Coming soon

Here is every anticipated Austin restaurant opening in spring 2018

The Brewer's Table is on the cusp of opening.

The Brewer's Table

With all the pollen in the air, we don’t have to tell you that spring has officially arrived. But we have something that might help you get through all the sneezing. We've compiled our reporting, snooped around a bit, and asked those in the know to compile the complete list of every anticipated restaurant debuting in the coming months.

From new patios to a plethora of pizza, these upcoming Austin eateries are sure to be the most talked about of the season. Start building your bucket list now.

40 North
The cult Neapolitan pizza trailer from Clint Elmore makes a comeback as a new brick-and-mortar at 900 W. 10th St., the flood-prone former location of Bacon and a short lived iteration of El Chile Group’s El Sapo. The menu will still focus on creative pies topped with kale, mushrooms and herbs, roasted eggplant, and coppa and hot honey, along with house made mozzarella and sausage. Signs point to an opening within the next few weeks. On April 5, the restaurant announced that it was hiring.

Bento Picnic
By the end of April, local entrepreneur Leanne Valenti will introduce a full service version of her catering and kiosk business. The menu will include bento boxes, natch, and sides like red bean jelly bars, miso soup, and honey butter cornbread.

Bird Bird Biscuit
Move over breakfast tacos. In May, Thunderbird Coffee’s Brian Batch and Ryan McElroy will be giving East Austinites a whole new reason to wake up. As the name implies, biscuit sandwiches will make up the bulk of the menu, stuffed with chicken sausage and egg; bacon, egg, and cheese; or fried chicken. There will also be biscuit doughnut holes covered in cinnamon and sugar because the owners are clearly benevolent.

Bonchon
Sorry, Austin. Round Rock is scoring the first location of world famous Korean fried chicken chain Bonchon. Originally slated for a February opening, the restaurant now looks like it will be serving katsu, wings, potstickers, tacos, and fried rice by the end of April.

The Brewer’s Table
Owner Jake Maddux has drafted an all-star team for his ambitious project at 4715 E. Fifth St., including Tastemakers Rising Star Chef of the Year winner Zach Hunter as executive chef, Live Oak Brewing vet Drew Durish as head brewer, and Miche Bread’s Sandeep Gyawali as head baker. Expect plenty of crossovers between beer and food and a rollicking atmosphere by the end of April.

Cava
Build your own grain bowl at this D.C.-based fast casual eatery, coming to Urban Outfitters’ Space 24 Twenty later this spring. A sort of Mediterranean Chipotle, the chain allows guests to customize salads and pitas with dips like tzatziki and harissa, proteins like lamb meatballs and falafel, and veggies. The Guadalupe Street shop will be the first of three Austin stores. Locations in Westlake and downtown are also in the works.

Cookbook
Downtown’s showpiece Austin Central Library turns another page in May when ELM Restaurant Group’s novel (get it?) Cookbook concept is expected to open. The counter service eatery will feature a food menu based on recipes from the library’s vast collection and a bar menu complete with footnotes. Guests will also be able to order from a window near the library’s main entrance and enjoy coffee on the gorgeous rooftop.

Crêpeful
University of Texas graduate Dat Lam is bringing Japanese-style crepes to 6550 Comanche Trail near the Oasis. Grab crepes in cones filled with strawberries, coconut ice cream, bananas, edible crystals, and all the fixings of margherita pizza as well as drinks and light bites. The debut will happen later in spring, but you can preview the offerings April 14-15 at Blue Owl Brewery.

Jugo
The juice shop and grab-and-go counter from Parkside Projects will soon open a second location at 4200 N. Lamar Blvd., home of Uchiko, Tacodeli, Houndstooth Coffee, and Floyd’s Barber Shop.

Hank’s
If you want to get technical about it, this all-day cafe from the team behind the much-missed Henri’s is already open, having launched soft opening service with limited hours on April 7 with full hours following soon. The restaurant features a family-friendly atmosphere including a patio and drive-thru, and a menu of sandwiches, pastas, and larger plates.

