Mama Betty's Family Grows

Austin Tex-Mex restaurant opens 2nd location with new cocktail lounge

Mama Betty's is bringing its extensive menu to Burnet Road.

Photo by Cara Rogerson

An Austin-based hospitality group is opening a second location for Mama Betty's Tex-Mex and a new cocktail lounge next to each other on the same day, November 13. Mama Betty's, by Carrier5 Hospitality, will be located at 7001 Burnet Road, No. 1101, with Foxtail next door.

Mama Betty's, named after owner Jason Carrier’s late mother, Betty Carrier, has been open on Parmer Lane since March 2022, and has become known for big portions and a fun atmosphere. The large new location, spanning more than 7,600 square feet, will offer the same dishes in a large space with bars inside and outside, a private dining space, and an outdoor patio and lawn.

Customers' favorite dishes, according to a press release, include mesquite-grilled fajitas, Pechuga Navigation (chicken breast with mushrooms, other vegetables, and gravy), Suizas de Sandra Enchiladas, and a Diablo shrimp quesadilla. The expansive menu is based on Tex-Mex standards like enchiladas and nachos, with different flavor combos to infuse variety. There are also classic appetizers and desserts, plus options for vegetarians, pescatarians, and gluten-free diets.

On the beverage menu, guests will find margaritas, specialty cocktails, beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks.

The new location is as colorful as the original, thanks to work by Stacy Whitworth Interiors, Hatch + Utland Owen Architects and general contractor Citadel Development Services. However, instead of bright colors, designers went for a more cozy and sophisticated feeling, emphasizing more earthy, deep hues.

“Our Mama Betty’s family has grown so much since opening our Parmer Lane location in 2022, and we’re beyond excited to bring my mother’s passion for great Tex-Mex and ‘Whatever It Takes’ hospitality to the Burnet Road neighborhood,” said Carrier in the release. “We can’t wait to welcome our community through our doors and make sure all of our guests leave having felt at home and well-fed.”

Foxtail also aims for comfort rather than maximum stimulation, designed as a "warm, low-lit retreat." There will be 58 seats — much fewer than Mama Betty's, which seats 228 — where guests can enjoy both cocktails and a smaller food menu that's all sharable and not necessarily subject to the same Tex-Mex cuisine. (Fried ravioli and olives give a hint at what's to come, while the rest remains undisclosed.)

Cocktails highlighted in the release include:

The Ristretto Martini: like an espresso martini with more spice
The Kitsune: an old-fashioned with Suntory Toki Whisky, honey, and bitters
The Foxolada: a smooth piña colada layered with toasted coconut and nutmeg

Mama Betty’s is starting with a soft opening phase on Burnet Road, with operating hours from 11 am to 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 am to 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays. After the soft opening, hours will match the location on Parmer Lane. More details including information about happy hour, brunch, and online order will come later, and the restaurant is still hiring. Mama Betty's does not accept reservations.

Foxtail will be open from 3 pm to midnight Mondays through Friday, and 11 am to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays.

Out to Pasture

New hotel and restaurant open at historic Austin 'pastures'

Photo by Casey Dunn

Henry's gives a chic, updated look to an old property.

Mattie's at Green Pastures, a Southern restaurant on a historic property with famous peacocks, already felt like a retreat from the more urban parts of Austin. Now the property at 811 W. Live Oak St. has reached its hospitality potential with the addition of the Inn at Green Pastures, with 63 new guest rooms, a private pool, a lounge, a bar, and even a whole new restaurant called Henry's. Room reservations will open Friday, December 12.

The Green Pastures property in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood used to cover 50 rural acres, but now it's down to seven — still a healthy size considering its always-changing surroundings. The pièce de résistance is a 120-year-old Victorian farmhouse that was built by local minister and physician Dr. Eugene W. Herndon and later purchased by lawyer Henry Faulk, who moved his family in and ran the surrounding land as a farm.

By 1946, the owner's daughter Mary Faulk Koock and her husband, Chester Koock, turned the home into a restaurant — the first racially integrated restaurant in Austin, according to Green Pastures — and more family members stewarded the property until it was sold by a local investment group of more than 100 members in 2015. The restaurant became Mattie's in 2017.

The biggest news for Austinites is the new restaurant, which will be open day-to-night for morning coffee service, snacks, full meals, and cocktails. For now, it's just open from 4-11 pm, and will open in its full capacity starting December 12.

Foodies can still get the famous mini-biscuits from Mattie's, plus hot smoked salmon on a bagel, a hotdog with relish, a burger using beef from Grassfield Farm in Hondo (about 50 miles west of San Antonio), and grilled redfish with German potato salad. These dishes will be served in the restaurant as well as to guests in their rooms. Small plates like charcuterie boards and oysters will be available at the pool.

Henry's at Green Pastures hotdog Not everything at Green Pastures is fancy.Photo by Jessica Stephens

Cocktails aren't relegated to the nighttime hours. Guests can order a breakfast martini with gin, red berry liqueur, lemon and strawberry jam; then they can come back at lunch or dinner for a Hugo Spritz or a signature cocktail. Draft cocktails like an Artemis Cup, Back Porch Tea, and Espresso Martini keep things simple and can be served without alcohol.

For travelers and staycationers, the guest rooms and nine suites in the newly constructed, three-story hotel offer a "quiet, restorative retreat," according to a press release. Both room styles show off high ceilings and windows that maximize that height, plus hardwood floors, marble sinks, anddeep bathtubs. The suites are all named after wildlife that might be found on the property, and the building is shaped like an "L" to work around existing live oaks. Even parking is out of the way, hidden underground.

Inn at Green Pastures guest rooms The guest rooms keep things simple and serene.Photo by Casey Dunn

The new structure was designed by the highly regarded local architecture firm Clayton Korte. Its many recognizable projects include other historically sensitive builds, like major renovations just announced in November at Austin's Paramount and State Theatres. On the interior, local design studio Noah Marion is responsible for leather goods around the property including catchall tray, decor, games, apparel, and more that will all be for sale to guests.

Completing the resort feel, a luxury spa is planned for a 2028 opening.

Finally, the property will also be available for events, including weddings, with access to its gardens, event hall at Mattie's, and Green Pastures ballroom. A cottage also provides a space to get ready for the events to come.

Inn at Green Pastures The new addition looks nothing like the Victorian farmhouse it accompanies.Photo by Casey Dunn

“The Inn at Green Pastures is our way of offering guests a deeper connection to this special place,” said Jeff Trigger, chairman of the investor board and president of La Corsha Hospitality Group, in a press release. “Whether you're here for a wedding, a quiet getaway or drinks at Henry’s, we want every stay to feel personal, elevated and rooted in the beauty of Austin.”

Rooms at the Inn at Green Pastures start at $395.

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