In the red
Lights out for classic Austin comfort food chain after flagship location closes
After a summer that saw the closing of both its Round Rock and Braker Lane locations, Red’s Porch appears to be defunct following the closure of its last remaining brick-and-mortar.
An October 10 letter taped on the front door of restaurant's flagship South Lamar property alleges that Red’s Porch has defaulted on the lease due to nonpayment of rent. CultureMap verified the authenticity of the letter with McLaren-Hill Commercial, the managing agent for the landlord.
The closure at 3508 S. Lamar Blvd. comes during a sea change for the Austin dining scene. Though the hospitality industry is always volatile, the market has been particularly brutal to long-running restaurants over the past two years. Iconic eateries like Hut’s Hamburgers, Threadgill’s World Headquarters, and Ruby’s BBQ have fallen while a blur of millennial-friendly concepts have rushed to take their place.
Though North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery founder Davis Tucker debuted Red’s Porch in 2010, its atmosphere and menu belong to an earlier Austin restaurant tradition. The collage of board games and vintage glass lamps in a tucked away lounge speaks to a time when the Capital City aesthetic was largely DIY and “weird.”
The menu also paid little mind to dining’s nebulous trends. Red’s Porch served Cobb salads instead of grain bowls and dished out guacamole but nary a slice of avocado toast.
Whether Austin's changing tastes contributed to Red’s Porch’s ultimate demise remains unclear. CultureMap has reached out for clarification and comment.