Home Slice
It seems like decades since the popular South Congress pizza purveyor first announced it was building a new north location, but it looks like the wait will soon be over. Earlier this month, the restaurant posted Facebook teaser photos of the whimsical light fixtures being used in the space at 501 E. 53rd St. The owners are mum about the exact spring opening date for now, but did reveal to CultureMap in July 2017 that the new space will include an expanded menu (including Buffalo wings) and a full bar.

Korean Komfort
The popular food truck is putting a fresh coat of paint on the former location of Zen at 3423 Guadalupe St. The fast casual shop, debuting later in spring, will offer a menu similar to its trailer with bibimbop, kimchi fried rice, bulgogi rice bowls, and mandoo dumplings.

Lin Asian Bar
Ling Qi Wu, the force behind Wu Chow’s fabled Shanghai soup dumplings, has branched out on her own in the former location of Rounders Pizzeria at 1203 W. Sixth St. The menu posted on the website features dim sum classics like Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, barbecue pork buns, turnip cakes, and sesame balls. Although the grand opening date has shifted a few times, the most current Instagram post says the Clarksville area should expect a new neighbor on May 9. And, yes, there will be soup dumplings — both pork and seafood.

Line ATX Hotel
The reinvention of the downtown Radisson is set to debut in late spring, but if the long delays that afflicted the recently opened Fairmont Austin are any indication of how difficult it is to open a luxury hotel, no one should hold their breath. We hope the date is sooner than later so we can enjoy the property’s four hospitality projects: Arlo Grey from Top Chef winner Kristen Kash, P6 from former Counter 3. Five. VII chef Damien Brockway, Bridge & Trail from hotel executive chef Justin Ermini, and California-based coffee shop Alfred.

Little Big Burger
PDX comes to ATX for the first Texas location of Pacific Northwest chain Little Big Burger. The minimalist menu features brioche buns topped with local and sustainable ingredients, truffle fries, local beer, and floats made with Tillamook ice cream and Barq’s root beer. The last word on the opening date was early 2018.

Lotus + Cleaver
Domain Northside American-Chinese sandwich shop General Tso’Boy was gone too soon, but owners Jessica Wu and Gary Wu have teamed up with River & Hills Hospitality Group to open an Austin location of Miami restaurant Lotus + Cleaver in the same space in April. Although the Austin offerings have not been revealed, expect a menu similar to the original, which serves Chinese barbecue, peking duck, and stir-fry dishes.

Rosewood
The graceful former location of East End Wines is being transformed into a charming new restaurant with plenty of outdoor space. Jesse DeLeon, the chef behind pop-up dinner series Victoria Provisions and a former sous chef at Geraldine’s, will bring a locally sourced menu inspired by South Texas and the Gulf Coast.

Sour Duck Market
Barley Swine and Odd Duck owner Bryce Gilmore becomes the latest upscale chef looking to keep it casual with his latest concept, which is scheduled to debut by the end of April. The restaurant, in the former digs of Joe’s Spot on 1814 E. Marlin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will have a full bar and a bakery, the later which was previewed at pop-ups featuring out-of-the-box kolaches, cookies, breakfast sandwiches, and the so-Austin-it-hurts beer koozie croissant.

The Switch
Stiles Switch owner Shanes Stiles has teamed up with Lenoir chef Todd Duplechan for a new concept opening in the Belterra Village development at Nutty Brown Road and West Highway 290 in Dripping Springs. The restaurant will bring a Cajun-inspired menu and plenty of smoke from pitmasters Bill Dumas and Christopher McGhee.

Tiny’s
The appropriately named capsule restaurant will take over the north side patio of South Austin’s Vinaigrette sometime in the spring. Like its big sister restaurant, health will be a focus for both breakfast and lunch. The beverage program will include frozen margaritas in creative flavors like rosewater beet, chlorophyll ginger, and carrot sumac; adaptogen rich juices; and coffee drinks like espresso with beet cocoa or sweet potato chai with almond-fig milk.

