The 3 Most Anticipated Austin Restaurant, Food Truck, and Bar Openings of 2024

It’s time for Eater Austin’s look ahead to the most anticipated restaurant, food truck, and bar openings of 2024. There’s a lot to be excited about this year, at least when it comes to great food and drinks.

As per usual, there are a bunch of holdovers from 2023, such as Black-centered community space-cafe-bar Origin Studio House. Elsewhere, there’s Austin food truck Micklethwait Craft Meats’ first physical Austin restaurant. There are also some New York City neighborhood-leaning bars making their way into Austin for the first time, such as dive-ish bar Mother’s Ruin (the third of these, Dead Rabbit, opened in early summer).

And, as the year progresses, these businesses will open and Eater is tracking those too. Already, those include Tare, an omakase restaurant with South Texan flairs; new-school barbecue truck LeRoy & Lewis’s mega-exciting physical restaurant; out-of-state chicken chain expansion Hattie B’s; the eagerly awaited Korean fried chicken of Donkey Mo’s new physical space; a high-end cocktail bar, Prélude, from a lauded chef; Laotian truck Sekse Fud Ko’s full-on restaurant Lao’d Bar; and Swim Club, an actual hotel pool bar that’s open to the public courtesy of a Nickel City co-owner.

Without further ado, here are Eater Austin’s most anticipated food and drink openings of the year 2024. Let us know about other upcoming restaurant/food truck/bar/etc. openings through email to austin@eater.com.

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Address: 4602 Tanney Street, East MLK
Opening: Winter 2024

The essential barbecue truck is finally opening a physical restaurant in Austin proper this year (there had been one out in Smithville for two years). Owner and pitmaster Tom Micklethwait is turning the truck’s commissary and catering kitchen space into a whole market-style restaurant with indoor and outdoor areas, all the better to enjoy the smoked meats, sides, and sweets. Once the new Micklethwait restaurant opens, its food truck and beer bar Saddle Up will close at the end of the year.

Mother’s Ruin

Address: 1401 East Sixth Street, Building A, Suite 204, East Cesar Chavez
Opening: Late 2024

And now, the third of three New York-to-Austin bar expansions this year. This one is a dive-bar-ish spot with cocktails, pickleback shots, beers, and bar-adjacent-style foods like Old Bay-seasoned waffle fries, breakfast burritos, and brunch. It’s opening within mixed-use development Centro.

Origin Studio House

Address: 2925 East 12th Street, Rosewood
Opening: 2024

Co-founders Brittney Williams and Dante Clemons envision this new coffee shop and bar as a welcoming community space for Austin’s Black population. That means featuring food trucks owned by people of color — think Mama A’s and Better Say Grace — and drinks taking their cues and ingredients from Black-owned brands and the African diaspora.

Already Opened

Tare

Address: 12414 Alderbrook Drive, North Star
Opened: January 18, 2024

Chef Michael Carranza — known for his former restaurant Salty Cargo, as well as food truck Texas Sushiko — turned his pop-up omakase into a full-on physical restaurant. He and the team serve up kappo-style casual omakase with nigiri and cooked fish and meats in the 10-seat space within an office building.

Couple in the Kitchen

LeRoy & Lewis

Address: 5621 Emerald Forest Drive, Garrison Park
Opened: February 28, 2024

The team behind acclaimed (and Eater Award-winning) new-school barbecue truck — pitmaster Evan LeRoy, director of operations Sawyer Lewis , Nathan Lewis, and Lindsey LeRoy — finally (finally!) opened that long-awaited physical restaurant. On deck is its fun smoked meats menu that makes ample use of whole-animal butchering thanks to more actual space, while adding in more snacks, wine, and beer. The space also includes a retail section with dry goods, foods, and packaged barbecue to-go for sale. The original truck at Cosmic Coffee off of South Congress closed in July.

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

Address: 2529 South Lamar Boulevard, South Lamar
Opened: February 28, 2024

This is the first of two big chicken chains expanding into Austin, which opened in the early winter. The Nashville hot chicken restaurant chain moved into the former Maria’s Taco Xpress as its first Austin location. The fast-casual spot serves its signature spicy fried chicken in sandwiches and platters along with desserts (banana pudding, cobblers), and cocktails (like boozy slushies).

