ThoroughFare is one of several recently opened spots offering baked goods in Austin.
Provided by ThoroughFare.
May brought more reshuffling of Austin’s dining scene, with a wave of new cafes and bars opening across the city while several longtime food and beverage businesses announced closures.
The month’s openings were favorable for coffee shops, pastries and daytime concepts. At the same time, a handful of beverage producers and established local operators cited rising costs, lease issues and financial pressures as reasons for shutdowns.
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Related: Award-winning brewery and pizzeria plans new restaurant in Austin suburb
Here are the restaurant, bar and hospitality updates that caught our attention this month.
Openings
Alice Poulain Café
Alice Poulain Café is now open at 2214 South First St.
Provided by Alice Poulain Café
South First Street got a new Parisian-style cafe this month with the arrival of Alice Poulain Café. The daytime spot serves coffee, pastries, quiche, imported cheeses, wine and charcuterie, alongside breakfast and lunch offerings like salads and sandwiches. Pastries include croissants, pain au chocolat and rotating cakes. The cafe is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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2214 South First St. instagram.com/alicepoulaincafe.
Bésame Hyde Park
After announcing plans to leave its post at Meanwhile Brewing, local ice cream concept Bésame opened a new truck in Hyde Park. The shop serves sundaes and pints in flavors ranging from graham cracker peanut butter to Oreo nougat combinations. The new outpost is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
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4215 Ave. H. hotplate.com/besame.
Black Fox Coffee
Black Fox Coffee inside the ATX Tower serves coffee, pastries and more.
Provided by Black Fox Coffee
New York-based Black Fox Coffee has opened inside downtown Austin’s ATX Tower. The cafe serves coffee drinks, matcha and cold-pressed juices alongside pastries and baked goods from Austin bakery Swedish Hill, which have been making the rounds across food influencer social media accounts. The cafe open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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323 W. Sixth St. blackfoxcoffee.com.
Snooze Eatery Arbor Trail
Snooze’s Arbor Trails location opened shortly after the chain closed its South Lamar post.
Provided by Snooze Eatery
Breakfast chain Snooze opened its newest Austin-area location in Arbor Trails this month, following the closure of its South Lamar restaurant. Company officials said in a news release that much of the South Lamar staff and management team transitioned to the new location.
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4301 W. William Cannon Drive. 737-371-9447, snoozeeatery.com/restaurant/texas/arbor-trails.
Small’s Wine Bar
Small’s Pizza operates out of a walk-up window at Springdale General in East Austin.
MATTHEW ODAM/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The folks behind one of Austin’s best pizza spots expanded into wine service with the opening of Small’s Wine Bar in Springdale. The new space offers wine, small plates, pasta nights and pizza in a more intimate setting than the neighboring food court area. The bar is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. with a last call for food at 8:50 p.m.
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1023 Springdale Road. instagram.com/smallswinebar.
Stoney’s Good Time Ranch
East Seventh Street added another bar serving cocktails, frozen drinks and beer alongside events like drag shows and bingo nights. The venue features an outdoor patio and dog-friendly seating areas. It also has a Dolly for President mural that might become one of the most Instagrammable walls in town. It is open Monday through Saturday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m.
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3526 E. Seventh St. 512-763-7575, stoneysgoodtimeranch.com.
The exterior of Taqueria de Diez’s new Westlake location at 3736 Bee Cave Road in West Lake Hills.
Ana Gutierrez / Austin American-Statesman
Taqueria de Diez opened its third Austin-area location this month in West Lake Hills, expanding its Tijuana-style taco operation. The opening comes as the restaurant prepares to relocate its original downtown location to East Sixth Street amid redevelopment in the area. Hours for the new location are Sunday through Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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3736 Bee Cave Road. 839-888-2267. taqueriadediez.com.
ThoroughFare
The new Mueller spot offers baked goods, sandwiches, coffee and more.
