From Tex-Mex cuisine to barbecue ribs, Austin’s food scene continues to grow and evolve. UT students are constantly on the prowl for new food spots, and can easily feel lost in the abundance of options. The Instagram account @the.foodie.patootie vlogs food reviews from all over Austin, allowing students to find food that works for them.
“It started as my spam account,” Lisa Hadi, finance junior and the creator behind the instagram account, said. “So that’s what I started off as, and then it kind of blew up, because I just eat a lot of food, and I like reviewing food, but I also like doing college tips and basically just sharing my life.”
The account’s main draw is Hadi’s food reviews—short-form videos from places she eats at daily, such as the UT dining halls.
“My social media goes in tangent with my own life, so whatever I’m eating in the day, then I’ll just record it,” Hadi said. “I don’t eat something because I’m recording, but I record because I am doing that thing already.”
While the account began as a side hobby, it gained more traction, causing businesses to reach out and invite Hadi to review their food.
“(It’s) to the point where she can’t really say yes to every invitation,” Jianing Lin, finance and French studies junior and Hadi’s roommate, said. “But that definitely wasn’t always the case. It’s something that’s been recent and super cool.”
With the account becoming more widespread among students, Hadi prioritizes spots closer to or on campus that are more convenient for her followers.
“I definitely can’t accept every offer, because I don’t drive, so I have to bus around or Uber, which isn’t quite sustainable,” Hadi said. “I tend to do the ones that I’m nearby first, especially if it’s on campus.”
With the recent opening of Noodle Lab in the Texas Union, University Housing and Dining also reached out to Hadi to try the newest food spot on campus.
“I was the first influencer that they worked with for dining services,” Hadi said. “So I thought that was really cool to see.”
For students, @the.foodie.patootie provides a place to find out more about campus dining options as well as restaurants near campus.
“I’ve seen videos that she makes about the dining halls,” Tania Bobbili, statistics and data science freshman, said.”… For example, I didn’t even know pizookie Friday was a thing until I saw her video, so I’m so thankful for that. Also, she talks about food trucks around campus, and there was this one matcha truck she was talking about on 26th (street) and because of that video, I was like, ‘I’m interested in trying that.’”
Hadi knows that finding food after moving to campus and a new city can be overwhelming, and she said she hopes that through her daily food reviews, students can feel emboldened to try new food, or find their new favorite spot.
“I actually love it when people come up to me, because I think that it’s very gratifying, and I can see the change that I am making, even as a student,” Hadi said.