Donkey Mo’s

Address: 5312 Airport Boulevard, Suite D, North Loop
Opened: March 14, 2024; the South Lamar restaurant on March 21, 2024.

The popular Austin Korean fried chicken restaurant came back with a new physical location, this year. Founder, owner, and chef Youngmin Noh focuses on that signature dish, alongside beers, sandwiches, and more. (The restaurant had also expanded onto South Lamar in mid-March, but that location closed in July.)

Donkey Mo’s/Facebook

Bambino

Address: Springdale Road and Airport Boulevard, Govalle
Opened: March 14, 2024

Lauded Austin Italian restaurant L’Oca d’Oro got into the pizza game with its next new spot. Through the pizzeria, co-owners Adam Orman and chef Fiore Tedesco focus their attentions on sourdough and rectangular Roman-style pies cooked in electric ovens, paired alongside snacks, burgers, tinned fish, and drinks.

Redbud Ice House

Address: 2027 Anchor Lane, MLK
Opened: March 19, 2024

The Olamaie team opened this very casual bar and restaurant in the former BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya/Contigo mostly patio space. This means burgers, beers, and soft serve.

Half Moon

Address: 2316 Webberville Road, East Austin
Opened: April 7, 2024

Fresh off opening New York City-styled Murray’s Tavern in December, co-owner Travis Tober opened this standalone bar on the former Gourmand property’s patio. The casual alfresco bar serves up rum and agave-based drinks, plus beers, etc. There are also monthly free pig roasts.

Busty’s Bar and Jukebox

Address: 6214 Cameron Road, Windsor Park
Opened: April 9, 2024

Some of the unnamed members of hot-new-bar Daydreamer — plus the White Horses’s Busty Morris and Kinda Tropical chef James Durham — opened this new casual neighborhood-centric bar and restaurant. The menu is full of “truck stop food,” with all-day breakfast, sandwiches, burritos, and more. And, for drinks, look for easy beers, cocktails, and tiki options.

Busty’s Bar and Jukebox

Lao’d Bar

Address: 9909 Farm to Market Road 969, Building 4, Far East Austin
Opened: April 24, 2024

Sekse Fud Ko’s Bob Somsith opened a full-on restaurant serving up Laotian American dishes plus cocktails and lagers (including rice ones) in this new physical space.

P Thai’s Khao Man Gai

Address: 4807 Airport Boulevard, North Loop
Opened: April 30, 2024

Though chef Thai Changthong had to close his very popular food stall P Thai’s Khao Man Gai earlier this year because his host site Hong Kong Supermarket closed down, he already found a new location. The full-on Thai Chinese restaurant took over what had been Tex-Mex spot Vamonos, serving up the namesake chicken and rice dish. Plus the larger space allows him to expand with other Thai Chinese foods too.

Prélude

Address: 707 West 10th Street, Downtown
Opened: May 2, 2024

Chef Mathew Peters opened the first of his two-part-dining-experience plan in Austin this spring. Prélude is his vision of a reservations-only high-end cocktail lounge with drinks and New American canapes. To come later will be the full-tasting menu restaurant Maven next year.

Lil’ Easy Fine Cajun Food & Bar

Address: 5000 East Cesar Chavez Street, Govalle
Opened: May 7, 2024

The teams behind New Orleans-ish diner Sawyer & Co. and Mexican restaurant and bar De Nada Cantina opened this Southern Louisianan restaurant just in time for Mardi Gras. This third spot focuses on Southern Louisianan cuisines with many Cajun dishes. Think boudin links, meat pies, gumbo, and rum bundt cakes, plus related drinks like hurricanes and Painkillers.