Dean Hawn/Provided by ThoroughFare
Mueller welcomed ThoroughFare, a hybrid bakery, deli, grocery and cafe concept from the team behind ThoroughBread. The business quietly opened earlier this spring but has gained momentum in recent weeks with its mix of coffee drinks, sandwiches, baked goods and house-made pantry items.
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1905 Aldrich St #110. 737-295-3660 , instagram.com/yourthoroughfare.
Closings
Chi’Lantro Burnet
The Original Kimchi Fries by Chi’lantro BBQ at the ACL Festival in Austin on Saturday, October 12, 2019. [LOLA GOMEZ / AMERICAN-STATESMAN]
Austin 360
Korean barbecue fusion chain Chi’Lantro closed its Burnet Road restaurant after 11 years in operation. Founder Jae Kim told MySA that the closure stemmed from an inability to reach a new lease agreement with the property owner.
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Desert Door
Desert Door Distillery is a Central Texas sotol distillery and tasting room in Driftwood.
Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman
Desert Door, the Driftwood-based sotol distillery, is listed as temporarily closed following leadership changes earlier this spring. Wedding clients on social media also reported canceled events in recent weeks. The company has not publicly announced a reason for the closure.
Senza Maeso
Spirit producer Senza Maeso announced it will close its San Marcos tasting room and bar citing higher-than-expected operating costs in a social media statement. Its last day was May 31.
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Super Daily Fusion Pasta
Super Daily Fusion Pasta announced it is pausing operations after roughly a year in business. In a statement posted on Instagram, the owners described the concept as a labor of love built “from scratch” and thanked customers for supporting the business through its run.
Two dogs greet each other while playing at Yard Bar in Austin, Aug. 3, 2022. Yard Bar is the combination of a dog park and bar, allowing dogs to run around while their owners drink, relax and socialize.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman, Austin American-Statesman
Yard Bar, Austin’s first dog park and bar, closed May 30 after more than a decade in Allandale. Owners cited rising property taxes, insurance, labor and operating costs in announcing the closure. Travis Central Appraisal District records show the property’s appraised value has more than doubled since 2015.
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Updates
Patrizi’s
Italian food favorite Patrizi’s replaced the original food truck that helped launch the business more than a decade ago. Owners shared the update on social media, calling the truck a home for “food, love and family” over the years.
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New truck at 2307 Manor Road. 346-658-5171, patrizis.com.
West location: 1705 Cuernavaca Dr. 346-658-5808.
Roxie’s
Roxie’s is located in the historic Buda Mill & Grain at 308 Main St.
PROVIDED BY GARRETT SMITH
Roxie’s, the restaurant from the Salt Lick family in Buda, rolled out a slate of happy hour and daily drink specials ahead of the summer dining season.
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The restaurant’s new promotions include rotating weekday cocktail specials — from margaritas on Mondays and espresso martinis on Fridays to wine — with most featured drinks priced at $5.
It also expanded happy hour offerings, adding discounted starters, frozen cocktails, well drinks and draft beer during weekday afternoon service, while extending happy hour through the entire day on Mondays. From Tuesday through Friday, happy hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
308 S. Main St., Buda. 512-524-6578, roxiesbuda.com.
North Italia
North Italia added seasonal dishes and cocktails to its Austin locations this month, alongside a limited-time prix fixe lunch and brunch menu. New menu items include steak panzanella, agnolotti al pomodoro and updated dessert offerings.
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Downtown: 500 W. Second St. 512-777-5062, northitalia.com.
North: 11506 Century Oaks Terrace Suite 124. 512-339-4400.
Oria
Oria, the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant on Barton Springs Road, debuted weekend brunch service this month. The menu includes dishes like French toast with brûléed Catalan cream and steak and eggs with baharat chimichurri, alongside brunch cocktails and spritzes.
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1530 Barton Springs Road. 512-220-0204, oriarestaurants.com.