With summer in full swing, Austin's food scene is going for novelty — whether that's the return of video store browsing or debuting a new menu. We need something to break things up.

Openings and closings

Longtime Austinites' ears perked up July 22 when the Austin Business Journal reported that Shady Grove, which opened in 1992 and lasted nearly 30 years before closing in 2020, is getting a spin-off restaurant and bar. Called A Little Shady, it'll be located at 5172 S. FM 1626 in Kyle. According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing that co-owner Rusty Zagst confirmed, work will start August 1 and is projected to end in February 2026. Folks without an ABJ subscription can read a summary by KVUE.

A nostalgic pop-up speakeasy called Back 2 The Video Store is bringing cocktail-sippers back to the days of renting videos starting Thursday, July 24. To order, guests will browse a fake video store divided into "genre" sections by ingredient; just like selecting a VHS, they'll then bring it to the counter and their drink will be made. If locals enjoyed the recent Malibu Barbie Cafe pop-up with a roller-skating rink, they might like to know both pop-ups are by the same company. Tickets ($22, including one cocktail) are available at bucketlisters.com.

Barbecue chain Smokey Mo’s BBQ has signed a lease for a new restaurant in Bastrop, due to open by November 2025. A press release does not give an exact address, but says it is located in the Burleson Crossing Shopping Center (generally at 731 State Hwy. 71). The chain is known for its easy atmosphere and breakfast tacos.

Hutto has cleared a major hurdle in getting the city's first Sprouts Farmers Market. (The closest existing location is about 20 minutes away in Round Rock.) "Hutto City Council approved an incentives package July 17 to bring a Sprouts Farmers Market to the corner of Hwy. 79 and SH 130," Community Impact explains. A 23,000-square-foot store will anchor the new development it's joining.

Cork & Barrel, a well-known Irish pub in Round Rock, has been sold, according to a Facebook post. It does not offer information regarding how the pub will operate from here on out, but it does emphasize that the space itself will remain open, but it will no longer be the same business. The last day of operation was July 13.

Other news and notes

Several local bars and restaurants have new menus to show off. Rather than dumping paragraphs of dish names and ingredients, here's an alphabetical overview and links to explore:

• Black Gold: The new-as-of-2024 barbecue restaurant has a "revamped" happy hour, a new outdoor playground, and updated hours.
• Chalmers: This West Texas-themed watering hole has a new happy hour available Mondays through Fridays, from open to 7 pm.
• Golden Ace: A new cocktail lounge at Sushi | Bar since January, Golden Ace has previously only served cocktails. Now it's time for food, including bar snacks, a carpaccio section, temaki (handrolls), and yakitori (grilled skewers). (Linked video includes flashing images.)
• Intero: One of Austin's most widely respected Italian restaurants introduces a summer menu with ingredients such as fairytale eggplant, strawberries, fennel, and lavender.
• Le Calamar: This new French-Texan restaurant replaced Korean wine bar Underdog in May, and has already rolled out a new prix fixe menu. It'll feature four courses that change daily, always for $77. The offer is for the whole table, only.
• Tiki Tatsu-ya: The over-the-top tiki bar presents a menu "overhaul" with new poke, shareable platters, musubi (like Hawaiian nigiri), and cocktails.
• Uptown Sports Club: Aaron Franklin's New Orleans-inspired bar and restaurant has a "refreshed" happy hour and new menu items including a boudain croquette, a loaded pimento cheese burger, and a a dill-infused martini with pickle juice.

Goldie’s Bar, an upscale space known for its British-style tea service inside the Austin Proper Hotel, has two new offers. First, it's updating the afternoon tea service (noon to 3 pm) for the summer with iced selections including Japanese cherry blossom to rooibos with Madagascar vanilla. Goldie's is also a cocktail bar, so it's also launching Bartender’s Choice Night every Sunday and Wednesday from 4 pm to midnight. Finally it's not annoying to not know your order; the bartender will ask about your taste, mood, and personality, according to a press release, and make you the perfect custom cocktail. Reservations are required for tea and recommended for Bartender's Choice Night.

On July 26, volunteer group Austin Bakes, is hosting a city-wide bake sale to raise funds for flood relief. Members include both home bakers and pros, and their bakes will be distributed to three locations: Eldorado Cafe (3300 W. Anderson Ln.), Meanwhile Brewing Company (3901 Promontory Point Dr.), and Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar (1101 E. 11th St.). Prices will be pay-what-you-can, and funds will go to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. The sale will run from 10 am to 2 pm.