Austin Restaurants’ Priciest Bites: 10 Most Surprising Menu Splurges
From high-priced açaí bowls to chicken fingers or grilled carrots, this list of luxe menu items shows how Austin’s evolving food scene is pushing menus — and budgets
Austin menu prices have been creeping up since the pandemic, leaving some diners with a bit of sticker shock. The rise can be attributed to inflation, influence from larger cities on the East and West Coast and a general increase in food costs. A variety of Austin restaurants have reached a new level of luxe, where guests are paying more for the ambiance and experience than the portion sizes.
We’ve rounded up a list of some of the 10 splurgiest menu items in town:
$105 Peking Duck at RedFarm
201 W 3rd St.
This New York City-based restaurant opened its first Austin outpost in 2022 with a modern approach to classic Chinese cuisine. RedFarm’s famous whole Peking duck with crispy skin can be eaten family style as you build your own meal with a side of scallion pancakes that you can dip into hoisin or cranberry sauce.
$48 Bagels at Lutie’s
4100 Red River St.
Commodore Perry Estate was recently named the No. 1 Hotel in Austin by Travel + Leisure, and its in-house restaurant, Lutie’s, is the quickest way to check in without an overnight stay. For brunch, the upscale restaurant serves two everything bagels with a spread of cream cheese, capers and seasonal vegetables to start your morning off right.
$45 Chicken Parm from Sammie’s
807 W 6th St.
This classic Italian spot, owned by MML, embraces New York’s Little Italy with traditional recipes and old-school vibes. Sammie’s $45 chicken parmigiana is served on top of a heaping plate of spaghetti with garlic and olive oil.
$40 Billion Dollar Açaí Bowl from SunLife Organics
1011 S. Congress Ave., Bldg 2, Ste. 120
California-based SunLife Organics opened its first juice bar location in Austin in 2019 with a lineup of signature shakes, smoothies, bowls, organic juices and more. The Billion Dollar Açaí Bowl blends açaí, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate plant protein, superfood powder, collagen, colostrum, MCT oil and almond milk for a creamy base and tops it with hemp granola, fruit, cashew butter, cacao, lotus pollen, honey and coconut.
$34 Supreme Pizza from Sammataro
2907 E. 12th St.
This New York City-inspired pizza truck sits in an outdoor courtyard in Central East Austin and boasts a cult following that craves its crisp brick-oven slices. Sammataro’s $34 supreme pizza is 16 inches with sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and shallots.
$24 Nicoise Salad from Picnik
4801 Burnet Rd.
This health-conscious restaurant started as a food trailer with an emphasis on whole foods in 2013 before owner Naomi Seifter decided to expand into a farm-to-table concept three years later. Picnik’s $24 French-inspired salad features marinated mushrooms, green beans, kale, beets, shaved Brussels sprouts, egg, capers, mustard potatoes, olives and a side of canned tuna for a full plate of clean ingredients.
$23 Grilled Carrots from Jupiter Supper Club
718 Congress Ave.
Jupiter Supper Club opened in downtown Austin in December 2023 with a high-end vegan menu and dimly lit dining lounges with live music. For $23, guests can indulge in a plate of grilled carrots with ancho chile glaze, cumin oil and bay laurel leaves, according to a menu posted on Yelp.
$23 Chicken Tenders from Ski Shores Cafe
2905 Pearce Rd.
A spot at Ski Shores Cafe on Lake Austin is almost as coveted as a designated boat slip at the iconic waterside restaurant, which first opened in 1954. The old-school hamburger joint, now owned by McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, embraces the flock of tourists with a laidback menu of chicken tenders, fries, tacos and sandwiches, which taste even better as you watch the high traffic of boaters zoom by.
$23 Cheese Plate from Mattie’s
901 W. Live Oak St.
Mattie’s opened in 2017 on the historic Green Pastures property, where peacocks roam throughout the yard, as a way to pay homage to the former farmhouse restaurant that was a staple in Austin since 1946. The Southern kitchen offers a $23 cheese plate for both brunch and dinner, featuring Mimolette cheese from France, Humboldt Fog goat cheese and Grand Noir blue cheese from Germany with a side of homemade sourdough, spiced pecans and house jam.
$18 Guacamole from Este
2113 Manor Rd.
Sam Hellman-Mass and Fermín Núñez opened Este, a sister restaurant to their Mexican spot, Suerte, two years ago with a seafood-forward menu. The coastal Mexican spot in East Austin uses herbs from its garden to make its $18 guacamole with sesame macha verde and a side of homemade chips. Guests can get it half off for happy hour from 12 to 5 p.m. on the weekends or 5 to 6 p.m. during the week.