The 10 Most Anticipated Austin Restaurant Openings of Fall 2018

Soon, Austin’s hot summer will be over and fall’s cool(er) temperatures will take over the city, which means it’s time for another busy season of restaurant openings.

The fall will bring about first-timers (Taiwanese restaurant Sweet Chive, bread bakery ThoroughBread), Austin expansions (bakery/beer garden Easy Tiger to north Austin, Jewish-style spot Biderman’s Deli to downtown, Quack’s two-part growth in Mueller and far south Austin), out-of-town extensions (Dallas’ poke joint Malibu Poke, San Antonio’s Bakery Lorraine), and familiar local groups opening new establishments (summer leftover Joann’s from McGuire Moorman Hospitality/Bunkhouse Group, East Austin Hotel from La Corsha Hospitality Group), and much more.

With that, here are the ten most anticipated Austin restaurant openings of the fall season, plus a wider look at what autumn will bring to the city as well as what’s in store for the rest of the year and beyond.

Know of an impending fall restaurant opening missing below? Send it through the tipline. This guide will be updated throughout the season as details change and places open.

Sweet Chive

Location: 2515 East Cesar Chavez Street, Holly
Key Players: Heather Pai Yu, Phoenix Late fall
Projected Opening: September Late fall

Heather and her mother Phoenix know their way around Chinese restaurants: Phoenix worked in various Chinese-American restaurants around Austin for the past 30 years, and now the family wants to showcase their own home cooking with their new restaurant. With an emphasis on northern Chinese and Taiwanese fare, there will be homemade soup dumplings, noodles, rice bowls, vegetables, and teas.

Easy Tiger

Easy Tiger/Facebook

Location: 6406 North Interstate 35 Frontage Road, edge of Highland
Key Players: David Norman, Bob Gillett
Projected Opening: October Late November

Finally, the bakery and beer garden’s long-awaited expansion in the north Austin area is finally almost here, fresh off its break from the ELM Restaurant Group, Easy Tiger’s new much-more sprawling space (three times bigger than the downtown location) will include a massive commercial bakery, various production areas for fermentation and sausage-making, dining room, coffee drive-thru, and beer garden with stage. Expect the same beloved menu of baked goods, sausages, beers, and cocktails, including an emphasis on whiskey. This will mark its fourth overall Austin location.

Joann’s

Bunkhouse Group [Official]

Location: 1220 South Congress Avenue, Austin Motel, Bouldin Creek
Key Players: Bunkhouse Group, McGuire Moorman Hospitality
Projected Opening: September 2018
Status: Now open

The iconic South Congress hotel the Austin Motel is getting a newly updated restaurant courtesy of McGuire Moorman Hospitality and Bunkhouse Group. The result will be Joann’s, an all-day Tex-Mex diner, which means tacos, breakfast sandwiches, salads, migas, chilaquiles, as well as fish and beef prepared on a pecan-burning grill. Renovations will include an updated indoor dining space and outdoor patio. Plus there are plans for a new pool bar

ThoroughBread

ThoroughBread/Facebook

Location: 1709 Bluebonnet Lane, Zilker
Key Players: Ryan Goebel
Projected Opening: September Tuesday, November 6

ThoroughBread will focus on breads, from loaves like sourdough, baked goods like morning buns and cookies, and toasts topped with avocado, eggs, hummus, ricotta, and more, if its recent pop-ups are any indication.

Biderman’s Deli

Biderman’s Deli/Facebook

Location: 800 Brazos Street, Downtown
Key Players: Zach Biderman
Projected Opening: September
Status: Now open

The Northwest Hills Jewish-style deli is bringing its bagels, Reubens, and matzo ball soups to downtown Austin. Along with the menu of sandwiches and the such, it’ll expand with more breakfast combinations and large platters for the office sets.

