Cedar (Park) Fever

These 7 restaurants north of Austin are totally worth the drive

To some, Cedar Park is just south of Dallas … the wild unknown that exists entirely too far away from the comfort of their Austin domiciles. But here's the Cedar Park secret: Less expensive rent has created opportunities for really great restaurants to thrive.

Here are seven unique spots that make CP worth the trip:

Soto
Sandwiched between a Party City and a Hancock Fabrics is one of the best sushi spots in the Austin area. Believe it? You better! Menu items include truffled white salmon, live scallop, fresh Hamachi on a torched jalapeño, otoro with mango on fried shiso leaf, and flash-torched wagyu. fish is flown in every other day and Chef Andy Okamoto loves to get creative. The lunch special and all-night Monday social will let you explore without breaking the bank.

Local Slice Pizza
Not to be confused with Home Slice, Local Slice has a passion for New York-style pizza. It has three Austin-area locations, and they offer specialty pizzas like the Elgin (with Elgin sausage), the Five-hour Hawaiian (braised pork belly), and the Longhorn (marinated steak). For $6.50, you can get two slices and a soda for lunch.

Teji's Indian Restaurant and Grocery
What started as an Indian market with a small side eatery has turned into three full-service locations. And as we all know, if it was originally a market, it’s authentic. Try the samosa chaat, chaat pappdi, hara bhara chicken, lamb boi kabab, stuffed baingan, kadahi goat, and all the naan varieties you can handle. Wash those down with a mango or rose lassi. There's also a Teji's near UT campus now if that's more in your neck of the woods.

Blue Corn Harvest
A fusion of Southern and Mexican cuisines? Yes please! At Blue Corn Harvest, sample chili shrimp quesadillas, West Texas chicken nachos, seafood enchiladas, or adobo grilled pork tenderloin. They use exclusively natural grass-fed beef and buy locally grown vegetables. Kids eat free on Mondays, there's an extensive gluten-free menu, and the brunch menu is bangin’.

Chada Thai Traditional Taste
With a wide range of curries, double portions, and an $8 lunch special, Chada is the Thai darling of Cedar Park. The owner’s mother is the chef, and she makes sauces and spices in-house. A crowd favorite is the “golden bags” — fried chicken, sweet potato, onion, and curry sauteed with soy sauce and wrapped in rice paper. You can buy the spice mixture to go.

Gangnam Zip
Fresh, fast, and healthy Korean food is happening right here at Gangnam Zip. For $10, you get your choice of meat with a variety of preparations; banchan, Korean noodles, or salad; rice; and a small soup. The chef’s special is kimchi-fried rice with an egg on top. Of course, they do bubble teas and smoothies — and deliver.

C.R. Surf & Turf
Come here for the gumbo, the stuffed shrimp po'boy, and the cheap oysters ($12 per dozen). Crab lovers will find a happy home here as well: soft shell crab sandwiches; fat crab cakes; and the big favorite — crab scampi made with fresh chunks of crab, spinach, and tomatoes swimming in a garlic butter bath, served with French baguette.

Chada is the Thai darling of Cedar Park.

Chada Thai Traditional Taste/Facebook

Chada is the Thai darling of Cedar Park.

lunch dinner bests chefs where-to-eat

Games on the Go

This outdoorsy mountain trolley is now a vintage arcade in Austin

Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley still bears most of the markings from its past life in Tennessee.

Some classic arcade games are now on the go in Austin with the launch of the Austin Arcade Trolley. Housed in a renovated trolley car, this new mobile arcade shows off eight vintage 80s and 90s games, while keeping some of the transportation nostalgia intact, too.

Austin Arcade Trolley owner and ex-corporate salesman Trey Tschoepe said in a press release that the idea came about after attending birthday parties with his 6-year-old daughter. The parties inspired a desire to "keep Austinites young at heart." It wasn't intended as a business, but Austinites can now book it for their own events.

The vintage games include:

NBA Jam
Golden Tee
Ms. Pacman
Atari
The Simpsons
NFL Blitz
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter II

Austin Arcade Trolley interior Even though the aesthetics are different, both halves of this bus are very retro.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

It's not just limited to those classics, though; a 55-inch screen will let guests play more than 30,000 other games. Minecraft, Roblox, and Tetris are a few of those offerings.

“Not only are we delivering nostalgic fun that accessible to all ages, but we’re also doing it in style with a vintage trolley car converted into a mobile arcade," said Tschoepe. "There’s truly nothing else like this in Texas or anywhere else.”

There certainly are other mobile arcades, but the trolley is unique not just for its vintage selection but a delightfully outdoorsy look. The back of the vehicle looks like an arcade, but the front and exterior sidestep the expected design elements — neon colors, envisionings of cyberspace — by keeping everything as-is.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley basically looks like any other mobile arcade.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The wooden interior still has some passenger benches, and the outside even displays its original affiliation: the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, where it was designated a "Fun Time Trolley."

Tschoepe did put some work in, even though he kept the aesthetic intact. He purchased the decommissioned car in May 2024 and spent six months implementing custom woodwork and other design updates.

Now it can fit 15 guests in the arcade section, with space for 7 more in the seating section. There's also wifi and air-conditioning, and guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks onboard.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley brings light to an airier side of gaming.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley is available for hourly booking every day. The case price is $375 including delivery, setup, and unlimited play within the booking time, which happens in two-hour increments. It can travel around Austin as well as to Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Buda, Kyle, and Lakeway.

Tschoepe welcomes kids and adults for birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, corporate and team-building events, and anywhere else it's needed.

“We’re excited to spread the fun throughout Central Texas," he said.

kids games arcade parties weddings

Cedar (Park) Fever

These 7 restaurants north of Austin are totally worth the drive

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