Restaurant
Texas Chili Parlor
Hole-in-the-wall chili counter near the Capitol, serving bowls from mild to fiery habanero heat.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Texas Chili Parlor in Austin follows Scott Zublin, the oilman known as Zoob who wandered in as a regular in the late nineteen seventies and stayed loyal until the day the state comptroller's office padlocked the place over unpaid taxes. It traces what he did next, and how a low-slung building a few blocks from the Capitol became a rescue story with politicians, lobbyists, songwriters, and a rowdy crew nicknamed the Mad Dogs sharing the same tables. You will also hear how the chalkboard's mild, classic, and habanero bowls got their names.
This audio guide was created using AI.