Northern exposure
Fresh casual eatery brings juicy cocktails and healthy dishes to North Austin
South Austin has its Tex-Mex joints and downtown is known for its surfeit of upscale eateries, but for locals interested in wellness, North Austin is becoming hard to beat. With workout studios seemingly on every corner and a dress code that leans more towards Lululemon than J. Crew., it’s no wonder that health minded chain Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen has looked to Domain Northside for its latest outpost.
On Tuesday, December 5, the Chicago-based Doc B’s opened its first Texas’ location at 3001 Palm Way, Ste. 120, with a menu of mindfully sourced seasonal sandwiches, salads, burgers, pizzas, and grain bowls. Although some of the offerings will carry over from the restaurant’s other locations in Illinois and Florida, a few dishes have been developed especially for the Austin market. Among those is a shaved Brussels sprouts pizza with cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and truffle; rigatoni with Italian sausage, green peas, and kale; and a lump crab stack with mango, avocado, and mustard vinaigrette.
Although the menu is certainly stocked with plenty of pre-workout fuel, it does make room for some indulgent cheat day dishes like steak frites, chicken parmesan, and a classic cheeseburger. The limited dessert menu also showcases rich concoctions including a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cheesecake.
For those less interested in Barre and more interested in bars, Doc B’s is fully stocked with a selection of mostly American wines, local beers and ciders, and cocktails using fresh juice. Two draft cocktails using spirits from Michigan’s Traverse City Whiskey Co. will also be on tap — a cherry Old Fashioned and a whiskey smash, a sort of mint julep modified with citrus.
Many of those libations can be enjoyed at a discounted price during the restaurant’s happy hour between 4-6 pm daily, which features $4 drafts, $5 select wines, $3 well drinks, and your choice of $7 cocktails, as well as affordable bar bites.
