Austin’s New Restaurant & Bar Openings

Keeping track of every brand new restaurant and bar in Austin is enough to make you a little dizzy. Which is why we put together this guide to all the new restaurants and bars that seem like they have the most potential. Although keep in mind, for the ones we haven’t tried, we make no promises. Go forth and be a pioneer.

We’ll be regularly updating this guide, and adding a note whenever we review a spot, or add it to our guide to the best new restaurants in Austin, the Hit List. Got any tips? Hit us up at austin@theinfatuation.com.

September 2023

South Austin’s Cosmic Coffee is already home to one our favorite patios in Austin,  so we have little doubt this new location in East Austin will live up to our high expectations. While the south location is home to excellent food trucks Leroy And Lewis, Pueblo Viejo, and Tommy Want Wingy, this location near Plaza Saltillo has its own food program called Cosmic Tacos. There’s also a full bar, with a large menu of cocktails, frozens, and, of course, coffee. 

Seven Spirits is a cocktail bar on East 7th Street, taking over the spot where Takoba used to be. The drink menu is largely agave-based—including a few frozens—and there are a handful of flights if you want to learn a little more about mezcal, and write the whole night off as an “educational experience.” There’s also a small food menu where you can get tacos, empanadas, and tostadas, or an order of guacamole topped with salsa macha and toasted grasshoppers. 

Right in the heart of Mueller, Bottega is an all-day cafe and ice cream shop. During the day, they serve coffee, toasts, and salads. If you show up in the evening, you can get ice cream from the former Merry Monarch trailer, known for its creative flavors. Bottega is still working on getting beer and wine approved, but expected to have those available soon. 

After becoming one of South Austin’s most popular destinations for pickleball, barbecue, and cocktails, Bouldin Acres recently opened a second location in North Austin, right near Q2 Stadium. Food at this location is also prepared by CM Smokehouse. Like at the original location, there are plenty of TVs showing sports, plus pickleball courts that can be booked in advance. 

From the people behind Superstition, Estelle’s, and Skinny’s, Victory Lap is a sports bar by the UT Campus with a massive patio, plenty of indoor seating, and lots of TVs showing UT games. There’s also a menu of pretty classic bar foods, including smashburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, wings, hot dogs, and more. 

Parked on the shared patio of Hotel Vegas and Volstead Lounge, Clandestino is a taco trailer open Thursday-Sunday. The menu focuses on “Mexican-inspired street foods,” so you can expect things like street tacos and quesadillas in the evenings, and a brunch menu available on Sundays with chilaquiles and migas burritos. 

August 2023

Parked at a gas station at 45th and Burnet, along with a few  other food trailers, Asado’s specializes in burritos and tacos inspired by San Francisco’s Mission District (minus the typical inclusion of rice). That means steak, carnitas, or pollo, plus pinto beans and pico. Or you can make your taco or burrito “super” with guac, sour cream, and Monterey Jack cheese for a few dollars more.

The team behind Cuantos Tacos—the makers of some of our favorite tacos in Austin—recently expanded into the world of burgers, with hamburguesas—or  “Mexican style” smashburgers—which means that they come with toppings like sliced ham, longaniza patties, and even nixtamalized corn tortillas. Find Cuantas Hamburguesas right next door to its taco counterpart, at the Arbor Food Park in East Austin. 

Right down the street from the cocktail bar Eden—and from the same team—Yup Lounge is a downtown bar on San Jacinto just off of Dirty Sixth Street. But while Eden is a place to sit and quietly nerd out about how foamy they can make a Ramos gin fizz, Yup Lounge is more of a place to relax with a draft beer and second guess your decision to head to 6th Street. Even though cocktails aren’t the primary focus here, you’ll still see a thoughtful approach to drinks—including a refreshing and colorful scotch and Big Red cocktail on draft.

After a successful run as a series of food trucks (and a mall food court vendor), the people behind Taconmaye recently opened Conmaye, a Mexican restaurant on Anderson Mill Road, serving al pastor, carne asada, and birria tacos, as well as nachos, tortas, tostadas, and more.

