Express Eats

Express eats: 5 spots for a quick and delicious weekday lunch

What if you had time to linger over lunch? To actually sit down and nosh on a hot entrée and chat about art or politics with a dear friend before heading back to the office? Sometimes, we do. But more often than not, we find ourselves in a rush to eat lunch during the work week.

In a perfect world (the one in which I have plenty of time, an unlimited pocketbook, a robust metabolism, and not a care in the world), I would enjoy every nanosecond of an afternoon meal, from the flavor pairings to the color combinations. Until then, though, when I’m not in my own kitchen tossing greens or making black bean and avocado tacos, I’m scouring the city in search of brick-and-mortar restaurants that serve scrumptious lunch offerings — and fast. Here are a few favorites.

East Side King @ Hole in the Wall
If you are anywhere near the UT campus, make your way to this no-frills joint behind one of Austin’s legendary watering holes. Colorful murals adorn the walls of this narrow space that houses a foosball table, pool table and pinball machines. But the draw here is the amazing food by Chef Paul Qui of Top Chef fame. Menu offerings range from Tori Meshi (Thai chicken kara-agé and rice) to Poor Qui’s Buns (roasted pork belly in a steamed bun with hoisin, cucumber kimchi and green onion). We like to sit outside under the shade of an umbrella and listen to snippets of lively debates among students and professors while relishing every bite of the chicken tortilla ramen — chicken and pork dashi and a Tom-Yum base with braised chicken, dried shrimp, avocado, and cilantro.

2538 Guadalupe, 512-363-5365, eskaustin.com

Tacos and Tequila
During the weekdays, we skip the tequila portion of this spot’s name and focus on the better half: the tacos. This fresh taqueria off West Fifth Street is great for a quick bite in a quirky environ. The lively music infuses some energy into the comfortable space while professionals, artists and tech gurus plan out the next millennium. The menu can be a tad overwhelming, but you can’t go wrong with skewers (try the Southwest Veggie served with mango habanero sauce) or the tacos (think barbecued pulled pork with jalapeño relish).

507 Pressler, 512-436-8226, tacos-and-tequila.com

chavez
This new spot by restaurateur Shawn Cirkiel (the brains and talent behind parkside, the backspace, and olive and june) offers a killer view of Lady Bird Lake and one of the city’s most innovative menus. The open space designed by Michael Hsu features floor-to-ceiling windows and minimal decor that utilizes a combination of materials such as wood, steel and glass. For faster service during the week (we clocked a recent stop at 30 minutes total dining time), find a spot at the luxuriously cool bar and then order off the full lunch menu, which is built around shareable plates. Offerings include everything from grilled quail en mole and bean and cheese empanadas to oyster taquitos and carne asada flank steak. A chicken tinga torte with pickled red onion and cilantro is a must. Finish with a tall glass of ice water enhanced with freshly squeezed lime, lemon or orange.

111 Cesar Chavez, 512-328-3935, chavez-austin.com

Turf N’ Surf Po-Boy
Culinary talent runs strong in the Gilmore family. Jack Gilmore runs Jack Allen’s Kitchen in South Austin, Jack’s son Bryce is the talent behind Barley Swine, and Ralph Gilmore, Jack’s brother, runs this beloved operation that was once a trailer and now resides inside Lavaca Street Bar. A native of Brownsville, Gilmore’s inspiration is a mix of his roots from South Texas and the cuisine of New Orleans. What’s not to like? Fresh seafood and delicious eats, from the grilled shrimp salad to the buffalo chicken platter. Of course, the po boys are king here — we like the fried shrimp. A perfect quick lunchtime nosh.

407 Lavaca, 512-276-2763, lavacastreet.com/turf-n-surf

Whole Foods Market
We can’t help ourselves. This grocery-turned-hangout spot between is a regular lunch stop. Let’s be honest, the traffic and parking sometimes act as deterrents, but if you can make it inside this mega-flagship store, then your total ordering and eating time is lickety-split (if you know what you want). We find ourselves waffling between the pasta bar and the seafood station, but we’re always game for a smoothie — the El Conquistador with honey, lime, pineapple, strawberry, coconut water and orange juice is one of our favorites — or a barbecue wrap (we like the chopped beef topped with pickles, onions and sauce stuffed inside a homemade flour tortilla). If we have time (and we usually do), we manage to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner.

