Hot Soup Cools Down
BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya closes unexpectedly while the team noodles with an evolving concept
There's still two-and-a-half more days to try BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya before it closes.
One Austin restaurant known for its slow cooked foods had a very quick run. BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya, a combination of the Ramen Tatsu-ya model and a Texas barbecue joint, is shuttering on June 18.
Fans will be glad to hear that the restaurant isn't being poured down the drain, just stirred up; The Tatsu-ya Group said in a release that it will be "allowing it to evolve into a forthcoming future iteration at a different location." The team does not have any immediate plans for the Anchor Lane location.
The Tatsu-Ya group has undergone lots of change recently, opening this new restaurant in the former space of beloved local restaurant Contigo, as well as adding two more locations: one far down South Congress near Slaughter Lane, and one in Cedar Park as recent as this March. The barbecue spin-off was one of CultureMap's Best New Restaurant nominees at the 2023 Tastemaker Awards.
“We’re incredibly thankful to the community that came out to support BBQ Ramen," said the statement. "Our team is proud of the hard work and creative energy we’ve put into the concept and we’re excited to share its new form with you soon. The past eight months allowed us to expand and explore the ramen multiverse, and to develop new items that taught us new techniques.”
Starting with four types of ramen and expanding to eight, this venture gave ramen a creative twist that definitely departed from what can be found around town — potentially anywhere, really.
It makes sense to combine the two cuisines, which focus on minimal ingredients, a lot of concentrated savory players, and unctuous slices of pork or brisket. Perhaps 80 hours of smoking and cooking the ingredients of each bowl just wasn't paying off.
“Stay tuned for forthcoming announcements about our plans for the next iteration of BBQ Ramen Tatsu-Ya,” the statement said. “We have some exciting blueprints in the works.”
BBQ Ramen Tatsu-Ya is still open for a few more days, from 11 am to 10 pm. The final day of service is Sunday, June 18. More information about BBQ Ramen Tatsu-Ya is available at bbqramen-tatsuya.com. Updates will appear when available at tatsu-ya.com. (And let's be honest; CultureMap will jump on those, too.)