The specialty at the stand Camino Alamo BBQ is Uyghur-style Xinjiang kabobs, with three options—lamb, beef, and chicken wings—that all get marinated in a mixture of cumin, salt, pepper, and Sichuan peppercorn, then dusted with chili powder as they sizzle and smoke over hot coals to a charred, but tender finish. Is it a restaurant? Not really. A pop-up? Kind of. It’s just a place to eat great food by the UT Campus.

Operating out of a small space on East MLK, Fabrik is an entirely plant-based vegan tasting menu restaurant, with a five-course and a seven-course option. Reservations have been booking up pretty fast, so we’d recommend planning a few weeks out and grabbing a space now if you want to secure a seat anytime in the next few months. There’s also wine available by the glass or the bottle, plus sake and beer, with different pairing options for the two tasting menus.

If the name Sapori sounds familiar, then there’s a good chance you tried the popular South Austin food truck, Il Sapori, at some point during its long Austin tenure. The same team has since closed the truck and reopened the restaurant Sapori Italian Roots in Downtown Austin—a brick-and-mortar version of its past self with a bigger menu of handmade pastas, apps, salads, and desserts, plus the addition of beer and wine.

Spicy Boys already makes one of our favorite fried chicken sandwiches in Austin, and now the same team has opened a burger trailer on the patio of St. Elmo Brewing specializing in one thing: burgers. The menu is small, with just a single and a double version, plus fries for balance. This is a smashburger through and through—with ultra-thin, crispy patties that are almost see-through. 

Taking over part of the old USPS office in Hyde Park, First Light is a bookstore and cafe with food and drinks sourced from Austin businesses. That includes pastries from Texas French Bread, coffee from Figure 8, plus local beer and cider. The bookstore side of things includes a curated selection of fiction and nonfiction novels, plus cookbooks and magazines.

Lynny’s is a breakfast and lunch trailer near 7th and Springdale that started out as a Kickstarter project. Expect to find morning-friendly foods on the menu, including house-made biscuits, parfaits, and sandwiches. There’s also coffee and espresso-based drinks using beans grown and roasted by the owner’s family in Mexico. 

When most people hear the word hibachi, their minds go to volcano onions, the loud clitter-clatter of spatulas on flat tops, and catching a flying piece of shrimp with their mouths. While we can’t promise volcano onions or a front-row show, you can certainly practice catching your own pieces of shrimp at this hibachi trailer on South 1st Street. But maybe don’t try it over your white living room rug. 

July 2023

Built inside of what was probably a Sonic Drive-In in a previous life, Falafel Burger is a Middle Eastern fast food spot specializing in all things falafel. Most of the menu is vegan, including the signature falafel burger made with a chickpea patty, but there’s also a kofta-spiced beef patty, plus “tacos,” and a whole selection of sandwiches stuffed with everything from beef sujuk and shish tawook, to fried grouper and falafel. Find them off Anderson Mill Road and 620, close to Cedar Park.  

From the team behind Gabriela’s and Mala Vida–a late-night bar and club in Downtown Austin—Mala Fama is a three-story bar and club (including a rooftop patio) just a few blocks away from both of its sister concepts. The space is only open Thursday through Sundays starting at 9pm, featuring local DJs and mostly Latin music. 

Located near Spicewood Springs Road and MoPac, Que Divino is a Mexican restaurant and bar serving tacos, fajitas, and a few Tex-Mex entrees. It’s open pretty early, too, with a small menu of breakfast tacos and burritos.

Located in the back of the Hong Kong Supermarket near 183 and Ohlen, P. Thai Khao Man Gai is finally open after months of anticipation. This is from the same chef behind Thai Kun, and as the name suggests, the specialty here is khao man gai. And while the Thai specialty has made appearances at various restaurants around Austin, this is the only spot dedicated to the savory chicken dish. The menu is small—currently featuring just a fried and a classic version—and there’s a little seating area in the market where you can eat your meal. 

If you’ve ever sipped on birria and thought to yourself “I wonder how this would taste in a soup dumpling,” then think no more. Elementary is a pop-up-turned-restaurant in the Zilker neighborhood with a creative menu that includes dishes like birria soup dumplings, al pastor tortellini, banh mi eclairs, and more. There’s also a small menu of cocktails made with ingredients like Eggo-steeped cereal milk and fermented Kool-Aid (but not together). 

