Downtown Austin Tiki Bar Is Closing on Rainey Street

Downtown Austin tiki bar Placeholder is closing this weekend. Its last day will be on Saturday, November 4 at 96 Rainey Street. It’s hosting a final party, dubbed Last Call Luau, from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. with drinks and a DJ. This is part of the bar ownership team’s plan to demolish the physical building and construct something new, pending whether or not the Historic Landmark Commission allows it. The future plans for the address appear to be a new bar with two-stories called Palace Laundry. The Historic Landmark Commission is meeting today to vote on the future of the building. Before Placeholder (an apt name), the Rainey Street address had been home to Bridget Dunlap’s Bar 96 and Alibi.

Returning Austin food truck

Shuttered Austin food truck Texsueno is back, sort of, as a ghost kitchen. It opened ATX Cheeseburger in late October within the GhostLine Kitchens space in the McKinney neighborhood at 3400 Comsouth Drive. The menu includes a bunch of smash burgers, including a Sichuan iteration and Chiptole, plus saucy chicken wings and tater tots. And then, concurrently from the same kitchen, Texsueno is serving its tacos, flautas, rice, and salsas.

ATX Cheeseburger orders can be placed online for pickups or for delivery through Grubhub and DoorDash. Texsueno orders can be placed online for pickups or for delivery through Grubhub and DoorDash.

New Austin bars book

Austin food and drinks writer (and occasional Eater Austin freelancer) Veronica Meewes published a new book covering the city’s bar scene. Drink Like a Local: Austin published on October 31, recounts the city’s bar history, highlights 75 of the city’s best bars, and includes cocktail recipes

Temporary ice cream shutter

Ramen Tatsu-ya’s ice cream shop DipDipDip Ice Cream is taking fall and winter break starting today, Wednesday, November 1. The 7301 Burnet Road shop will reopen sometime in the spring of 2024.

Tracking Austin food and drink events

Austin influencers ATX Girls are hosting an event at South First restaurant 1417 French Bistro on Thursday, November 2. The Falls & Friend event includes free drinks, snacks, desserts, massages, candle painting, and more. It runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $40.

McKinney neighborhood brewery Meanwhile Brewing Co. is celebrating its third birthday with lots of events this week. There will be lots of new beer releases available at the taproom, including a collaboration with Austin restaurant Lenoir, the Jacquez Lager, a lager made with wine grapes; many concerts; a vintage market with tattoos; yoga; kid activities; and much more. The on-site trucks will also each offer a special dish for the celebrations, such as Distant Relatives’s beef and piri queso on a brioche bun, Side Eye Pizza’s truffle pizza, and Besame’s s’mores baked Alaska. There are free online RSVPs. It runs from Thursday, November 2 through Sunday, November 5.