Salty, sweet, crispy, crunchy; bacon has all the right flavors and textures. There’s a place in Austin that specializes in this scrumptious indulgence, putting the tasty treat in just about everything, from their waffles to inside their burger patties. Let me introduce you to Bacon.

Where’s it at?
Located on 10th and Lamar, Bacon is close to downtown Austin, but not too far from campus. As you near the little shack, you almost pass it up if you’re not paying close enough attention. But no worries, because one of the two pink pigs atop the roof of the restaurant (that resembles a house) will catch your eye and steer you in the right direction. Parking is sparse, but there are a few spots in their parking lot behind the restaurant.

Home, Sweet Home

Even before stepping foot into the place, the aroma of cooking bacon wafts through the air, tempting the senses--then you walk in and large plates are piled high with enormous portions of one-and-only Bacon specialties. The house-looking exterior is echoed inside with bar stools and a counter greeting you at the entrance, surrounded by a few other small square tables and a flat screen TV mounted to the wall, making you feel like you were eating back home at Mom’s. Slightly different from other sit-down restaurants, at Bacon you order at the bar counter, retrieve your own drinks, and the servers there do just that – they simply bring your food and let you enjoy yourself in peace, just like you would at your own home.

The Menu
Just about anything you can think of to put bacon in, they do it! And even foods you wouldn’t normally associate pairing with bacon, they do that, too! They one-up the classic breakfast indulgence of biscuits n’ gravy with their very own house bacon gravy, which they smother on top of two of their mountain high homemade biscuits that come piping hot from the oven, speckled with green herbs for a boost of flavor. They’re even redefining the sweet and salty sensation by adding pieces of their house bacon to their fluffy waffle batter and topping it off with slices of banana and a healthy drizzle of sugary syrup. But when I went with my sister-in-law, we weren’t there for breakfast: we were craving the more savory lunch items.

Our Order
After 10 minutes of going back-and-forth between menu items, we finally came to a consensus. Their bacon wedge salad with bacon-leek vinaigrette, the double grind burger and an order of the sweet corn fritters with bacon aioli. Within 15 minutes we were in bacon heaven.

The Corn Fritters
The corn fritters were little balls of light, golden, sweet dough that were a hybrid of corn muffins and hush puppies. But it was the bacon aioli that had my mouth salivating for more. I was dunking – not dipping – those corn fritters in that bacon aioli. An aioli is typically mayo plus garlic, but Bacon’s addition of its salty crown jewel gave the mayo that extra “pow” of flavor.

The Salad
The classic wedge salad that usually comes dressed with bleu cheese crumbles and tomato pieces was given a Bacon makeover, with full-on chunks of peppery bacon that weren’t too crisp or too limp, along with a sprinkling of chives for a splash of color and mild onion flavor. But the bacon didn’t stop there. The dressing on the side paired the traditional bacon and leeks together in a light vinaigrette that was loaded with actual pieces of bacon and leeks.

The Burger
The star of the meal, though, was the double grind burger. The name says it all. The burger patty was a mixture of house ground steak and bacon married together in perfect proportions. It came dressed with red onion slivers, a tomato slice, lettuce and Bacon’s very own house mayo. Yep, they’re making their own mayo! Now I’m not normally one to go for mayo, but after the bacon aioli, I was pretty sure I would love their mayo as much as I did their aioli. Cutting into the burger sent juices oozing from the center of the patty. I wanted to try the patty on its own without all the burger enhancers, so I took a bite of the ground steak and bacon burger and my eyes involuntarily rolled to the back of my head in utter amazement at how truly delicious it was. I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to distinguish the bacon, but it actually tasted like they added the bacon drippings from the pan after cooking it for added rich flavor and lusciousness. The mayo on top of the warm patty melted, creating this glaze over the burger for absolute palate pleasure.

Whether you want breakfast, lunch or dinner, or if you have a taste for something sweet and salty, Bacon is sure to satisfy your craving.