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Eater
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
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. Sign up for our newsletter.
Eater
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Best Cookies in Seattle
View as Map Trends come and go but cookies are forever. Big or small, chewy or crisp, basic chocolate chip or more complicated recipes — a cookie makes your day a little more bearable. Luckily, cookies are everywhere you look. For this map compiling some of Seattle's best cookies we went to not just bakeries but coffee shops and even grocery stores. Anywhere there was a cookie, we went there and we ate it. The result of our research is this rundown of Seattle cookies, as usual organized geographically rather than ranked. Note that this is a distinct list from our bakery list or our dessert list. If you're one of those people who believes the only proper way to enjoy a cookie is hot out of the oven, try this list of Eater editors' favorite cookie recipes. Know of a spot that should be on our radar? Send us a tip by emailing seattle@ As usual, this list is not ranked; it's organized geographically. For all the latest Seattle dining intel, subscribe to Eater Seattle's newsletter. Read More You may not have seen a cookie as blue as Ben's Bread's blue corn cookie before, and you haven't tasted one quite like it either. The starchy corniness paired with the buttery cookie dough toes the line between sweet and savory, recalling the flavor of a chewy corner piece from a deep-dish loaf of cornbread. Trust when we say it's delicious on its own, but it is tempting to warm it up at home, throw on a pat of butter and drizzle of honey, and eat it just like cornbread. The colorful signage and outdoor seating make Bell's Cookie Co. a bright spot across from Green Lake, and that's before you even get to the cookies inside. Started by CIA-trained culinary consultant Brooke Perez and her husband Tomas, this spot offers decadent and gourmet spins on classic cookie flavors. The Bell's cookie is not to be missed, loaded with toffee, chocolate chips, pecans, and potato chips for a satisfyingly chewy-crunchy texture akin to a candy bar. This farmers market mainstay recently opened a brick-and-mortar location in Sunset Hill, where you can pick up well-curated grocery products and loaves of house-made sourdough bread. But do not turn your nose up at the bakery's one-of-a-kind onion cookie, which mixes caramelized Walla Walla onions with warm cinnamon sugar for a unique version of a classic snickerdoodle that is also vegan to boot. If you have ever enjoyed the particular cross-flavor experience of eating a cinnamon bagel that brushed up on an everything bagel in the bag, this cookie is that amplified by a hundred. This cafe is unique thanks to its blend of German and Chinese flavors. The house chocolate chip cookie has black pepper and swirls of salty licorice caramel, giving a little bit of an edge to a classic treat. Although licorice can be divisive, this cookie should unite everyone with a surprisingly gentle complexity (it's not all that anise-y). If you're a real licorice fan, get the lava hot chocolate to accompany your cookie. Hello, Robin arguably kicked off Seattle's cookie craze in 2013, when it began to pump out hand-scooped treats. You can still see the dough being scooped and baked in the pastel-colored open-concept kitchen at any of its three locations. These little babies are cheaper and smaller than others on the list, so you can blow through a half-dozen with ease and sample at least of the 14 options Hello Robin consistently has on rotation. Where birthday cake–flavor cookies can often be one note, Hello Robin makes some of the best with a delicate crunch from the sprinkles and creamy white chocolate. The chocolate orange habanero has some real-deal spice for adventure seekers, and the Totes Oats adds oatmeal and wheat germ to the classic chocolate chip batter, so it's basically healthy, right? Capitol Hill's newest and buzziest bakery has been jam-packed since it's only (for now) operating on a Friday to Sunday schedule. People come for the truly great rice crispy treats, but the cookies are nothing to snuff at either. Where a lot of citrus cookies lack zing, the vegan yuzu crinkle is loaded with it, filled with tangy yuzu juice and candied yuzu peel that is a nice bit of texture in a fluffy, soft cookie. Curiosity will surely be piqued by the neon green pandan cookie topped with crunchy coconut crumble in the bake case, and your curiosity will be rewarded with a buttery, toasty vanilla flavor. Sign up for our newsletter. Shikorina Bakeshop and Cafe Hana Yohannes started serving tender cakes and stellar Pop-Tarts out of a little house in the Central District in 2020, but the business expanded when it moved into its new home in the Pike/Pine corridor in 2024. Shikorina's expansion brought in a new line of cookies, with the house special bebere caramel cookies ranking as one of the best and most unique cookies in the city. A soft and chewy cookie dough gets a nutty edge with the addition of crushed walnuts, all of which gets wrapped around a runny caramel filling made fragrant by Ethiopian berbere spice mix. The ginger and licorice-y fenugreek stand out, with a creeping chili coming up from