Turntable Eatery
Barfly’s co-owner Marcos Canchola and employees Albert Varela and Lucas Navarro have nabbed the former location of House Pizzeria for a new concept that isn’t that far off from the original. A Craiglist job listing claims it will be opening in the second week of April, so it should be any day now. Look for Neapolitan pies, beer and wine, and a jukebox stocked with 45s.

openings

Best Bites

The best bites and restaurant recs from Austin Food and Wine Festival

Photo by Roger Ho

Another year at the Austin Food & Wine Festival is in the books.

As far as major festivals go, it doesn’t get much more chill than the Austin Food & Wine Festival. For the most part, this one has short lines, a loose schedule, and crowds that aren’t too dense. People are fed and the wine is flowing.

Even better, guests can enjoy the fruits of the fest long after they’ve left the grounds on Auditorium Shores. The main events from November 2-3 got folks acquainted with chefs and restaurants around town, introduced them to new favorite beverage brands, and taught them useful cooking hacks. (Just about every chef has opinions and tricks on how to use salt.)

There’s nothing like tasting for yourself, but here are a few of our favorite things we saw or tasted. Everything on this list is something you can follow up on in Austin, whether it’s checking out a local restaurant, ordering a cookbook, or getting inspired to attempt something new in the kitchen.

Here are 9 highlights and some bonuses from the Austin Food & Wine Festival:

White wine supernova
With the sheer volume of wine options at this festival — and the amount of nuance in personal preference — the best move for wines is just to try as much as you can. But here are two takeaways: First, I asked each vendor to pour me their favorite wine, and about two thirds of them chose whites. Perhaps that might inform readers’ dinner party choices. Second, my favorite ended up being the Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay by Jadot. This unoaked wine was nonetheless smooth, with refreshing grapefruit notes. Of everything I drank, it was the most interesting that still remained easily drinkable. — Brianna Caleri, Austin editor

Jadot wines featured at a tasting booth as well as in a larger guided tasting "tour."Photo by Charles Reagan

Cheese choux with bacon jam from Serenade
Serenade is a French brasserie that just recently opened in Austin, and they’ve already made a good impression — at least on this CultureMap writer. For the festival, Chef Johnny Ray Stinebaugh (previously of Contigo Catering and Geraldine’s) served up a savory cheese choux — a very light and airy type of pastry — with bacon jam. The jam was rich, garlicky, and somehow sweet; the type of deliciousness you couldn’t really eat a whole lot of, but in a small dose and paired with the light, puffy pastry, was just right. — Natalie Grigson, contributing writer

Tuna skewers by the Dirdie Birdie
It is probably safe to say most people don’t expect culinary greatness from a mini-golf venue. Regardless, the Dirdie Birdie, which is new in Austin since late 2022, presented one of the festival’s most elegant bites. The tuna crudo skewers featured one tender cube of tuna paired a slice of raw serrano pepper, a slice of strawberry, and a leaf of basil, plus a sprinkling of ground pistachio and flaky salt. These were a creative way around having to cook, and the well-balanced garden flavors were both refreshing and interesting. — BC

Tomatillo chicken and dumplings by Licha’s Cantina
Although Austin is a few days deep into a very muggy heat, this comfort food dish whispered a promise of cooler days to come. The tartness of the tomatillos was tamed in this shredded chicken stew, but more moments of brightness were added in via pickled onions. Firm masa dumplings offered a focal point and the sense of a home-cooked meal. Chef Daniel Brooks is always one of the highlights of this festival, but this was an especially good effort. — BC

