News you can eat

Favorite Austin lobster roll shop butters up the Domain and more food news

Garbo's will soon be rolling out in the Domain's Whole Foods Market.

Garbo's/Facebook

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the what’s what and who’s who of Austin food. But we have you covered with our regular roundup of the freshest Austin restaurant news.

Garbo’s Fresh Maine Lobster is taking the plunge into Whole Foods Market. The latest location of the seafood favorite will be settling into the Draft Shack beer bar inside the Domain location on September 24 with a menu that includes its signature lobster rolls, spicy crab rolls, lobster Cobb salad, and a grilled brisket and sirloin burger. The upscale grocer has increasingly looked to outside vendors to provide prepared foods in its stores. Cult Oregon mini-chain Next Level Burgers will be moving into Whole Foods' downtown flagship this fall.

For the first time in its almost 70 year existence, Tex-Mex landmark Cisco’s is serving dinner. Early in September, the restaurant launched extended hours until 10 pm daily with a menu that includes migas, huevos rancheros, fajitas, enchiladas, and the eatery’s famous biscuits. The bar menu has also been refreshed to include local craft beer on tap.

Sixth Street bar Aquarium has undergone major renovations and relaunched on September 19 as The Aquarium on Sixth. The newly designed watering hole now has actual fish tanks, a two-story slide, and a whole new sleek look. The drink menu will keep the aquatic theme going with shareable fish bowl drinks available in three sizes. The grand opening party is scheduled for October 3.

On September 18, the Austin Food & Wine Alliance announced that applications are open for nonprofit’s culinary innovation grants. This year, $60,000 will be available, which encompasses several new grants including $5,000 from Willie Nelson’s Luck ranch, $2,500 provided by former winners Texas Keeper Cider and Two Hives Honey, and $2,500 in honor of late Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars owner Jeff Conarko. Find full details about all of the grants here.

Paperboy’s Texas hash was one of four American breakfast dishes chosen to refresh the morning menu at Washington, D.C.’s historic Watergate Hotel (yes, that Watergate). Homesick Texans can get their fill starting September 26 at the onsite restaurant, Kingbird.

Downtown Southern eatery Fixe has revamped its happy hour menu for fall. New dishes include pimento cheese with pickled green tomato on beef fat focaccia and three seafood offerings: Cajun spiced peel and eat shrimp, tuna tartare with butternut squash and pumpkin seed, and a Gulf seafood chopped salad with shrimp and blue crab. The menu is available 4:30-7 pm Monday-Saturday and 2 pm-close on Sunday.

In other sweet news, downtown brasserie Le Politique launched a patisserie happy hour in early September. From 3-4 pm daily, baked treats like macarons, croissants, and cookies are all half off.

Funky Congress Avenue eatery Swift’s Attic announced the lineup for its fall Big-Ass Burger specials. Each Monday, the restaurant pulls out all the stops for a $10 burger special starting at 9 pm. Guests are encouraged to arrive early for juicy offerings like a steak tartare burger on September 24, the Sloppiest Joe on October 18, and the You Drive Me Caprese on November 11. Follow the restaurant on social media to find each week’s deal.

AFS Cinema has introduced two new cocktails inspired by films screening in September. The rye-based Manhattan Project riffs off the classic Manhattan with orange, cherry, and Angostura bitters in honor of '80s cult film The Atomic Cafe. Infinitea, named after art documentary Kusama-Infinity combines matcha cold brew, Tito’s vodka, simple syrup, and sparkling water for a refreshing drink garnished with boozy strawberry boba. Both will be available through the end of the month.

Help fight food insecurity in September by purchasing a buttermilk toffee shake at Mighty Fine Burgers. The Austin-based restaurant will donate 50 cents from every sale of the frosty special to nonprofit No Kid Hungry.

Texas Hill Country distillery Garrison Brothers is celebrating its latest libation with a party in Hye on September 21. Cowboy Bourbon is a cask-strength, uncut, and unfiltered spirit with notes of “still-smoking branded leather, caramel, and chili powder,” according to the release.

