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Iconic downtown burger joint closing after 80 years in Austin

Hut's Hamburgers West Sixth original location

It's the end of an era for Hut's Hamburgers.

Hut's Hamburgers/Facebook

It’s the end of an era for one of Austin’s most iconic burger joints. After 80 years in business, Hut’s Hamburgers at 807 W. Sixth St. will close in October. Favorite Package Store, a liquor shop that also sits on the property, will also shutter at the end of the year.

Hut’s first opened its doors on South Congress Avenue in 1939. Its current location opened in late 1969 after original owner Homer “Hut” Hutson bought the lease of the former Picante Mexican Restaurant.

Current owners Mike and Kim Hutchinson took over the business in 1981. The new owners famously weathered the great Memorial Day flood of that year with little damage, leading Texas Monthly to coin the motto “God Bless Hut’s.”

In a statement, Mike Hutchinson said it was time to let the long-running restaurant go. “Hut’s has been a major part of our lives, and we have loved running the business, but after 38 years, we are ready to move in a different direction,” he said. “We have an excellent relationship with our landlord, the Josephs, but it is just time for us to move on.”

In August 2018, the Hutchinsons closed downtown pizzeria Frank & Angie’s, promising at the time that Hut’s would remain open.

The Hut's name, however, will live on at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where a second location opened in January. And in the release, the property’s owner, Sammie Joseph Jr., did hint that this corner may continue to be a culinary hot spot.

“When it was realized that both businesses would be closing, we considered many options and decided to work with a local restaurateur and friend to write the next chapter at Sixth & West Avenue. We are honored to pass the torch from one local operator to another,” said Joseph.

Though Joseph didn't confirm who would be taking over, there is speculation that one of Austin's major hospitality groups may be the aforementioned "local restaurateur and friend."

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This is a developing story. CultureMap will update this story as details are confirmed.

closings burgers

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