Austin: Top 8 Normal Places to Eat Paleo

I got this email yesterday:

On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 12:34 AM, DUDE* wrote:
Just saw your post on ordering paleo when eating out and wanted to find out if you have any favorite paleo restaurants in Austin. Going to be in Austin this week and looking for a place to eat. Thanks! DUDE*

*names have been changed to protect the paleo innocent

First, a disclaimer: YOU CAN EAT PALEO WHEREVER THE HELL YOU PLEASE. Literally. You can order your food however you want it. You’re paying for it. Don’t be shy.

That said, there are places where it is much EASIER to eat paleo and where you won’t be as tempted by thin crust pizza or the most delicious bread in the whole world or whatever it is that you love that isn’t paleo. There are also normal places where you want to sneakily eat paleo without making a fuss. This is what I sent to DUDE*. It’s short, click the links if you want more info. I also place an emphasis on local, grassfed meat, some people don’t. Leave your faves in the comments!

Paleo Eating Out:
24 Diner – 24 hour diner on 6th & Lamar. Grassfed beef, local produce when possible. Owner is a CrossFitter, they’re used to making things paleo.
Bess – West 6th, Sandra Bullock’s restaurant, local meat, great entrees. Sides aren’t always paleo and they bring out a huge bread basket, so just ask them not to.
Buenos Aires Cafe – East 6th Street (e of 35), local meat, heavy on the meat portions

Pick Up/Quick:
Snap Kitchen – to-go food. Vegetable lasagna (no noodles!) is the best thing ever. Very conscious of paleo.
Whole Foods – sounds like a cop-out, but no other WF has the salad bar and other food bars of the flagship at 6th & Lamar.
Chipotle – also a cop-out, but the meat is grassfed and they do salad bowls with extra servings of guac!

Sushi/Bar:
Bar Chi (2nd & Colorado) is the sushi place I just wrote about and they are really flexible, making you cucumber-wrapped rolls without rice. Reverse happy hour, all day Sunday happy hour.
Piranha Killer Sushi (Rio Grande & 3rd) is also usually really accommodating and they have AWESOME fish prepared without rice anyway. Great mussels too.

Thoughts, paleos?