Hai’s Food and Lemonade Stand

«Can I have your autograph, sir?»
Everyone loves Hai!
Eggrolls for $ 1? You bet.
Best strawberry lemonade around? No doubt.
Friendliest owner in the biz? For sure!
I’m obsessed with the eggrolls. They’re filling, yet affordable. Compared to if you walk around the corner on The Drag where they are flimsier and pricier. The rest of the food is pretty average and tasty, but let’s be real — Hai is the reason to go here. He’s always so happy and it’s freaking contagious! He hasn’t been around as much lately, but if I see him there, I always make sure to stop by.

Stopped by today for some chicken fried rice ($ 2) and a chicken eggroll ($ 1). Health obviously didn’t factor into my decision to eat here, but that aside, I’m pretty impressed! Decent and filling food (for cheap!) and quick service at a SUPER convenient location– what college student wouldn’t be a fan? I stopped by right after they opened, so I can’t vouch for the food quality later in the day. This is definitely going on my list of places to grub when I’m stuck on campus. I’ll be back for sure :)

I’m not a fan of egg rolls, but Hai’s really has some fat delicious egg rolls. I was pretty stuffed after ordering chicken lo mein, chicken fried rice, 2 pork egg rolls, and 1 cookie (free!). As you can see, I eat a lot and I was shocked to find that all of that food cost me only 3 bucks (I tipped a dollar b/​c it felt like thievery)! Now normally it would cost twice as much, but after 5pm is HAPPY HOUR. So if you want some cheap eats (especially during happy hour), this stand is a great option.

This is the best location on campus for a food stand and luckily the food they sell is cheap AND delicious! I usually order the Combo #1 which comes with fried rice (chicken, beef, or veggie), an eggroll (pork, chicken, or veggie), a chocolate chip cookie, and a drink for $ 5.00 even. How can you beat that?
The strawberry lemonade and breakfast tacos ($ 1 each) here are also phenomenal.
Stop by if you’re short on time and cash (Note: They also take credit/​debit now.) Your tummy will thank you!

Most reviewers have hit the salient positive points of this cart: Hai himself and his endless energy and genuine kindness, the interesting menu, the cheapest prices on campus, and the convenience for us students. Unfortunately, many people seem to be allowing prejudice against cart food (Hai cares too much about you to let you eat a roach in one of his handmade eggrolls)(for my part, I’ve been eating here weekly+ for four years, and have never once been sick from the food) to obscure how awesome the food is.
The eggrolls as mentioned are beyond fat for the price, but crisp and loaded full of obviously fresh vegetables and interesting spices. The «India Bread» is also called a samosa on the menu, but it has little to do with what most of us think of when we hear of the buffet staple. Basically the same filling as the eggroll, plus a good curry sauce… but a meal in itself, especially if it contains the chicken. The lomein and fried rice compare very favorably to any others I’ve tried around town, again uniquely spiced, and the vegetables are of high quality. I don’t really get where the perception that this food is particularly unhealthy is coming from– he posts all the ingredients. Not that the fried starch providing the foundation for so many of the offerings is utterly fantastic in the health department, but overall it’s a few dozen steps above Wendy’s. But I admit the best part is that, as a 200 pound man, I can get a complete, filling, good tasting meal, with a couple of servings of vegetables, for three dollars. Lets me tip better, anyway.

I graduated from UT in 1999 and I STILL get cravings for the chicken ad cheese indian bread… so so yummy and cheap. That with a strawberry lemonade is the best lunch you can get for less than $ 5.

You must be kidding me! A stand with a line as long as Hai’s deserves nothing less than 4 stars. My Mondays and Wednesday are pretty crazy… class from 11 to 5 and by 3:30 I am starving. In that sliver of 15 minutes between Marketing Policies and Business Ethics, I pick up an Eggroll and a Strawberry Lemonade for $ 2.50. Even with at least 5 people a head of me today I was in and out to my next class with 5 minutes to devour my eggroll in class.
These eggrolls are huge (that’s what she said) and delicious. I love the veggie one and the beef one. There’s a multitude of little sauces on the side ranging from soy sauce, sweet and sour, and even salsa for tacos. Hai’s doesn’t only serve Asian — there are tacos and samosas as well!
My bf loves the fried rice and lo mein, it seems to be cooked in curry seasoning. I tried the lo mein but spit it out frantically when I discovered my nemisis Ginger was in it. So I’m probably not a good source on that one.
Cheap eats and each combo comes with a cute little chocolate chip cookie! The guy that runs the stand is super enthusiastic and friendly. You can’t help but love the guy.

