3 days ago
Austin Restaurant Openings You Don't Want to Miss, May 2025
Every month, a new crop of restaurants opens in and around Austin. While everyone loves a good sushi spot, food truck, or outdoor patio, this round-up will give you the high-end spots and the low-end spots that are new to town — be they good, bad, or so bad they're good/so good they're bad. Whether it's a locally owned restaurant or the latest addition of a chain, here's what's happening in the world of restaurant openings in Austin and beyond for the month.
Send your openings news to austin@ Le Calamar
1600 South 1st Street, Suite 100, Bouldin Creek
Claudia Lee and Richard Hargreave, of the now-closed Underdog, opened Le Calamar, a French bistro with some Texan touches, on Thursday, May 29. North Carolina native and chef Casey Wall joins the duo, bringing years of experience from award-winning restaurants and bars in Australia and New York, where he worked under the tutelage of famed chef April Bloomfield at the Spotted Pig.. The menu at Le Calamar features dishes such as chicken wings à la Koffman, steak tartare with pan de mie, oysters Charentaise paired with spicy Texas hot links, grilled trout cooked in brown butter-based salsa macha, Carolina gold rice with Gulf shrimp and blue crab, and an ever-changing menu of steaks cooked over charcoal. Le Calamar plans to eventually offer lunch, a more streamlined version of dinner, including French dip sandwiches inspired by birria. Citizens
4818 Burnet Road, Rosedale
An all-day cafe from Australia arrives in Austin. Citizens, which has U.S. locations in Houston and New York City, breaks into Austin with a lineup of breakfast options worth trying. This location, however, is its first all-day spot, open for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is served until 4 p.m. daily, giving diners the choice of an authentic Australian experience with Vegemite flights and the Big Brekkie plate (two poached eggs, multigrain toast, bacon, chicken sausage, smashed avocado, chorizo baked beans, and hash browns). Diners can also choose Texan-style options like banana bread French toast. In lieu of a lunch menu, Citizens has 'deli' offerings such as a Reuben, tuna salad sandwich, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on open-faced rye. Dinner, served starting at 6 p.m., features gastro pub-inspired fare, including vodka sauce chicken Parmesan, fish and chips, and short rib ragu pappardelle. In addition to offering a 50 percent off deal for its first month in business, a heck of an incentive to swing by. Citizens will also offer a wings and wine special on Wednesdays, where wings are $6 and wines by the bottle or glass are half-priced. Taginè Moroccan Cuisine
5011 East Cesar Chavez Street, East Austin
It's all about the lamb tagine at this food truck in East Austin, which is the star dish by all metrics. The various tagine meatballs, mouthwatering dajaj chicken, and kebabs, all served with sides of rice, french fries, or eggplant and tomato-filled zaalouk, we want to know everything. Moroccan food in Austin is rare, with under 10 restaurants currently open, so all newcomers to the field are a welcome sight to see. Sami Sumeli Georgian European Restaurant
401 East Whitestone Boulevard, Suite A101, Cedar Park
Ever tried Georgian food before? Now's your chance. This new Cedar Park restaurant offers a menu filled with Eastern European cuisine, including Sami's take on kharcho, a rich and fragrant Georgian beef stew mixed with rice, tomatoes, and spices; plus grilled lamb and chicken skewers, and khinkhali or 'oversized'. Dessert is also on the menu, in the form of mini honey cake dumplings filled with fresh berries, eclairs, and syrniki — pancakes made from sweet curd cheese, served with a side of raspberry and sour cream. Soul Seoul Sol
2505 Webberville Road, Webberville
The team behind some of Austin's most beloved tacos is back with a completely different food trailer. Located next to its Webberville taco truck, Soul Seoul Sol offers a fusion of Mexican and Korean cuisines. Diners will find short rib bibimbap over fried rice that's loaded with spicy kimchi, pickled cucumbers and crowned with a runny egg; a fried chicken sandwich dipped in Thai chili sauce with a pear slaw; and the Instagramworthy Seoul hamburgesa, which has two smashed wagyu patties, topped with smoked gouda, spicy mayo, charred jalapeños, and pickled slaw. Vida Verde Kitchen
4200 West Braker Lane, Balcones Woods
Look for a farm-to-table ethos at this all-day Mexican-American restaurant, featuring ingredients sourced from local farmers and ranchers. Vida Verde is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, starting the day with an array of omelettes, skillets, French toast, and crepes; for lunch and dinner, Vida mixes Mexican, Mediterranean, and American cuisines, offering tacos and fajitas with options like shrimp, steak, chicken tinga, mushrooms, and avocado, plus dishes like Greek salads, flatbreads, baby back ribs, and multiple burgers. It's got a little something for almost everyone. One Bite Dumpling
1901 West William Cannon Drive, Suite #115, South Austin
This new Chinese restaurant and dim sum spot opened in South Austin in early May. Expect freshly made soup dumplings, potstickers, and other dim sum favorites, served alongside Asian comfort foods, like noodle soups, stir-fries, chow mein, and more. Knuckle Sandwich
Ants Beer Cave, 440 East Street, Elmo Road E-2; the Far Out Lounge, 8504 South Congress Avenue, South Austin
