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A spirit that is not afraid

Best new restaurant: Irritable Bao

<p>The Irritable Bao was voted best new restaurant for Plainsman's choice 2021 on March 26, 2021, in Auburn Ala.&nbsp;</p>

The Irritable Bao was voted best new restaurant for Plainsman's choice 2021 on March 26, 2021, in Auburn Ala. 

With the lines that form outside of this establishment, it’s not surprise that The Plainsman staff chose Irritable Bao as this year’s best new restaurant. 

Not entirely new to the Auburn area itself, Irritable Bao is still settling into its new location after moving from the corner of Glenn Avenue and North Donahue to the downtown storefront on Magnolia Avenue in June 2020. 

Going along with the name, Irritable Bao first became popular among Auburn students by serving creative variations on this classic meal, such as Cheeseburger Bao, Breakfast Bao and Brisket Bao.

While serving fan favorite flavors of bao, owner Whitley Dykes and his wife Kunyu Li have continued adding to the menu. Customers can grab an iced tea, chicken or pork boxes, pork burgers or even an original take on corndogs. 

Besides having amazing food, Irritable Bao is also known for its popular Instagram page, that currently has 17,400 followers. Everyday Dykes is out interacting with people in line, snapping pictures and cracking jokes. The inside environment is also perfect to catch up with friends or family while enjoying a delicious meal. 

Another reason to keep up with the social media is to keep up with the changing menu. Each day at Irritable Bao comes with different flavors and specials to keep things interesting. You never know what it will be until the day before when Dykes adds the items to one of his posts. 

Though Irritable Bao may be like nothing you’ve seen before, you have to try it at least once before leaving town. A new favorite restaurant will definitely be added to your list. 


Natalie Beckerink | Content Editor




Natalie Beckerink, senior in political science, is the content editor of The Auburn Plainsman. 


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