New to Austin
New deli opening in Southwest Austin promises gourmet fare at reasonable prices
Lock and load: A new gourmet deli is coming to Southwest Austin. Lox, Box & Barrel promises classic sandwiches, fresh ingredients and choice meats — all cured in-house.
Lox, Box & Barrel comes from Sebastian Caillabet, the self-proclaimed "only smoked salmon guy in Texas." Caillabet currently operates Celtic Seafare, a Dripping Springs-based company that specializes in smoked salmon. Celtic Seafare, a staple at local farmers markets, is also a purveyor to area restaurants and groceries.
"We wanted to go back to the roots of cooking as far as a traditional American deli," says Lox, Box & Barrel owner Sebastian Caillabet.
This is Caillabet's first restaurant project. "I've had the idea for probably over a year," Caillabet says. "We wanted to go back to the roots of cooking as far as a traditional American deli."
Lox, Box & Barrel will have a small menu of hot and cold sandwiches, soup, salads, desserts and breakfast, which Caillabet says in an option lacking in the West Austin area. The restaurant will also include a deli where patrons can buy anything from a pound of potato salad to a whole roast chicken — and Celtic Seafare salmon, of course.
"I've been around food all my life, but it seems that recently 'food' has been moving away from simple food," says Caillabet. As a result, Lox, Box & Barrel will bring back that simplicity — good food with good ingredients at a reasonable price. "It's not some haute cuisine, Michelin-star thing that we're doing," he explains.
The restaurant will serve breakfast staples like lox alongside local craft beer and wine. "We're going to do a lot of boxed lunches," Caillabet adds.
Lox, Box & Barrel is slated to open on Highway 290, past Oak Hill, late this summer. For now, customers can visit Celtic Seafare for a taste of Caillabet's next endeavor.
