Along with BBQ and breakfast tacos, queso counts among the most quintessentially Austin dishes you can find. This warm, rich, and spicy dip is magnificent in all its permutations. After all, a totally viable version can be made with some Velveeta, a can of Rotel, and a functioning microwave. But if you want a queso with a bit more finesse, these five Austin restaurants will set you up nicely. 

Torchy’s Tacos’ Green Chile Queso - South Congress

Photo courtesy of Torchy’s Tacos

Other locations: Round Rock, Lakeway, Anderson Mill, Cedar Park, UT, Arbor Trails, South Lamar, Belterra, Burnet, Mueller, Spicewood, and Dawson

For the finest queso in the Lone Star capital, look no further than locally beloved taco chain Torchy’s Tacos in South Congress. Their famous Green Chile Queso achieves a perfect balance of creamy cheese and zesty chile peppers, with a great consistency for both chip dunking and taco drizzling. The queso comes topped with a dollop of guacamole, a sprinkling of cotija cheese and cilantro, and a swirl of Torchy’s fiery Diablo Sauce. If you want to turn your queso snack into a full meal, opt for the Hillbilly Queso, which bolsters the Green Chile Queso by adding a hearty helping of Texas chorizo.

Kerbey Lane Cafe’s Kerbey Queso - University Campus

Photo courtesy of Kerbey Lane Cafe

Other locations: West Lake Hills, Southwest Austin, Northwest Austin, South Lamar, Central Austin, and Round Rock

An Austin staple for almost 40 years, mini-chain in University Campus Kerbey Lane Cafe offers home-style meals on a 24-hour basis, including diner classics like buttermilk pancake stacks, Denver omelettes, and chicken-fried steak. They also serve one of Austin’s most legendary bowls of queso. Their signature Kerbey Queso is equal parts cheese sauce and guacamole, with the guac on the bottom followed by the cheese and a scoop of pico de gallo. The queso itself uses a white Tex-Mex cheese blend, gently spiced with jalapeno. For a twist on the classic, try Kerbey Lane’s Cowboy Queso, which incorporates black beans into the cheese and guacamole.

Matt’s El Rancho’s Bob Armstrong Dip - South Lamar

Photo courtesy of Matt’s El Rancho

When in Austin, you’ve gotta have a Tex-Mex feast. One of the city’s best places for this fusion style of cooking is Matt’s El Rancho in South Lamar, where they’ve been proudly serving margs, tacos, enchiladas, and (of course) queso since 1952.

The most iconic dish on Matt’s menu, the Bob Armstrong Dip, has rightfully become a local legend, originally created for the Texas Land Commissioner of the same name. It’s a smooth bowl of yellow queso topped with guacamole and seasoned taco meat, and it’s substantial enough to stand as a meal on its own (although it’s also perfect to share with friends before digging into a fajita platter).

Roberto’s Brazo Fuerte Queso at Tacodeli - Rosedale

Photo courtesy of Tacodeli

Other locations: Crestview, Spyglass, Westlake, and Gracy Farms

Another Austin taco chain doing queso the right way in Rosedale, Tacodeli takes a page from Matt’s El Rancho’s book with their own truly-excellent version of the Bob Armstrong Dip: the Robert’s Brazo Fuerte Queso. This cup of warm cheesy goodness involves white queso, guacamole, pico de gallo, and Tacodeli’s proprietary picadillo stew made with Akaushi (a subset of Wagyu) beef. The slow-cooked beef adds an extra depth of flavor to the dip, making it a wonderfully-indulgent treat for queso fans. 

Sriracha Queso Dip at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse - Sunset Valley

Photo courtesy of BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

Other location: North Central Austin

Plenty of queso purists in Austin would consider a queso with Sriracha nothing short of blasphemous. But at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in Sunset Valley and North Central Austin, they take that chance, and it really pays off.

BJ’s uses a flavorful blend of jack and cheddar cheese for their queso base before adding Sriracha and topping the finished product with green onion and grated cheese. The Sriracha enhances the cheese rather than masking its flavor, and the combination is bold, nicely-spiced, and harmonious.