Quick Brew

Austin Beerworks spills surprise opening of East Austin taproom ahead of schedule

Eschewing a grand opening and even some of the interior furniture, Austin Beerworks is open now.

If it works, it works, and Austin Beerworks is definitely keeping up with Austinites' needs. These beers (recognizable for their colorful cans emblazoned with an "A") are all over the city, standing at the ready for when someone asks for a local brew. Now there's another place to get them: a new taproom on Springdale Road.

Of course, this means East Austin access to a huge catalog of local beers, as well as cider, wine, frozen drinks, and even non-alcoholic options like the 0.0 percent Hop Water. Visitors can enjoy the air-conditioned interior or brave the heat with those aforementioned frozen drinks.

There's plenty to do either way with board games, a kids' playground, and even a dedicated, fenced-in space for dogs to play off-leash — just make sure someone can go in and grab your order, since dogs are only allowed outside.

Like most great Austin breweries, this building looks like a renovated warehouse from the outside — and according to the announcement on Instagram that opened the space to the public on June 15, it's not quite done on the inside.

Regardless, people are still more than welcome to spend time soaking in the low-maintenance interior design, and that actually sounds like good old Austin to us.

"We just spent all our money on the land so we’re stuck with IKEA and concrete walls for now," said the announcement. Homeowners in Austin can relate, but hopefully it's getting better.

A few more things missing from the full experience during this soft launch, so to speak, are the mysterious food partner and disc golf course by Mint Disc. Both are coming soon, and the former will be less of a mystery by Saturday, June 17, when they appear for a nondescript but tantalizing pop-up.

The announcement alludes to "some close friends"; we're not sure who that is, but having tried bites from ABW Cantina, the food truck at the existing North Austin location, we can say for sure the brewery has good taste.

Austin Beerworks is open now at 10300 Springdale Rd. from Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 10 pm, and on Sundays from 11 am to 8 pm. Browse the brews at austinbeerworks.com.

beer breweries openings east austin

News You Can Eat

Highly anticipated bakery and queso contest up the ante in Austin food news

Photo by Chad Wadsworth

Amanda Rockman's new bakery is opening Friday, October 11.

As Austinites fight through the ACL Fest crowds — both at Zilker Park and surprisingly far away — snacks help keep up morale. Thankfully, there are plenty to go around with a star chef's new bakery opening, a queso competition, and a pickleball tournament watch party. See you on the other side!

Openings and closings

Bakeries don't tend to be as highly anticipated as restaurants in Austin, but pastry chef Amanda Rockman has broken the baking mold. Her first solo bakery with her name on it is opening October 11 at 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Suite 200. This is an ambitious effort. Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop will operate in five "pillars," according to a press release: caffeine, gluten, sugar, butter, and booze. Most notable are the chocolate chip cookies with halva; bagels and creative cream cheese; and churro croissants. Learn more about what's available at the counter here. In Rockman's first week, it'll be open Friday through Monday (October 11-14), closing on Tuesday for any needed tweaks. It'll be back for daily service Wednesday, October 16, from 7 am to 7 pm. Weekend hours will be 8 am to 7 pm. Customers can also order for pickup on online after two weeks of business, with catering coming "soon."

Could sit in this airy shop all day.Photo by Chad Wadsworth

A worldly duo of chef brothers, Haru and Gohei Kishi, are bringing their experience to the Austin Proper Hotel. Proper Sandos promises "a delicious merging of Japanese tradition and Parisian elegance," according to its website. These picturesque Japanese-style sandwiches will feature tamago (Japanese omelette), crispy chicken, pork katsu, A5 Wagyu, and potentially more, and guests will get to enjoy them in a full-service restaurant. It'll be a temporary residency starting in 2025, located on the first floor of the hotel at 600 W. 2nd St. Hours are 11 am to 8 pm daily.

As promised more than a year ago, Honest Mary's is finally ready to move into its new Mueller location. Specializing in "healthy grain bowls," this fast-casual restaurant at 2021 Aldrich St. will open October 27 with a very grand opening event from noon to 2 pm (timed to line up with the nearby farmers market). There will be free bowls for everyone, prizes for the first 200 people (like gift cards of up to $500), live music, free face painting for kids, balloons, and free tote bags. Honest Mary's will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.

Other news and notes

Austinites will strong opinions about the perfect queso recipe will have lots to think about at Quesoff, an annual competition at the The Mohawk. Contestants — both professional chefs and home cooks — will compete in four categories: Meaty, Spicy, Veggie and Wild Card. There will also be a Best in Show award for the overall best dish. The event taking place October 13 will benefit the Central Texas Food Bank. Tickets ($20) are available on Eventbrite.

The emerging sport of pickleball has nearly taken over Austin, and now there's a major league and even watch parties at local restaurants. One such party will be held at cool sports bar Victory Lap, where guests will watch the Texas Ranchers (Austin) play against the Dallas Flash in a tournament on October 15. The party will run from 6-8:30 pm, with free ranch waters for the first 100 guests and games like PaddleSmash and PaddlePong. Plus, pickleball lovers with a strong constitution can compete in a pickle eating contest sponsored by Suckerpunch, with a $500 prize. Register for the free event at sweatpals.com.

Eberly Atrium Eberly's Atrium will host a creative dinner with visual artists.Eberly/Instagram

Contemporary American restaurant Eberly is taking advantage of its beautiful space again to host Artists in the Atrium on October 15 and 16. The event will show off visual art by Texas artists B Shawn Cox (who works in a sort of pin-up style featuring cowboy and cowgirl portraits) and Cruz Ortiz (who works in an updated cubist style), which was made for the occasion. Executive chef Sarah Seghi will interpret the works through food in a menu for those nights only. This artsy dinner takes place from 6-10 pm each night. Tickets ($132.25 after fees, plus $79.75 for beverage pairings) are available at ticketleap.com.

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