Houston Minichain Previews Austin Restaurant With a Sandwich and Salad Pop-Up

Ahead of Houston minichain restaurant Local Foods’s expansion into downtown Austin sometime this year, the sandwich and soup spot is hosting a pop-up location in the Allandale neighborhood this month. The temporary location will be found on 5350 Burnet Road starting on Saturday, June 19 with takeout and delivery services only.

The restaurant focuses on sourcing locally. The initial to-go menu will include sandwiches such as the truffled egg salad and the crunchy chicken made with a nut seed crumble and crushed chips; salads like the goat cheese-filled spring harvest; and sides including Texas watermelon and house-made potato chips. Newer dishes such as pork banh mi, vegan taco salads, and chicken posole will be added later on.

The pop-up address is actually taking over the space that previously housed acclaimed French bistro/American diner Bonhomie, which closed in 2018. It’s unclear when Local Foods’s pop-up will end and when the downtown restaurant will open. That location is taking over what had been downtown Italian restaurant Number 28’s casual cafe space Alimentari 28.

Local Foods co-owners Benjy Levit and partner and culinary director Dylan Murray opened the restaurant in 2011, with now five locations in Houston. The Austin team includes partner Martin Berson, who founded Snap Kitchen in 2010, which he left in 2017.

Local Foods’s Austin pop-up hours are from 10:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

• Local Foods Austin Pop-Up [Official]
• Beloved Houston Sandwich Shop Local Foods Is Coming to Austin [EATX]