AM Dining

5 new buzzworthy Austin breakfasts to start the day

Breakfast quesadilla from Fresa's new sit-down breakfast menu.

Photo by Madeline Ritchie

Let’s face it. No one really likes a coffee shop muffin. And those dense bars you keep in your bag are probably better used as spackle than a meal. This week, skip the convenience foods, set your alarm a little earlier, and make time for breakfast at one of these five new AM hot spots.

Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon
Chefs Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki’s casual South First restaurant, recently named by Andrew Zimmern as an Austin must-try, has always dished out ATX’s best breakfast tacos from their to-go window. Now, you can sit down and stay awhile. The expanded morning menu includes chilaquiles — here served with pulled chicken, a rich huajillo sauce, and crema — and migas, but we can’t get enough of the crisp breakfast quesadilla dipped in Fresa’s signature fire-roasted red salsa. If you are feeling a little naughty, start your day with a tequila sunrise made with grapefruit juice, Topo Chico, and grenadine. You can always squeeze in a nap at lunch.

Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches
Get your cheat day off to a good start at Noah and Josh Lit's Manor Road shop, now open for breakfast. Under the guidance of pastry chef Jasmine Jones, owner of I Knead That bakery, Batch is serving up inspired takes on Czech pastries. On the klobasniky side (Czechs only refer to non-meat offerings as kolache), Batch has teamed up with wildly popular barbecue trailer Micklethwait Craft Meats for treats stuffed with brisket and sausage. But vegetarians shouldn’t despair. Jones' menu includes dough pockets filled with everything from the trappings of a veggie pizza supreme to chocolate, pecan, and caramel, to seasonal fruit sourced from local growers.

Pitchfork Pretty
Although the new East Austin restaurant is most known for executive chef Max Snyder’s New American dinner menu (the fried chicken is already a cult classic), breakfast offers a chance to enjoy his adventurous cuisine on the cheap. Order The Pitchfork, soft scrambled eggs topped with a rotating selection of charcuterie, provolone, and a touch of sambal. The bagels are great too, whether served with pimento cheese and herbs, house-cured lox, or plain. Double up on the Flat Track coffee if you have a spin class.

Tiny Boxwoods
The Houston import is best for those days when you don’t have much to do. Linger over a creamy chia seed pudding made with coconut milk, roasted almonds, seasonal berries, and a drizzle of honey and an Orange Julia, an adult version of your favorite mall food court treat. If there is a line, no worries. Grab a drink and head next door to Thompson Hanson, a curated shop featuring kitchenware, breezy clothing, home scents, and, yes, the restaurant’s namesake potted plants.

Halcyon Mueller
The Warehouse District staple has opened a second location in Mueller’s growing Aldrich Street District with an expanded breakfast menu and a warm airy space. The breakfast tacos from the downtown location are still available for those on the go, joined by an omelet stuffed with cream cheese, turkey, and bacon, and egg skillets served with breakfast sausage, mushrooms, or jalapeño cheddar sausage. The overnight French toast, made with baguettes from sister restaurant Stella Public House, is essential for those with a sweet tooth.

east-austin breakfast

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.