ACL Fest 2026 Food, Round 2: Rainbow Dumplings, Nachos and a Giant Pretzel, Ranked

Round 1 was steak frites, smash burgers and tacos. Round 2 is the stuff we kept walking past: rainbow dessert dumplings, a box of loaded nachos and a giant pretzel. Here is how the 3 rank, what each costs, and whether they are worth your money at ACL Fest Weekend 2, October 9 to 11.

We tried all 3 during Weekend 1. Together they cost $44 before tax, less than the $48 we paid for 2 entrées in Round 1. Prices are from the menu boards, and every vendor is cashless.

The Ranking

• #1 Rainbow Dumplings, $14 — Bao'd Up. Four dessert dumplings in matcha, cacao, egg cream and ube, with a strawberry cream cheese dip.
• #2 Giant Pretzel, $10 — Koko's Bavarian, founded by a real Bavarian prince. A soft pretzel the size of your face. Add queso for $2.
• #3 Loaded Nachos, $20 — La Taquicardia. Corn chips, queso and jalapeños, with a choice of cochinita pibil from an East Austin taqueria known for it.

The prettiest thing we ate at ACL was a $14 box of dumplings.

1. Rainbow Dumplings at Bao'd Up, $14

Four dessert dumplings, each a different color and flavor: green matcha, brown cacao, orange egg cream and purple ube, with a pink strawberry cream cheese dip in the middle. They are sweet, not savory, so treat them as dessert. Bao'd Up is a local Austin dumpling shop, and nothing else at ACL Eats looks like this.

They are the best-looking thing at ACL Eats, and at $14 they are one of the cheaper plates in the park. If you only try one new thing at Weekend 2, make it this. Bao'd Up also sells bao from $7 and Szechuan fries for $7.

2. Giant Pretzel at Koko's Bavarian, $10

A big, soft pretzel with butter and coarse salt, or cinnamon and sugar. Queso is $2 more. The twist: Koko's Bavarian was founded by a real Bavarian prince, so this is about as close to a beer hall pretzel as ACL gets. They also sell brats from $13, currywurst for $16 and a corndog bucket for $30.

It is the cheapest thing on this list, the easiest to eat while walking between stages, and it does exactly what you want after a long set. That is why it beats the nachos.

3. Loaded Nachos at La Taquicardia, $20

A full box of corn tortilla chips with queso, a heavy layer of shredded meat and plenty of jalapeños. You pick the protein: barbacoa, birria, chicken or cochinita pibil. That last one is the move: La Taquicardia is an East Austin taqueria trailer whose cochinita pibil, Yucatán-style slow-roasted pork, The Infatuation calls some of the best in town. Festival nachos do not usually come with that.

It is the most food of the 3 and easy to split between 2 people, which makes the $20 go further. Get it if you are sharing.

Prices are from the menu boards at ACL Fest Weekend 1 and do not include sales tax. Menus can change between weekends, so check the board before you order. Every vendor at ACL is cashless.