Ah La Cart

Easily one of my favorite food trucks ever! Get there soon, they’re so unfortunately closing the doors on Oct 31^st and this is a meal you don’t want to have missed out on.

This cart is legit. Smoked Tilamook Cheddar mac and cheese. just get it. Also had a BLT salad which was basically Bacon, Spring Mix, Heirloom Tomatoes, and mozarella I think with a vinaigrette. Delicious. It’s a little bit of a splurge for lunch (spent about 14 bucks w/​an Iced tea), but it’s definitely worth checking out.

Best in Class food trailer experience. Kind of off by itself with it’s back facing to the highway, the very unassuming exterior belies a gem of a food cart.
Hanoi Steak Sandwich was phenomenal — would expected to have paid 2 — 3x as much for same outstanding quality at a really nice restaurant. Really nice chef /​owner with a lot of pride in the offering.
Pros:
Ultra high quality ingredients
Consistently Refreshed Menu
Top tier Head Chef /​Owner
In the top 5% of all food carts in terms of being both healthy and tasty
Con:
Inability to eat this delicious food on the weekends (yet)

I happened upon this trailer while at a nearby appointment – I’ve had the mac and cheese four or five times now because it’s absolutely delicious. Today, I stopped by after a dentist appointment, and voila! one of the specials today was a parsnip and celery root soup. It was SO GOOD! I pretty much just licked my take-​out container clean. The parsnip and celery had a wonderfully comforting, creamy flavor, plus there were some very well-​seasoned croutons that soaked up the soup for a fabulous texture, and the biggest surprise was the charred tomatoes! The taste was so sweet and bright, and had the right amount of acidity to cut the richness of the soup.
I love this soup! Please put it on your regular menu!!!

5 star experience at a food trailer, sure you could go to some of these super fancy restaurants, wait an hour to get a table, spend a few hundred bucks and still be hungry at the end… OR you could go to Ah La Cart and get the same caliber food at a fraction of the cost and leave with a food hangover.
Pros:
Food is awesome and menu is constantly changing.
Value for quality of food is off the hook!
BYOB (HELL YES)
Even though the owner isn’t from Austin he definitely keeps it weird.
Usually there are some off menu ordering options and Ron is happy to customize a meal for you.
Locally sourced ingredients.
If you’re lucky the shop cat will join you for your meal!
Cons:
Hours suck if you don’t work/​live near the trailer, I mean I know it’s usually just the owner working the cart and he needs time for a life… but I can only get a food fix on Thursday or Friday due to the location of my job.
The food is so damn good they often run out of stuff.

This place does a perfect job at melding fresh ingredients, complex flavors, with great portion sizes. Their pork belly tacos, Lamb sandwich and mac and cheese are to die for and please don’t leave without trying their PB & J Ice cream.
Thanks for the great meal!

I live right down the st from this place and saw all of the great reviews so I decided to try it. I ordered the pork belly taco which seriously melts like butter in your mouth and is super fantastic with the pickled side. I also got the BLTA and let me tell you this sandwich was to die for! And finally I ordered the Mac… well I supose the hype got to me and I was a little disappointed. I would recomend getting the Mac prob with something on top. I will def be going back and trying the rest of the menu for sure!

This is THE Cart to eat at. Ron has the best pork belly taco and smoked Mac and cheese. He is a very creative chef and I love everything he cooks up. You won’t go wrong with anything you choose.

I really enjoy the food, and the guy seems nice enough, and I want to give him more of my money.
My issue is: He is open less than half the time I try and eat there. It is off the beaten path and it takes a specific trip for me to go there, so when I show up to it closed I almost have to laugh. That laugh turns to annoyance when I realize I won’t get the Zilker or the Pork belly tacos or mac and cheese with Tillamook Cheese (OR represent!)
Mr Ah La Cart, please run regular hours so I can give you more of my money. Please.
My 2 pennies

Wow — this was great. I was hungry and wanted to avoid the big chains and bumped into this little place off Wm Cannon. I had the Hanoi sandwich and mac & cheese (with green chile). It was AWESOME.
The meat was tender and flavorful and the mac & cheese was great too.

Another Unilocal user had suggested that I call my order in ahead – to avoid the wait. Thanks for the tip! Now that I do that, I never have to wait and my food is already ready when I arrive. My favorite dish these days is the BLTA (BLT w/​Avocado). It’s great – along with the Mac & Cheese w/​Bacon! Definitely recommended.