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News You Can Eat

Glam club's closure and beer passport map out Austin food and drinking news

Photo courtesy of Estelle's

Looking beautiful can only get you so far.

Buckle up, Austin. Hope you're ready for a lot of food news, since it seems like restaurants were holding out until Labor Day to make big announcements. This week we have more than five openings, a surprising closure, and some fun ways to change up your happy hour drinking routine.

Openings and closings

The life of Estelle's in the Warehouse District was short and beautiful; the social club has now closed after less than a year and a half in business. "We are heartbroken to share that Estelle’s has closed its doors and will not be reopening," says a message on the website. "Thank you to our employees, partners, and guests who brought Estelle’s to life." When it opened, it caught the eye of many Austinites thanks to its old-fashioned, stately-yet-airy decor. But despite the apparent readiness for a lounging upscale crowd, the actual venue was known for being very loud and tightly packed.

Another short-lived venture was Bacalar, a Mexican restaurant that was embattled from the start in September 2023, thanks to the relatively recent controversial past of Chef Gabe Erales. As of July 2024, the chef had departed and the restaurant closed, although the group he partnered with for the launch, Urbanspace, remains involved in Tómalo Grill. Formerly the sister takeout window, it will be taking over the full space officially on September 10. It is in a soft opening period throughout the weekend leading up to the grand opening date. Operating hours are Tuesdays through Sundays from 5-10 pm, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm starting September 14. The service window remains open Tuesdays through Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm.

ICYMI: We had lots of openings to share this week. Starting with familiar faces, Sixth Street bar Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is opening a classy-sporty spinoff that's something between a sports bar and an athletic club. Little Ola's Biscuits, a casual sister to Olamaie, is also expanding for the first time into the Mueller neighborhood. Austinites can also look forward to a brand new brunch, breakfast, and lunch spot by the Jack Allen’s Kitchen team. It was big news last year when Las Bis and Luminaire suddenly shuttered at Austin’s Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue, but now two new concepts are replacing them. Finally, two more deli-ish spots are making a comeback: Katz's is rebuilding a longtime legacy with a lot of goodwill, and Foxtrot is feeling out a possible return to a possibly hostile market.

Other news and notes

New Italian restaurant Casa Bianca is making a name for itself through interesting fusion dishes, which might make a dinner spread harder to choose compared to your neighborhood pizza spot. To help flesh out this unique POV, Chef Joseph Zoccoli has curated a tasting menu of six savory courses that will rotate seasonally. It'll be available every night of service for a market price of "around $140," plus optional wine pairings for $35. Reserve via Resy.

Central Market is creating the world's largest charcuterie board on September 11, in an attempt to break a world record. Just setting the board up isn't enough; the record depends on how much is eaten. With more than 1,000 pounds of meat and cheeses, that's a tall order. The free tickets are already sold out, but it'll be fun to see if and how the grocery store pulls this off. This is part of a larger 30th anniversary celebration that's happening all over the state, including more broadly accessible perks like in-store specials, live music, and more.

Friend groups who like to keep busy while enjoying a drink together can try something new at Electric Shuffle, a modern shuffleboard bar. It already had a similar package available for brunch, but now it's expanding out into a nighttime affair. Instead of doing things à la carte, this social sets guests up with a 90-minute open bar, family style appetizers, and a shuffleboard reservation for up to 20 friends for $65. A DJ keeps the energy up no matter how skilled at shuffleboard your party is.

Austin really does have too many places to enjoy a beer to count, but the Austin Ale Trail is attempting it, anyway. The "passport" lines up "over 50 craft breweries, pubs, bottle shops, and cideries in the Austin area," according to the website. Visitors can use it for discounts and freebies at participating businesses, or just a fun challenge to expand their horizons. The program kicks off with two parties: one September 7 at Vacancy Brewing and one September 8 at Blue Owl Brewing. Passports are also available at Black Star Co-Op, The Brewtique,Lazarus Brewing, and WhichCraft.