Old Idea, New Materials

Austin's Driskill Hotel reopens 1930 dining room as elegant steakhouse

The space is tied to tradition thanks to The Driskill's long history.

Photo by Justin Cook

The Driskill Hotel may look like one of Austin's most unchanging institutions, but an interior redesign proves otherwise. While some changes are hidden behind guest room doors, Austinites can easily see the redesigned Driskill Grill and Bar, which has now officially reopened.

MML Hospitality, an Austin group that also includes Clark's Oyster Bar, Swedish Hill, Sammie's, and more Austin restaurants, took control of this steakhouse makeover. Although the dining room and general concept already existed, MML is positioning this as a "new flagship restaurant for both MML and the city of Austin."

Driskill Grill and Bar interior Booths make the dining room feel both classy and cozy.Photo by Justin Cook

The Driskill Grill opened in 1930 — about 44 years after the hotel opened — and was one of the first fine dining restaurants in the city, according to a press release. Visitors will still see original architecture amplified with new additions that speak to the past: unlacquered brass, walnut burl paneling, and a pewter bar. The project spanned 6,000 square feet (enough to accommodate 243 guests) and was led by Lambert Maguire Design, with floral, art, and other design elements by Marjorie Harris.

On the culinary side, this will be the first time April Bloomfield, MML's executive chef as of 2025, heads a restaurant in the South. She moved to Austin for the gig, joining the restaurant's executive chef, Nick Erven, executive pastry chef Harry Flager, and general manager Dylan Falkenburg.

Driskill Grill and Bar dishes A peek at what's on the menu.Photo by Justin Cook

The new Driskill Grill keeps things classic with in-house dry-aged steaks at the center of the menu, alongside other selections that utilize whole-animal butchery. Pair that with a chilled martini, which is all we know about the cocktail menu so far. For dessert, guests can expect more classics including a New York cheesecake, a 10-layer chocolate cake, and a key lime pie.

The release also promises "old world service" to live up to the grandiose setting.

Driskill Grill and Bar interior This wraparound bar is the perfect place to pensively sip a cocktail.Photo by Justin Cook

The Driskill Hotel is located at 604 Brazos St.

hotels openings renovation history downtown steakhouse

Best New Tacos

2 Austin spots make Texas Monthly's 25 best new taquerias list

Paprika/Facebook

Paprika ATX was on the Texas Monthly list.

Texas Monthly taco editor José Ralat has released his list of The 25 Best New(ish) Texas Taquerias in 2026. Published Monday, May 18, the list serves as an mid-cycle update to the James Beard Award-winning writer’s 2024 list of the 50 Best Tacos in Texas, which is published every four years.

Austins' representatives are:

Comadre Panadería, a bakery in East Austin that recently added breakfast tacos
Paprika ATX, a food truck-turned-restaurant that’s known for its Saturday-only trompo tacos

Sabor Tipico de Guanajuato, where Ralat enjoyed barbacoa roja, tacos dorados, and the wide selection of aguas frescas, earns an honorable mention. Another honorable mention also goes to Nada Mucho Tex-Mex Heaven in Wimberley for its nostalgic hard-shell tacos.

Elsewhere in Texas, Houston, San Antonio, and the Dallas area (including suburbs such as Arlington and Plano) lead the pack with four picks each on the main list. Fort Worth gets one. Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and its Farmers Branch suburb are also recognized with honorable mentions.

Ralat writes that he visited almost 200 taquerias to assemble the list, which is made up of restaurants that “opened, reopened, or expanded their menus between August 2024 and this past March.”

While Ralat finds that while restaurateurs have faced challenges that include rising prices and aggressive immigration enforcement efforts, the overall states of tacos in Texas is strong.

“But nothing gets in the way of ganas—guts, desire, determination, and hard work. The 25 best new taquerias—revealed in alphabetical order by location (alongside ten honorable mentions)—all have that quality,” he writes.

lists bests tacos texas monthly