creek Catfish

“I figured I’d give a catfish place a shout-out,” says Benson. One of his favorite dishes is whole fried catfish with fried okra. 

Cabrito — El Borrego de Oro

“That to me is the hidden gem of Austin,” says Benson. He says this is the place to get goat done right.

Sausage and ranch-style beans — Lamberts

Benson appreciates the history of the Lamberts building — a former store built in 1873 — and the restaurant’s interesting take on barbecue. 

Although Benson would never mess with Clark’s lyrics, he does think a few key Texas dishes got left out, like Gulf Coast seafood like shrimp and redfish, kolaches, “funky Czech stuff” like chicken feet, chile relleno, and hamburgers.