Right next to Elementary (and from the same team), Hopscotch is a natural wine bar with a focus on sustainability. That just means that in addition to selling natural wine and cocktails, there’s also a small, constantly changing menu of food made up mostly from leftover ingredients from the restaurant, plus tinned fish. You’ll also be able to grab retail wine while you’re here. 

Goldy’s is a semi-permanent food trailer at Littlefield’s inTarrytown, with lots of outdoor seating. In the morning, expect to find things like sausage and cheese biscuits, savory breakfast rolls, and pastries. Later in the day, the menu features more lunch-y items like paninis and pasta salads. The location is shared with Cookie Rich, another spot from the same chef that was previously located just a few blocks East.

Slowly expanding its “fleet” of coffee trailers (see what we did there?), the newest location of Fleet Coffee is a semi-permanent trailer on a large outdoor patio on Manor Road, right next to the recently relocated La Santa Barbacha. Much like at Fleet’s other location in East Austin (with even more opening soon), here you’ll be able to order the same inventive coffee and tea drinks, including lavender matcha lattes, espresso-and-tonics, and Fruity Pebble cortados. 

On a busy corner of Mueller, right next to the recently opened Veracruz Fonda, Aviator Pizza is a big new space for pizza and beer. The menu features almost 40 beers on draft, plus more by the can, and wine by the bottle. Aviator has five locations across the Austin area—mostly in more family friendly areas—and is quickly establishing itself as a neighborhood go-to. 

Right outside of the parking garage next to Dick’s Sporting Goods at The Domain, Wagyu Yume is a small trailer specializing in imported Japanese A5 wagyu, which means a meal here will set you back as much as $45, though there’s also a cheaper gyudon bowl if you’re not quite ready to ball out too hard on a Wednesday afternoon between Zoom calls. 

Part cocktail bar, part ‘70s-inspired disco club, Saturn recently opened its doors in Downtown Austin after a series of popups around town. In addition to a ‘70s-themed decor, expect to find a small menu of fun and playful cocktails—think less liquid nitrogen-cooled martinis, and more dragonfruit-and-coconut cream tropical drinks.

As the name suggests, Reset Arcade Bar is a bar with arcade games located on South Menchaca Road, on a small stretch of road that’s home to a handful of other bars. There’s beer and wine on the menu, plus cocktails with video game-inspired names, including a gin & sonic and a Kong island iced tea. In addition to new and old arcade cabinet games, there are also a handful of video game consoles, and pool tables if you want to stick to more classic bar activities. 

Parked at “The Lawn”—a pedestrian-friendly area at the south end of The Domain, Suculenta Cocina Mexicana is a trailer specializing in a variety of Mexican dishes, including tacos, chilaquiles, and enchiladas. The menu also features a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, making it a good stop for a mid-day meal during a day of shopping at The Domain.

Cookie Rich has been selling desserts and other baked goods (including cookies) out of a trailer near the UT Campus for a couple of years now, but recently the chef/owner behind the project opened an all-day cafe called Goldie’s. And when that happened, it made sense to consolidate the two projects into one location, which means you can now find Cookie Rich operating out of the same window in Tarrytown, with plenty of shaded outdoor seating. 

Part of the Inn Cahoots “East Austin hospitality complex,” IYKYK is a rooftop bar open on Friday and Saturday evenings. Also in the same complex is Bar Mischief, a cocktail bar with a speakeasy vibe, and Austin Garden & Studio, a large outdoor space next to the hotel. 

There are over 100 locations of Uncle Tetsu across the globe, but until recently, none existed in Texas. Now, if you want a slice of spongy Japanese cheesecake (or a whole pie), you can just head to The Crescent shopping center in Highland.

Right next to Inn Cahoots on East Sixth (and from the same team), Austin Garden & Studio is a large outdoor event space and bar. The ground is all astroturf, so expect year-round green pastures, plus a big stage and lots of semi-shaded picnic tables. 