Swim Club

Swim Club

Address: 701 East 11th Street, Downtown
Opened: June 24, 2024

Downtown hotel the Sheraton at the Capitol transformed into the Downright Austin this past spring. In fact, the revamp was originally supposed to feature two bars/restaurants from hip Miami hospitality group Lost Boy & Co., but a rep shared that those are no longer happening. Instead, one of those places is became a bar and restaurant set up at the actual swimming pool, led by Nickel City co-owner Travis Tober. Swim Club has open-to-the-public access for swimming (!!!), food, and drinks in a space that feels very Miami Vice-slash-1980s. There’s also a disco lounge dubbed Randy’s Radio Room to come later and the outdoor Lawn at Swim Club.

The Dead Rabbit

Address: 204 East Sixth Street, Downtown
Opened: July 1, 2024

The first of three New York bars coming into Austin is the expanding acclaimed New York Irish bar, which took over the former B.D. Riley’s this summer. The Irish pub is naturally known for Irish whiskies, Irish coffee, Guinness, and a pub-style menu that includes fish and chips, Scotch eggs, and the like.

Ling Wu at the Grove

Address: 2625 Denali Summit Pass, Rosedale
Opened: July 26, 2024

Prolific and renowned Austin chef Ling Qi Wu — who is behind some of the city’s best Chinese and pan-Asian restaurants, see: Lin Asian Bar, Qi, Ling Kitchen, and Ling Wu Asian Restaurant — opened her fifth Austin restaurant over the summer. This one focuses on simpler Asian dishes made with local ingredients, and, yes, there are plentiful dumplings.

Orobianco Creamery

OroBianco Italian Creamery

Address: 1800 South Congress Avenue, Bouldin Creek
Opened: October 6, 2024

The Hill Country creamery — which makes cheeses and gelatos from water buffalo milk sourced from its own ranch — came into Austin for the first time with a new gelato truck. The cute little Divco truck is parked at Hudson Meats sometime this fall, serving gelato flavors such as pistachio, single-origin chocolate, and citrus crema, all usually made with locally sourced produce and products.

The Flower Shop

Address: 1300 East Seventh Street, Central East Austin
Opened: October 10, 2024

Here’s the second of three New York bars aiming to expand into Austin (Dead Rabbit opened earlier this year; see above). The Flower Shop is a retro-y bar and restaurant with what it describes as an Australian bar approach with a Midwestern American diner angle. Food-wise, find pub-style dishes like meat pies, disco fries, and chicken wings; drinks span beers, well drinks, shots, and a short-but-sweet cocktail list. It took over the unique space that had previously been home to gluten-free restaurant Wilder Wood.

Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop

Address: 2400 East Cesar Chavez Street, Suite 200, Holly
Opened: October 11, 2024

Mega-talented Austin baker Amanda Rockman branched out on her own after nine years at the New Waterloo hospitality group. Her standalone bakery focuses on what she does best: loads of pastries and baked goods like croissants and cakes, alongside sandwiches built with house-made focaccia and bagels. The casual cafe also serves up drinks both boozy and not.

Chad Wadsworth

Loudmouth

Address: 1209 Rosewood Avenue, Central East Austin
Opened: November 6, 2024

Way-popular brunch spot Paperboy got into the pizza game this year. It turned its neighboring vacant sprawling restaurant space — formerly upper-scale New Texan spot Rosewood — into a casual pizzeria focused on wood-fired pies, drinks, and lots of family-friendly nods.

Black Gold

Address: 1521 West Anderson Lane, Crestview
Opened: November 9, 2024

Now-closed food truck Wünder Pig opened this new full-on barbecue restaurant in the fall. Owner and pitmaster Mems Davila offers a high-low smoked meats menu — think mac and cheese made with burnt ends and truffle oil, smoked duck with a peach chutney-barbecue sauce, and steak fries. The physical space includes an indoor dining room that shows off its smoke room, a patio, and much more.

Nando’s Peri-Peri

Address: 1825 McBee Street, Mueller
Opened: November 13, 2024

This is the year national and international chicken chains descend upon Austin. This time, it’s this South African chain restaurant, which opened its first local spot this year within the Origin Hotel. The chicken is made using peri peri marinade, plus lots of salads, wraps, sandwiches, and sides and drinks.

Update, November 27: This guide, originally published on January 3, has been updated to include openings and readjusted projected opening dates.