One of the friendliest — or should we say "Fred-liest" — places in Austin will close its doors later this month. Freddie's Place owner Fred Nelson confirmed to CultureMap that the South Austin institution will shutter at the end of June.
The family-friendly joint has been serving up comfort food, Bloody Marys and a great sense of humor for more than a decade. With live music, alfresco dining and a playground, Freddie's Place has become the go-to spot for South Austinites.
Nelson confirmed via email that the restaurant has been sold, and "a few months hence, Freddie's Place will be re-born as a new Fresa's."
"After a long and successful run, Freddie began having discussions with the owners of Fresa's Chicken al Carbon about the possibility of them buying the business. Just this week, Fresa's decided to proceed with the deal," reads the statement. "Freddie's hopes they will have as much fun and success as he had, and wishes them all the luck in the world."
Don't cry in your beer just yet. Freddie's fans have a little time to toast to the South Austin favorite. Last call is June 28.
David Douglass, known for his social media restaurant reviews, is visiting immigrant restaurant owners around Austin in the new PBS series David Eats Everywhere.
In this era of Instagrammable plates and viral videos, Austin food blogger David Douglass knows how to draw attention to local restaurants. In his new online-only PBS show, David Eats Everywhere, he's lending these digital skills to a less social media-based audience, hoping to give immigrant restaurant owners around town a boost to business. David Eats Everywhere will premiere on YouTube on June 10.
The series contains six parts, each eight to 12 minutes, that will premiere weekly. All will trace members of Austin's diverse food scene from external cultures to here, adding a special focus on the people who make the food.
Douglass' social media restaurant reviews have a formula: show a close-up of the food, take a bite, and toss around some internet humor to puncture through bold claims about the best such-and-such dish in Austin or dense ingredient and flavor breakdowns. The digital PBS series looks different, with wider shots, immersive narratives, and the culinary travel feel viewers would expect from a TV show.
This series is a product of the inaugural Austin PBS Digital Originals Grant in 2025, a press release explains. Douglass and Austin PBS collaborated to bring the show to life.
“For the last two and a half years I have been telling stories in 45 seconds through my phone,” said Douglass in the release. “Austin PBS is giving me an incredible opportunity to collaborate with a talented crew and director to dive deeper into the stories that make Austin a place I love to live.”
Collaborating with PBS meant working with director and editor Ariel Quintans, who calls the series "a love letter to Austin's diverse culinary scene."
"In a city filled with Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands, I wanted to shine a light on the first and second-generation immigrant restaurateurs whose stories are woven into Austin's cultural fabric," Quintans said. "The challenge wasn't simply making a food show—it was finding the intersection of food, film, and community that honors the people that have quietly shaped what Austin tastes like.”
The inaugural six-episode series visits:
Sichuanese restaurant House of Three Gorges
Mexican bakery Comadre Panadería
Colombian coffee trailer Desnudo Coffee
Japanese restaurant Tatsumi Sushi
Chinese Uyghur-inspired barbecue restaurant Camino Alamo
Traditional Mexican barbacoa pit El Grandpa Mexican BBQ