Adding to the small roster of vendors at The Tailor Shop—a mini food hall and bar on South Lamar—Coast2Coast is a sandwich shop. The specialty is cheesesteaks and East Coast-style hoagies, but there’s also a not-so-secret “secret” menu listed with things like a pizza steak sub, or a surf & turf with ribeye and ahi tuna. This is also home to a “cheesesteak challenge,” involving 60 minutes, 28 inches of bread, 4.5 pounds of food, and a cost of either $0 or $60, depending on your success. 

There are two patios at Nixta, a back one that makes up about 90% of the dining area, and now a front one that’s home to Flor Xacali—a tasting menu experience made up of seven courses, plus an optional, low-intervention wine pairing. Spots are available by reservation only, with tickets going for $125/person (plus an optional $60 for the four-course wine pairing). 

June 2023

From the team behind Gabriela’s and Mala Vida–a late-night bar and club in Downtown Austin—Mala Fama is a three-story bar and club (including a rooftop patio) just a few blocks away from both of its sister concepts. The space is only open Thursday through Sundays starting at 9pm, featuring local DJs and mostly Latin music. 

Located on South Menchaca in an area Austhentico has dubbed “SoChaca” (let’s hope that doesn’t stick), Austhentico is a trailer specializing in Spanish-inspired sandwiches and tapas. That means dishes like bocadillos with jamon serrano or Spanish chorizo, patatas bravas, and tortilla Española.

After over a decade of operating as one of the city’s most iconic breweries out of a taproom in North Austin, Austin Beerworks has expanded to a second taproom, this time out in Northeast Austin off Springdale Road. The new space is set on a massive 64 acres, though most of that is outdoor space, including lots of games, activities, seating, and, eventually a disc golf course. There are plans for a more permanent food truck situation in the future, but for now you can expect a rotating fleet of trucks on site, usually from Wednesdays-Sundays. 

We’re not entirely sure if it serves as a tribute to old Austin, or a stark reminder of how quickly the city continues to grow, but Sign Bar in far East Austin, near Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park, is a bar with dozens of signs from closed, iconic Austin businesses. Use it as an opportunity to revisit some old memories, or just as a mini history lesson. There’s a full bar with a small menu of pretty classic, simple cocktails, plus the usual options for beer and wine. There are rotating food trucks on-site most nights of the week. 

The popular South Austin barbecue trailer, Valentina’s, recently relocated to Buda, TX, where it now operates out of a larger, air-conditioned space with a full bar. The menu is mostly the same—with barbecue served by the pound, in sandwiches, and tacos—but the added space means they’re able to stay open later. Much like the original trailer, expect a wait on the weekends, but show up early or during the week to keep your time in line to a minimum. 

Parked at Celis Brewery next to Con Todo, Pogi is a Filipino fusion truck offering a mix of classic and modern takes on Filipino dishes. That means you’ll find things like lumpia and sisig tacos right next to hot chicken sandwiches and smashburgers. 

After operating for decades, and undergoing numerous changes in name and ownership, Hudson’s On The Bend in west Austin has once again reopened in its original century-old house. Much like before, the menu focuses on local meats and produce, wild game, and an emphasis on smoked and wood-fired cooking techniques. 

Bringing a bit of the beach to South Austin, Bodhi’s Bodacious Hideaway is a ‘90s beach-themed bar on Menchaca Road, from some of the same people behind South Austin Beer Garden. At the bar, expect to find tropical cocktails, frozens, beer, and wine, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is focusing on drinks for the time being, but it’s expected to add a food truck in the near future. 

Specializing in hot stone pho—a kind of DIY, hot pot-pho hybrid—The One Pho is a Vietnamese restaurant that recently opened near 183 and Braker Lane. In addition to bowls of hot stone pho, you can expect to find other Vietnamese dishes served on cast iron skillets, including bò né, the popular Vietnamese version of steak and eggs. 

Located just off Bee Caves Road near 360, Yuki is a handroll bar very similar in style and menu to the popular East and West-coast chain, KazuNori. For those new to experience, that means you can expect to sit at a big wrap-around counter, then choose from a menu of three to seven rolls, each made and eaten to order. In addition to the main omakase experience, there are also nigiri and handrolls available a la carte. 

