Cooper’s Barbecue is Now Soft Open in Austin

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Austin is getting closer to becoming a reality with the soft opening of the upstairs Llano Lounge last week. Only drinks and a limited menu are being served for now. The outdoor barbecue pits are awaiting inspections before the ground floor dining room can open. This means the full barbecue menu will be served sometime in January.

The barbecue institution's current bar menu options include brisket, chopped beef, and sausage sliders, smoked sausage wraps, and jalapeno macaroni and cheese. Cocktails will include the Cooper’s Smoked Peach with tequila, the restaurant’s take on the bloody mary, and a frozen margarita. For now, soft open hours are 4 p.m. to midnight from Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Cooper’s will be open for New Year’s Eve, too.

Once fully open, lunch and dinner barbecue will be served cafeteria-style, including brisket, beef ribs, chicken, sirloin, cabrito, and turkey. There will be two full bars, and several condiment, sides (including free beans), and beverage stations, and outdoor seating. This will be the fourth Cooper’s in Texas, alongside the original in Llano, Forth Worth, and New Braunfels. The Austin one took over Copa Bar and Grill, the Tex Mex dance club.