South Texas taco chain Taco Palenque opened its first Austin-area location in November, with an all-hours drive-thru up in Round Rock. The taco shop is known for its pirata taco — filled with fajitas, refried beans, and cheddar cheese — but also offers plates like chilaquiles, burritos, fideo, and more. It’s open for to-go service.

Joseph Gomez’s taco truck Con Todo pays homage to his Rio Grande Valley roots with tacos like barbacoa and carne asada, chorizo quesadillas, wheat chicharrones, and buñuelos. The truck opened at Celis Brewery’s new outdoor space in October.

Indonesian pop-up Yeni’s Fusion opened a food truck in August, located at the Aristocrat Lounge in Crestview. The menu blends American, Mexican, and Texas barbecue with Indonesian fare, with items like bakso (meatball) soup paired with grilled beef ribs and burgers with smoked curry patties. It’s open for in-person orders, and there is outdoor seating available.

Beloved local biscuit shop Bird Bird Biscuit opened a second location in Brentwood in October. It serves the same menu of biscuit sandwiches, like the Queen Beak with spicy breaded chicken, cayenne-black pepper honey, and a bacon-chipotle mayonaise. It’s open for outdoor dining and to-go.

East side newcomer Birdie’s is a wine bar with seasonal European fare like pastas, panisse (fried chickpea flour sticks), and steak since July. Birdie’s is open for indoor and outdoor dining, and is counter-service walk-in only.

West Campus’s popular taco spot has a new location in downtown Austin as of September. The downtown location serves the same menu of tacos and quesadillas streamlined for speed, with new drinks including cocktails. It’s open for dine-in and to-go, with outdoor dining available.

Fast-casual seafood chain Mason’s landed in downtown Austin in September with all things lobster: lobster rolls, lobster mac and cheese, lobster grilled cheese, lobster salads, etc, plus beer and wine to drink. The restaurant, which is planning another location in Austin, sources its lobster from Maine. Mason’s is counter-service with patio dining available and delivery from third-party apps.

South American cafe Cafe Nenaí opened its second location on East Sixth Street in October. For now, it will serve the same menu of coffee drinks, pastries, and sandwiches as the original location on Montopolis, but the cafe will soon roll out to-go Paraguayan dishes like vori vori (chicken soup with cheese balls) and rice dishes.

After three years of anticipation, the Tatsu-ya family’s tiki bar finally opened in October. The decor, which co-owner Tatsu Aikawa compared to Disneyland, combines elements of a pirate ship, a rum cave, and a secluded beach. Expect tropical cocktails and food, with items like spam on the half shell and crab langoon. Tiki Tatsu-ya is open for indoor dining.

This South First restaurant — from members formerly of gastropub Hopfield’s — has New American breakfast, lunch, and dinner in June. Look for dishes like duck confit crepes, grilled cheese with tomato jam, and avocado toast, alongside a full menu of cocktails. 1417 is open for indoor and patio dining.