Rainey Street is poised to get its first dedicated sushi restaurant this spring. Kinsho, a neighborhood sushi bar from the team behind Rocco’s Neighborhood Joint, is expected to open in March, bringing a chef-guided sushi counter experience to the bustling entertainment district. Brand-new information on the menu brings the opening even closer.

The restaurant will open at 51 Rainey St., Ste. 140A, in the ground-floor retail space beneath SkyHouse Austin. The location previously housed Standard Proof Whiskey Co., a whiskey bar that closed in December 2025.

Kinsho comes from Austin restaurateurs Nick Ford and Wade McElroy, who opened Rocco's, an Italian restaurant on North Loop, in September 2025. The recent predecessor is already popular and becoming known for its house-made pastas and neighborhood-focused atmosphere. With Kinsho, the team is applying a similar philosophy to sushi by creating a place designed for regular visits while still offering a chef-driven dining experience.

Rainey Street is best known for its cocktail bars and nightlife, with only a handful of venues operating as full-service restaurants, including Emmer & Rye, Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, and Geraldine’s at the Hotel Van Zandt. Kinsho will add another dining-focused option to the district, centering its menu on sushi and small plates rather than typical bar fare.

House-made agedashi tofu with oyster mushrooms and leek dashi highlight Kinsho’s focus on in-house ingredients and traditional Japanese techniques.Photo courtesy of Kinsho

The space will feature an 18-seat sushi counter where diners can order individual dishes or opt for an omakase experience led by chef Victor Gonzales, whose background includes time at Austin sushi restaurants Uchiko and Lucky Robot.

Omakase, a Japanese term that roughly translates to “I’ll leave it up to you,” allows guests to place their trust in the chef, who prepares a progression of dishes based on the freshest ingredients available. At Kinsho’s counter, diners will be served pieces one at a time as Gonzales prepares them, highlighting seasonal fish and carefully finished nigiri.

Alongside the omakase option, the menu will feature à la carte selections including nigiri, sashimi, and maki (a star ingredient on rice, on its own, and in a roll with seaweed, respectively), along with hot dishes and kushi-yaki skewers from the grill. Many components will be made in house, including tofu, sauces, and pickled accompaniments.

Menu highlights include house-made agedashi tofu served with oyster mushrooms and leek dashi, and bluefin tuna tartare with kimchi, scallions, sesame, and a nori chip. Sushi selections will feature fish such as bluefin tuna, hamachi (yellowtail), hirame (flounder), and kanpachi (amberjack), with some pieces finished with ingredients like koji chimichurri, beer glaze, or salsa criolla.

The roll section will include both familiar options and signature combinations, including a yellowtail roll with hamachi, avocado, cucumber, cilantro, and chili ponzu. From the grill, diners can order kushi-yaki skewers such as beef with koji chimichurri and chicken with miso-leek purée.

The beverage program will feature Japanese-inspired cocktails alongside sake, beer, and wine. Drinks include a roasted tea old fashioned made with hojicha and Japanese whisky, and a miso honey sour with white miso, ginger, and lemon.

Nigiri will be on the a la carte menu at Kinsho. (From left to right: akami, kanpachi, hamachi)Photo courtesy of Kinsho

“Rainey continues to be one of the most dynamic areas of Austin,” said McElroy in a press release. McElroy also co-owns Love Supreme and Teddy’s Cocktail Bar in Austin, and Ichijiku Sushi in Los Angeles and Houston. “Kinsho is meant to be a true neighborhood sushi bar, easy for Rainey residents to enjoy often, and inviting to Austinites from all over the city.”