Koriente Closure

Casual Asian restaurant in downtown Austin closes after 21 years

Koriente is now closed, without explanation.

Longtime Asian-inspired restaurant Koriente has closed, according to a message on its website. Besides losing a trustworthy local option downtown, locals are saying goodbye a stronghold against corporations, hotels, and hospitality groups in the competitive area.

"My mom started this restaurant b/c she hates to cook," a hand-painted message on the building has said for years. "She loved going out to eat (make someone else do all the work) but found it tough to find healthy, msg free, low cal, balanced meals with prices within daily reach. She felt guilty for feeding us crap and felt sick of being a housewife, so she said, Why not open a restaurant for people like me?"

Surprisingly, for a restaurant so explicit about its purpose, only a few words confirm the closure online: "Koriente is now closed." There are no posts about it on the restaurant's social media accounts.

Community discourse about the closure has been much wider. Soupleaf co-owner and real estate data scientist Nelson Lin, who is a very active member of the Facebook group ATX Asian Food, alerted the group about the closure November 17. Lin also included a breakdown of how commercial rent and additional expenses are rising across the city. Koriente's team did not confirm whether these factors were what led to the closure.

Someone else saw that the business read as "closed" on Google Maps and posted to the Austin Food Reddit. A commenter showed a photo of a handwritten "closed" sign on the business' door, but no one seems to have a confirmed reason that the restaurant closed.

Koriente first opened in 2004, and was known for hearty Asian dishes. Thanks to its location (621 E. 7th St.), it was a popular place to eat before or in between concerts on Red River Street. The restaurant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

closings asian cuisine independent

GAME ON

Beer, food, and fun garden Bouldin Acres expands to far South Austin

Photo courtesy of Bouldin Acres

Bouldin Acres South Austin opened its doors in time for the holidays

Bouldin Acres officially opened its third Austin location on December 6, taking over the former Lustre Pearl South space at 10400 Menchaca Rd. and adding another anchor to the growing entertainment district along far South Menchaca.

The new outpost brings the same family-friendly food-and-fun formula found at the brand’s South Lamar and Braker Lane locations. The Menchaca venue features two bars, an outdoor pickleball court, two outdoor shuffleboard courts, an indoor pool table, and arcade games, along with plenty of indoor-outdoor seating.

Bouldin Acres South Austin Bouldin Acres adds plenty of screens and a bingo night for football Photo courtesy of Bouldin Acres

Friends Matt Carter and Matt Davis opened the first Bouldin Acres on South Lamar in early 2020 just ahead of the pandemic, when the team transformed a former auto sales lot into an expansive indoor-outdoor bar and gathering space. The space takes its name from the nearby Bouldin Creek neighborhood. The Menchaca opening reflects how the concept has grown since then, joining nearby destinations like Moontower Saloon and Armadillo Den as part of far South Austin’s evolving entertainment corridor.

Like its other locations, Bouldin Acres Menchaca is designed as a casual, all-day hangout with food trucks, a full-service bar, free WiFi, and TVs for watching sporting events. CM Smokehouse, led by pitmaster Cade Mercer and an old friend at Bouldin Acres, will be on site. It will also offer to-go orders. The dog-friendly patio, lawn games, and playground make it welcoming for groups and families, with the space remaining kid-friendly until 8 pm.

Selena Silvas, the event and marketing manager for the South Austin location, says the community response has been good and growing. The Menchaca location has already hit the ground running since opening, Monday Night Football bingo, a bike night, and holiday vendor fairs on Saturday. Upcoming social events are posted on the South Austin Bouldin Acres calendar.

openings food trucks beer pickleball lawn games families kids