Hill Country Pierogi

I was a bit heartbroken when I heard that Hill Country Pierogi was gone for the summer. Alas, the owners are on to bigger and better thing as they prep their East Side Market, which thankfully will serve their delicious pierogis when it open in the Fall.
I discovered this place when I started my job on the east side of downtown, and I soon thereafter made it my regular Friday lunch stop. The pierogis are reminiscent of what I remember eating at small town Pennsylvania church festivals, but this place really spices up the variety. There are unique options like the Pizza-​rogi and Strawberry Balsalmic. But I continually found it difficult to break away from my regular order of traditional cheese pierogis, which are such a wonderful comfort food. Crisped up but not greasy, they are always well prepared, and I’ve never waited more than 8 minutes for my food
Can’t wait for Hill Country’s return!

What’s the difference between a Jewish grandmother and a Polish grandmother… well, I’ve got a Jewish grandmother but I’d sure love a Polish one. Pierogis, latkes… its all how you slice the potato.
Having lived in Pittsburgh, home of the American pierogi, I had a solid understand of what constituted a good potato purse. That being said, HCP hit the bullseye on this one. Sightly crispy on the outside from sautéed in butter and onions, pillowy soft potato and cheese on the inside. To balance out the carb overload I had a side salad and the 5 pierogi special. I was satisfyingly full with out being icky stuffed.
And I could definitely tell the tradition and love was passed down into each Polish dim sum pocket of potato. Say that 3x over… Or just go get yo self some old world European love, Pierogi style.

We took a group of kids from work, as an afternoon trip to expose them to the local scene a bit.
I don’t like cheese, I know, and all the pierogi were cheese laden. So I got the Apple dessert pierogi which was outstanding. Crispy, and tasty filling and a cream cheese I guess, dipping icing.
I’m not that big on cooked fruit, but this was «beast», as the kids say.
I also got chicken fajitas which was surprisingly good even if they weren’t ordered at a pierogi place. Simple, and flavorful and fresh.
Others liked the original and pizza pierogi, and the group consensus was that they were both better than the bacon.
The cheese eaters enjoyed the pizza fries as well as the ranch bacon fries… All I can vouch for is what I ate.
The employees were super nice in that they handled our tax exempt form and created an itemized receipt, and we’re just generally solid in terms of attitude and overall customer service.
Five star service and food– 1 because not everything needs cheese, and yeah I’m a freak of nature.

This was my first pierogi experience, and I daresay it will not be my last. For the uninitiated, such as myself before this afternoon, pierogi is a kind of Polish dumpling. The «traditional» that they serve here is filled with onion, potato, and onion, and is sautéed in butter, topped with sautéed onion, and served with sour cream and chives. There are five of these little pockets of goodness to an order.
Hill Country Pierogi also offers a variety of deliciousness beyond the traditional. We enjoyed the pizza-​rogi, which is essentially a pierogi crossed with a pizza pocket, and is available deep fried, if one is so inclined. My wife and I were, in fact, so inclined. Today, they were also offering a special pierogi that consisted of pulled pork made with Maker’s Mark whiskey and served with a brown sugar and whiskey sour cream. Truly unique and delicious, says this casual eater.
In short, this is an interesting food truck serving something quite unique. If you need a break from sandwiches and tacos (blasphemous as that may sound to my fellow Austinites), then give ye olde pierogi a try.

Great, tasty pierogi off the beaten path in Austin.
They seem a bit pricey at first until you see how large they are. Some of them had bacon, and the variety of meats and flavors is good.

OMG this place brought back memories of eating pierogis as a child. The only difference is these pierogis are way better! If you like traditional pierogi (potato and onion), they’ve got ‘em! If you want something more creative (chorizo or bacon or veggies w/​bleu cheese), they’ve got ‘em! They also have tacos and yummy sandwiches. Great vegetarian options. I really enjoy their Soy Tempeh sandwich
(Soy Tempeh «Bacon» with Sherry Brown Sugar Glaze, Roasted Garlic Raspberry Vinegar Mustard, Shredded Carrots, Red Cabbage and Mango Pepper Sauce on a Grilled Sweet Hawaiian Roll). The owner and staff are really sweet and they deliver to Longbranch. Some Unilocalers have complained about the time it takes to get their pierogis and my response to them is, «you’re eating real food, not fast food crap.»