Lady Quackenbush’s Cakery
Captain Quackenbush’s Coffeehouse and Bakery

Lady Quackenbush’s Cakery/Facebook

Locations: Lady Quackenbush: 1900 Simond Avenue, Mueller; Captain Quackenbush’s: 5326 Manchaca Road
Major Players: Art Silver, Heather O’Connor
Projected Openings: Lady Quackenbush: September; Captain Quackenbush’s: mid- to late-fall

Both of Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery’s upcoming bakeries, the bakery and cake shop Lady Quackenbush’s Cakery in Mueller (the previous Bribery Bakery) and bakery and bar Captain Quackenbush’s Coffeehouse and Bakery on Manchaca Road (the former Strange Brew), are close to finally opening. Lady Quackenbush will house Quack’s cake and cookie production facility, as well as bake up retail goods, brew up coffee, and serve beer and wine. Captain will feature coffee, pastries, a full bar, as well as Quack’s bakery production facility and live music. They’re focusing on the Mueller shop, and then turning their attention towards the Manchaca bakery.

Malibu Poke

Malibu Poke

Location: 211 Walter Seaholm Drive, Downtown
Key Players: Jon Alexis, Matt McCallister
Projected Opening: October

While Dallas chef Matt McCallister isn’t planning on opening an Austin restaurant anytime soon, the next best thing is his menu at Malibu Poke, the Dallas-based poke restaurant which is opening its first Austin location. The fast-casual spot will serve up customizable poke bowls with offerings from tuna to shrimp, bases from rice to seaweed, and toppings, like aioli, ponzu, and curries. Owner Jon Alexis knows his seafood, since he owns Dallas market and restaurant TJ’s Seafood. Unique to Malibu Poke is its ordering kiosks which will employ facial recognition software.

Bakery Lorraine

Misha Hettie

Location: 11600 Rock Rose Avenue, Domain Northside
Key Players: Anne Ng, Jeremy Mandrell, Charlie Biedenharn
Projected Opening: September or October 2018
Status: Now open

The lauded San Antonio bakery is marking its first Austin location. Expect French pastries like macarons, tarts, and croissants, alongside breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes like pot pies, quiches, and roast beef sandwiches.

East Austin Hotel

Rendering: East Austin Hotel [Official]

Location: 1108 East 6th Street, East Austin
Key Players: La Corsha Hospitality Group
Projected Opening: November 2018

La Corsha Hospitality Group’s forthcoming hotel project contains three new drinking and eating establishments. First, there’s restaurant Sixth and Waller, which will serve up comfort food with international influences from chef Jason Stude. Then there are two bars, rooftop spot Upside Bar and poolside bar the Pool Bar, both of which will be open to the public.

Also tracking:

