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13 Most-Read Eater Austin Stories in 2022 and 15 You Might Have Missed

From Netflix reality shows in the city to Rainey bar shutters

Macarons from OMG Squee/
| OMG Squee
Nadia Chaudhury is the editor of Eater Austin covering food and pop culture, as well as a photographer, writer, and frequent panel moderator and podcast guest.

2022 is almost over, and to recap the long year, Eater Austin is collecting the site’s most-read stories. The local restaurant industry is still feeling the impacts of the ongoing pandemic, coupled with supply chain issues and inflation, but there were still bright moments over these past 12 months.

From last year’s water boil notice to Netflix reality shows taking over the city, these are the 13 stories that caught the eyes of Eater Austin readers this year, plus, 15 additional stories that you might’ve missed this year that are worth reading.

13. Austin Is Under a Boil Water Notice

Remember when the city underwent its third boil water notice in the span of five years last February and the second one due to a freeze and the first one because of a power outage at the water treatment plant?

12. Los Angeles One-Michelin-Starred Italian Restaurant Opens in Austin

As part of the deluge of higher-end restaurants in the city, this opening by Los Angeles chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee caught Eater Austin readers’ attention. This is LA-based Michelin-starred Italian Pasta|Bar’s second location, taking over what had been the tiny Maggie Louise Confections space on East Sixth.

11. Austin Chefs Rock the James Beard Awards

Okay, this is a two-for-one, but Austin chefs did really well in this year’s returning James Beard Awards. Four chefs became semifinalists, including barbecue truck Distant Relatives pitmaster Damien Brockway and Olamaie chef de cuisine Amanda Turner. From there, two chefs became finalists and then also won their respective categories: Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria in the emerging chef category and Iliana de la Vega of Oaxacan restaurant El Naranjo in the best chef, Texas category. And then, over in the James Beard Media Awards, Dai Due owner and chef Jesse Griffiths won an award for his book The Hog Book: A Chef’s Guide to Hunting, Butchering and Cooking Wild Pigs in the single subject category.

10. Two New All-You-Can-Eat Hot Pot Restaurants Are Opening in Austin

Two’s a lucky number and the city is set to get a pair of all-you-can-eat hot pot restaurants at some point. One is the New York chain’s K Pot in Sunset Valley, the second is the family-run Soupleaf Hot Pot in Highland. Hopefully, they’ll open in 2023.

9. Two Rainey Street Bars Closed Permanently Over the Weekend

And also, sometimes two is an unlucky number, or at least when it came to downtown Austin bars the Container Bar and Bungalow. As part of ongoing development construction along the busy entertainment strip of Rainey Street, the two bars closed right after South by Southwest in March and have been demolished since then. The block will soon become home to a high-rise condo building that is pegged to have a new bar run by Container’s Bridget Dunlap, opening sometime in 2024.

8. Harry Styles Orders Barbecue in Austin From Stiles Switch BBQ

Harry Styles mania took over Austin in the fall when the global pop star played six concerts over the span of a week-ish. Because he had to eat, he apparently placed a big order of smoked meats and the such from the Brentwood barbecue restaurant, though the singer is pescatarian.

7. Austin Burger Pop-Up Creates Spot-On Texas Shirt

There are a lot of not-great Texas politicians and the no-bars-hold pop-up Bad Larry Burger Club knows this. So much so that, when the city was afraid of potential power outages over the summer because of the heatwave, the pop-up created a fantastic shirt making fun of two of the state’s notorious politicians. The shirt depicts a photo of Texas Senator Ted Cruz (the very person who flew to Cancun during the horrible winter storms of 2021) with text that reads “Fuck Abbott,” since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hasn’t done a single thing to make sure the power doesn’t go out in the state. The shirt sales benefitted Stop the Sweetps ATX, who helped support the city’s houseless population during the heat.

6. Downtown Greek Restaurant Owner Escapes the Country, Leaving Workers and Rent Unpaid

Eater Austin unthreaded the complicated story of the short-loved downtown Greek restaurant short-lived downtown Greek restaurant where workers were allegedly unpaid, there was an eviction notice, and the managing partner suddenly left America.

5. Austin Officials Offer the Same Unhelpful Dining Guidelines as Omicron Surges in Austin

Time keeps repeating itself, and when the city was undergoing another COVID surge back in January (much like it is now, coupled with flu and RSV), city officials shared very base recommendations of how to keep people safe since their hands were tied due to Gov. Abbott who wouldn’t implement any actual safety measures (see number 7).

4. Tatsu-Ya Is Taking Over Contigo for a New Ramen and Barbecue Restaurant

The ever-growing Tatsu-ya restaurant group announced these plans to take over the space of another beloved restaurant that closed in late 2021. BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya replaced longtime restaurant Contigo, with smoked meats and ramen menus, opening in October.

