Uchi Reigns Supreme

Austin icon named No. 1 sushi restaurant in U.S. — and we're not surprised

Chef Tyson Cole's Uchi and Uchiko have been collectively named the top sushi restaurants in the U.S.

Uchiko/Facebook

The accolades for Uchi keep rolling in. After being honored as one of the best fine dining establishments in the United States, the Austin favorite and its sister restaurant were named the No. 1 sushi restaurant in the country from Time Out magazine.

Intimate Uchi and Japanese farmhouse concept Uchiko highlight Chef Tyson Cole's modern approach to traditional Japanese cuisine. Time Out gives props to Cole for being creative at both branches without alienating customers — and let's not forget the additional Uchi locales in Houston and Dallas.

"Despite the expansion, there's no room here for pretension: For all his technical mastery and cutting-edge proclivities, Cole's menus change often and range widely enough to appeal to novices as well as connoisseurs, who can compare, say, three different kinds of sea urchin while their warier companions sample tempura-fried Brie alongside 'clean, crisp, light' sakes and white wines," reads the magazine.

In addition to lauding his technique, the travel publication applauds Cole for transforming Austin's food scene when he opened Uchi over a decade ago. Time Out also reminds readers that Cole was the first American Japanese-style chef to receive a James Beard Award. He was also the first Austin chef to win the prestigious award.

Uchi Restaurant Group also operates St. Philip Pizza Parlor in South Austin and has plans for a playful new concept above its Dallas outpost.

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Genuine Surprise

Austin coffee shop announces return immediately after sudden closure

Genuine Joe Coffeehouse/Instagram

Genuine Joe Coffeehouse is now under and optimistic spell.

An Austin coffee shop has experienced a roller coaster over the past week. On October 31, Genuine Joe Coffeehouse announced it would close, but after some community help, it's back on track to stay open with some changes to make the business more stable going forward. One of those seems to be a new location that hasn't been announced yet, according to a social media post.

The original message announcing the closure was posted on Instagram: "Genuine Joe is closed for the foreseeable future," it said. "Yesterday was our last day of business. We are sorry to the community for the short notice- it surprised all of us too."

As Genuine Joe owner Josh Brown explained to KVUE, the property he rented had been sold to build condos in 2021. After that, the coffee shop only had a lease for up to six months at a time. Finally, KVUE reported, a hard demolition date has been set for February.

In the shop's next Instagram post, management thanked fans for their comments and established a GoFundMe page, which they explicitly said would not go toward reopening. "Donations will not go towards reopening, relocating, or any debt incurred by Genuine Joe Coffeehouse. Everything will go to the staff," wrote Leann Tipton, who is listed as the organizer of the fundraiser.

Just days later, another post went up announcing that Genuine Joe would reopen and continue business at the original location — meaning 2001 W. Anderson Ln. According to the post, what was raised from the now-disabled GoFundMe ($7,762) went entirely to staff in limbo.

The most explanation the post offers is that "a few special members of the GJ family" stepped up to help. It does not mention whether the help was financial or otherwise. It also announced some changes: an increase in prices, reduced hours, and fewer non-core offerings — namely, breakfast tacos.

This is, of course, not the whole story. The post promises to share more news later, specifically detailing the demolition and a new location.

Genuine Joe's current hours according to the post at 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, and 8 am to 7 pm on weekends. Customers had strong reactions, and it looks like none bemoaned the reasonable changes.

"Crying tears of joy….. my family and friends are going to be so relieved they don’t have to hear me mourn genuine joe on the daily anymore," wrote one commenter. They weren't the only one in tears, if the rest of the comments were any indication.

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