Being Polish, I’m always open to trying Polish food where I can find it, which is unfortunately, not often.
When I heard there was a pierogi food cart on the east side (where I live), I jumped for joy. The boyf and I decided to try it out one night. Got an order of the traditional (potato, cheese and onion) and bacon (potato, bacon, caramelized onion). The bacon was okay, but I think that was mainly because the bacon tasted. not like bacon.
We were also looking forward to trying one of the dessert pierogis, namely the apple one, but since we went on the tail end of SXSW, they were out of ALL dessert pierogis. Boo. :o (
Apparently there is an old woman who makes all these pierogis and they cook and sell them at the food cart. That is so awesome. You can also supposedly buy them frozen if you want. And the prices are really reasonable.
I was really hoping they’d have some good kielbasa to go with the pierogis, unfortunately the only kielbasa they have is some sort of jalapeño kielbasa. :o/​I haven’t tried it yet, but was disappointed to find a bastardized Texas kielbasa at a specifically Polish-​themed food cart.
All in all, the pierogies were good, but I definitely need to try more varieties. I’d definitely hit this place up if I happen to be out and feel like pierogis or if I get another one of my MUST-​HAVE-​HOMEMADE-​PIEROGIS-​NOW mood. I’ve made homemade pierogis that taste just as pleasing, but unfortunately gave me arthritis making them. ow.
Definitely try this place out if you’ve never had a pierogi or don’t know what one is! Next time I go, I’ll try adding some toppings.

I have really been on a roll recently in finding 5 star-​worthy eateries, many of them mobile. And I will admit that I usually eat with a discerning palate at trailers, in order to best come down hard on their offerings if they are not up to my standards.
I want to start by saying that Hill Country Pierogi, though not located too close to Rainey, East 6^th, or dirty 6^th, or pretty much any bars, at that, really has a good idea by staying open until the ATX cattle come home (real late). When inebriated, I would be hard-​pressed to turn down one of these phenomenal items, which I will soon describe to you, in hopes of making you drool.
Next, I want to say that if these thick-​skinned guys had a little thinner wrapping, were tossed into water instead of fried, and sat in some butter or tomato sauce of Italian-​esque origin, then HCP would be grounds for national news in «somewhat unique and mind-​blowingly delicious ravioli.» Alas, these little guys are not from Italy.
The cats running this mobile eatery know what they are doing, in terms of production of these pockets of pure satisfaction, at ~$ 7 for 5, which can often be traced back to their founding in Central and Eastern Europe. Sorry that this review has so many sentences which are hard to follow; I just have so many wandering thoughts about my experience here.
They normally put 5 huge pierogis in an order, but they were gracious and allowed me to sample 2 of 1 kind and 3 of another. I am really one for trying all types of things. Example: I would go to Subway and order 2 different 6″ just to break up the flavor; I would take the hit of the extra $ 1 for mixing the sandwiches or whatever.
I know exactly what the dude running the front will tell you when you order (assuming there are not a bunch of people in front of you in queue): «We sauté to order, so we’ll have them out in 10 minutes.» I don’t even know why I said that.
THESE THINGS ARE HUGE. Probably the size of 2 normal pierogis. The flat part of the pockets are spot-​on crisp. The fillings are outrageous, and the thick skin really gives it a nice filling aspect. Far and away enough for a meal. The sour cream does the Polish staples justice. The vegetarian, boasting gorgonzola, mushrooms, potato, and spinach, is off the charts. Rich, tart, savory. The walnut topping is key. The Chorizo is the typical fusion offering, providing spicy sausage, beans, and chipotle. Potatoes, to boot. All in all, essentially like a breakfast taco. Bell pepper and sausage chunk toppings? Nice.
Eat here. Now.

I think that this place is my all-​time favorite food trailer in Austin.
They make everything to order, all the fillings and toppings are delicious, and the people who work there are (I think) all owners, and very friendly and helpful.
I have tried most of the different kinds of pierogis that they serve here and they were all incredibly good. The dessert ones are to die for, as they are served with fresh fruits and marscapone and I always want ten more than I ordered, even though I am full.
The Pizza-​rogi is bomb. Get it pan fried and eat it with a fork. Yum yum.

