Hot Luck Festival 2024: Everything to Know About the Austin Food Event

Nadia Chaudhury is an editor for Eater Northeast and Eater New York and was the former Eater Austin editor, who often writes about food and pop culture.

It's back: Aaron Franklin's sixth food and music party with tailgating vibes, Hot Luck Festival, kicks off next week with a stellar chef lineup and great concerts.

To help navigate the multi-part event, Eater put together this useful guide to everything you need to know about Hot Luck, from tips to a breakdown of the events to must-eat dishes to concert suggestions, taking place over Memorial Day weekend from Thursday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26.

Like any festival, wear comfortable shoes, prep with sunscreen, drink a lot of water (cocktails and beers will freely flow at every event, and temperatures are going to hover in the low 90s), As of now, there’s a chance of rain on the Saturday. Parking for most events will be difficult, especially for East Austin and Red River venues, so opt for ride-hailing apps or cabs. Since music is a big component of Hot Luck, it wouldn’t hurt to pack a pair of earplugs.

For those rolling high with the Whole Enchilada passes, keep in mind there is early access offered for all events both food and music. Partial proceeds will go towards the service worker-focused organization Southern Smoke Foundation. And, like the past two years and opposed to the founding festival structure, concerts don’t include food components.

With that, here is Eater’s suggested itinerary for optimal Hot Luck eating and enjoyment.

Chefs cooking at Hot Luck’s Al Fuego in 2023.

Thursday, May 24

Food: Giddy Up

The annual kick-off event isn’t taking place at its usual location of Franklin Barbecue this year. Instead, it’s at Red River music venue the Mohawk (it makes sense — Hot Luck co-founder James Moody owns it). But still, it’ll be a hella big party, taking on a whole taco party vibe.

This means members of Austin’s Taco Mafia — Nixta Taqueria’s Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi; Cuantos Tacos’ Beto Robledo; and Discada’s Anthony Pratto and Xose Velasco. Expect — yeah — really well-made tacos. For sweets, fantastic Tex-Asian bakery OMG Squee’s Sarah Lim will be at hand. Here’s hoping this means her fun mochi doughnuts. (Fun fact: all participants have been featured on national television: the taco friends on Everybody Feed Phil and Lim on Queer Eye.)

Where: Mohawk, 912 Red River Street, Downtown
When: 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes. No a la carte tickets are available.

A man slicing meat outside. — Cuantos Tacos’s Beto Robledo slicing meat at Hot Luck’s Al Fuego in 2022.

Music: Calexico/Sabrina Ellis/Tearjerk

Since you’re already at Mohawk, you might as well stay. On deck is headliner indie rock band Calexico (going on at 10:30 p.m.) with Sabrina Ellis — the lead singer of A Giant Dog (which is also playing Hot Luck, see below) and Sweet Spirit — with a set time of 9:15 p.m.)— and dreamy folk band Tearjerk (starting at 8:15 p.m.) Even better: fantastic hot dog pop-up Zee’s Wiener System is going to be slinging franks from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Where: Mohawk, 912 Red River Street, Downtown
When: Doors are 8 p.m.
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes or $35 advanced a la carte tickets sold online (with additional service fees)

Friday, May 25

Food: Supper Club

Hot Luck’s Fair Market sip-and-stroll event changes its theme seemingly every year. Last year’s was carnivals and there was mall court foods in 2018. This year’s takes on a sip-and-stroll version of supper clubs. The event is sponsored by food company Alaska Seafood so, yeah, expect a ton of seafood dishes. While full menu details weren’t available as of the publishing of this guide, we got a glimpse of some of the dishes slash we’re making some recommendations based on our anticipation.

Outside-of-Texas-wise, it’s worth checking out Philadelphia French restaurant My Loup for co-owners and chefs Alex Kemp and Amanda Schulman’s pork rings with pickled shrimp and aioli. From New England, Eventide Oyster Co.’s Andrew Taylor and Arlin Smith are whipping up brown butter lobster rolls. And then, we bet whatever New York co-owner and chef Ed Szymanski makes will be great, especially consider he’s behind New York English seafood Dame.

Chef Amanda Turner serving some meat at Al Fuego in 2023.

For not-Austin-but-still-Texas picks, Misti Norris of Dallas New Texan restaurant Petra and the Beast is worth checking out. And for Austin-forever people, check out fresh-off-Top Chef Amanda Turner with her Dungeons & Dragon-themed pop-up the Fiery Talon.

Where: Fair Market, 1100 East Fifth Street, East Austin
When: 7 to 10 p.m. (Whole Enchilada entry is at 6:30 p.m.)
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes; a la carte tickets are $195 for adults, $125 for kids between the ages of 13 and 20, and $50 for children 12 years and younger (with additional service fees)

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Music: Mobley/Jackie the Robot/Jack Greenwood/Mikky & the Doom

There are four shows tonight, but it’s worth checking out this showcase. Headliner is pop artist Mobley with dance and electornic artist Jackie the Robot, ambient musician Jack Greenwood, and indie sleaze band Mikky & The Doom. The concert is only available to people 21 years and older.

Where: The Coral Snake, 1910 East Cesar Chavez Street, Holly
When: Doors are 9 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m.
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes; $15 advanced a la carte online tickets (with additional service fees); or $20 at the door

A halved sandwich. — A sandwich from Turkey & the Wolf.

Saturday, May 26

Food: Turkey & the Wolf pop-up

The famed New Orleans restaurant is doing a whole pop-up lunch event during Hot Luck at Franklin and Moody’s East Austin restaurant Uptown Sports Club, but is thankfully open to the public (read: expect long times). Chef Mason Hereford’s menu will include the cafe’s iconic collard green melt sandwich, as well as the fried bologna. The host site will offer up its chicken-fried steak sandwich and its smash burger.

