Whether Austin foodies are on the hunt for Valentine’s Day reservations or saving their dining-out money for another day, the food scene continues its evolution. This week we’ve heard about the anticipated opening of the second De Nada Cantina, sad news for vegan bakery-goers, and an interesting new rolling restaurant service for folks who want to try more Indian food.<\/p>\n
Openings and closings<\/p>\n
De Nada Cantina, a popular taquer\u00eda known for its margaritas, has announced the opening date of its second location. Fittingly, it’ll be National Margarita Day, February 22. It’s just a soft opening, so if you go, give the team time to work out the kinks. The building at 1302 S. 1st St. formerly housed El Mercado Restaurant & Cantina South for four decades; a representative for De Nada’s hospitality group calls the changeover<\/a> a “rebrand” when it was announced<\/a> in December.<\/p>\n Fat Cats, an organic bakery and coffee shop that was a longtime vegan staple<\/a>, has closed, according to a social media announcement<\/a>. Its last day was February 8. The post did not disclose why the business closed, but it did confirm that the closure is permanent. “Thank you for your support over the past 10+ years!” it concluded. “We\u2019ll miss seeing y\u2019all!” <\/p>\n Another longtime favorite<\/a>, the Dan’s Hamburgers at 844 Airport Blvd., is also closing \u2014 but it’ll be back. The Austin Business Journal<\/a> reports that the building will be demolished and replaced with another nearly twice its size. A similar demolition on South Lamar Boulevard has been pushed so the business can have enough restaurants open to stay afloat in the interim. The Airport location will shutter the first week of April and is expected to reopen six to eight months later.<\/p>\n Black Rock Coffee Bar, an Oregon chain<\/a> (not a franchise, and not owned by investment group BlackRock), will open a new location in Austin on February 17 \u2014 this one will be the closest to downtown so far. The new shop is located at 2301 E. Riverside Dr. Guests are invited to stop by for a week of deals from February 17-22, which will follow the same daily order shown during a different opening here<\/a>.<\/p>\n ICYMI: Here’s some news we covered since last week’s roundup. Two East Austin institutions are joining together as Kebabalicious opens<\/a> its second location at Drinks Lounge & Records. Also in East Austin, Mueller gets a Merit Coffee, the fourth in town<\/a> for the San Antonio-based small chain. Finally, CultureMap Austin’s Tastemaker Awards are coming back<\/a> for 2026; lists of chef, restaurant, and other culinary nominees will be rolling out soon, but foodies can grab tickets to the live tasting event for a discount now.<\/p>\n Other news and notes<\/p>\n Electric Gravy, an Indian sister restaurant<\/a> to the popular Chinese spot Old Thousand, has launched a new fixed-price menu item that offers a more fluid and attentive service type. The Never Empty Stomach experience ($37 per person) is a take on thali-style dining, which traditionally arranges a selection of foods on one platter, with careful attention to balancing different flavors and nutritional elements. At Electric Gravy<\/a>, this means guests can continually choose from a daily selection of regional dishes, gravies, pickles, dipping sauces, naan, and more, with plenty of refills on deck. Before you call it all-you-can-eat, co-owner Peter D\u2019Souza said in a press release, \u201cThe goal is not how much you eat, but how cared for you feel while you\u2019re here.\u201d Each Never Empty Stomach meal also results in $2 to local and global nonprofit initiatives.<\/p>\n Upscale Mexican restaurant La Condesa is celebrating its 17th anniversary with a deal for partiers: if guests book a “social celebration” at the restaurant or its related private dining spaces between February to May, they’ll get complimentary bubbles. More information on bookings including details on party sizes for each space is available at lacondesa.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n