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From a Parisian-style rotisserie expanding to North Austin to a scratch-made Italian kitchen opening in Wimberley, the Greater Austin area picked up several new dining options this month.
This week's roundup also includes a pair of 20-year anniversaries, a major acquisition for an Austin-born burger brand and a New Braunfels snack truck serving up mangonadas and aguas frescas.
Impacts of the week
Editor's note: This list is not comprehensive. Have a tip? Email [email protected].
Austin Rotisserie & Sandwicherie opens North Austin takeaway location
This French rotisserie concept from Paris native Sophie Nathal and her husband Eric opened a second takeaway location designed to offer faster pickup and shorter delivery times. The menu includes whole and quarter birds with potatoes cooked in chicken drippings, sandwiches such as the Poulet Roti and Norwegian Baguette, and desserts including macarons, eclairs and creme brulee.
The family behind Austin’s Soupleaf Hot Pot has launched another local venture. The buffet has over 100 items and ingredients, like noodle dishes including japchae, pomodoro spaghetti and mac and cheese; bakery items like pizzas, croissants and muffins; and a salad bar with soups like tom yum and egg drop soup. During their soft opening, the restaurant is offering 25% off for all guests until July 5.
This location joins more than 1,000 locations worldwide known for the brand’s marinated, hand-battered and fried chicken strip meals. Customers can pair the chicken with coleslaw, Texas toast and fries. The restaurant also serves its signature Cane’s Sauce, which is made in-house daily, as well as sweet tea and lemonade to drink.
Gennaro’s Ristorante Italiano, owned and operated by the DiMeo and Taccogna families, offers diners made-from-scratch cuisine, including classic Italian dishes. The owners work to bring the Italian experience to the Wimberley community and patrons, and the restaurant is centered around an oak tree and features both indoor and outdoor seating.
Austin-based restaurant Hopdoddy Burger Bar has been acquired by Founders Table Restaurant Group. Hopdoddy CEO Jeff Chandler will transition to an advisory role. Hopdoddy was founded in Austin in 2010 and has 47 locations today, including in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The chain is known for its burgers made with fresh-ground beef on house-baked buns, alongside hand-cut fries and milkshakes. The menu also includes salads and non-beef options such as chicken, tuna and vegetarian patties.
This Mexican restaurant will celebrate its 20-year anniversary in Cedar Park, where it has served breakfast, lunch and dinner, all rooted in traditional Mexican cooking. Popular dishes include tacos, enchiladas and the restaurant’s signature carne asada plate. The owners of Los Reyes are planning a 20-year anniversary celebration Aug. 7. The party will include live mariachi music, discounted drinks and “throwback prices,” meaning dishes will cost the same amount they did when the restaurant first opened in 2006, the owners said.
June marks 20 years of this Pflugerville coffee joint. The spot offers coffee, smoothies and custom drinks and opened in June 2006. The store uses premium Arabica coffee beans in their drinks, and smoothies are made with 100% crushed fruit. Dazzle is a drive-thru operation that is just 12 feet wide and 28 feet long.
What started off as a pop-up business selling only aguas frescas slowly transformed into a food truck serving delicious, authentic Mexican snacks. Juanita Rocha, a native of New Braunfels, opened Munchies Locos in 2023.
She said they used to be a bit more mobile by doing pop-ups at neighborhoods, apartments and events until she decided that she needed to have a permanent location.
Munchies Locos sells a range of treats like mini pancakes and mangonadas, which are made with flavored Italian ice. Munchies Locos also sells corn in a cup and snow cones in various flavors like strawberry, cherry, lime, grape, pickle juice, blue coconut and more.
The snack truck also has a “loteria-fiesta vibe,” Rocha said, with papel picado—a traditional Mexican craft involving cutting designs into sheets of thin tissue paper—painted on the truck. Items on the menu are also displayed like a loteria card.
“I’m Mexican American, so I gotta have the culture,” Rocha said.
