Hip East Austin Bodega Opens With Rotisserie Meats

Lou’s Bodega, the next restaurant from McGuire Moorman Hospitality and Bunkhouse Group, is opening on Tuesday, January 15 at 1900 East Cesar Chavez Street.

The main focus of the upscale counter-service bodega will be its rotisserie with meats (chicken, roast beef, pork porchetta) and vegetables (cauliflower) and accompanying dipping sauces.

Then there are sandwiches (including the porchetta and a vegetarian-friendly muffaletta take with cauliflower), salads, soups (making use of those meats), and breakfast tacos.

For sweets, there are frozen custards with toppings like brandied sour cherries, toasted pistachio brittle, and more, as well as pastries. There will be wines courtesy of MMH beverage director June Rodil and coffee from Bunkhouse’s Jo’s Coffee.

Lou’s mostly maintained the structure of the previous tenant’s building, Leal’s Tire Shop, including the vibrant yellow facade and portions of the Aztec mural. The bodega features plentiful outdoor seating with red picnic tables, games like ping-pong and cornhole, and greenery like cacti in tire planters.

Originally, this East Cesar Chavez location was meant to become a third location of Jo’s Coffee. Next up for MMH is the former Sweetish Hill Bakery/now Swedish Hill Bakery and the downtown hotel Austin Proper.

• East Austin Is Getting a Bodega From Stylish Hospitality Groups [EATX]
• All Coverage of Lou’s Bodega [EATX]