"There's no real Tex-Mex in New York," declared Cindi, the manager of Tamale House East, when she found out where I was from. "They say they're Tex-Mex, but they don't have breakfast tacos on the menus!" Austinites are proud of their cuisine, and rightly so, as the city puts out some of the best Tex-Mex and BBQ in the country.

My recent weekend in Austin was spent consuming migas breakfast tacos, fried chicken, and heaps of smoked and sauced BBQ. My stomach could barely keep up with all the deliciousness, and I frequently yearned for expedited digestion so I could get started on the next meal. To get a sense of all that the Austin food scene has to offer, I'd recommend checking out casual diners for breakfast, food trucks for lunch, and nicer restaurants for dinner. Here's where to eat at every meal and what to order:

Breakfast:

Traditional, home-cooked goodness:

Tamale House East: Mom's Migas with Cheese (a mouthwatering egg scramble with cheese and crispy tortilla strips), a tamale (any kind will do, this is the namesake after all), at least one breakfast taco (when in Austin...), and a Mexican iced coffee.

Lucy's Fried Chicken: Fried chicken and waffles with cinnamon-honey butter, bacon marmalade and maple syrup.

If you're not a breakfast person...

Juice Austin: Try the Cha-Cha-Chai or one of this truck's signature smoothie bowls (a smoothie topped with granola and fresh fruit).

Jo's Coffee: Right across the street from Juice Austin, they serve Stumptown coffee and a good assortment of breakfast tacos for your hungry friends.

Lunch:

Torchy's Tacos: My favorite taco is the Baja Shrimp, but you should also try the Trailer Park, the Fried Avocado, the Brushfire, the Mr. Orange and the Crossroads. Basically, you'll probably need to come here a few times. Note: The truck also has an excellent selection of breakfast tacos, including a migas taco, so this is also a good breakfast option, especially if you want something on-the-go.

Franklin Barbecue: If you manage to brave the line and actually order from this Austin institution, it's all smokey deliciousness from there on out.

Afternoon Snack:

Gourdough's: Fancy doughnuts. 'Nuff said.

Dinner:

La Condesa: Order the El Califa Taquito, with New York strip covered in crispy manchego cheese, cilantro and oak-grilled jalapeno-tomato salsa.

Lambert's: Fancy smoke-BBQ across the street from La Condesa. Offers a variety of oak-smoked and oak-grilled options, and you should probably try one of each. Start with the Spicy Deviled Eggs and the Deep Fried Boudin Fritters.

Foreign and Domestic: One of the most talked-about restaurants on the "foodie" scene of Austin. I went for "Fried Chicken Monday" and was in heaven. You'll get a basket of fried chicken, biscuits and honey and a bunch of mouth-watering sides including roasted tomatoes, brussels sprouts, potatoes, and a green salad. For dessert, we had an ice cream sandwich made from peanut butter cookies and vanilla ice cream swirled with raspberry jam.

Barley Swine: No ordering necessary - there's a tasting menu for $85/person and you'll try everything.

Torchy's Tacos