Austin vegan restaurant Counter Culture has debuted in its new brick-and-mortar home, ending a three-year hiatus. The restaurant is now open at 5812 Berkman Dr.

Counter Culture is in its soft opening phase, meaning the business is open, but some details are still in the works. Hours will expand as the business settles in. Owner Susan Davis says she's still putting up artwork, plus hiring and training new staff. She's also deciding how she wants to organize the menu before sending it to print; she says she loves changing it, so it needs to stay flexible.

The last, biggest change to come as full service starts is the arrival of a new brunch menu. Brunch was always the busiest time at Counter Culture's various iterations since 2009: one brick-and-mortar to start, and three trailers.

"I think it's hard to find a vegan brunch," says Davis. "There are places and they'll have, like, one option. Sometimes it's just chia pudding and avocado toast. So it's nice to be able to pick from a whole menu. It's just such a comfort food."

Comfort food is important at Counter Culture.Photo courtesy of Counter Culture

Though the brunch menu isn't finalized, Davis teases plenty of options. There are smothered options — a burrito with queso and ranchero sauce, or potatoes with roasted vegetables, beans, and hollandaise sauce — omelettes made with garbanzo flour or tofu, a "crab" cake Benedict, and pancakes on a gluten-free grill. The signature East Side Quesadilla combines seitan with steak sauce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and cashew cheese. Salads and parfaits will round out the brunch food menu.

Brunch will also be a great time to show off Counter Culture's new full bar, which no previous location has offered. Until now, the restaurant has been limited to beer and wine, but now it'll branch out with brunch cocktails and more by its new bar manager. Davis says she wants to "blend" JuiceLand and a typical bar together, serving fresh mixes with or without alcohol. Spirits will come from local, independent makers, with an emphasis on women and minority-owned products — no major corporations.

Davis notes that the surrounding neighborhood, Windsor Park, doesn't have late-night bar options. In fact, now that Counter Culture is based there, she wants it to be seen more as a bar.

Many of Counter Culture's loyal fans have been following the business through the long process of finding the right space, building it out, and reopening.

In 2009, the restaurant started in a trailer on North Loop, then two and a half years later it was in a rented brick-and-mortar space on East Cesar Chavez Street. The brick-and-mortar closed in 2022 and reopened as a food trailer at Tweedy's, near the University of Texas campus, in 2023. For a short time, there was also a spin-off trailer called Counter Culture Junior. The trailer days were over by November of 2023, when the latest closed so the team could focus on the brick-and-mortar that opened this month.

A variety of baked desserts are on offer.Photo courtesy of Counter Culture

Davis says the build out took longer than expected and prices went up by 40 percent as materials got more expensive over the last year and a half. Still, being in a newly renovated space is exciting, and offers a lot more flexibility to the team. Counter Culture's earlier building was just rented, and Davis didn't have much cash, which meant she couldn't customize it fully to her preferences. It also left her with substandard conditions like poor temperature control and outlets that didn't work.

The new building has been polished up in a fitting way, considering its 60s build. Davis worked with Richard Weiss and his team at Weiss Architecture to establish a mid-century aesthetic that skips kitsch and leans into "groovy," in her description. Restaurant chain Howard Johnson's in the 70s was an important touchstone.

Warm colors like oranges and browns make the space feel retro, and they look great against Counter Culture's signature turquoise blue. There are also cozy nooks to sit in, a back room, and a private room that will be rented out for catered events.

As the soft opening presses on, Davis is still rounding out her team with new hires. She still has one server from before, and more have stopped by to eat and asked about picking up shifts. Many of the old staff have moved away.

For now, Counter Culture is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 10 pm. Davis hopes to open on Mondays for daily service within a month. Eventually, operating hours should extend to midnight. Soft openings are for identifying and fixing problems, so keep in mind that service may not be at 100 percent when visiting. To check on the restaurant's status, visit @countercultureaustin.