The Definitive Guide to Mueller's Aldrich Street District

Mueller’s Aldrich Street District — the town center district on Aldrich Street and Simond Avenue near Lake Park — has seen a recent burgeoning of new restaurants and bars, mirroring the boom in residential builds. This includes the instant Italian charmer L'oca d' Oro, Austin’s sixth Alamo Drafthouse, and one of the city’s hottest sushi destinations Kyoten Sushiko. Plus, there are still a handful more eateries opening soon including Lick Honest Ice Creams.

Mueller, pitched as a mixed-use urban village, is a 711-acre development in the East Austin, about three miles from downtown. The land was the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport and now is home to residential, commercial, and retail spaces. Since its beginning, restaurants have played an important role in the neighborhood’s development.

Elsewhere within Mueller, there’s the regional retail district. That northwest edge has PhoNatic, Pad Thai, The Halal Corner, Tiff’s Treats, and more. Down the road at the intersection of East 51st Street and Berkman Drive, the Mueller Market District is anchored by an H-E-B, along with Torchy’s Tacos (which actually serves margaritas), Verts, and Xian Sushi and Noodles.

With that, here are Mueller’s new restaurants, bars, and expansions you can already find or expect to discover soon at the culinary destination Aldrich Street District, presented in alphabetical order.

Nick Simonite

Alamo Drafthouse
The theater includes a cocktail bar and event space Barrel O’ Fun. It's a kid-friendly spot during the day, with housemade sodas, floats, egg creams, and sweets. Then, when happy hour hits, it transitions into Bar O’ Fun, with boozy versions of those drinks. Fill up on carnival-inspired bites too.
Where: Cinema Building, 1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120
Other Austin locations: South Lamar, Downtown, Lakeline, Slaughter Lane, Allandale Status: Open

B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub
Fill up on Irish and local craft-brewed beers, fish and chips, live music, quiz nights, and New England and Notre Dame games here. Like the original location, the bar was built in Ireland.
Where: Diamond Building, 1905 Aldrich Street, Suite 130
Other locations: East 6th Street
Status: Opening late March or early April

Bao'd Up
Xian Sushi and Noodle’s family continues to expand with bao-focused (steamed buns filled with meats and vegetables) spot. The menu spans sweet and savory bao (barbecue pork, taro), along with Taiwanese hamburgers, fries, and bubble tea.
Where: Cinema Building, 1911 Aldrich Street
Status: Opening early May

Robert J. Lerma/EATX

Bribery Bakery
The pretty-in-pink boozy bakery pulls in the locals with its sweet and savory pastries, coffee, and cocktails, from pastry chef genius Jodi Elliott.
Where: Amli at Mueller, 1900 Simond Avenue, Suite 300
Other locations: Wells Branch
Status: Open

Colleen’s Kitchen
The family-owned and operated southern-inspired restaurant, from the people behind J. Black's Feel Good Kitchen and Lounge and The Golden Goose, will offer lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Look out for a patio and dedicated take-out window too.
Where: Cinema Building, 1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 100
Status: Late summer 2017

Halcyon Coffee, Bar, & Lounge
This coffeehouse by day and bar by night offers breakfast favorites, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and boozy desserts. The Mueller address will become the mini-chain's flagship spot.
Where: Diamond Building, 1905 Aldrich Street
Other locations: West 4th, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego
Status: Set to open Thursday, June 1

Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

J.T. Youngblood’s
This once iconic Texas chain is once again offering its famous Texas-style fried chicken thanks to an expert team of the city’s leading restaurateurs including Jeff Weinberger, Todd Duplechan, and Jeff Haber. The fast-casual restaurant has both fried and rotisserie chicken, pies, yeast rolls, soft serve, shakes, and sides. Check out the takeout window for picnics.
Where: Diamond Building, 1905 Aldrich Street, Suite 120
Status: Open (lunch service only for now)

Kyōten Sushi
Sublime sushi meet stark surroundings at chef Otto Phan’s sushi trailer turned upscale sushi restaurant, which offers a reservations-only 20-course omakase dinner in its eight-seat dining room, and a much more casual lunch service up front.
Where: Mosaic at Mueller, 4600 Mueller Boulevard
Status: Open

Lick Honest Ice Creams
Lick brings together organic milk and cream, along with local ingredients like Good Flow Honey and Srsly chocolates for ice cream that's worth screaming for. Recent flavors include Texas sheet cake, goat cheese, thyme and honey, and tequila lime pie. Plus, there’s a larger patio than its other shops.
Where: Diamond Building, 1905 Aldrich Street, Suite 150
Other locations: Lamar Union, Burnet Road, San Antonio
Status: Opening Wednesday, April 19

Robert Lerma/Eater Austin

L'oca d' Oro
This unassuming restaurant wows with its straightforward and thoughtful approach to rustic Italian cuisine and drinks, with special dinners (think baseball, Italian holidays) every so often.
Where: Amli at Mueller, 1900 Simond Avenue
Status: Open

Stella Public House
The creators of Halcyon are also bringing a second mini-chain to Mueller with wood-fired Napoletana-style pizza (made with locally-sourced ingredients), housemade cheeses, and craft beers on tap.
Where: Diamond Building, 1905 Aldrich Street
Other locations: San Antonio, San Diego
Status: Spring

WhichCraft Beer Store
Choose from carefully-curated beers on tap and drink on site or opt for cans and bottles to go. Arrive early and start with coffee and breakfast tacos from Tyson’s Tacos, before moving on to the real good stuff (beer, of course).
Where: Amli at Mueller, 1900 Simond Avenue
Other locations: South Lamar
Status: Open

Looking for something fast and very casual? Across the lake from Aldrich Street District at Browning Hangar sits the Mueller Trailer Eats food court, which currently features Mmmpanadas, Machine Head Coffee, Stone House Wood Fire Grill, meatless Conscious Cravings, Booty Loco's for tinga, and breakfast and lunch-centric Gravy ATX. Find Mueller's weekly farmers' market on Sundays by the hanger, too.