News You Can Eat

15-year steakhouse closes as another finds footing in Austin food news

Fans of VanHorn’s signature burger can now get it for lunch earlier in the day.

Photo courtesy of VanHorn’s

Austin's food scene is gearing up again after a standard Christmas and New Year's lull — although a few recent openings kept foodies engaged anyway. We're jumping into 2026 with two feet, Jordanian food, and barbecue, but we're also leaving behind some established restaurants that are closing.

Openings and closings

After 15 years, Vince Young Steakhouse is closing January 24. Although it bore the football star's name, it was operated by husband-and-wife duo Phil and Laura Brown. Although they did not provide a firm reason for the closure, a release alluded to business struggles and high costs for "independent, single-location restaurants." The Browns expressed gratitude for their team and guests, and Young himself pitched in some words: “I’m incredibly proud that my name was part of a downtown Austin staple, run by some of my best friends, in a city that means so much to me. ... This isn’t goodbye to Austin; it’s a thank you.” The entire statement is available on the restaurant's home page.

A new food truck called 7beebz Korner Jordan Grill opened about a month ago at 2324 E Cesar Chavez St. The new business has next to no online presence, but Austinites have started taking notice and chronicling their meals via Google Maps and Reddit. Although the name promises Jordanian food, the kitchen invokes "Middle Eastern food" in general. Expect shish tawook (chicken), beef kofta, arayes, falafel, sides (like fattoush and tabbouleh), and sauces. The business also offers catering with a slightly different menu.

Garbo's, a local concept specializing in Maine-style lobster rolls, is closing its Dripping Springs location (136 Drifting Wind Run, Ste. 101) while its two Austin restaurants stay intact. A social media message states that the last day of service will be January 25. The post does not disclose what led to the closure.

ICYMI: The food news column was on pause as events and updates slowed, but some restaurants saw winter as a good time to get a gentle start. We covered a lot of openings since mid-December, so we'll list them quickly here and you can read more at the links.

Sadly, we also had a handful of closures.

Other news and notes

Things are looking up for Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue two days after the business posted an appeal to customers: stop by, or the business may close. Fans of the business heeded the call, and Brotherton's sold out two days in a row, January 7 and 8. Presumably, two days is not enough to bring the business back from "the brink," but fans have proved there are enough of them to keep things going for now.

New chophouse VanHorn's has been open since November, and it's now adding lunch from 11 am to 2 pm on weekdays. Some menu items, such as the signature burger, cross over from dinner, while new additions include sandwiches (with jumbo lump crab cakes, a club variety, and a crispy chicken Caesar) and ham & cheese crepes.

openings closings steakhouse burgers lunch middle eastern cuisine barbecue

Street Heat

Popular Thai trailer Kiin Di reopens in South Lamar brick-and-mortar

Photo courtesy of Kiin Di Instagram

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After four years as a cult-favorite food truck parked outside Corner Bar, the women-owned Thai concept Kiin Di has opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard, bringing its unapologetically spicy Thai street food indoors.

The restaurant, 2414 S. Lamar Blvd., quietly debuted with a soft opening on December 8, taking over the former home of Mr. Natural, the longtime vegan restaurant that occupied the space for two decades. On January 4, it adopted expanded hours.

The move marks a major milestone for chefs and co-owners Panyada “Arme” Chaikantha and Bee Ruengphanit, whose partnership began years earlier when they met while attending college in Memphis and bonded over shared roots in Thailand and a love of street food.

Kiin Di Austin team The Kiin Di team during the build-out of the restaurant’s new South Lamar space. Kiin Di/Instagram

The new restaurant carries over the entire food-truck menu, including favorites like Creamy Curry Crab, Killer Noodles, and the roti-wrapped Thai Me Down. It also introduces dishes that weren’t possible in the trailer kitchen. The tight kitchen, limited service hours, and punishing Texas heat made it difficult to expand the menu or offer the kind of dining experience the team envisioned.

“We were ready to grow,” Chaikantha says. “While we loved our beginnings, fighting the Texas heat and navigating such a limited kitchen space presented daily challenges.”

Chief among the new menu offerings is the Kua Curry Beef Rib, a rich, slow-cooked dish that leans fully into Kiin Di’s Thai street food roots and is already emerging as a signature of the brick-and-mortar location. Other new additions include Banana Blossom and Pla Scallop Thai. Moving into a permanent space allows Kiin Di to finally offer a full dine-in experience, expanded hours including lunch service, and — for the first time — signature cocktails to pair with the menu’s bold, spicy flavors.

The cocktail list comes with a playful disclaimer: “WARNING: Our signature cocktails may contain happiness.” Standouts include the White Lotus (sake, coconut whipped cream, roasted coconut flakes), Master of the House (red wine, passion fruit purée, pineapple juice, Tajín), and Austin Sour (sake, tamarind purée, house-made simple syrup, lime, finished with a tamarind chili bite).

Kiin Di Austin drink menu Signature cocktails at Kiin Di include the White Lotus, Master of the House, and Austin Sour. Kiin Di/Instagram

Over four years on the trailer, Kiin Di built a devoted following and a notable list of accolades. In 2023, the truck was named one of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S., earning national recognition during Yelp’s 10th anniversary rankings. The year before, Kiin Di was featured by Austin Monthly as one of its 25+ Best New Restaurants, and readers later voted it Best Thai in the magazine’s Best of ATX 2022 poll.

Kiin Di also drew national media attention as part of the Texas Food Truck Tour for the Best Ever Food Review Show, hosted by Sonny Side. The Austin stop featured Kiin Di among standout food trucks across the state and was later released as a full episode on the show’s YouTube channel.

Takeout service has officially resumed, with online ordering now available. Hours are:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 11 am to 2:30 pm; 4:30-9:30 pm
Saturday-Sunday: Noon to 3 pm; 4:30-9:30 pm

According to Chaikantha, the soft opening reaffirmed the loyalty Kiin Di built during its food-truck years.

“It’s been such a joy to welcome back our long-time regulars and meet so many new faces in our new space,” she says.

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