For my first time here, I had a traditional with mushrooms. I am no pierogi expert, but these little guys are fat, plump, pan-​seared tasty morsels. The mushrooms on top were nicely cooked and flavored and the stuff in the middle, was just slightly sweet. The sour cream cut the sweetness just so!
They take about 10 minutes to cook but you will not be disappointed. There is a limited choice on drinks, so bring your own to accompany this treat!

The first thing that caught my eye about Hill County Perogi was the very Boston Red Sox looking signage. Thankfully for this Austin Yankee, the recent rains have faded the sign a bit, if not my enthusiasm for a taste for their home cooking. My Grandmother was Polish-​American, so for me, growing up with Perogi and Kalbasa is as American as Baseball and Apple Pie.
Hill Country Perogi updates traditional savory dumpling ingredients such as potato, cheese, cabbage and beets with a Tex-​Mex flair throwing in, Bacon, Chorizo and Gorgonzola among other things. The specials change weekly and sell out fast, so check their Twitter feed to find out what is new before its all gone.
The owners always have a smile for returning customers, reminding me of Grandmas warm kitchen, which keeps me coming back for more.

Secret menu item: sampler plate, if you ask nicely. The flavors were great on the classic potato, the chorizo, and the spinach /​blue cheese vegetable one. I like the setup with real picnic tables (better than the random electrical cable spools and folding chairs over on east 6^th). If they’d upgrade from a k-​cup brewer, I would love to bring folks for coffee and dessert, but I understand that it’s a trailer. Unique and friendly.

Delicious, melt-​in-​your-​mouth good food! I had the blueberry variety: they were exquisite. Hot bubbly fruit in a little pocket with some fresh cream on the side… bliss. Next time, I’m getting those again in addition to something on the savory side.
The guys in the trailer were super-​nice, to boot!

We stopped by on a cold, rainy Sunday and it was just the thing to brighten up the dreary weather. The lady who worked there was so very nice. She even offered to bring our order out to our car so we could wait out the rain and cold inside it. We tried the original pierogies. They were delicious. Will definitely go back again.

Took my kids here while hubby was getting tattooed at Hub Tattoo. We ordered the All-​American Apple Pie. The clouds parted and the angels wept. It was absolutely heavenly. Its served warm with mascarpone and drizzled with sauce. We were in Austin for 4 days and went there everyday.
The people who work there are also great. The gave my daughter FREE ice cream with her Brookie. They even made my husband mini blueberry pierogis ON THE HOUSE. This is our new «go to» place in Austin. Everything is reasonably priced too. Next time we’ll try some of the savory ones :)

Feeling completely distant from the Austin trailer food scene after this dreadful summer, I knew I needed to get back in tune with my inner food truck foodie. Hubby and I went on a five-​trailer tasting one recent Friday night and Hill Country Pierogi was fifth on the trailer crawl.
If I was bursting two trailers ago, imagine me now. At the point that it hurts to even think of food, let alone smell or taste it. But, I’ve always been an eater. So I kept going.
This trailer is adorable and right next to a larger trailer (closed at night) that has its own forest of potted plants. Seriously.
We ordered the bacon, the veggie and the apple pie, thinking there was just one pierogi per order. Then, we were informed they were large and you got two with each order. Should we still order all that food? After just picking our way through four other trailers? Well I don’t know why not! Onward!
We came home, let food digest a bit and then dug in to our final treat. They had cooled off some by now, which I’ll admit, probably made them harden up a bit. The bacon had the least amount of flavor. The veggie was pretty yummy. But, the apple, oh the apple! It was sooo yum-​o! The sweetened marscapone that came with it was eaten separately with my finger because it was so decadent. What a way to end this delectable evening.

Came here for dinner tonight with my fiancé. The fajitas were amazing! We had chicken and chorizo fajitas with salsa verde and chipotle cream, truly the BEST fajitas I’ve EVER had. We’ll definitely be going back for more!
We also tried the veggie and sweet potato pierogies. Everything is very well seasoned and served piping hot. The traditional pierogies were great as well, they are sautéed instead of fried like all the other ones. A great option if you don’t want fried foods.
Even though it’s a pierogi place, they have very impressive other options like fajitas and sliders. I highly recommend this place, a true gem in east Austin.

What a welcome addition to the food trailer scene in Austin! While these are not the pierogi I grew up with (authentic Polish made by my aunts), these are awesome crispy pillows of goodness.
I got the apple pie pierogi and they were spectacular! i wouldn’t exactly call them «pierogi», almost like little fried pies, but they hit the spot and I’m looking forward to heading back there for more one weekend.
I hope these guys take my suggestion and start selling Polish pierogi – maybe not out of their trailer, but frozen ones, to go? Please, pretty please?

