Austin South Indian Food Truck Celebrates First Birthday With Lots of Dosas and Sweets

South Indian food truck Dosa Shack in North Shoal Creek is celebrating its first birthday with a dosa-filled week. The 500 Burnet Road truck’s menu focuses on dosas — essential very thin pancakes made with a batter of ground-up rice and lentils — that can be slathered with chutneys and other fillings.

For the anniversary week, dubbed Dosapaolooza, there will be specials available all week. There’s the Royal Doffle, which is the truck’s take on a dosa-waffle mashup on a stick, paired with crushed pistachios, a rose caramel, gulab jamun (a round South Asian sweet), and edible gold; mango rasmalai (a South Asian sweet made with cheese curds); paneer pakoras and idli chaat.

Then there are various events happening each day, including free mehndi on Wednesday and Thursday, July 26 and 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; free samosas on Friday and Saturday, July 28 and 29; and free sweets on Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30. It runs from Monday, July 24 through Sunday, July 30.

Texas barbecue restaurant changes tip policy

Buda barbecue Tex-Mex restaurant Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ responded to the negative reactions to its tip policy, as reported by KXAN. Earlier, an image of the restaurant’s tip policy was widely shared on social media and Reddit. The screenshot highlights the section recounting how employees would lose access to tips, including being late (“on time” is defined as “5-10 minutes early”); not showing up for shifts without notice (which entails not getting tips from that entire week); and getting fired or quitting the job without a two weeks heads up in writing.

Co-owner Miguel Vidal confirms that those were the restaurant’s policies with the news channel, and said that it wasn’t really enforced and that people were given several warnings before it got to that point. Also in response, Vidal and co-owner Modesty Vidal issued a statement on the restaurant’s social media accounts addressing the backlash. They explained that the shared image “need[ed] to be reworded and isn’t properly explained.”

The restaurant changed its tip policy this week, noting that “every employee, not including trainees and management, will be tipped during open hours of business only,” and that there are daily tip pools split between staffers working that shift.

Tracking restaurant openings

Chicago convenience store chain Foxtrot is going to open its third Austin location this weekend. The downtown Austin store and cafe will be found in the City Hall building at 306 West Second Street starting on Saturday, July 22. On opening day, it’ll offer $5 pours of wine from 4 to 8 p.m. as well as free gift bags to people who pay for purchases with the app. It will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and then from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The company opened its first two stores in Rosedale in February and Bouldin Creek in June. To come is the last planned Austin one in the West Campus neighborhood.

A national charcuterie company opened its first of three physical locations planned for the Austin area in early July. The first Austin Graze Craze is found in Lakeway at 2127 Lohman’s Crossing Road, Suite 304. The grazing board offerings make use of charcuterie meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, condiments, and more. Its hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The next two stores will be found in Oak Hill at 6705 Highway 290 and Great Hills at 8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 124

Tracking other Austin food events

Far South Austin seafood restaurant Keepers is hosting a tequila dinner with Tres Agaves on Monday, July 24. The menu includes dishes like grilled rib-eye sopes, red snapper, and tangerine chocolate flan. Tickets are $75 and it starts at 6:30 p.m.

Driftwood brewery Vista Brewing is hosting a whole honey event on Saturday, July 22. The Honey Harvest Festival will include the brewery’s newest honey, honey food specials, and its new Hive Mind Honey Ale. There will be honey tastings, beekeeping demonstrations, children’s activities, and more. RSVP tickets are free and it runs from noon to 4 p.m.