A New Steakhouse Is Taking Over the Old Holy Roller Space in Downtown Austin

Coming Attraction, Downtown Part One
Downtown Italian restaurant Red Ash is opening a new restaurant within the space formerly belonging to popular diner Holy Roller. J. Carver Oyster Bar and Chophouse will be found at 509 Rio Grande Street, Suite 100 starting sometime this summer. The menu boasts wood-grilled steaks and daily oysters, according to the Poached listing. The name comes from Red Ash executive chef and owner John Carver, who had held the same kitchen role at chain restaurant Eddie V’s previously. Holy Roller, from owner Callie Speer, closed in October 2020.

Anniversary Drive for Kittens
Austin bakery service Vivian’s Boulangerie is celebrating its first anniversary by hosting an on-theme kitten drive for the Austin Pets Alive’s bottle baby nursery.. Owner and baker Kendall Melton is asking for an assortment of items, ranging from heating pads to towels to items found on the Amazon registry. Drop-offs will take place on Friday, July 9 through Sunday, July 11 at 3708 Promontory Point Drive. There will be free cookies and other probably edible treats too.

Expansion Opening Alert
South Austin restaurant Phoebe’s Diner opened a second location in downtown Austin at the end of June. The new diner is found at 408 West 11th Street, Unit 100, taking over Darna Mediterranean Cuisine, which appears to have closed sometime last fall. The menu from chef Camden Stuerzenberger remains the same — a span of American-Texan dishes from migas to fried chicken with grits to pancakes to smoked meats. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; it’s open for dine-in and takeout services. Owners Robert Tran, Eric Tran, and Quang Chau also operate South Austin tapas restaurant Winebelly.

Stolen Restaurant Artwork
A piece of outdoor art was stolen from Mexican restaurant Fonda San Miguel this week. It happened sometime overnight into the early morning of Tuesday, July 6. The fountain sculpture was done by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamente, whose other works are featured throughout the restaurant. The restaurant is offering a $500 reward for the artwork’s return, as reported by CBS Austin.

Coming Attraction, Downtown Part Two
Austin-based market mini-chain Royal Blue Grocery is opening a second Rainey Street location, as reported by Towers. It’ll be found on 91 Red River Street, at the street-level of forthcoming mixed-use building the Quincy, less than half a mile away from the current 51 Rainey Street location.

San Antonio Taco Competition
San Antonio Food & Wine Alliance is hosting a taco competition next week. 19 restaurants from San Antonio and Austin will participate in the Taco Rumble, including Asador (grilled mushroom taco paired with a mole amarillo), Carnitas Lonja (a Michoacán-style carnitas taco), Lala’s Gorditas (puffy taco norteño), and Austin’s Taco Mafria of Cuantos Tacos, Discada, and Nixta (a campechana taco containing skirt steak and longaniza confit). It takes place on Thursday, July 15 from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Espee at 1174 East Commerce Street. General admission tickets are $65, VIP tickets $150.

Juice Bar Coming Attraction
Yet another out-of-town juice bar company is coming to Austin. This time, it’s New Orleans-based Raw Republic Juice. The Texas location will be found on 724 North Lamar Boulevard in Clarksville, as reported by Tribeza, starting sometime in the middle of July.

Food Award
Dripping Springs food business the Art of Pecan was named the sole Texas winner of the Good Food Awards’s oil category this year.

Coming Attraction, Downtown Part Three
National chain Chick-fil-A is opening a downtown location at 600 Congress Avenue, Suite C150, taking over the former Athenian Bar & Grill, which closed in 2018.