3. La Barbecue Owners Indicted on Insurance Fraud Charges

The co-owners of the celebrated barbecue restaurant are being inducted on fraud charges by the Texas Department of Insurance, according to a release over the summer. This is regarding an insurance claim filed in 2016. The pre-trial hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2023.

2. Every Austin Restaurant in Somebody Feed Phil’s Texas Episode

Austin readers love Austin restaurants on television, and this episode of the Netflix series’s latest season was no exception. Host Phil Rosenthal ate and hung out and posed in front of 18 Austin restaurants and bars.

1. Queer Eye Takes Over Austin

In line with the pop culture theme (see above), the Fab Five debuted its Austin season on New Year’s Eve, but we’re still counting these stories for 2022. First, there’s the map of every single restaurant and bar featured in the Texas season. And then Eater Austin interviewed Texas-Asian bakery OMG Squee owner Sarah Lim about her experience of being made over by the group.

People in a restaurant.
The Queer Eye group with Todd Madoxx of Plookys Cajun Boilin Pot.
Ilana Panich-Linsman/Netflix

Other Stories You Might Have Missed

January 25, 2022

Longtime Austin Bakery Texas French Bread Catches Fire, Building Is ‘A Total Loss’

February 16, 2022

Pizza and Pool Water: An Oral History of Feeding Austin During Winter Storm Uri

March 2, 2022

Jo Chan Shares the Bizarre Disneyland Experience of Being on ‘Top Chef’

April 14, 2022

A Downtown Development Proposal Could Demolish Austin’s LGBTQ Bars

June 7, 2022

Austin’s Oldest Grocery Store Has Reopened

June 28, 2022

Lawmakers’ Condemnation of Kids at a Texas Drag Show Is Just More LGBTQ Discrimination

July 12, 2022

First Lady Jill Biden Says Latinos Are as ‘Unique as Breakfast Tacos’ in Ignorant San Antonio Speech

August 16, 2022

In ‘Better Call Saul’ Finale, Saul’s Fate Hangs on a Pint of Blue Bell Ice Cream

A sign that reads “Public Saint Elmo Market” on a building.
St. Elmo Public Market.
St. Elmo Public Market

August 24, 2022

What Is Happening With St. Elmo Public Market?

August 25, 2022

I’m Completely Fascinated by the $80 Chicken at Pecan Square Cafe

August 30, 2022

Tacos Are a Staple in Austin. How Is Inflation Impacting Taco Spots?

September 23, 2022

What Exactly Happened With Black’s BBQ’s Labor Violation

November 7, 2022

Congressional Candidate Greg Casar Champions Austin Restaurants and Workers

November 9, 2022

The Founder and Owner of Iconic South Congress Restaurant Guero’s Has Died

December 9, 2022

Downtown French Restaurant Le Politique Is Really, Truly, Permanently Closed

Olamaie

1610 San Antonio Street, , TX 78701 (512) 474-2796 Visit Website

Black's BBQ

3110 Guadalupe Street, , TX 78705 (512) 524-0801 Visit Website

BBQ Ramen Tatsu-Ya

2027 Anchor Lane, , TX 78723 (833) 782-5683 Visit Website

Bungalow

407 Main Street, , TX 77002 (713) 393-7868 Visit Website

The Container Bar

90 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 494-4120 Visit Website

Le Politique [CLOSED]

110 San Antonio Street, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 580-7651 Visit Website

Dai Due

2406 Manor Road, , TX 78722 (512) 524-0688 Visit Website

Nixta Taqueria

2512 East 12th Street, , TX 78702 (512) 551-3855 Visit Website

Distant Relatives

3901 Promontory Point Drive, , TX 78744 (512) 717-2504 Visit Website

Soupleaf Hot Pot

, , TX 78752 (512) 373-3378 Visit Website

Pecan Square Cafe

1130 West Sixth Street, Austin, TX 78703 Visit Website

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew

6610 N Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78757 Visit Website

El Naranjo

85 Rainey Street, , TX 78701 (512) 474-2776 Visit Website

Texas French Bread

2900 Rio Grande Street, , TX 78705 (512) 499-0544 Visit Website

St. Elmo Public Market

4329 South Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78745 Visit Website

Pasta|Bar

1017 East Sixth Street, Austin, Texas 78702 Visit Website

la Barbecue

2401 East Cesar Chavez Street, , TX 78702 Visit Website

Avenue B Grocery & Market

4403 Avenue B, , TX 78751 (512) 453-3921 Visit Website

K Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot [Austin]

5200 Brodie Lane, Sunset Valley, Texas 78745 Visit Website

OMG Squee

4607 Bolm Road, , TX 78702 (512) 435-9113 Visit Website

Simi Estiatorio

601 Congress Avenue, , TX 78701 (512) 886-0999 Visit Website

Guero's

1412 S Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 512 447 7688
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