The Most Anticipated Austin Restaurant Openings of Spring 2015

The sun is out, patios are full, and the spring dining season is only getting started. Here's Eater's seasonal guide to the biggest upcoming openings, including beloved Detroit-style pizza, an obscure New York burger shack, and four Italian restaurants.

Italic

Photo: Italic/Official

Location: 6th and Colorado
Major Players: Andrew Curren, Craig Collins, ELM Group
Projected Opening: Early April

The new Italian project from the restaurant group behind 24 Diner, Arro, and Easy Tiger is gearing up to open any day now. Expect an all-Italian wine list, housemade pasta, and a modernist-inspired interior suited to the restaurant's home in the historic Starr Building.

Via 313

Photo:Via 313/Facebook

Location: 6705 U.S. 290    
Major Players: Brandon Hunt, Zane Hunt
Projected Opening: April 2015

The Brothers Hunt have sparked a mania for Detroit-style pizza in Austin, and their new Oak Hill shop will open this spring. The expanded menu will include new styles of pizza, including bar pie. Zane Hunt previously told Eater, "We just want to strive to be a great neighborhood gathering place for pizza lovers of all ages."

Shake Shack

Photo: Shake Shack/Official

Location: Lamar Union
Major Players: Union Square Hospitality Group, Danny Meyer     
Projected Opening: Late April / Early May

There's teeshirts. Their special Texas burger has been revealed. Now all Austin needs is a Shake Shack to call its very own. The South Lamar location should open around the end of April, and their Domain location is in the works, too.

Vox Table

Photo: Vox Table/Facebook

Location: Lamar Union
Major Players: Joe Anguiano, Vincent Manguino     
Projected Opening: Mid-April

Another Lamar Union project, Vox Table appears to be the first non-Drafthouse restaurant preparing to open in the mega-complex. The concept is small plates with Spanish and French influences, and a serious focus on cocktails.

Al Fico

Photo: Al Fico/Official

Location: 1700 E. 2nd Street
Major Players: Jeff Courington     
Projected Opening: Spring / Summer 2015

Will this finally be Al Fico's turn? The long-in-the-works Italian restaurant from Vino Vino's Jeff Courington is currently offering memberships to finance the rest of their build-out.

Wu Chow

Photo: Wu Chow/Facebook

Location: 500 W. 5th Street    
Major Players: C.K. Chin, Mat Clouser, Callie Speer     
Projected Opening: Spring 2015

The long-awaited sophomore project from the Swift's Attic crew will bring modern Chinese to downtown Austin. The restaurant has been beset by delays, but their pop-ups have built excitement for soup dumplings and dim sum.

Lonesome Dove Austin

Location: 419 Colorado St. 
Major Players: Tim Love
Projected Opening: Spring 2015

Austin Food & Wine Festival grill sergeant Tim Love is opening a branch of his Fort Worth restaurant in downtown Austin. Renovation is definitely underway at the former Kenichi space, and the restaurant was hiring a sous chef and back of house staff in February.

JULIET

Photo: Juliet/Facebook

Location: 1500 Barton Springs Road 
Major Players: Jacob Weaver
Projected Opening: Mid-to-late spring

Austin's Italian restaurant boom continues with Juliet, a new restaurant in the former Umami Mia and Romeo's space. Former Asti chef Jacob Weaver will serve, yes, wood-fired pizza, pasta, and more in an "Italy-meets-Texas" space.

Juniper

Photo: Juniper/Facebook

Location: 2400 East Cesar Chavez
Major Players: Nicholas Yanes
Projected Opening: Summer 2015

An Italian restaurant? An Italian restaurant. Juniper's mastermind is former Uchi culinary director Nicholas Yanes, and the more upscale concept will focus on Northern Italian cuisine. As befitting the name, the cocktail program will highlight gin.

Bullfight

Photo: Parkside Projects/Official

Location: 4807 Airport Boulevard
Major Players: Shawn Cirkiel, Parkside Projects
Projected Opening: Summer 2015

Shawn Cirkiel's Parkside Projects will bring Spanish cuisine to the ever-expanding restaurants strip on Airport. Specifically, the restaurant will be inspired by the food and culture of southern Spain and yes, there will be tapas.

Otoko

Photo: Violet Crown/Official

Location: South Congress Hotel
Major Players: Paul Qui, Jesse Herman, Violet Crown
Projected Opening: Summer 2015

Paul Qui's next project? A twelve seat ticketed omakase-style Japanese restaurant inside a boutique hotel, of course. Otoko will open in the long-awaited South Congress Hotel along with two other restaurants. Prices will hover around $150 for the menu of sushi and kaiseki dishes.

Boiler Nine Bar + Grill

Michael Knox/Official

Location: Seaholm
Major Players: Jason Stude, David Bull, La Corsha Hospitality
Projected Opening: Late Summer 2015

Jason Stude and David Bull of Second Bar + Kitchen and Congress will launch a meat and fire palace in the former Seaholm power plant this summer. Originally slated for June, David Bull recently told Eater the opening date is most likely closer to August.

CANTINE

Photo: Cantine/Instagram

Location: Lamar Union
Major Players: Emmett Fox, Lisa Fox
Projected Opening: Spring/Summer 2015

Update! Here's one more restaurant to add to the anticipated Spring list. Cantine's timing has previously been unclear, but a photo just posted to Instagram suggests the restaurant's interior is well underway. With Fino's shutter looming, that's even better news, since co-owner Lisa Fox previously described Cantine as "a mix" of Fino and Asti.

Also tracking:

— Beloved and long-missed Casa Colombia will finally reopen in their new and improved space this month.

— Chi'Lantro's new Burnet Road location could open by May

— The third location of Jack Allen's Kitchen in Westlake is also gearing up to launch

— Presumably a new pizza restaurant staffed by millennials who make really great impressions over grainy phone videos will pop up in East Austin soon

— In-N-Out South Lamar is definitely happening, and once construction starts a new store is up and running within four or five months.