25-07-2025
The Saddest Restaurant Closures in Austin This July
is an editor for Eater's Texas region. She lives in Dallas, where she's written about James Beard-celebrated and Michelin-recognized restaurants and she loves nachos.
In a fast-paced place like Austin, restaurants come and go all the time. Do you know of an Austin-area restaurant closure that's not on this list? Drop us a line at austin@
Z'Tejas
The final location of this Austin-born institution, located in Kyle, closed on June 30. It ran for 36 years, serving up Southwestern-inspired Tex-Mex. The original location on Austin's West Sixth Street closed in March 2023, the final Austin location closed in April this year, and over the ensuing month, the business dwindled to the final Z-Tejas in Kyle. The company intended to sell the business off at the beginning of the year, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
Jewboy Subs
As has been widely reported, Jewboy Subs closed on July 20. The good news is, owner Mo Pittle already has plans in place to open a Jewboy Sliders in Domain Northside. It will be inside the Lavaca Street Bar there, per the Austin Business Journal. Pittle will have a five-year lease in that location, which will serve lunch and late-night bites, plus a new menu of bar foods. The bad news is that the closure was due to a rent increase that Pittle couldn't afford.
Aster's Ethiopian
Located near the University of Texas campus, this Ethiopian restaurant seems to have quietly closed since June. It was open for more than 30 years, serving buffet-style meals. The reason for the closure is unknown.
Milky Way Shakes
For the second time, this vegan food truck has closed. This time, the owners cited the 'challenging economic climate' in an Instagram post, saying, 'The cost of goods has skyrocketed, and sales simply can't [keep] pace.' Its last day of service was on July 13.
Cielo Nightclub
It is a bummer to see this Latin nightclub off Sixth Street shut down, but its final day was on July 19. The closure was announced on Instagram, without any reason cited. It ran for 16 years, and the owners thanked patrons in the post, saying, 'Without a doubt, your patronage supported our long journey, allowing Cielo to be a fabric of Austin's Latin community.' The post also teased something new on the way, but it is unclear if that means something new in the same space or a new business elsewhere from the same people.
Easy Tiger
The Easy Tiger location on South Lamar closed for the summer, which operators attributed to a plan to 'remodel and refresh our space' in an Instagram post. The location in the Linc remains open. The post didn't indicate a date when the South Lamar spot will reopen.
Jim Jim's Water Ice
Consider this your early warning to get to Jim Jim's this summer because it will be the last summer you can. The long-running business, with a shop on Sixth Street and five push carts around Austin, will close in October, per a report in the San Antonio Express-News. The reason why is pretty wholesome: Owners Jim and Rachel Moy want to stop making their family work through the summer. The pair plan to travel with their 12-year-old son, visiting various national parks. They'll retain the Jim Jim's trademark just in case their son wants to reopen the business at some point in the future.
