The staff at Bon Appétit regularly dines in top food cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, but this year, an upcoming restaurant in an unexpected Texas suburb has their mouths watering. Salt Lick BBQ owner Scott Roberts’ new spot Roxie's in Buda has landed on the lauded magazine’s list of the eight most anticipated fall restaurant openings.
Although Roxie’s comes from one of Texas’ biggest names in barbecue, Buda isn’t exactly a culinary capital.
Roberts introduced the Southern restaurant in January. The spot will take over the restored Buda Mill and Grain building, a location that has special meaning to the restaurateur.
“The setting is fitting — owner Scott Roberts’ father used to buy grain for their family cattle at the mill for years,” writes Bon Appétit’s Kate Kassin. “Roxie’s is a tribute to Roberts’ grandmother, Roxanna, with her family-style recipes on display. Think crocks of pimento cheese, chicken-fried steaks cooked in beef tallow, and deviled eggs garnished with fried chicken bites.”
As many Texans know, the Salt Lick in Driftwood has become a must-visit spot for travelers who want to dip a toe into the Hill Country. Only time can tell if Buda will draw similar crowds; being directly on the way from Austin to San Antonio might help make up for the romanticism of the wilderness lost. Fittingly, the Salt Lick's famous peach cobbler will be converted into a more cosmopolitan frozen peach bellini.
The list also includes a new concept by San Antonio chef Jennifer Dobbertin, who has long been a darling of the magazine and who previously launched one of the city's most buzzy restaurants, Best Quality Daughter. The new concept, Jue Let, will pay homage to its namesake, the Cantonese private chef for the family of American culinary legend James Beard.
Jue Let is imbued with culinary history. Rendering courtesy of Lake|Flato Architects
In January, Dobbertin announced the cocktail bar and restaurant would take over the former home of Blue Box, which shuttered in July 2024.
“It was Jue Let who introduced young Beard to Chinese cuisine, shaping his palate and trajectory as a culinary icon,” explained Dobbertin at the time of the announcement. “Jue Let was a surrogate father figure to James Beard, and he left a lasting impression on him, as well as a lifelong appreciation of fresh, seasonal ingredients and Chinese culture.”
The concept will be a departure for the chef. Although it will employ much of the same team as Best Quality Daughter, including design firm Lake|Flato, drinks will take center stage.
“[Dobbertin’s] new cocktail bar in the historic Pearl multi-use complex turns the focus on drinks, but with cocktail-friendly fare on offer too,” “The cocktails span no-proof and low-proof, to spirit-forward and martinis with a specific focus on tea. Diners can savor bar snacks and small plates like a grilled baozone (half-bao, half-calzone) and a crab louie onigiri.”
Neither restaurant has announced an official opening date. According to Bon Appétit, both are set to debut in November, although local dates don’t always follow national timelines.
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Brianna Caleri contributed to this story.