Where: Uptown Sports Club, 1200 East Sixth Street, East Austin
When: 11 a.m. until everything is sold out
Access: It’s open to the public, dishes are available a la carte

Food: Al Fuego

This is Hot Luck’s marquee event, where participating chefs offer live-fire and smoked dishes. Hence it needs a lot of space, so it does not take place in Austin proper. Rather, it's found down south in Manchaca at the scenic Wild Onion Ranch. Expect long lines, sold-out items, and chefs to dole out special one-off dishes.

On deck are a wide array of talented cooks. Of note from outside of Texas, the one-two powerhouse combination of Mexico chefs Chuy Villarreal (of Monterrey restaurant Cara de Vaca) and Chava Orozco (of Mexico City seafood restaurant Mi Compa Chava) are returning to the country for the festival. The former will be making a taco de matambre con cuero, which means a flank steak with pork skin. The latter has the costra de camaron con frijolitos and tosti-aguachiles, where the cheese-griddled shrimp taco comes with beans, an aguachile with tostidas. It’ll also have its Chava Cheve, a prepared beer with oysters and aguachile.

And then, within the states, check out Serigne Mbaye of New Orleans Senegalese tasting menu restaurant Dakar NOLA, Diane Moua of Minneapolis Hmong American restaurant Diane’s Place, Rene Andrade of Phoenix Mexican and Sonoran restaurant Bacanora, Valerie Chang of Miami Peruvian restaurant Maty’s (who is making a ceiche mixto), and Sophina Uong of tropical-ish restaurant Mister Mao in New Orleans. There’s also New Jersey bakery the Ginger Peach with Joanne Canady-Brown.

Austin people to look out for include Fermín Núñez of Mexican seafood restaurant Este making a beef cheek taco (perhaps he’ll be set up with the two Mexico chefs, see above, like last year). There’s also Bob Somsith of brand-new modern Laotian American restaurant Lao’d Bar. Also of note is Kareem El-Ghayesh of Egyptian barbecue truck KG BBQ. And it’s fair to expect a fish show courtesy of Yoshi Okai of the Japanese omakase restaurant Otoko.

A seafood bite at the no-longer Hi How Are You event at Hot Luck in 2023.

While there are no shuttles provided from Austin proper to Manchaca, parking and ride-share drop-offs/pick-ups are only available at the nearby Akins High School at its separate parking lot, with free shuttle buses ferrying attendees to the grounds. Parking is not available at the ranch itself.

Where: Wild Onion Ranch, 12112 Old San Antonio Road, Manchaca, Texas; parking and drop-offs: Akins High School, 10801 Old San Antonio Road, Manchaca, Texas
When: 7 to 10 p.m. (Whole Enchilada entry is at 6:30 p.m.)
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes; a la carte tickets are $275 for adults, $125 for kids between the ages of 13 and 20, and $50 for children 12 years and younger (with additional service fees)

Music: Pelvis Wrestley

There are four concerts this evening, but it’s worth setting up shop for glam-country-rock band Pelvis Wrestley.

Where: Hotel Vegas, 1502 East Sixth Street, East Austin
When: Doors are at 9 p.m.
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes or $10 at the door

Smoking fish at Hot Luck’s Big Top event in 2023.

Sunday, May 26

Food: Campy Sunnyside

The new-to-Hot Luck event brings attendees back to the way-south WIld Onion Ranch venue with a brunch-summer camp theme — its logo is a sunny-side egg among trees (it’s a mesh of previous events tbh). The event’s sponsor is pizza oven company Gozney, so expect lots of fired-up dishes.

Out-of-towners worth checking out include Ashley Christensen of Raleigh Southern restaurant Poole’s Diner (who is making a king crab and sweet corn parfait), Washington, D.C. pastry chef Paola Velez of Bakers Against Racism, Silver Iocovozzi of Ashville Filipinx restaurant Neng Jr.’s, and Gabriel Rucker of Portland French restaurant Canard.

And for local Austin-forever chefs, Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel of New American wine restaurant Birdie’s is making a burger (!). Then there’s pitmaster Evan LeRoy of new-school barbecue restaurant and truck LeRoy & Lewis, Tavel Bristol-Joseph of Caribbean restaurant Canje, and Sarah McIntosh of French-New Orleans-ish restaurant Epicerie.

The same shuttle rules apply to this event as Al Fuego (see above). There are only parking spots and ride-share drop-offs/pick-ups at the nearby Akins High School, where free shuttle buses ferrying attendees to the grounds. Parking is not available at the ranch itself.

Olamaie slicing meat at Al Fuego at Hot Luck in 2023.

Where: Wild Onion Ranch, 12112 Old San Antonio Road, Manchaca, Texas; parking and drop-offs: Akins High School, 10801 Old San Antonio Road, Manchaca, Texas
When: noon to 3 p.m. (Whole Enchilada entry is at 11 a.m.)
Access: All-access Whole Enchilada passes; a la carte tickets are $175 for adults, $125 for kids between the ages of 13 and 20, and $50 for children 12 years and younger (with additional service fees)

Music: A Giant Dog/Slomo Drags/Smooth Nature

For one final concert of the three happening today, go all out with a Texas-only showcase. There’s headliners Austin rock and punk band a Giant Dog, Austin rock band Slomo Drags, and Waxo/Austin progressive R&B band Smooth Nature. The show is only available to people 21 years and older.

Monday, May 27

Now it’s time to relax or partake in Austin’s Memorial Day weekend events if that’s your thing and/or you have the bandwidth.

Someone holding up a plate of food under a red sign reading Hot Luck. — So much food at Hot Luck in 2023.

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