Fire it Up

Local barbecue institution heats up Austin suburb with new restaurant

After months of heart-wrenching restaurant shutters, a local barbecue institution is firing up some good news. Stiles Switch BBQ — an Austin original since 2011 — has opened a second location in Cedar Park at 800 W. Whitestone Blvd.

"Obviously it's a crazy time to be opening a new location during a pandemic, but this was something we had in the works before the apocalypse began and we have successfully swung open the doors," says a restaurant spokesperson via email.

This newest jewel in owner Shane Stiles' crown officially opened on Friday, August 21, with longtime pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick at the helm. Stiles' suburban outpost offers the same menu of craft barbecue as the North Austin flagship, with brisket, St. Louis-style pork ribs, sausage, pulled pork, and smoked chicken and turkey. Classic sides — corn casserole, mac 'n' cheese, potato salad, 'slaw, etc. — are also available.

Along with the restaurant menu, diners can peruse the grab-and-go case where they can purchase whole briskets, housemade sausage packs, sauces, and Barbecue Wife Margarita and Barbecue Wife Bloody Mary mixes — the Austin-based brand from Catherine Stiles.

The new restaurant also comes with a liquor license, ensuring that patrons can wash down their meaty meals with frozen margaritas, ranch water cocktails, and even a whiskey highball machine. And, like its North Lamar location, the restaurant offers a bevy of locally made craft beers on tap.

Inside, patrons will find the same Austin vibes as the original, with old-school memorabilia on the walls, and even a few booths from the original Threadgill's, which closed down earlier this summer due to the economic impact of COVID-19. (The famed Austin eatery and the original Stiles Switch BBQ were neighbors in the iconic Violet Crown Shopping Center.)

"You will find ... lots of Austin nods to live music and things we love," the restaurant says.

Stiles Switch Cedar Park also hosts weekly specials, ensuring that almost every day is a (barbecue) celebration. Diners can take advantage of brisket enchilada specials Tuesday and Thursday, smoked prime rib on Wednesday, and chicken-fried steak (made with Texas wagyu beef) on Friday.

Both locations are open for dine-in at 50-percent capacity and for to-go orders. Though online ordering is only available for North Lamar, those interested in placing an order for the Cedar Park locale can call 512-305-3611.

Stiles Switch BBQ is heading for the 'burbs.

Photo by Wyatt McSpadden

Stiles Switch BBQ is heading for the 'burbs.

openings barbecue

News You Can Eat

A frozen custard closure and New Year's menus renew Austin food news

Culver's/Facebook

People in North Austin can still go to Culver's if they're willing to drive to Leander.

As folks in Austin digest their Christmas and Hanukkah meals, the restaurant scene also takes a bit of a siesta. That's good news for anyone who need to catch up on openings and closings over the next few weeks — or plan a nice meal on an upcoming day off.

Openings and closings

A longtime spot for frozen custard and burgers has reached its melting point. Culver's, technically a franchise out of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, has become a local staple over its decades at 2240 W. Braker Ln., but it's now closed. A Reddit user snapped a picture of the sign on the location's last day. It read: "Count down 1 day / Thank you Austin for a great 26 years." Other users pointed to a condo development that will be taking the restaurant's place. Community Impactreports that the replacement location will be at 1631 Crystal Village Blvd. in Leander, and will open in February 2025.

Speaking of chains in Leander, the California chicken sandwich chain Daddy’s Chicken Shack has recently moved in. Located at 3501 N. Lakeline Blvd., Ste. 110, this is the first restaurant in the Austin area. It's up-and-coming in Texas, but so far there are just three locations across the state. What sets this chain apart is its pressure cooked crispy chicken, but guests can also opt to have their chicken grilled. On the menu are sandwiches, chicken and waffles, popcorn chicken, wraps, loaded fries, and more. Hours are daily from 7 am to 11 pm.

Farmhouse Delivery, a high-end grocery delivery service, is back in action, having made its first deliveries on December 24. The service shut down in May 2024, promising it would just be temporary. Although it's known for its prepared foods, it seems like its bread and butter (pun intended) right now is à la carte, uncooked ingredients. There's no word yet on the upcoming storefront or move away from packaging. (Those changes are covered in more detail here.) Right now, a newsletter says, the goal is getting delivery capacity back up to speed.

Farmhouse Delivery tenderloin This tenderloin is on Farmhouse Delivery's seasonal menu.farmhousedelivery.com

ICYMI: We've published stories about several closings and openings in the past week — some temporary — so let's recap.

Although the 29th Street Ballroom plans to stay open through most of its upcoming renovation, it will feel refreshed in March when the superstar new management team officially presents the new bar, which will be open even when there are no events scheduled.
Fine dining restaurant Hestia is also undergoing some renovations, so exclusive social club The Pershing is hosting the team for ticketed pop-ups throughout January.
Basil & Bites, a new sister concept to Pflugerville's Broth & Basil has been announced in Hutto. It'll serve Vietnamese cuisine with Texas influences.
Confituras Little Kitchen, specializing in fruit preserves and baked goods, is closing its brick-and-mortar and returning to the farmers market. Some products will remain available as retail at other businesses.
A Dallas project called La La Land Kind Cafe seeks to help youth transition from the foster system into adulthood by providing professional training while they work at the cafe. It recently announced it's found a location on South Congress Avenue in Austin. Expect a full coffee menu, fancy toasts, iced coolers, tea, and more.

Other news and notes

Those who need a little luck going into 2025 can get some at Thai Fresh. On New Year's Day, guests can order from the regular menu or the Lucky Foods menu, which features Texas black-eyed pea salad, cabbage soup, fried whole fish, pad mee, and some special desserts. All these dishes were selected because at least one ingredient is said to have lucky properties — and lucky for diners with a gluten sensitivity, everything on the special menu except the pad mee is gluten-free.

"Fish are a symbol of prosperity due to their scales resembling coins and their forward motion," says the menu announcement from Thai Fresh.Photo by Jody Horton, courtesy of Thai Fresh

Quince ATX is debuting its new executive chef in style on New Year's Eve. Julien Hawkins has been chef de cuisine at Austin Proper Hotel and Hestia, and worked in the kitchen at Asador Etxebarri, a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Spain. He'll serve a five-course meal featuring lobster tail thermidor, prime beef tenderloin, Cajun specialties, Baked Alaska, and more for $150. Then the party continues until 2 am with DJ Brigham of San Miguel de Allende. Reserve via OpenTable.

OpenTable, the online reservations platform, has compiled a list of the 10 most-booked restaurants in Austin. Whether you're reading out of curiosity or calibrating your reservations strategy, may the bookings be ever in your favor.

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