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Brunch Restaurant Chain Opens in Cedar Park
Brunch restaurant chain First Watch is expanding with its fourth Austin-area location in Cedar Park on 1306 Whitestone Boulevard starting on Monday, July 29. The restaurant is known for its eggy dishes, plus the usual brunch array from pancakes to bacon to quinoa bowls. The California-born company opened its first Austin location in March 2017 on West Anderson Lane, followed by one along Highway 183 and another in Round Rock.
Black Food Week Returns
Black Food Week returns starting today, where different black-owned restaurants will host daily events to highlight themselves. It kicks off with Mr. Catfish & More found on Manor Road, and includes other restaurants like Hoover’s Cooking, Tony’s Jamaican Food, and Baby Greens. It runs through Saturday, August 3. It is organized by the Austin Justice Coalition, Austin-Area Urban League Young Professionals, Black Foodies of Austin, and #ATXinColor.
South First Development
The space where old South First Mexican restaurant, Jovita’s, which had been empty for a while years and is owned by director Robert Rodriguez, is being turned into an apartment building. The four-story building will include ground-floor retail. It’s being developed by the Chameleon, which is the same company that owns restaurants like Swift’s Attic and Wu Chow.
Free Ice Cream
Boozy East Austin ice cream shop Prohibition Creamery will give out two scoops of its non-boozy red velvet ice cream for free in honor of its third anniversary. This is along with the purchase of another item on the menu. It’s available from 3 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday, July 24.
SXSW Cafe’s Free Tacos
SouthBites, the new cafe from festival South by Southwest within its downtown headquarters, is giving out free breakfast tacos and coffees to the first 100 people today, Monday, July 22 at 7 a.m., as part of its grand opening party. The restaurant will also donate one dollar from every sale of its Austin Pets Alive speciality drink, the SouthPaw, to the animal nonprofit, going forward.
Hot Barbecue Week
South Austin barbecue truck LeRoy & Lewis is hosting its third annual “heat week,” where it serves increasing spicier dishes each day. It runs from Wednesday, July 24 through Sunday, July 28. There’s everything from deviled Sichuan Scotch eggs, the Atomic Chili Weiner where the habanero and panella sausage link is topped with five-alarm chili, to the Chud’s Hot Chicken. To help with the spice, it will serve popsicles (mangos, coconut pineapple, and dry-hopped lemonade) Those who finish every daily item will reserve a $75 gift card and other items.