Hit Snooze

Austin nabs new restaurant devoted to dishing out brunch 7 days a week

Snooze specializes in decadent breakfast creations and boozy cocktails.

Courtesy photo

Who says brunch can only be enjoyed on the weekends? With the arrival of Snooze, an A.M. Eatery in Austin comes the freedom to have breakfast and brunch every day of the week.

On May 28, the new restaurant will open in the up-and-coming Lamar Central development on North Lamar Boulevard. The Colorado-based chain also has locations in California and Arizona, but the Austin locale marks its first Texas spot.

The menu at Snooze ranges from sweet and decadent to savory and healthy. Highlights include pineapple upside down pancakes, chilaquiles Benedict, and a breakfast pot pie. Snooze also encourages custom orders, so guests are invited to get creative with their substitutions and requests.

As tasty as the food is, nothing quite compares to Snooze's unique cocktails. Sure, mimosas are great, but wouldn't breakfast be better with the Violet Beauregarde (Snooze sparkling, Dripping Springs Gin, blueberry, and maple syrup) or a Snooze Fashioned (Rebecca Creek Whiskey, cold-brew coffee, blueberry shrub, and bitters)?

But Snooze isn't just about making breakfast more accessible (and boozy). Getting involved with the Austin community is a huge part of the restaurant's mission. On the menu you'll notice local items like Vital Farms free-range eggs, Flat Track cold-brewed coffee, Cuvée Coffee, Farm to Table Texas preserves, El Milagro Tortillas, and more.

Additionally, 1 percent of sales "makes its way back into the local community through the donation of in-kind goods (aka pancakes!) and services," reads the website. Charity partners for the Austin location include All Blind Children for Texas, Sustainable Food Center, and Meals on Wheels.

Snooze's daily hours will be 6:30 am to 2:30 pm. Keep an eye out for locations opening in South Austin and Houston later this year.

Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

dive bars whiskey cocktails openings driftwood