When I’m hungry and want a quick fix of asian food, I’ll get a combo of the lo mein noodles, egg roll, and a drink. And it’s all under 5 bucks! The eggrolls are pretty filling, I’ve eaten two before and was full. Always complete an order with a cup of strawberry lemonade. It’s refreshing and delicious especially on warmer Austin days. What’s also great about the stand is the guy who holds the fort the whole day, he’s so friendly and talkative. Thumbs up for this stand!

This place is the closest food to my office.
And I walk past it 99% of the time.
I tried it a couple times, and usually wound up chucking the food in the bin.
They get 2 stars for the strawberry lemonade. That stuff is really good (its about a 4 star drink). However, I think the food puts the sub in subpar.
I’m never starving enough or limping enough to not muster up enough energy to walk another block for much better food.
I understand that broke students want cheap eats… but seriously… buy a ramen packet. It’s tastier and probably healthier.

My freakin go-​to stop for a quick snack. I will issue a disclaimer and say that this is not gourmet food or something. This is not authentic food. It’s just «fast food» that is convenient and affordable.
Strawberry lemonade — yum
Egg Roll — its like double the size of a normal egg roll.
Fried Rice — nothing like you would imagine, decent flavor with a slight twang of curry flavor.
Noodles — ok those I didn’t enjoy too much, no flavor and a little too soggy.
This place is stocked with all kinds of random food even indian food, cookies, tacos, just about any finger food you would want to eat on the go, this place has got it. Just know that Hai add his own little spin to it.
They accept cards now, fyi.

I’ve been going to this place since 2002 when I was still a student. Now that I work for UT, I still frequent the egg roll stand for cheap eats. For $ 4.50, you get fried rice, an egg roll, a drink (get the strawberry lemonade), and a cookie. $ 4.50! You can’t really beat that. All the food is solid, nothing spectacular but still good. The strawberry lemonade itself earns the joint an extra star. It’s that good.

Why isn’t this on Unilocal yet?! Established in 1976, I love love love this little food stand. It’s pretty much the only place where I buy food when I’m on campus. It’s so reasonably priced. $ 2 for a container of fried rice? Ohhh, yes! I get the combo when I’m really hungry. For $ 4.50 I get fried rice, an egg roll, a cookie, and a drink. I’ve had better fried rice, but the egg rolls are THE best — crispy and thick. I don’t think I’ve ever had better strawberry lemonade. It’s fresh squeezed and still has the pulp in it.
Hai is possibly the jolliest guy I’ve come across. Always smiley, on the ball, and SO very happy to serve you. Seriously, does this guy ever cry, because I’ve never seen him less than super enthusiastic. Just check out the Facebook page and you can see the kind of person he is. I honestly think one of the reasons I go here so much is because it makes my day to see someone so happy all the time. Plus, I’m always up for supporting small humble family businesses. Check out the documentary that the Daily Texan did on them!

Indian bread is great. I don’t eat meat from this place… I don’t think it would be very good. But the veggie noodles, fried rice, and veggie indian bread are good. Not the best, but far better than what you would expect considering the price and from a stand and all. The indian bread is $ 1.50 and it’s big enough for an ok lunch. Another thing… they don’t have noodles on Fridays. I always forget and get real disappointed.
Their strawberry lemonade is really good. The old lady is nice, and her son or whatever on the other side of campus is nice too. They’re good people. I like to give them my money because you know it sucks standing in that little stand every day.

I used to eat Indian Bread by the RLM when I was a student but then they got a taco stand there with the best potato and egg breakfast tacos and I forgot all about Indian Bread. I liked these until my friend said someone she knows knows someone that got a roach in their eggroll. I think she was lying. People are stupid saying things like that but it forever put a damper on the Indian Bread for me.
Didn’t these folks get shut down in like 1999 for using the stands as a money laundering scheme? Really they were making their money buying VCRs from homeless people and then selling them to whoever you sell stuff to when it’s stolen? Maybe they were different Tiny Food Stand People.

I cannot believe that nobody has bothered to rate this place yet, despite the fact that many of you eat there. How else do you explain that they run out of Veggie Indian Bread in the afternoon. This is probably the cheapest eatery on campus, and at the same time most likely one of the least healthy ones. Oh well, the Indian Bread tastes good and isn’t that really all that matters anyway?