Don't let the name intimidate you. This food truck, which opened in late April, prides itself on its 'East Coast deli' and laidback bodega vibes, which means you're bound to get a top-notch sandwich. But since it's located in Austin, Knuckle Sandwich switches things up just a little. The Not Boring Turkey Sammie is stuffed with za'atar-crusted turkey, marinated feta, olive tapenade, sprouts, and a red pepper aioli. With gyro-like touches, the lamb sandwich features slow-roasted lamb, tzatziki, and a beet horseradish slaw. The vegetarian mushroom Reuben made with lion's mane mushroom 'pastrami' seems like a must-try. And it's probably not advisable to leave without at least trying the signature Knuckle Sandwich with mortadella, salami, capicola, peppers, 'shredduce,' Parm crisps, za'atar vinegar, and amba aioli. You can make it out with just a bag of chips, but why not try some of its more adventurous sides or starters, like the spicy melon and burrata or the red pepper pasta salad? Catch it when it sets up shop at Ants Beer Cave from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday, or at the Far Out Lounge from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Lotz of BBQ
3400 Comsouth Drive, Southeast Austin
Owner Roy Lotz's food trailer was stolen in December 2024 and recovered in Elgin, with lots of damage. Now, he is reopening Lotz of BBQ with a new trailer he purchased thanks to fundraising help from the Austin Deaf Club, of which Lotz is a member. To say thanks, he hosted a community cookout for the club on Saturday, May 17, giving away hundreds of free meals, KVU reported. Now that he's back in action, swing by to try his tacos, sandwiches stuffed with brisket, pulled pork, or Cajun turkey breast, or order up some barbecue by the pound. Elsewhere in West Texas San Peter Taqueria
5322 San Pedro Avenue, San Antonio
There's a new food truck in San Antonio, with some well-known faces behind it. Chef-owners Gaby Hinojosa and Charlie Gonzalez (of Panfila Cantina and Tutto Pepe), and Hinojosa's brother-in-law Jake Andrews have opened a taco truck that's slinging killer flautas nestled in beef, coated in crema, and served in paper cups; torta-like lonches tamaulipas that use bread shaped like hot dog buns; asada fries with avocado salsa; and more. Pro-tip: if you bring them a bag of chips, they'll fill it up with meats, onions, and cheese that has a Frito pie vibe to it for $10. Petit Coquin
1012 South Presa Street, San Antonio
Empty Stomach hospitality in San Antonio has opened this French bistro, serving a prix fixe dinner on Wednesday through Saturday evenings for $65 per person. The menu changes frequently, but the restaurant's sample dishes include country-style terrines, leeks vinaigrette, and poulet vin jaune. Reservations are recommended as the space only holds 24 seats, but bar seating is reserved for walk-ins. Eggrollin'
2327 North St. Mary's Street, San Antonio
The owners of Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant and Stuffed got together to create this eggroll-focused food truck, where customers can grab fusion eggrolls stuffed with Cuban sandwich filling, chicken Parmesan, gyro, chili hot dogs, and more. For sweets lovers, there's also a Nutella-stuffed version. Roll up. Anacacho Coffee & Cantina
300 East Travis Street, San Antonio
The St. Anthony Hotel opened a new coffee bar and cocktail lounge on Friday, May 9. Inspired by the Anacacho Ranch in West Texas, the aptly named Anacacho Coffee & Cantina starts the day with coffee drinks made with beans from San Antonio roaster Pulp Coffee. Java heads can expect a full menu of espresso, cortados, cappuccinos, lattes, and iced beverages, including cold brew, iced lattes, and mochas. Food will also be on offer with San Antonio native and James Beard Semifinalist chef Leo Dabilo, formerly of Stix & Stones, serving Mexican street-style corn, bao buns, and his award-winning Big Red & Barbacoa taco, in which Big Red soda is used in the tortillas. At night, Anacacho switches beverage gears, serving drinks that honor the storied ranch, including an Anacacho Ranch Water, and the Alamo City South Side. Wok Wey
9410 Potranco Road, San Antonio, 78245
Jaime Gonzalez, the chef formerly behind Carriqui in the historic Pearl, recently opened a food truck beside a gas station that serves Cantonese cuisine in the Far Westside. Gonzalez tells MySA that Wok Wey pays homage to his heritage. His mother and great-grandfather are Cantonese, and his father is Hispanic (His grandfather often cooked Chinese food for him growing up). Dishes include Cantonese staples like char siu pork, plus fried chicken, fried rice, spring rolls, and blistered beans – all of which can be enjoyed with Wok Wey's selection of sweet teas and agua frescas. Stagecoach Inn
416 South Main Street, Salado
Located between Georgetown and Waco, this historic Inn has reopened its restaurant after closing in June 2023, according to Fox7 Austin. The Stagecoach Inn, which opened 80 years ago, now features a revamped menu courtesy of the folks at Monument Café in Georgetown. Diners can still expect to find the hush puppies that have been on the menu since 1947, along with Southern favorites such as a roasted cauliflower puree served with chimichurri, fried chicken salad with honey mustard dressing, chicken-fried steak and chicken, grilled steelhead trout, and an assortment of sandwiches including a burger, patty melt, and BLT.
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