“The Old School” by Cruzteca
Cruzteca, which was born from a food truck several years ago, is located in South Austin off of Brodie Lane. Their menu is filled with Tex-Mex flavors that feel hearty and wholesome, and “The Old School” was exactly that. This dish, made of ground beef, tomato, and cheddar, was meant to be served in a homemade crispy shell. By the time we got to them, they ran out of shells, but eating the Old School with a fork may have been an even better experience. It was like a classic Texas chili; mild on the spices, but warm and comforting all the same. Chef Joseph Galindo nailed it, and the name was very fitting for this nostalgic dish. — NG

Okonomiyaki waffle by Equipment Room
It is hard to go wrong with a scallion pancake, but what about a waffle? This bite by Chef Nicholas Erven at Equipment Room tasted like a dressed-up scallion pancake — thanks to bonito, scallion, mayo, and “Japanese BBQ sauce” — but was fluffier and almost more akin to a dumpling. Those all sound like strong flavors, but they held up well against each other. And both at the festival and in the waffle's home setting (a very fancy cocktail bar) strong flavors are needed to make a cocktail snack memorable. — BC

Texas Butternut Squash Pie by Tiny Pies
A tiny pie might sound like the wrong choice for a hot and humid festival day, but Tiny Pies’ butternut squash pie, served alongside sage ice cream, was both rich and refreshing. The pie itself was filled with spiced butternut squash, topped with sorghum whipped cream and popped sorghum, which had the texture and taste of tiny caramelized popcorn bites. It was delicious, and not cloyingly sweet. The ice cream was creamy and light, and the hint of sage was refreshing. I heard several festival guests raving about this delicious dessert; a real accomplishment from Chef William Ankeney. — NG

Tiny Pies Austin Food & Wine Festival Tiny Pies brought these little ice cream-and-pie duos.Photo by Dusana Risovic

Cooking for disaster with Ashleigh Shanti
Chef Ashleigh Shanti’s cooking demo was also a lesson in culture and current events. The Asheville, North Carolina chef made chow chow, an easily improvised condiment that calls for 2 pounds of any vegetable, brined. The practicality of the canned relish was fitting; Shanti’s restaurant, Good Hot Fish, is still closed in the wake of Hurricane Helene a month ago, but she’s been offering her skills to provide free meals via a pop-up called Sweet Relief Kitchen. She says chow chow was the first thing she reached for in the larder. Her brand new (and gorgeous) Appalachian cookbook, Our South, just became available October 15, and she encourages people to visit Asheville as soon as things are open again, to keep local businesses afloat. — BC

Making larb and heckling the crowd with Tim Love
Tim Love is the owner of Austin’s Lonesome Dove Bistro along with several restaurants outside of town; he’s the official chef of Austin City Limits; and he is a co-founder of Austin Food and Wine Festival. He’s also, apparently, hilarious. He immediately greeted the crowd with a McConaughey-esque accent and confidence as he walked us, step by step, through the process of making larb, a Thai dish with ground meat and fresh herbs. Love assured the crowd it's “gluten free and low carb… Not that I gives a s***.” This “20-minute dish” took Love about an hour because throughout, he pulled people up on stage to take shots and essentially heckle the crowd, who responded loudly and often with “F*** yeah, Tim!” What a legend. — NG

Tim Love Austin Food & Wine Festival Tim Love showed the audience how to make larb.Photo by Roger Ho

Honorable mentions:

Rabbit-rattlesnake sausage sliders by Lonesome Dove: Now some Austinites can say they’ve tried rattlesnake.
Pork fat and strawberry jam biscuits by Foreign and Domestic: Who knew whipped pork fat could be so creamy?
Braised short rib with butternut squash puree by Eberly: Rich — but not too rich — with a dash of tangy.
Chicken Caesar Croquette by Walton’s Fancy and Staple: A delicate puff of deep-fried chicken cheesiness.
Lamb chop by Yamas: Tender, expertly charred, and perfectly seasoned with garlic and other goodness.

For more kitchen inspiration and restaurants to visit, check out our highlights from last year's fest.

festivals food and wine wine