Build A Bowl

New Vietnamese-inspired eatery opens in UT student housing center

Limegreen is in its soft opening phase until September 18.

Photo courtesy of Limegreen

A new fast-casual restaurant is painting UT's West Campus in vibrant colors. Limegreen Grill, a family-owned and run Southeast Asian restaurant with build-your-own menu options, soft opens Tuesday, September 2, in preparation for a full opening Thursday, September 18. It's located in The Castilian (2323 San Antonio St.), a freshman housing center.

Limegreen will host a grand opening celebration September 18 with a free bánh mì for each of the first 100 visitors starting at 10:30 am, and 10 percent of the day's sales donated to Austin-based humanitarian aid nonprofit Universal Angels Network, which operates internationally, including in Vietnam.

The founders are Ngoc Phan and Annie Pham, along with their son Minh Phan. A press release says the restaurant was inspired by "their Vietnamese heritage and a shared passion for fresh, flavor-forward food." They plan to open more locations in Texas in the future, but the release does not specify where they'll go next.

"We built Limegreen to bring flavorful, beautiful food to people on the move," said Annie Pham in the release. "Whether you've got five minutes between classes or you're looking for your new go-to, we want to offer something craveable, customizable and rooted in our family's culture."

The initial menu keeps things simple with bánh mì, pho, and rice and noodle bowls as the main offerings, plus wings, crispy rolls and other sides. Guests will be able to customize their dishes with different proteins (lemongrass pork, five-spice chicken, grilled steak and crispy tofu) and toppings (fresh herbs, pickled carrots, and house-made sauces) while moving through the ordering line.

The beverage menu starts with passionfruit tea with lime, and iced black tea and cold brew coffee, which can be made with oat or condensed milk. Some seasonal options will also be added later.

Inside, guests will find a modern cafeteria-like space with lots of small tables and bar seating along the window. A textured mural inspired by Southeast Asia's rice farms draws the space together. There are 30 interior and eight exterior seats in total.

Limegreen will be open daily for lunch and dinner, from 10:30 am to 9 pm. Guests can dine-in or carry out, with options to order online and pick up in a second, online-only pickup line.

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SUDDEN SHUTTERS

Favorite Austin brunch team closing San Antonio sister restaurant

Full Goods Diner/Facebook

Full Goods Diner will close at the end of the year.

Austinites had an easy, reliable brunch pick when visiting San Antonio, but that'll fade out with 2025. Full Goods Diner, the three-year-old brunch spot from Austin’s Paperboy team, will close by the end of the year. The restaurant is located at the Pearl, an upscale-but-accessible hub for both tourists and locals.

“We can confirm that Full Goods Diner and Potluck have mutually decided to conclude our partnership,” said a representative from Potluck, the hospitality arm of developer Silver Ventures. “After three years, we want to thank Full Goods Diner for being part of Pearl's ecosystem and wish them all the best. We are assisting associates in transitioning to new roles within Pearl and look forward to introducing another outstanding concept in that space in the near future.”

Ryan Harms, the founder of Paperboy, founded the cafe in July 2022. The breakfast and lunch spot served an original menu bridging Mexican and American cuisine, dishing out handmade pastries, seasonal toasts, carnitas tortas, salads, and breakfast enchiladas.

The diner was known for its blend of Mexican and American cuisines.Full Goods Diner/ Facebook

"While our chapter comes to an end as plans for this space have evolved, we're deeply grateful for our guests, neighbors, and team for the support, and the San Antonio community that made Full Goods so special over the past three years,” said the restaurant team in a statement.

The restaurant has been part of some particularly buzzy years for Pearl. Ladino and Carriqui opened within months of the concept, extending the near-downtown developments' boundaries both geographically and in ambition. In July 2024, longtime anchor Botika closed and in October, Carriqui ended its three-year run. Famed Houston restaurateur Levi Goode started 2025 by opening Otto’s Ice House in April, and in early December, prolific San Antonio chef Jason Dady debuted a revival of his Umai Mi concept at the Bottling Department Food Hall, quietly replacing Chilaquil.

Paperboy has been busy during the same time frame in Austin, namely opening a new, larger location on South Lamar in 2025 and Loudmouth, a pizzeria near the location on East 11th Street, in 2024. Paperboy has also heightened its prominence as a pastry hub for the whole city with its rotating pastry case series, which snags baked goods from the area's best pastry chefs.

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