new growth

The ever-changing East Side: Restaurants, shops and bars just opened and comingsoon

Eastside Supply Co
Cenote
Tickle Beauty Boutique
Tamale House East
Photo by Shelley Seale
Pepito taco from the Little Shady food truck at Shady Seven
Photo by Shelley Seale

The east side of Austin is one of the most ever-changing, high-growth areas of the city. It seems that almost every week some new food truck, bar or shop is opening up — and this spring is no exception. Here’s a look at what’s brand new and coming soon on the East Side!

Just Opened:

Tamale House East – 1707 E. 6th Street
If you are anything like me, you think the original cramped, hot Tamale House on Airport Boulevard rules the breakfast taco. After moving to east Austin I had withdrawal from my weekly fix. So I was practically orgasmic to learn that Tamale House East just opened on March 8. The same much-loved original menu, plus some new items, and a nice little patio area. Note: Although the address is 6th Street, you can also get to it from the 5th Street side.

Cenote - 1010 E. Cesar Chavez
This adorable restaurant/café is in a beautifully restored 1887 house that was on the very first hand-drawn map of Austin. Opened on March 26, Cenote specializes in high quality espresso and fair trade coffees and they are the official new home of Rockstar Bagels. The menu is filled with delicious food that is as locally sourced as possible, utilizing Austin's awesome local farms as well their own on-site garden. Wine and beer is also available.

Eastside Supply Co. - 1105 E. 6th Street
After celebrating its grand opening on March 9, this retail store celebrates the modern-day artisan with a selection of uniquely designed and hand-crafted textiles and home goods from local designers, authors and individuals. The people behind Eastside Supply are graphic designers who created the store from their love of Austin.

Tickle Beauty Boutique - 1107 E. 11th Street
This new girly shop is nestled in a cute cottage on the artistic and evolving east 11th street. Tickle offers natural manicures and pedicures along with a wide range of clothing and accessories from local designers. The concept was created by shoe designer Jessica Nadeau, who decided to share her passion for fashion, including the addition of her eclectic taste in clothes and accessories, along with showcasing local and worldwide designers.

New Farmers Markets
To add to its popular original location HOPE has debuted a small pop-up market in Cherrywood on Wednesdays from 3 - 7 p.m. Also, the Sustainable Food Center just celebrated the opening of a new east market at the YMCA at Hwy. 183 and 51st Street, on March 20.

Honorable Mentions
Two other noteworthy newcomers include Hillside Farmacy and the Heywood Hotel, both of which we’ve profiled on CultureMap.

Coming Soon:

Shady Seven – 5100 E. 7th Street
This Mexican Ranch cantina is almost ready to open; but meanwhile, they’ve got the “Little Shady” food truck right in front, serving up deliciousness! This is Chef Tyson Blankemeyer’s second restaurant (the first was in New York), and in addition to a fantastic selection of tacos, gorditas and sandwiches, Shady is also currently serving a variety of ceviches. The menu is sure to expand greatly once the full restaurant is open.

Vintage Heart Coffee – 1405 E. 7th Street
Opening summer 2012, Vintage will be brewing the fair trade coffees and espresso from fellow locals Third Coast Roasting Company. Quack's 43rd Street bakery will provide pastries, Wholy Bagels brings a bit of the east coast, and with house-made syrups, Vintage has your coffee fix covered. They will also give a discount for those who bring their own mug or choose to dine in-house.

The Silo on 7th – 1300 E. 7th Street
There isn’t a whole lot of information about this new restaurant under construction; with yes, a big silo out in front. It will be a drafthouse/brewpub style joint, with a rooftop deck.

Counter Culture – 2337 E. Cesar Chavez
Once a trailer food joint on North Loop, Counter Culture is busy establishing a brick-and-mortar location due east. Shooting for an opening date in April, this restaurant will feature vegan and raw food specialties. “Counter Culture is on the perfect street,” the owners wrote on Facebook. “Cesar Chávez was a vegan because he believed in animal rights and also for his health.”

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Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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new growth

The ever-changing East Side: Restaurants, shops and bars just opened and comingsoon

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