• Barbecue trailer Micklethwait Craft Meats’ brick-and-mortar is on track for a fall opening in Smithville. Expect barbecue and sandwiches, with the latter recalling its short-lived trailer Romanouskas Deli. (114 Northeast 2nd Street, Smithville)
• Portuguese spot Tio Pepe Chicken is projected to open its grilled chicken restaurant within the Linc sometime this September, boasting per-peri sauces, chicken wings, and desserts. (6406 North I-35, edge of Highland)
• One of Austin’s very best taco trucks, Veracruz All Natural, is opening a third truck up in the Mueller area starting on Tuesday, September 4. (4209 Airport Boulevard, Mueller) Status: Now open
• Although without a head chef, the Line Austin Hotel’s rooftop restaurant P6 is still expected to open in the fall. (111 East Cesar Chavez Street, Downtown) Update: This particular Line Austin Hotel restaurant opening is being pushed back into 2019.
• American-Asian restaurant Anthem is aiming for an early fall opening. On deck will be, well, American dishes with Asian influences, like chicken and bubble waffles, karaage chicken sandwiches, and vegan bulgogi hot dogs, along with beer taps and tiki cocktails. (91 Rainey Street, Downtown) Status: Now open
• Parkside Projects’ replacement restaurant pegged for the former home of Spanish tapas spot Bullfight is supposed to open this fall, but nothing is known about the new restaurant. (4807 Airport Boulevard, Hyde Park)
• Israeli slider chain Burgerim is making its Austin mark on Rainey Street sometime this fall, bearing sliders featuring a variety of patties, from wagyu to merguez to salmon to falafel, along with milkshakes, beer, and sodas. (51 Rainey Street, Downtown)
• Oak Hill restaurant Shore Raw Bar and Grill will bring Mexico City-influenced seafood to Oak Hill on Sunday, October 28, under the guidance of chef Brandon Silver. (8665 Highway 71 West, Oak Hill) Status: Now it’s opening on Saturday, December 15.
• Oregon-based vegetarian chain Next Level Burger is opening its first Austin restaurant within the flagship Whole Foods Market in downtown Austin this fall. (525 North Lamar Boulevard, Downtown). Status: Now open
• Now that Australian-Thai restaurant Sway’s Rock Rose restaurant is open, it’s time to turn its attention to its third location in Westlake. The original summer opening is now being pushed back into the fall. (3437 Bee Caves Road, West Lake Hills)
• Amy’s Ice Creams is opening a new ice cream shop with those beloved flavors in cups and cones in Cherrywood sometime in the fall. (2002 Manor Road, Cherrywood)
• Japanese sweet shop Crêpeful is aiming for a fall opening with cone-shaped crepes filled with fruits, creams, and sauces. (6550 Comanche Trail, Lake Travis)
• P. Terry’s taco drive-thru Taco Ranch is opening its second location near campus during the first week of October. (517 West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, North Side) Status: Now open
• That Irish pub that is replacing Austin Java’s vacated address on Barton Springs has a name: Darcy’s Donkey Irish Pub and Restaurant. It should be opening sometime this fall with late hours and meat pies, but there is no set date as of yet. (1608 Barton Springs Road, Zilker) Status: Now open
• Southern California-based juice bar chain Nekter Juice Bar is opening its first Austin store with juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and vegan ice cream made with cashew milk in the late fall. (3637 Far West Boulevard, Northwest Hills)
• Texas coffee shop mini-chain Houndstooth is opening its fourth local cafe (and seventh altogether) up in Rock Rose in the fall. It’ll pay close attention to its coffee and espresso drinks, as well towards its cocktails, beer, and wine. (11501 Rock Rose Avenue, Domain Northside)
• Austin Cheese Co. will bring cheeses, chocolates, jams, sandwiches, and salads to the Arboretum sometime in the late September. (10000 Research Boulevard, the Arboretum) Status: fall.
• Luxury resort Camp Lucy is opening a public fine dining restaurant, Tillie’s, with chef Brandon Martin’s take on high-end New American starting on Monday, October 1. (3509 Creek Road, Dripping Springs)
• Steakhouse chain Saltgrass Steak House is opening another Austin-area location out in the Hill Country Galleria this fall. (12613 Galleria Circle, Bee Cave)

Rest of 2018: Batch Brewery; Bobo’s Snack Bar; El Tacorrido [East Riverside]; Franklin Barbecue’s taco and coffee truck; Gati; Schaller’s Stube Sausage Bar [brick-and-mortar]; Swedish Hill Bakery & Deli; Ways & Means Oyster House

2019: Austin Proper; Chispas; Kerbey Lane’s unknown restaurant; Mignette [St. Elmo]; Philip Speer’s unknown restaurant; Perry’s Steakhouse [Domain]; Punch Bowl Social [downtown]; Salt & Time [St. Elmo]; Tacodeli [Downtown]; Tiki Tatsu-ya; Velvet Taco [Music Lane]; WineLair

Unknown: 24 Diner [Rock Rose, Austin airport]; Bee’s Knees; Bonchon; Carpenter Hotel; Cat’s Pajamas; The Goodnight [downtown]; Hold Out Brewing; Jugo [Rosedale]; LeRoy & Lewis [brick-and-mortar]; Little Brother; Marinas; Mayfair; Nobibi; P. Terry’s [Near Austin airport]; Parkside [Austin airport]; Peli Peli; Pinthouse Pizza [Round Rock]; Ranch 616’s Unknown Rattle Inn bar; TenTen; Torchy’s Tacos [downtown]; Unknown Damien Brockway restaurant; Unknown third Line Austin Hotel restaurant; Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ [brick-and-mortar]

• Eater’s Fall 2018 Preview [E]
• All Eater Tracking [EATX]