525 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-542-2200, wholefoodsmarket.com

Chavez.

Photo by Meredith Bethune

Chavez.

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More sushi, more seats

Famous Austin omakase restaurant moves into bigger space with new bar

Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

Sushi | Bar is moving into a new spot. (Photo from a Sushi | Bar location in another city)

Another day, another update from a sushi restaurant in Austin. This is a big one: Sushi | Bar Austin, a prestigious omakase spot with other well-known locations in Dallas, Chicago, and three other U.S. cities, is shaking things up with a move into the center of downtown. It'll also debut a new cocktail lounge concept in January of 2025, with help from some celebrated mixologists.

Sushi | Bar is currently located at 2600 E. Cesar Chavez St., and it's moving about two miles to 419 West 2nd St. The move places it across from Local Foods, Numero28, and the Violet Crown Cinema. A press release says it "represents an evolution for the Sushi | Bar experience," which includes more seatings.

This sushi counter has a very upscale reputation thanks to its exclusive accommodations — originally only 10 seats — as well as the intrinsic formality of omakase, which is a service style where the chef chooses what a diner will taste. In the new space, there will be two rooms that each seat 12 guests, more than doubling the chance to snag a reservation.

There, they'll enjoy 17 courses featuring imports from Japan, New Zealand, and California, among other markets. Nigiri options (sliced fish on top of rice) will change with the seasons.

$\u200bSushi | Bar$ This nigiri gets some texture sprinkled on top.Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

Most notably, the new location will be connected to the cocktail lounge Golden Ace. According to the release, the idea to extend the experience past the omakase portion came from customer feedback. It'll be bigger than Sushi | Bar — about 1,400 square feet compared to 1,100 — and seats 35-40 guests.

The cocktail program will be led by Christian “Suzu” Suzuki-Orellana, who competed on the Netflix show Drink Masters and also draws in partners from Middlehouse, the group behind luxe local cocktail bars Here Nor There and In Plain Sight. He'll have the help of lead bartender Brett Esler, who co-founded Murray’s Tavern and was a nominee for Best Bartender in CultureMap's 2019 Tastemaker Awards.

They'll focus on "elevated yet approachable cocktails" with Japanese influences that "seamlessly blend tradition with modern mixology," the release says. Although Golden Ace is connected to Sushi | Bar, it will have its own unique atmosphere.

“This was a location that we came across moments after it became available on the market,” said Ryan Stock, co-founder of Adept Hospitality, the group behind Sushi | Bar, in the release. “We knew it was the perfect fit for the next iteration of Sushi | Bar in its hometown. It’s a premium experience, and this is a premium location, right at the center of Austin’s exciting downtown development. We’re thrilled to bring our elevated omakase experience to such a vibrant area."

$\u200bSushi | Bar$ With 17 courses, there will be lots to try.Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

The release traces this Austin history back to 2020, in a collaboration between Ryan Stock, Josh Tohl, and Jonathan Husby of Adept Hospitality and Steve Michaels of Asylum Entertainment Group. Phillip Frankland Lee was also part of the business as a chef and minority stakeholder, it says, until leaving in 2021.

Sushi | Bar also highlights some of its current team members: lead sushi chef Bryan Williams, director of culinary strategy at Sushi Bar Hospitality Anthony Martin, hospitality group vice president Justin Sanford, and the new general manager, John Sizemore.

Now business relations extend to the family behind Terry Black’s BBQ, which Stock explains came out of a mutual culinary admiration with Mark Black and his family. So far, the release does not detail what the collaboration will entail.

“An organic love for each other’s operations turned into a friendship, which ultimately led to this collaboration," he said. "Sushi | Bar’s DNA certainly begins in Austin, and Terry Black’s is the staple and standard when it comes to Austin BBQ. A new project in downtown Austin was the perfect opportunity for the two great Austin names to finally collaborate together.”

Reservations for Sushi | Bar open on the first of every month.

omakase sushi openings closings