A caesar salad is often a humble affair—romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan, and, if all goes well, a ton of dressing. The simplicity is by design: An Italian chef in Tijuana first improvised the dish using dwindling supplies on a busy Fourth of July in 1924. But because caesars skew modest, they can sometimes be underwhelming. It’s hard to find a bad caesar and even harder to find a great one. Which is why we scoured the streets to find the best Austin has to offer. Many of the salads on this guide incorporate something unconventional—chile crisps, miso, lemon, baked cheese—without sacrificing that classic, unassailable taste.
