All hat, all cattle

Immersive all-you-can-eat Wagyu chain plates up first Austin location

Wagyu is the main ingredient at Chubby Cattle.

Photo courtesy of Chubby Group

There's a new steer in town as Chubby Cattle BBQ, an all-you-can-eat Japanese barbecue chain, enters the Austin market. The restaurant is located at Barton Creek Square (2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy.), a Barton Creek mall. A press release confirms the restaurant's upcoming arrival but does not give an opening timeline.

Chubby Cattle specialized in yakiniku barbecue, a broad term referring to grilled meat in general, and small pieces in contemporary restaurant parlance. It is commonly connected to Korean barbecue, but diners can expect Japanese meats — in this case, a lot of Wagyu — and a slightly different grill inset in the table.

Chubby Cattle interior Guests will cook their meat at the table.Rendering courtesy of Chubby Group

The restaurant group exercises a high level of control over the product, serving certified Japanese A5 Wagyu as well as American and Australian cuts from an Oregon ranch that Chubby Group owns. Guests can also order sushi and hand rolls, other seafood, and desserts imported from Japan.

Since Chubby Cattle offers an all-you-can-eat structure, the cuts available are divided into three tiers, depending on what diners want to try and pay for. The silver tier ($58 per person) includes American and Australian wagyu, the gold tier ($78) includes the Japanese cuts, and the diamond tier ($88) includes "exclusive" A5 Wagyu cuts and more premium meats. No matter the tier, everyone can access the buffet with vegetables, fruits, other sides, milk tea, and desserts.

Chubby Cattle buffet section Different buffet sections are presented like individual shops.Rendering courtesy of Chubby Group

Aesthetically, the dining room is combines traditional Japanese design, contemporary signage, and dramatic lighting that make the interior space look like a night market. The release says the combination will "immerse guests in a bold, modern Japanese setting inspired by the strength and mystery of the 'Black Warrior' aesthetic."

"We’re excited to bring the Chubby Cattle BBQ experience to Austin," said Chubby Group co-founder David Zhao in a press release. "It is known for its adventurous food lovers, and we believe our take on wagyu barbecue, blending authenticity, innovation, and premium ingredients, will truly resonate with the local community.”

wagyu japanese cuisine openings

Greatest Hits

A Little Shady revives spirit and menu of Austin's beloved Shady Grove

Photo by Kimberly Reeves

A Little Shady prepares to open for lunch on August 4 in Kyle.

A Little Shady, opening in Kyle on August 4, is more than a chip off the block of the original Shady Grove in Austin. Diners can expect the same laid-back vibe, the same green chile cheese fries, and plenty of the Old Austin nostalgia that made the Barton Springs Road restaurant a local institution.

Owner and operator Rusty Zagst knows that legacy well. He started as a busboy at Shady Grove in 1993 and became managing partner in 2009, helping lead the restaurant until it closed in 2020. Over the past six years, he and his team have worked to bring that spirit back to life with A Little Shady at 5172 S. FM 1626 in Kyle. (That's about a 45-minute drive for Austinites.)

Instead of Shady Grove's iconic setting beneath sprawling pecan trees near Barton Springs, the new restaurant occupies a growing suburban retail center behind Panera Bread and across the parking lot from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

A Little Shady Hippie Chick sandwich The Hippie Chick sandwich returns as part of A Little Shady's "Greatest Hits" opening menu. Facebook/A Little Shady

Since January, Zagst has documented the progress of A Little Shady's construction on the restaurant's Facebook page, sharing updates from the day the concrete slab was poured to the installation of the restaurant's signature stonework. Along the way, he's also teased longtime favorites returning to the menu, building anticipation among former Shady Grove regulars eager for another taste of Old Austin.

The new restaurant is filled with familiar touches. Rustic stonework echoes the Barton Springs original, a spacious patio captures its easygoing spirit, and a vintage KGSR sign on one wall offers a nostalgic wink to the station's long-running Unplugged at the Grove concert series, which brought free Thursday night performances to the patio for more than two decades.

Inside the kitchen, the focus is on bringing back the dishes Shady Grove fans have been craving since the restaurant closed in 2020. Since January, A Little Shady's Facebook page has filled with requests for the return of favorites like the green chile cheese fries, grilled wings, the Hippie Chick sandwich, tortilla-fried queso catfish, and the signature Shady Thang frozen margarita.

A Little Shady green chile cheese fries A Little Shady is bringing back one of Shady Grove's most-requested menu items: its signature green chile cheese fries. Facebook/A Little Shady

"We're gonna do a Greatest Hits Shady Grove menu to start, and cooking everything here, scratch in-house," general manager John Hodson said during a quick interview ahead of the restaurant's opening. "That's where we're starting off."

The original Shady Grove building still sits vacant on Barton Springs Road, its future uncertain as redevelopment plans have yet to materialize. Until then, A Little Shady offers fans a chance to reconnect with a familiar menu in a new setting.

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