Cute overload

Outrageous new sweets shop brings squee-worthy desserts to East Austin

OMG Squee specializes in pop culture macarons like this Pride set featuring drag queens RuPaul and Divine.

OMG Squee/Facebook

A farmers market favorite known for Instagrammable pop culture macarons is settling into a permanent home. Sweets shop OMG Squee will debut a brick-and-mortar at 4607 Bolm Rd. with limited hours on November 23.

Co-owner Sarah Lim and partner Michael DeAnda began running the pop-up concept out of their home in October 2017. The permanent location, shared with Old Rail Coffee and Eastside Peddle Pushers, will give the pair the chance to grow their menu.

Inside, customers can find character macarons shaped like Louise Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, pop singer Lizzo, or Winifred Sanderson from Hocus Pocus, as well as an expanded selection of classic round macarons. Many of the new flavors will be Asian-inspired such as daifuku (sweet red bean and strawberry) and black sesame milk tea.

In addition, the shop will offer jiggly cheesecakes — a Japanese take on the dessert. In the upcoming weeks, they will also start rolling out mochi taiyaki sundaes made with fish-shaped waffle cones. The usual ice cream base is made in-house from organic milk, but OMG will offer non-dairy options, too.

Though the shop will not offer anything alcoholic, it will offer milk tea and other zero-proof sippers. And traditional espresso drinks are offered just a few steps beyond at Old Rail.

The interior, though shared with the other two shops, reflects the kawaii aesthetic of the desserts. Lim describes the counter as “very pink” and she made a few LED neon art pieces to add to the fun.

Beginning November 23, OMG Squee will start put with only weekend hours between noon-7 pm. Lim says fans should follow the brand on social media for updates on longer weekend and weekday hours.

desserts openings

Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

closings tacos food trucks