My goodness. What a gem! Heard about this food trailer from a friend who lives in the east village apartments. Being a pierogi noob, I asked the nice girl working the truck what it was. A cheerful and enthusiastic reply of pierogi facts–
— A polish dish, but done the Texas way of deep fried, golden goodness
— While the Polish only fill up the dumplings-​like dough with potatoes and cabbage, they fill it up with more exciting ingredients
— Filling! So make sure you’re hungry!
She also goes on to explain that each pierogi is handmade with love~very cute (and tons of work I’d expect!).
Definitely try the Tex Mex savory pierogi! Just the right amount of savory flavors and ingredients paired with a touch of sweet caramelized onion. Ah-​mazing.
I’ve always firmly believed that no pie can beat McDonalds incredibly processed and delicious apple pies. I guess I was right. It wasn’t a pie that beat it, but a pierogi! Definitely save room for this pocket full of gooey goodness.
Tons of flavor packed in the pierogi pockets, fresh ingredients, fair price, and lots of care and personality from the workers. All in all– the perfect food trailer experience.

Everyone has a childhood meal that’s permanently embedded in their memory bank. For most people that dish conjures up positive recollections of family conversations and exceptional flavors. For me that feast tastes like defeat, the defeat of my mom v. homemade pierogies. A full trashcan and a family-​sized box of Mrs. T’s Frozen Pierogies was the result of her one-​and-​only attempt to reconnect with her Eastern European roots.
Watching her struggle for hours over mixing bowls and a rolling pin (to no avail) instilled me with an undeniable respect for potato-​filled pastries. If I ever see them on a menu I HAVE to place an order, which is why I nearly peddled right into the back of a parked car when I discovered The Purple Bean’s newest neighbor, Hill Country Pierogi.
Working literally a stone’s throw away from this spot, I’m surprised I didn’t see this coming. I guess that’s the great thing about food trailers. One second there’s an empty lot populated by homeless people displaced by gentrification, and the next there’s a pierogi stand ran by a northeastern couple and a Scottish man.
After missing out on the Alamo (even though we showed up FORTY-​FIVE MINUTES EARLY), the Lady and I decided to take our date to this newfound pierogi place.
«Well ELLLLLOOOOOO!» greeted the Scotsman behind the window. «So, let me explain what we do ere.»
His spiel sounded like dialog from a Guy Ritchie movie. I ended his Pikey (Snatch reference) rant with two words, «I’m Polish.» That declaration may have only been ¹⁄₁₆ true, but at least it brought us closer to our dinner. We ordered one of each savory pierogi, grabbed a bottle of wine from J&J Drug Store and found an open table in front of the Purple Bean (where we also found the owner of Franklin Barbeque getting to know his fellow restauranteurs).
By the time we poured our wine, Mickey (another Snatch reference) brought us one order (2 pierogies per order) of «The Bacon» and «The Tex-​Mex.» The Bacon contained, you guessed it, bacon. The Tex-​Mex consisted of chorizo and black beans. Personally, I preferred The Bacon. It tasted like the lovechild of a potato skin and a ravioli. The Tex-​Mex had a nice kick, but it couldn’t compare to the sweetness of the bacon in The Bacon. Bacon.
Still a little hungry from the slightly under-​stuffed pierogies, we decided to explore the sweeter side of the menu. We ordered one «The All American» and one «The Blueberry,» which were also served two per order. They were essentially apple and blueberry turnovers, but what really made them sing was the sweetened whipped mascarpone topping. It even upstaged the scoop of Blue Bell Ice Cream we added to the order.
Once all of our pastries were consumed, the charming Scot (whose name is Aidan, btw) processed our check via iPhone. All it took was an app and a tiny credit card scanner plugged into the headphone jack. Seeing this revolutionary technology enhanced my hatred of «cash only» establishments AND my love of Hill Country Pierogi.
If they were to put a little more filling in the dough and add a few more options to the menu, this would easily be a five-​star eatery. But hey, four stars isn’t bad for a trailer that just started its «soft opening,» according to Aidan. I highly recommend you go grab a pierogi and tell him what you think. «We’re a food trailer of the people,» he says.