CULINARY S.O.S.

Acclaimed East Austin taqueria risks closure amid bureaucratic battle

Nixta Taqueria is in danger of closing over structural issues.

Nixta Taqueria/Facebook

What started as a simple electrical issue has become a crisis for one of Austin's most respected restaurants. Now, Nixta Taqueria is asking for public support while it tries to weather a loss of businesses.

The troubles stem from a power disconnection on August 16. Though owners Sara Mardanbigi and Edgar Rico were first told the issue would be a temporary inconvenience, the City of Austin now requires a full site plan before operations resume.

"We were told it was going to be an easy-ish fix, but it has now escalated to a place we could have never imagined," said the couple via a statement. "What is generally a 24-hour repair that would have cost around $10,000 has now ballooned to a three-to-six-month project that will require upwards of $100,000, the displacement of our team, and a shell of what our restaurant operations are."

Nixta opened in October 2019 to almost immediate acclaim, including a Best New Restaurant nod from Food & Wine. In 2022, chef Edgar Rico brought home the Emerging Chef medal from the James Beard Awards. It was an enviable honor for an unassuming eatery built without outside investors.

Almost immediately, however, the young Nixta was faced with unprecedented challenges. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it shifted gears — selling its nixtamalized tortillas at Salt & Time and feeding the community as the pilot location of the ATX Free Fridge Project. Then, it endured a two-week closure following the 2021 Texas freeze and power crisis.

Mardanbigi and Rico hope to pivot their business again through a GoFundMe campaign. Money raised will pay for structural and permitting expenses, payroll, and an operational shift. At press time, the fundraiser has exceeded $35,000 of an $80,000 goal. The public donor list contains some of the most notable names in Austin food, a testament to Nixta's impact on the local culinary community.

While the brick-and-mortar cannot welcome guests, the owners are considering several alternate service models. Among the ideas floated on an Instagram post are a candlelit version of Nixta's omakase, Flor Xakali; an onsite food truck; and a series of pop-ups. An event at La Barbecue on August 27 is already in the works.

CultureMap has reached out to Nixta Taqueria for more details.

City of Austin GoFundMe Campaign Nixta Taqueria closings tacos

Refill, revere, rejoice

Austin distiller refills Kentucky Bourbon bottles for $1 in UT gameday stunt

Photo courtesy of Still Austin Whiskey Co.

Still Austin is filling up empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles and adding its own label in a display of Texas dominance.

Cheap bourbon isn't usually something people line up for, but in this case they know it's good. Still Austin Whiskey Co., a favorite Austin distiller, is offering $1 refills of its own Cask Strength Bourbon on empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles on November 23.

The promotion celebrates the Texas Longhorns vs. Kentucky Wildcats football match the same day. This is a highly anticipated game because the two teams have only been matched up once, back in 1951. Kentucky coach Mike Stoops reportedly also upped the ante by saying the Longhorns have "no weaknesses."

Essentially, this is a parallel challenge by Still Austin: Replace your Kentucky Bourbon with our Texas spirit and watch the Lone Star State win again.

"Why would I ever taint your bourbon with dried up Kentucky juice[?]" asked a (frankly, terrifying) customer on Instagram.

There is a misconception that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association itself points out that, "According to the 1964 Congressional Resolution, in order to have “Bourbon” on the label it must be made in the United States of America and meet all other federal “standards of identity” for Bourbon."

Still Austin CEO and co-founder Chris Seals is setting the record straight with a little snark, inviting both fans and "skeptics" to stop by to take advantage of the deal.

“We’re deeply grateful to Kentucky for inventing the stuff, but after 200 years of the same old bourbon, people want something new,” said Seals in a press release.“The idea that great bourbon can only come from Kentucky is a myth based on decades of misinformation. We’re inviting everyone still holding onto this old guard notion to ‘Kentucky Fill Up’ to experience the difference for themselves.”

The product he's chosen to represent the brand, the Cask Strength Bourbon, is described as "a deeper more 'metal' version of our beloved straight bourbon." It's 116 proof (58 percent ABV) and has won double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition twice, in 2022 and 2023.

Still Austin will only refill 500 bottles. Here are the rules: The bottles have to be 750 milliliters, clean, intact (with the original cap on hand), and they must have originally contained bourbon from a Kentucky Distillery. There are two time slots for refilling at 9 am and 11:30 am. Patrons can get tickets ahead of time at stillaustin.com.

In addition to the fill-ups, Still Austin will host a watch party starting at 2:30 pm. More Texas-Kentucky crossover will include Frozen Texas Julep cocktails, Texas fried chicken, and an armadillo derby race. There will also be exclusive merch and giveaways. Still Austin is the official corporate partner of Texas Athletics.

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Fans of Austin sports and Austin food and drinks can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm December 12 at Distribution Hall. Find out more about it here.

whiskey university of texas longhorns