Everybody’s stood in line for a cup at Jo’s on South Congress, a small, open-air hut with drinks, sandwiches, and baked goods. This is deeply Austin, from the rusty metal chairs and tables to the sunset views of downtown and the Capitol. Tables are equally covered by newspapers as by laptops, and bands sometimes play in the parking lot. Food at this location is not made to order, and is just in service to the coffee and outstanding, iconic scene.

Militant Austivores grumble that the second outpost of Jo’s is a sell-out because of the yupped-out company it keeps, its postindustrial-minimalist style, its greater accessibility to out-of-towners, and its shorter queues. (The horror!) But we can find little fault with it. Abundant outlets run underneath the long counter, and the front patio begs pretty-people watching. There’s a damned fine burger, cooked to temperature with a slightly sweet bun that’s especially good with the addition of mushrooms and caramelized onions. The soup of the day is pretty reliable, one time a spicy pork and cabbage that outdid many of our finer restaurants’ renditions. Dogs (of both the hot and pet varieties) also work well here, as does brunch. Even the few wines there are surprisingly well-chosen. True, it’s a Dallasesque Second Street out there, but it’s all Austin in there.