It befalls without fail: as soon as I make deadline for this column, BIG THINGS HAPPEN!!! And the past coupla months are no exception. On the bad news front (depending on your stomach’s preferences), Kitchen United, the ghost kitchen up on Burnet, closed. Outside of Hawaiian Bros, which is brick-n-mortaring across the region, and Fuddruckers, it seemed to be a struggle to keep a consistent list of slingers in the stalls. On the vegan front, Citizen Eatery closed at the end of the year, auctioning off their iconic pink rabbit. Old Thousand‘s Burnet outpost closed up shop in December, but the mothership on 11th street is still wokking and rolling. Allandale/Rosedale alum Pacha Organic Cafe closed its new location. Finally, a drunk driver apparently thought Gusto was a drive-through restaurant (but Gusto is back in bidness!).
Austin’s Very Own Saltt is now open (see review this issue), and it’s rather fantastic. Verdad True Modern Mexican is now open as well as is Tikka Shack Indian Grub (review this issue). The Yard Bar has a new chow slinger, Camp Out, camping out in the kitchen spot. Flora Coffee & Culture has opened up by Eldorado Cafe specializing in pour overs, including kyoto pour overs.
On the coming-soon front, dumpling queen Ling Qi Wu is opening her highly anticipated Ling Wu at the Grove sometime this spring. There’s also a buzz around Mems Davila of Wünder Pig remodeling the automotive shop at 1521 West Anderson Lane for an as-yet-unannounced restaurant. We also randomly saw that The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen is opening an outpost at 7719 Woodhollow Drive on Anderson Lane just across MoPac. And rumor has it that ChefSuite will rise from the ashes of Kitchen United with Steak ‘n Shake as one of the initial residents. To yin the yang of Juiceland, Pizza Hut is opening up next to it on Burnet. The universe will be balanced yet again. Still waiting on H-Mart (and its coterie of restaurants) and Snarf’s to open. A reader turned me on to Baretto Bistro, a quaint, under-the-radar family-run French cafe in the 26 Doors shopping center on West 38th Street. The family are the folks that owned Brick Oven Pizza. Worth checking out!
I wrote this review for the Allandale Neighbor. (February 2024, v 39, i 1, p 12-13)
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