Smokin' Oak

Smokin' wood-fired pizza chain sizzles into Austin for first Texas location

Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom is coming to Texas.

Courtesy of Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza

The Lake Travis area is set to welcome a new wood-fired pizza franchise to the neighborhood in the coming weeks. Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom will open its first Texas location in late August or early September.

The new Austin restaurant and self-pour taproom will be located at 8300 N FM 620, Ste. K200., operated by locals Tiffany and Gary Lauchlan and Tiffany's brother, Ed Juline. Also working with family are: architect Andrea Corn of Nuvu Interiors ATX, general contractor Robert Juarez of DKC Construction Group, and construction manager Ty Estes of ECR.

This will be the Lauchlan family's first Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom, with plans for additional locations in the near future. The longtime Lake Travis residents wanted to enter into franchising and instantly fell in love with Smokin’ Oak, founded in Rochester, Minnesota, in 2009 and franchising since 2017, as a perfect fit for Austin.

“The Austin community has been growing rapidly these days and residents need a restaurant that provides an experience for the whole family to enjoy,” says Tiffany Lauchlan in a release. “At Smokin’ Oak Pizza, you can have a delicious meal in either 15 minutes or enjoy the self-pour taproom and linger for longer, so it’s perfect for every occasion. I know local families will love this concept because kids can have fun watching their food being made while parents relax with a drink from the Taproom.”

According to the release, Smokin’ Oak is the fastest-growing wood-fired pizza franchise in the U.S. The expansive menu features wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads, starters, and desserts, with dough and sauces made in-house, fresh-cut veggies throughout the day, and meats roasted in the wood-fired oven to infuse real oak wood flavor. The oven reaches about 900 degrees to produce delicious pizzas in about two minutes, while an open-plan kitchen allows customers to customize and watch their pizzas cook right in front of them.

A self-pour tap wall offers beer, wine, and cider. After guests start a tab, they receive an RFID-enabled bracelet and can proceed to the tap wall to explore at will. Pour size ranges from one to 16 ounces at a time, allowing for freedom to try different wines, beers, ciders, and other local beverages without traveling from Blanco to Dripping Springs to East Austin.

“We are thrilled to open our first location in Texas and Tiffany, Gary, and Ed are the perfect Franchise Owners to do so with,” says Matt Mongoven, CEO and co-founder of Fourth Avenue Restaurant Group, the franchisor of Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza. “I am confident that our unique restaurant concept will become a regular spot for the Austin community, and they’ll truly remember our wood-fired signature menu items and have fun exploring the drinks on the taproom wall.”

The opening of the Austin location marks an important step in Smokin’ Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom’s continued national expansion, with the website also touting upcoming locations in Dallas and Frisco.

To celebrate the grand opening of the Lake Travis location, each guest can enjoy one free individual sized pizza from noon to 7 pm when the restaurant officially opens its doors, which is still TBD. Check back here on CultureMap for updates, or find the Coming Soon page on the Smokin' Oak website.

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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.

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