Tiny Restaurants to Try

Austin's tiniest restaurant nabs a spot on elite list of must-try eateries

Paul Qui's 12-seat Otoko was recently named to Food & Wine's exclusive list of super-tiny restaurants to try this year.

Qui/Facebook

As they say, big things come in small packages. Such is the case for five U.S. restaurants that were recently touted in Food & Wine magazine's article, "Why You Should Try One of These Awesome, Exclusive, Super-Tiny Restaurants."

The list spans from LA to NYC, and it comes as no surprise that Paul Qui’s highly anticipated Otoko makes the elite list.

The 12-seat omakase-style restaurant is slated to open January 2016 in the hip new South Congress Hotel. With a heavy focus on sushi, guests of Otoko will enjoy “kaiseki,” a style of Japanese cuisine of small, intricate, chef-driven dishes concocted by Qui and his right-hand man, Yoshi Okai.

One of the many benefits of tiny restaurants is the level of intimacy patrons feel in the space and with the staff, elevating the entire tasting experience. Instead of getting lost in the shuffle and feeling like just another guest, tiny restaurants make dining personal and create a greater connection between people and their food. They also inevitably bring the kitchen to the forefront, allowing for maximum interaction and engagement.

One other Texas restaurant made Food & Wine’s list: the soon-to-open, 20-seat Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas. The magazine’s other “super-tiny” restaurants to try include the 10-seat Le Comptoir in Los Angeles; Graffiti in New York; and FarmTable Kitchen at Locale Market in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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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