This guy is definitely on some next level shit. They start with fresh organic ingredients with delicious, colorful salads that make you wink at every detail. I sure did. The location is stealth too and not amidst any bars. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t any death metal playing either. Remember to give yourself a present each day, this could be a present.

Amazing… cool cat too lol! It keeps getting better every time I go back. This place stomps most fine dine restaurants that I’ve been too and less than half the price. Not the most prime location but that’s one of my most favorite things about it. Latest amazing find there was the Risotto and it had the most perfect al dente! Plus I can bring beautiful Labrador with me!

This was tasty! My boyfriend and I went there tonight and just finished our meal. He got the Pork Belly Taco, I got the mac and cheese w/​Pork Belly on top and we shared the Cart Salad — tasty!
I was particularly fond of the salad and the dressing — so fresh and tasty and the dressing was unbelievably unique and tasty. The mac and cheese looked like it was a small portion but was so rich and delightful that I couldn’t even finish it. Yay for leftovers!
My boyfriend liked the taco, but felt there was a bit too much fat in the meat. Of course, it can be expected in a pork belly taco and is part of the flavor. Regardless, so fresh and tasty! I’m thrilled to find a place that is so close to our apartment and so fresh and delicious.

Man, this place just keeps getting better. A note on the open times though: they take a break from 3pm-​5pm, so they’re closed during that time.
I’ve probably been here 20+ times. I love the goat n’ green salad, and I’ve tried nearly everything on the menu. They recently added a vietnamese-​style bahn mi sandwich, and it is effing delicious. Their mac n cheese is probably the best I’ve ever had, anywhere.
Cash only, but there’s an ATM pretty close.

The food is amazing here! I’ve only been once so far, but I’ll definitely go back. I had the Zilker Park sandwich, and it was delicious. It was flank steak on great ciabatta bread with greens, blue cheese, and homemade dressing. The meat was very tender and deliberately cold, which was perfect for a hot summer day.
The owner was very friendly and came out and talked with us for awhile. He was a fine dining chef in Portland, OR for 12 years before moving to Austin with his wife (hence the tribute to Oregon on the trailer’s logo). His experience definitely shows with the impressive menu. Not what I expected for a food trailer.
The location is a little strange, but it somehow has a neighborhood feel. There’s only one table and minimal shade, but don’t let that deter you! I recommend ordering to-​go.

Eat here, you will be happy! Beat the heat with their Watermelon and Smoked Paprika Granita. Don’t miss the artfully crafted Pork Belly Tacos, perfectly balanced flavor with great contrasting textures. I’m already planning my return. Do it, do it now!

Well, I have eaten there twice in as many weeks. And one time prior to that. Went there today to have some lunch and it was as fantastic as ever. I only ate half the sandwich (BLTA), though, so I also had it for a snack. And I’m writing this as my husband dispatches to grab dinner from there. I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten thrice from a place in a single day. Way to go, Ah La Cart.
I say the BLTA is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had, but another gentleman who was eating what looked like The Zilker didn’t leave before telling the (presumed) owner that it was the best sandwich he’s ever had. So, tonight it will be a showdown as I try the Zilker for the first time.
Before you judge me, I’m moving from Austin in 2 weeks and want to try every menu item possible. But dang me for finding another thing to miss about this lovely city.
PS– It takes a while to get your food, but that’s just the way of the food truck industry.

Hello pork belly tacos and pretty much the best mac and cheese I have ever had!
I would agree w/​other reviewers that the cart is in a weird location, but somehow i ended up driving by it and immediately stopped.
Anyways — the food was amazing — the tacos had a little avocado that gave a nice flavor and texture, the pork belly was super tasty and it just went together very nicely.
The mac and cheese was very creamy and cheesey and wowsers — my friend said it was the best that she had ever tried.
Friend of the chef was there and he got a scone w/​vanilla and black pepper with whipped cream (legit) and a raspberry sauce — oh my — he was oooing and awwwwwwwwing over it
I would highly recommend getting there as soon as you can!

Really like this trailer on the south side (near Manchaca and Ben White). The motto of Ah La Cart is «Slow Food Served Fast» and I’d agree — the ingredients are local and fresh; service is efficient. I’ve only been here once — had a really excellent «BLTA» sandwich (bacon, lettuce, oven-​roasted tomatoes, avocado and garlic aioli — $ 7) along with a «Cart Salad» (salad greens, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cukes and a lip-​smackingly good dressing — $ 4). The salad was very fresh and tasty — and I’m not big into salads. The sandwich I would have a couple of times a week. The menu is limited (currently) to 8 items. Hours are a bit limited (for me). Will be back — good to have this option in the area.