NEWS YOU CAN EAT

6 things to know in Austin food right now: Favorite burger stand flips into booming ’burb

p. terry's restaurant exterior new braunfels

Construction is underway on a P. Terry's location in Kyle, not far from its recently opened New Braunfels stand.

Photo courtesy of P. Terry's

Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings

Southside burger fanatics will be happy to hear that one of Austin’s favorite local eateries has another bun in the oven. P. Terry’s Burger Stand is beefing up its empire with a new location in the Austin suburb of Kyle. According to a state filing, P. Terry’s will open a 2,785-square-foot burger joint at 18940 I-35 in Kyle that will include indoor seating and a drive-thru, the chosen mode of burger fetching for most P. Terry’s fans. Construction began earlier this month and is expected to be completed by the end of May 2022.

Here’s some food for thought: What pairs better with fried chicken than empanadas and sweet plantains? If the folks at Pollo Campero, a ghost kitchen new to Austin, have anything to say about it, the answer is nada. The fast-casual concept, which originated as a family-owned restaurant in Guatemala, has just opened a pickup and delivery outpost at 8023 N. Burnet Rd., within Kitchen United Mix. In addition to a variety of fried and citrus grilled chicken meals, the Pollo Campero menu also features a chicken sandwich, chicken-topped salad, boneless wings, and a chicken bowl with beans and veggies. But what sets this newly hatched joint apart from other pollo places are its hand-rolled chicken empanadas and tempting sides, including yucca fries and sweet plantains. Austinites can order online at us.campero.com; through the Pollo Campero app; via Campero’s Flavor Hotline (1-833-CAMPERO); or through DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and Postmates.

Feeling cheesy, Central Austin? Scoring some crafted cheese and charcuterie boards just got a little easier, thanks to the opening of Casero’s new window market. The Austin-based biz in the Mueller neighborhood had previously opened with only curbside and delivery service, but now cheese fiends can simply pop by and purchase an array of crackers, breads, pates, nuts, jams, and cheese and charcuterie boards from the window. Also available window-side is a selection of wine, beer, and cider. It’s everything you need for the perfect picnic! Casero’s window market is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am-6 pm. Visit the shop’s website for more info.

Champions of Houston-based Local Foods, which uses super-fresh and locally sourced ingredients and was originally set to open a restaurant in the Austin market in the summer of 2020, can start planning their daily trips to the eatery, located in downtown’s Second Street District. Local Foods Austin finally has an opening date: February 2022. The restaurant will feature a variety of scratch-made entrees, salads, sides, and sandwiches (including the best dang truffled egg salad sammie you’re likely to ever eat), as well as a curated selection of wine and beer, coffee, matcha, and chilled beverages. If you can’t wait a couple more months, you can hit up the Local Foods pop-up at 5350 Burnet Rd., which is offering takeout and delivery until the downtown shop opens next year.

Other news and notes

A local coffee shop revered for its out-of-this-world beans and creamy, dreamy lattes is brewing up business up north. Summer Moon, home of the incomparable Moon Milk lattes, will open a café on December 4 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. According to the Kenosha News, this will be the first location in the Midwest for the Austin-based coffee chain, though the brand does currently have 32 shops across Texas and in Oklahoma City and Kansas. The paper also notes that Summer Moon plans to expand to other regions soon.

Speaking of expanding north, Loro, the South Lamar Asian smokehouse from lauded local chefs Tyson Cole of Uchi and Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, is opening its second location in the Dallas area, in the suburb of Addison, next fall. The first Loro location in North Texas opened earlier this summer in East Dallas, and another restaurant is planned for the Houston market in early 2022. The eatery’s growth is driven by the two chefs’ renown, no doubt, but also by the reception the brand has received outside of Austin, according to company reps.

openings burgers lunch chefs coffee barbecue

Omakase for Everyone

New South Austin restaurant swims against current of expensive omakase

Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi keeps things simple.

Austin had no shortage of beautiful sushi restaurants, but a new one at Lantana Place is doing drawing the trend away from the center of the city and sticking a lower price tag on the experience. Tancho Sushi, offering "everyday omakase," is now open at 7415 Southwest Parkway.

The thought of casual omakase feels like a bit of an oxymoron in Austin, where the service style — which tasks the chef with choosing what the diner will eat — is almost synonymous with something fancy and expensive. Factor in the interior design at Tancho, which certainly doesn't look pedestrian, and it's hard to believe it's actually an everyday meal.

But all things considered, these prices seem reasonable: $29 for the lightest dinner option, and capping out at a $59 feast. Lunch is even less expensive, starting at $24.

Tancho Sushi interior The airy space takes advantage of its surroundings outside of the city.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

In some omakase experiences, the chef might factor in a diner's taste, the special ingredients that are available that day, and any number of other factors to determine what hits the table. But at Tancho, these prix fixe options are predetermined, doubtlessly contributing to the more accessible pricing.

The 50-seat restaurant also uses a clever marketing angle to get diners in who aren't necessarily experienced in sushi, or might otherwise be intimidated by letting a chef choose unfamiliar foods. "With thoughtfully curated preset menus, Tancho simplifies the dining experience by eliminating the guesswork so guests can focus on enjoying their meals," a press release announcing the opening says.

The release was sent November 22, but it looks like Tancho has been serving customers in a soft opening capacity for about a month, based on its Google reviews (which are stunningly high for a new restaurant at 4.7 stars).

Offerings at Tancho are simple.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Although each menu is different, there is a shared arc. All four experiences start with sunomono salad, a cucumber-based dish with red seaweed and sesame. Then there's tuna sashimi with smoked yuzu ponzu and scallions, and the rest depends on what the diner chooses.

Some standout items across the dinner service are sea bream on the light menu; akami (very red meat along the spine of a tuna) on the standard omakase menu; a lobster open hand roll on the rolls-only menu; and a tuna flight on the grand omakase menu.

No menu item is especially complicated. The focus is on doing each ingredient right, including the temperature the fish is served at and even the flavor of house-made soy sauce and ponzu.

“We keep the focus on the ingredients,” said co-founder Brad Van Otterloo in the release. “By stripping away unnecessary flourishes, we allow the quality of our fish to take center stage. This is a Texas-born concept through and through, and we’re proud to contribute to Austin’s growing sushi reputation.”

The open hand rolls are a signature for the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Despite all this talk of omakase, it is possible to order à la carte items: some appetizers, nigiri (sliced fish on top of rice), and rolls. There's also a carefully curated beverage program, which largely focuses on sake. That includes the Kubota Manju or “Ten Thousand Celebrations" ($79), renowned in Japan for its complex layers and smooth mouthfeel.

“As Austin continues to grow, we wanted to introduce a fresh take on the sushi experience,” said Van Otterloo. “We’re here to make sushi approachable for Austinites while honoring the integrity of this cuisine. It’s about creating a space where everyone can discover and enjoy sushi at their own pace – no pressure, no pretense.”

Tancho Sushi exterior This restaurant is meant to be approachable.Image courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi is located at 7415 Southwest Parkway, Building 4, Suite 300. It's open daily from 11 am to 10 pm, offering both dine-in and takeout. There are no reservations.

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