Up in Austin’s original “Chinatown,” Bep Co Tham is a Vietnamese restaurant from the people behind Texas Bakery, located in the same shopping center. Unlike the original spot that focuses on pastries and baked goods, here there’s an expanded menu of Vietnamese classics, including hủ tiếu, spring rolls, and banh mi. 

After operating as a pre-order-only pop-up bakery for a couple years, Comadre Panaderia has ever-so-slightly expanded its operations to include a limited number of walk-up orders each weekend at their bakery in East Austin (right behind Nixta). You’ll still want to place a pre-order for a guaranteed box of conchas, empanadas, cookies, and other baked goods, but show up early on weekends and you can walk away from the small East Side bakery with your own box of pastries, should the craving strike without advance notice. 

Bar Mischief is a cocktail bar and lounge located at the Inn Cahoots boutique hotel on East 6th. On the menu, expect to find a mix of classic and original cocktails, plus a small selection of beer and wine, all in a speakeasy-style space complete with lots of wood and big chandeliers. 

On the second floor of the Austin Proper Hotel Downtown, The Quill Room is a cocktail bar and lounge with French-inspired decor and cocktails, plus a small menu of similarly inspired light bites. Just be ready for a pricey night—the cocktails here start around $20 and go up from there, but you can always stick to $9 Miller Lites. 

Right in the heart of the Warehouse District in Downtown Austin, Swank Cocktail Room is a cocktail bar and lounge that lives up to its name. Expect dim lighting, dark leather chairs, and, well, cocktails. Reservations can be made through Instagram, or you can try walking in for a table.

Yamas is a new restaurant near MoPac and 2222 focused on Greek food, with a dining room that’s meant to feel like Greece—with lots of white and blue accents, plants, and a giant octopus mural. And there’s a pretty extensive menu covering everything from grilled calamari and shrimp donuts, to chicken souvlaki and lobster linguine. 

In the old Juiceland space at 45th and Duval, Gelatoro is a gelato shop, bakery, and cafe open seven days a week. Gelatos are made in-house daily, with a handful of staple flavors, plus a few rotating weekly ones. You can also get coffee and espresso here, including affogatos if you need a little pick-me-up with your dessert.

Parked behind Revival Vintage near Lamar and 51st Street, Lonche Bar is a trailer selling, well, lonchas. Inspired by the Mexican street food, these deep-fried mini sandwiches arrive on fresh-baked bolillos, filled with your choice of meat, then topped with with cheese, salsa, and a bit of cabbage for some added crunch. Hours are expected to expand in the near future, but for now they’re open Friday-Sunday evenings.

Fans of Barrett’s Coffee and The Vegan Nom can now get the best of both worlds at Double Trouble, a new all-day bar, restaurant, and coffee shop in North Loop. By day, come here for coffee and vegan tacos, or show up in the evenings for beers, frozen cocktails, and more vegan tacos. There’s also a pretty massive patio.  

Taking over the former Sap’s Thai space on Burnet Road in Allandale, Khon is another Thai restaurant with a pretty big menu of classics spanning from kao soi and Panang beef to tom yum and tom kha. It’s from the same owners as Seeda, a Japanese fusion trailer in Lago Vista. 

Only open on the weekends, Corazon Azul is a trailer parked at Thirsty Planet Brewery on South Congress Avenue near Slaughter Lane, with a small, rotating menu of Mexican dishes. While the menu changes regularly, you can expect to find dishes like huaraches, tlacoyos, and quesadillas, all on fresh-made blue corn tortillas. 

The menu at Dream Po Boy is pretty extensive, covering everything from buffalo wings and nuggets, to tacos, quesadillas, sopapillas, and, of course, po’ boys. This is the second location of Dream Po Boy’s—parked at Tweedy’s by campus—with the original location in South Austin. 

Located in a parked moving truck behind Progress Coffee in Cherrywood, Visitant is a tiny speakeasy-style bar with room for about a dozen people at any given time. It’s open Wednesday-Saturday evenings, with reservations available via DM on Instagram.