Old Barley Swine Is Being Replaced With a Thai Restaurant

Barley Swine left South Austin for Brentwood over a year ago, and now the South Lamar address has a new restaurant tenant: Krua Urban Thai. Owner/chef Sam Sampaotong wanted to add something different to the area because, “there are no fresh and modern Thai locations around,” as he told Eater.

Sampaotong also runs Austin truck Aroi Thai Cuisine, which is parked out in far West Austin, along 290. Krua’s menu should include an array of Thai fare, like noodles, stir-fries, curries, rolls and more. The restaurant will serve beer and wine, too.

The name Krua is Thai for kitchen. “We want the restaurant to feel homey and comfortable to our customers,” he said, “like a kitchen in their own home.” Barley Swine’s old interior will be updated for a contemporary look with warm tones.

Krua is eying a late summer opening, potentially sometime in mid-July or early August.

South Lamar is undergoing a whole bunch of recent changes, like the shuttering of Italian restaurant Cantine, which is being replaced by Japanese and sushi spot Soto’s second location, and the impending arrival of Italian market and restaurant from East Side’s shuttering It’s Italian Market and Cafe.