South Lamar is a hot spot for some of Austin’s most high-end restaurant options. Delicious aims to fit in with the classy label of South Lamar — but not necessarily the expensive part. 

“We have the feeling you get when you enjoyed high-end food without the uppity feel of having to get dressed up to go somewhere nice,” chief operating officer Taslim Jamal said. 

Delicious offers farm-to-table meals with the help of a collaborating chef who comes up with the first draft of the menu before the rest of the partners come together to help better tailor it to the community.

It’s more than just another South Lamar restaurant­, though — it also serves as a bar and as a market. Past the sizable dining room is a modestly sized but impressively stocked convenience store that boasts everything from beer and wine to nuts and gummies. 

“It’s supposed to be a community store for everyone in this area,” Jamal said. “We cover all the bases here. It’s just kind of a spot to get everything.” 

Instead of popular name brands, Delicious offers specialty products local to Austin whenever possible. 

“We have a product buyer that gets all of our products and ingredients, and he buys a lot of specialty stuff and a lot of stuff that’s local to Austin,” Jamal said. “We try to support our community as much as we can. It’s like a big thing for us.” 

At Delicious, Jamal said, they try to stay receptive to what customers do and do not like so they can make the right changes. 

“Just finding out what people want is definitely where most of our growth occurs,” Jamal said. “It’s all about listening to the community and tailoring to their needs.”

Aside from the brunch menu available Friday to Sunday, most of Delicious’s menu consists of sandwiches that are anything but basic. 

A major highlight of the sandwich selection is the Korean fried chicken sandwich, which combines a fried piece of chicken breast, cucumber kimchi and fermented chili paste with some fresh bibb lettuce. 

The chicken alone is enough to carry this sandwich, with a superbly crunchy breading that isn’t too greasy. The cucumber kimchi brings an interesting tang to the sandwich, while the fermented chili paste adds just enough spice to please all types of palates. Even the soft buttered sesame bun contributes to making this a memorable dish.

Aside from the sandwich selection, Delicious also offers daily specials that deviate from the rest of the menu, like the pimento chicken and grits. While simple, this dish was surprisingly tasty and filling. 

It combines a basic trio of tender chunks of chicken, pimento grits and house-made salsa. The end result was a warm and hearty stew-like dish. The mostly dark meat chicken compliments the grits well, and the cheesiness of the pimento always improves the flavor of grits for the better. The salsa, though, is what really brings the flavor of the meal to its highest level with a notable amount of spice. 

The items on the menu aren’t necessarily cheap, but for the high quality of the food they offer, they’re definitely more reasonable than at neighboring establishments. Most of the sandwiches are in the $9–$12 price range, with a few exceptions for fancier options such as lobster and shrimp rolls. 

Delicious is a great spot to grab a nice meal or drinks with friends for a reasonable price. With a relaxed environment, good food and a convenient market in the back for people to grab last minute snacks or alcohol, it’s easy to see this become a favorite among South Lamar residents.