on the top shelf

These 8 Austin corner stores and gourmet markets deal in tiny luxuries

What could be more Austin than a gourmet convenience store?

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Everything is bigger and better in Texas, and that often applies to grocery stores. Sometimes it feels like there's a million different brands for the simplest of ingredients. While we may love the options, sometimes we crave the comforting feeling of a smaller, more curated shopping experience. That’s where corner stores come to shine.

Corner stores, or bodegas, are sometimes regarded as places meant to be a quick stop for a few household essentials and a favorite deli sandwich. But they’ve turned into much more for those seeking to buy more local specialty items along with their usual grocery list. Some gourmet shops are so good for browsing, they become a community destination.

So whether you're seeking a taste of local flavor, a sustainable shopping experience, or simply a place to unwind with a cold brew, these Austin corner stores have you covered.

Tiny Grocer
One of the best-known stores on this list, Tiny Grocer prides itself on offering the best selection of small-batch and local products in Austin. Here you find everything from pantry items to fresh fruits, beer, wine, and houseware on beautifully stacked shelves, making for an ideal one-stop shop. The deli and coffee stand in the original location in SoCo cements Tiny Grocer as a local favorite and last year a second location opened in Hyde Park with a deli-by-day, French-bistro-by-night concept adding even more to its charm.

Parker & Scott
Sustainability is at the core of this shop owned by husband and wife duo, Ian and Jess, showcasing many local artisans and products, stationery items, a book corner, a well-curated food corner, and even a refill station. The latter reduces waste from kitchen and bath cleaners to toothpaste tables, soaps, and shampoo. The owners were inspired to open a shop that feels like home, and it has translated into a beautiful pet and kid-friendly space where Austinites can easily connect to both the products and the people who made them.

Royal Blue Grocery
Royal Blue doesn’t care what you call it, be it a bodega or a corner store; What it cares about is getting customers what they need, as conveniently as possible. Although it focuses more on its food items like fresh produce, the grab-n-go counter, deli offerings, and curated pantry and snack options, you can also find all the household items you may need. This store has been around for almost 20 years now (starting in Austin in 2006), and its popularity has led to various locations around town, each one with slight differences tailored to the community it serves.

Quickie Pickie
Quickie Pickie is truly a one-of-a-kind place where a grocery store meets a coffee and beer joint — in the most Austin way possible. This veteran in the specialty store scene has been around for over 25 years, making it a beloved local spot. If you like a more relaxed, less perfectly curated ambiance, this store is perfect for that with a small but mighty selection of groceries, household, and pantry items. It’s also a great hangout spot with beer on taps and a stand with a variety of burger and taco options for dine-in or take-out.

Cork & Brew Market
This charming market now has two locations in South Austin featuring organic, high-quality products from specialty snacks, to everyday pantry and household items, grab-and-go food, pastries, and a coffee shop. There’s a wide selection of wine and beer with helpful staff quick to offer suggestions and answer any questions. But what sets Cork & Brew apart is the Ras Modern Indian restaurant; a popular food truck that found a second home at the market, offering beloved staples like curry and fried rice and other fusion items like Indian-inspired burgers and sandwiches.

Foxtrot
This chain from Chicago didn't start in Austin, but it was former Austin residents who got things started. Stores have been popping up in quick succession since 2023, and the gourmet selection and welcoming seating areas with reliable WiFi have made it instantly popular. Local items include beers, wines, and the nonalcoholic spirit Slow Luck; baked goods by Sour Duck and Bougie’s Donuts & Coffee; and other snacks like Yellowbird Hot Sauce. Store brand products like popcorn and gummies are tasty and convenient additions.

Thom’s Market
This recognizable market is an Austin icon thanks to its accessible location and fun signage on Barton Springs Road. It's a fabulous place to stop on the way to the park (and it's expanded to two more locations), with fresh baked goods, high quality wines, and packaged snacks ready to be tossed in a bag. Outside of food, there's a wealth of useful things and less useful, more fun ones: firewood, natural mosquito repellent, branded bucket hats, and the odd community zine. Thom's Market is better with a friend, so thank goodness it hosts pop-ups with local mushroom growers, yogis, and more.

Barton Hills Food Mart
This one's a gas station convenience store, and it looks like one. But inside is a beverage wonderland, with rows upon rows of wines, beers, and nonalcoholic brews. It also carries plenty of snacks from across the junk-to-gourmet spectrum, and an expanded selection of standard convenience store offerings like lotions, toiletries, and Tiger Balm. Most notable, though, is the deli and pizza window in the back (not quite gourmet, but very convenient) and a staggering selection of CBD, nootropics, and other recreational products a that even surpasses some specialty smoke shops.

Brianna Caleri contributed to this article.

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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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