Little Mexico is closing on South First Street after more than 30 years at that location.
MATTHEW ODAM/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Little Mexico is preparing to close after more than three decades. What began as a seven-table operation by Rosa Martinez grew into a 200-seat institution that fed generations. With its closure, another piece of South First’s cultural spine disappears.
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Many dishes at Pasta | Bar are sauced tableside.
PROVIDED BY SARAH BLOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Pasta|Bar, the high-wire tasting counter from chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee, is closing at the end of the month. The East Sixth Street restaurant built its reputation on a $235-and-up experience that treated dinner like a performance. The team plans to debut a new concept in the same space.
Vespaio opened at 1610 S. Congress Ave. in 1998. [Thao Nguyen/FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN]
Austin 360
Few closures will hit quite like Vespaio, which has anchored South Congress since 1998. It was the kind of place that defined “Old Austin” dining. Its sister concept, Chapulín Cantina, will also shutter. What comes next for the space is unclear.
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2301 E. Riverside Drive. 833-843-5776, br.coffee.
De Nada’s new Austin location opened Feb. 22, 2026 at 1302 S. First St.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman, Austin 360
De Nada Cantina took over the former El Mercado space on South First. The new tenant promises tortillas on the comal and a margarita-forward identity, while holding onto small traces of what came before. The restaurant will also have seating wrapping around its exterior and a live music stage.
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1302 S. First St. 512-447-7445, denadacantina.com.
Ēma, the sister restaurant to Aba, is now open in Domain Northside.
PROVIDED BY LETTUCE ENTERTAIN YOU
Up north, Ēma has opened at Domain NORTHSIDE, importing a Chicago-born, vegetable-forward Mediterranean menu. The opening marks Ēma’s third location overall and the second Lettuce concept in Austin, joining Aba on South Congress Avenue. The menu includes mezze, spreads, vegetables and kebabs.
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3120 Palm Way, Suite 170. 737-402-1333, emarestaurants.com/austin.
Kebabalicious
2/26/10 Mike Sutter/American-Statesman.For an Austin360 tab story on South by Southwest street food. SXSW 0318xldine. Wraps from the Turkish kebab trailer called Kebabalicious. At left is one with beef and lamb. At right is chicken. Both have lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce.
Austin American-Statesman
The spot opened its second location at Drinks Lounge, serving doner kebabs and specialty eats like the Boss Fries at the bar.
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2001 E. Cesar Chavez St. 512-893-4133, kebabalicious.com.
Oria
On Barton Springs Road, Oria’s menu pulls from Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, built around shareable plates and open flames. In a neighborhood that still values a good patio and late-night energy, it may find its footing.
1530 Barton Springs Road. oriarestaurants.com.
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Poeta (East Sixth)
MATTHEW ODAM/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
From the team behind Intero, Poeta is opening its third location inside the East Austin Hotel after two brief tenures in different locations.
1108 E. Sixth St. 512-364-0380, poetarestaurant.com.
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Roxie’s specializes in the fried chicken and chicken fried steak of owner Scott Roberts’ grandmother, Roxanna Roberts.
PROVIDED BY GARRETT SMITH
Just outside Austin, Roxie’s thrives on memory, specifically, the recipes of owner Scott Roberts’ grandmother. Chicken fried steak, biscuits, pies. The menu reads like a reminder that even as things change, the appetite for the familiar doesn’t fade.
308 S. Main St., Buda. 512-524-6578, roxiesbuda.com.
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The upstairs dining room at Roya features deep blue walls, dim lighting and seating that creates an intimate, moody atmosphere.
Provided by Bita Ghassemi
Tucked above District Kitchen, Roya offers a more introspective experience. Chef-owner Amir Hajimaleki draws directly from Iranian culinary traditions: herb-heavy stews, grilled meats, dishes that take their time.
7858 Shoal Creek Blvd. 512-284-8469, amir3875.wixsite.com/roya.
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Swedish Hill (Downtown)
Swedish Hill continues its expansion with a downtown location, extending the reach of a bakery and deli that has already been reshaped under new ownership. What was once a neighborhood institution is now something broader.
415 Colorado St. Unit 102. swedishhillbakery.com/downtown.
TORA
TORA is bringing sushi concierge dining technology to northeast Austin.
Kieran Reeves/Provided by Aburi Restaurants
In the northeast tech corridor, TORA brings a technology-driven approach to sushi, blending traditional technique with automated delivery systems and precision ordering. It’s dining engineered for efficiency and novelty, landing in a part of town built on both.
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3500 E. Parmer Lane. 346-672-4262, aburitoraus.com.
TzinTzunTzan
Tucked into Allandale, Tzintzuntzan comes as a sister to Fonda San Miguel. Named for a Purépecha word meaning “place of the hummingbirds,” the restaurant serves brunch, lunch, baked goods and house-made ice cream.
2302 W. N. Loop Blvd. tzintzuntzan.com.
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