behind, making for a unique eating experience. Also try out the chai-spiced oatmeal white chocolate and floral honey-spiked snickerdoodles. Since its first location opened in Wallingford in 2021, Midnight Cookie Co. has been quenching late-night cravings with saucer-sized cookies until midnight (or later — the Wallingford store is open until 1 a.m.) Most of the flavors here are pretty traditional, like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and candy-loaded M&M. Cookies from Midnight are satisfying, nostalgic, and you can get them delivered. What more do you want? Lowrider's cookies are made for fans of dense and chewy cookies that leave distinct teeth marks when bitten into. The texture verges on brownie-like fudginess whether you get an Oreo-packed Cookies and Cream cookie or the toasty, caramelly Salted Toffee Pecan cookie. You'll want to make monthly trips to sample Lowrider's stellar seasonal options. I count down the days to September every year for the Stuffed Strawberry Poptart cookie, with sweet sugar cookie dough wrapped around a bright and juicy strawberry filling. Get these cookies at the Georgetown location (only open on the weekends), or go to the Central District or Burien outposts; they're also available at SeaTac airport. This humble stand in Pike Market is supposed to be known for their cinnamon buns, which ehhhhh. The oversized cookies stacked in the bake case, however, are truly where this place shines. These suckers are the size of my hand, have the perfect texture combo of crispy edges with a soft and chewy center, and are loaded with mix-ins for those who like a big, substantial treat. The Monster cookie lives up to its name with a scary amount of oats, nuts, chocolate chips, and M&Ms, and the Buckeye cookie comes topped with a whole peanut butter cup placed right in the center. Only one spot has ' the cookie,' and it's an upscale grocery store chain. The chocolate chip cookie at Metropolitan Market is heavy on the chocolate: It contains two types of Belgian-style chocolate chunks, and the result is a mess of melted chocolate all over your mouth and hands. It's almost overwhelming, though the crunchiness of the toasted walnuts helps temper the chocolate intensity. No other cookie in town so perfectly recalls the childhood joy of digging into a messy cookie fresh out of the oven. We promise not to look while you're licking your fingers clean. The cookies at Little Jaye might look a little modest compared to the snack cakes, cereal bars, and Shokupan buns bursting with cream, but skipping them would be doing yourself a disservice. Chef and owner Charlie Garriosn has said to have tried 40 different cookies in the area when developing his own chocolate chip cookie recipe, eventually landing on his prime combination of molassesy brown sugar flavor and a crisp, crumbly texture. Little Jaye is constantly switching up seasonal flavors, all of which are worth the long waits, but keep a keen eye out for the candy-loaded monster cookie with M&Ms, Butterfingers, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips for a veritable candy dish in one singular bite. © 2025 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Link copied to the clipboard. You may not have seen a cookie as blue as Ben's Bread's blue corn cookie before, and you haven't tasted one quite like it either. The starchy corniness paired with the buttery cookie dough toes the line between sweet and savory, recalling the flavor of a chewy corner piece from a deep-dish loaf of cornbread. Trust when we say it's delicious on its own, but it is tempting to warm it up at home, throw on a pat of butter and drizzle of honey, and eat it just like cornbread. The colorful signage and outdoor seating make Bell's Cookie Co. a bright spot across from Green Lake, and that's before you even get to the cookies inside. Started by CIA-trained culinary consultant Brooke Perez and her husband Tomas, this spot offers decadent and gourmet spins on classic cookie flavors. The Bell's cookie is not to be missed, loaded with toffee, chocolate chips, pecans, and potato chips for a satisfyingly chewy-crunchy texture akin to a candy bar. Open in Google Maps Foursquare This farmers market mainstay recently opened a brick-and-mortar location in Sunset Hill, where you can pick up well-curated grocery products and loaves of house-made sourdough bread. But do not turn your nose up at the bakery's one-of-a-kind onion cookie, which mixes caramelized Walla Walla onions with warm cinnamon sugar for a unique version of a classic snickerdoodle that is also vegan to boot. If you have ever enjoyed the particular cross-flavor experience of eating a cinnamon bagel that brushed up on an everything bagel in the bag, this cookie is that amplified by a hundred. Open in Google Maps Foursquare This cafe is unique thanks to its blend of German and Chinese flavors. The house chocolate chip cookie has black pepper and swirls of salty licorice caramel, giving a little bit of an edge to a classic treat. Although licorice can be divisive, this cookie should unite everyone with a surprisingly gentle complexity (it's not all that anise-y). If you're a real licorice fan, get the lava hot chocolate to accompany your cookie. Open in Google Maps Foursquare Hello, Robin arguably kicked off Seattle's cookie craze in 2013, when