Picnik

Butter coffee. Bone broth. Corn-free, peanut-free, soy-free. These are phrases that tend to make us at least a little skeptical, and at worst give us the urge to sprint towards the nearest purveyor of carbs and fat and joy. But Picnik is a restaurant that involves all of those phrases, and also plenty of joy.

Picnik’s original claim to hype was that they sold Bulletproof coffee (AKA grass-fed butter coffee with MCT oil) from a trailer inside a shipping container on South Lamar. But it wasn’t until they opened their brick and mortar, off Burnet Road, that we started paying attention to their food.

Why? Because it might be kind of healthy, but it’s also good. Fish tacos, fried brussels sprouts, orange chicken, and yes, even the bone broth - we would happily eat this stuff on a weekly basis. We can’t tell you why using only grass-fed butter, pink himalayan sea salt, and raw apple cider makes this food healthier, but we can tell you that it makes it taste great.

And unlike that wellness retreat in remote Costa Rica you were vaguely considering booking, the vibe at Picnik won’t make you feel like you suddenly need to get in touch with your spirituality or pay $4,000 to be reminded to breath deeply. This place just feels like any other bright, friendly, laid-back Austin spot - it’s an easy choice for a casual brunch or dinner. No reason to be skeptical or sprint away from that.