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Popular downtown Austin gastropub swiftly reopens after damaging fire

After a fire in March, Swift's Attic is reopening.

While I usually greet comebacks with little more than a shrug (see: the promised new album from nu-metal stalwarts Limp Bizkit), the return of a downtown dining destination is cause for celebration. The Chameleon Company’s Swift’s Attic will be doing just that when it reopens on June 20 following a fire.

Since opening at 315 Congress Ave. in April 2012, Swift’s has grown to become one of Austin's most popular destinations. Its long run was interrupted, however, around 11:30 pm on March 11, when a fire broke out in its second-story kitchen.

According to the Austin Fire Department report, no one was in the restaurant at the time nor in the downstairs space that formerly housed upscale tasting table Counter 3. Five. VII, which shuttered in July 2018. The building’s basement jazz club Elephant Room, however, had to be evacuated due to smoke.

According to a release, firefighters responded within minutes of the report, and the damage was minimal. Still, Chameleon seized the opportunity to make improvements on the historical spot.

After June 20, Swift’s will resume serving its normal menu, including bringing back its wildly popular Big Ass Burger nights on Mondays. With gallows humor, the restaurant will also introduce a few charred and smoked dishes and cocktails as specials.

The open-to-the-public party from 6-10 pm, however, will feature light bites and a cash bar. As a thank you to first responders, Swift’s will be selling merchandise benefiting The 100 Club, a nonprofit that supports the families of law enforcement offices and firefighters who are catastrophically injured or killed in the line of duty.

With the return of Swift’s Attic, Chameleon will have a very busy summer. In addition to launching a brand-new brunch menu at the restaurant in mid-July, the restaurant group also anticipates opening Rosedale — the casual replacement to upscale seafood spot Guild — the same month.

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Fareground Foods

Downtown Austin food hall welcomes 3 new permanent restaurants

Photo courtesy of Fareground

Golden Boy, Aburi Oshi Sushi, and JABS Burgers and Fries are the latest restaurants to join Fareground.

Austin's favorite food hall, Fareground, is home to four rotating eateries, two bars, Tastemaker Award-nominated coffee shop Desnudo, "micro-market" Austin Snack Co., and now, three new permanent restaurants. Aburi Oshi Sushi, Golden Boy, and JABS Burgers & Fries join the gorgeous Michael Hsu-designed space at 111 Congress Ave.

All three concepts have some kind of existing tie to the food hall, whether it's a past pop-up or experience from a sister restaurant. Either way, it's big news; Fareground is known for short-term residencies, making this a major change in the food hall's landscape.

Aburi Oshi Sushi's flame-seared sushi, now available at Ellis in Fareground. Photo courtesy of Fareground.

Aburi Oshi Sushi at Ellis

Continuing its SXSW pop-up, Aburi Oshi Sushi brings flame-seared sushi to Fareground's craft cocktail bar, Ellis. The restaurant's founder, Seigo Nakamura, has two other Aburi restaurants, Michelin-starred Aburi Hana in Toronto and Michelin-recommended Miku in Vancouver. This sister restaurant in Austin will serve dishes at the existing cocktail bar.

Some of the menu items Austinites can go ahead and start salivating over include:

Flame-seared Aburi Oshi Sushi with wild sockeye salmon, shrimp and tuna options
California Rolls
Hamachi Nachos

While Fareground is open daily, 11 am to 9 pm, Aburi Oshi Sushi at Ellis is starting out with hours Tuesdays through Sundays from noon until 7 pm.

Golden Boy cookies Freshly baked cookies from Golden Boy.Photo courtesy of Fareground

Golden Boy

This lunch spot focuses on a seasonal menu with bold, vibrant flavors, including bao, bowls, and salads. The man behind the menu is Chef Nick Middleton, who is also the head chef and owner of Y Comida. According to a recent press release, diners can expect these dishes to feel "fresh and approachable."

Y Comida was the first Fareground resident to operate as a pop-up out of Ellis, starting in August 2024.

Some Golden Boy menu items of note include:

An eight-hour short rib slow cooked with soy and gochujang
Seared pork belly glazed with tare and topped with charred piña pickles, peanuts, and herbs
Roasted salmon glazed with miso butter served with seasonal veggies, arugula, Greek yogurt, vinaigrette, and pickled golden beets

Golden Boy will be open daily for lunch from 11 am to 3 pm.

JABS Burgers and Fries is serving up classic burgers with quality ingredients. Photo courtesy of Fareground

JABS Burgers & Fries

JABS (Just A Better Smashburger) Burgers & Fries is keeping things simple, basically offering burgers and fries only — but with high quality ingredients like premium angus, grass-fed Creekstone Farms beef. JABS is coming to Fareground from the team behind Shawarma Point, also located inside Fareground; and if they can replicate this deliciousness in their new venture, that's good news for burger lovers.

Menu items include:

An OG burger with a double patty, American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, JABS sauce, and a potato bun
The Classic, which has everything the OG has, but add lettuce and tomato
The K.O., which is just like the OG but with three patties

JABS is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.

Change is a constant at Fareground, which has served as a temporary home for many experiments, spin-offs, and brick-and-mortar launches for Austin restaurateurs. Alongside the businesses listed above are eateries Austin Rôtisserie, Four Brothers, and Taco Pegaso.