it began to pump out hand-scooped treats. You can still see the dough being scooped and baked in the pastel-colored open-concept kitchen at any of its three locations. These little babies are cheaper and smaller than others on the list, so you can blow through a half-dozen with ease and sample at least of the 14 options Hello Robin consistently has on rotation. Where birthday cake–flavor cookies can often be one note, Hello Robin makes some of the best with a delicate crunch from the sprinkles and creamy white chocolate. The chocolate orange habanero has some real-deal spice for adventure seekers, and the Totes Oats adds oatmeal and wheat germ to the classic chocolate chip batter, so it's basically healthy, right? Open in Google Maps Foursquare Capitol Hill's newest and buzziest bakery has been jam-packed since it's only (for now) operating on a Friday to Sunday schedule. People come for the truly great rice crispy treats, but the cookies are nothing to snuff at either. Where a lot of citrus cookies lack zing, the vegan yuzu crinkle is loaded with it, filled with tangy yuzu juice and candied yuzu peel that is a nice bit of texture in a fluffy, soft cookie. Curiosity will surely be piqued by the neon green pandan cookie topped with crunchy coconut crumble in the bake case, and your curiosity will be rewarded with a buttery, toasty vanilla flavor. Hana Yohannes started serving tender cakes and stellar Pop-Tarts out of a little house in the Central District in 2020, but the business expanded when it moved into its new home in the Pike/Pine corridor in 2024. Shikorina's expansion brought in a new line of cookies, with the house special bebere caramel cookies ranking as one of the best and most unique cookies in the city. A soft and chewy cookie dough gets a nutty edge with the addition of crushed walnuts, all of which gets wrapped around a runny caramel filling made fragrant by Ethiopian berbere spice mix. The ginger and licorice-y fenugreek stand out, with a creeping chili coming up from behind, making for a unique eating experience. Also try out the chai-spiced oatmeal white chocolate and floral honey-spiked snickerdoodles. Open in Google Maps Foursquare Since its first location opened in Wallingford in 2021, Midnight Cookie Co. has been quenching late-night cravings with saucer-sized cookies until midnight (or later — the Wallingford store is open until 1 a.m.) Most of the flavors here are pretty traditional, like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and candy-loaded M&M. Cookies from Midnight are satisfying, nostalgic, and you can get them delivered. What more do you want? Open in Google Maps Foursquare Lowrider's cookies are made for fans of dense and chewy cookies that leave distinct teeth marks when bitten into. The texture verges on brownie-like fudginess whether you get an Oreo-packed Cookies and Cream cookie or the toasty, caramelly Salted Toffee Pecan cookie. You'll want to make monthly trips to sample Lowrider's stellar seasonal options. I count down the days to September every year for the Stuffed Strawberry Poptart cookie, with sweet sugar cookie dough wrapped around a bright and juicy strawberry filling. Get these cookies at the Georgetown location (only open on the weekends), or go to the Central District or Burien outposts; they're also available at SeaTac airport. Open in Google Maps Foursquare This humble stand in Pike Market is supposed to be known for their cinnamon buns, which ehhhhh. The oversized cookies stacked in the bake case, however, are truly where this place shines. These suckers are the size of my hand, have the perfect texture combo of crispy edges with a soft and chewy center, and are loaded with mix-ins for those who like a big, substantial treat. The Monster cookie lives up to its name with a scary amount of oats, nuts, chocolate chips, and M&Ms, and the Buckeye cookie comes topped with a whole peanut butter cup placed right in the center. Open in Google Maps Foursquare Only one spot has ' the cookie,' and it's an upscale grocery store chain. The chocolate chip cookie at Metropolitan Market is heavy on the chocolate: It contains two types of Belgian-style chocolate chunks, and the result is a mess of melted chocolate all over your mouth and hands. It's almost overwhelming, though the crunchiness of the toasted walnuts helps temper the chocolate intensity. No other cookie in town so perfectly recalls the childhood joy of digging into a messy cookie fresh out of the oven. We promise not to look while you're licking your fingers clean. Open in Google Maps Foursquare The cookies at Little Jaye might look a little modest compared to the snack cakes, cereal bars, and Shokupan buns bursting with cream, but skipping them would be doing yourself a disservice. Chef and owner Charlie Garriosn has said to have tried 40 different cookies in the area when developing his own chocolate chip cookie recipe, eventually landing on his prime combination of molassesy brown sugar flavor and a crisp, crumbly texture. Little Jaye is constantly switching up seasonal flavors, all of which are worth the long waits, but keep a keen eye out for the candy-loaded monster cookie with M&Ms, Butterfingers, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips for a veritable candy dish in one singular bite. Open in Google Maps Foursquare
