New Restaurants Heating Up the Austin Food Scene This Winter
Dig into mouthwatering smoked specialties, Northeastern-style pies, upscale fare and more at these new Austin restaurants
Winter in Austin gives residents the chance to explore their city without melting under the sweltering heat, so it’s the ideal time to try some new restaurants. These eateries that launched in late 2024 and early 2025 count among the most exciting openings of the season. Whether you’re looking for top-notch barbecue, pizza joints or high-end spots for dates or client dinners, these new restaurants will have you covered.
Jupiter Supper Club
What: A large and romantically decorated restaurant with clubby vibes and an all-vegan menu in Downtown Austin
Where: 718 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701
When: Opened late October 2024
With “timeless maximalist luxury” as its official catchphrase, Jupiter Supper Club clearly isn’t interested in subtlety. Instead, this speakeasy-inspired lounge and restaurant delivers big visuals and big flavors, the latter with a totally plant-based twist. Jupiter Supper Club features four different lounges, each with its own distinct theme, where guests can relax on plush furniture and enjoy mega-seasonal dishes and playful cocktails like the Lychee Colada (with pineapple rum, tequila, lychee and lime).
Day Maker Half Day Cafe
What: A convivial daytime-only cafe from the Jack Allen’s Kitchen team with hearty breakfast plates and vibrant cocktails.
Where: 1101 South MoPac Expressway, Austin, TX 78746
When: Opened late November 2024
When long-time Austin restaurateurs open a neighborhood cafe with warm service, comforting dishes, and sunny surroundings, it tends to become a big crowd-pleaser. That’s certainly the case with Day Maker Half Day Cafe, the newest project from the team behind Jack Allen’s Kitchen and Salt Traders Coastal Cooking. Located right near Zilker Park, Day Maker Half Day seeks to be a pleasant clubhouse for hikers, bikers and casual park strollers, with plenty of space to spare for remote workers in the area. Dishes like a Chorizo Benny with masa cakes, chorizo, refried beans, poached eggs, avocado and chipotle hollandaise and Lone Star Diner Hash with hashbrowns, smoked pastrami, a sunny side up egg, escabeche, chipotle aioli and queso fresco reflect the kitchen’s committed mashup of American diner fare and Tex-Mex flavors, and drinks like a South Texas Mocha, a Classic Bloody Mary and a Boozy Orange Julius are excellent accompaniments.
Micklethwait Craft Meats
What: The first-ever brick-and-mortar restaurant from the acclaimed BBQ masters at Micklethwait Craft Meats, located in East Austin.
Where: 4602 Tanney Street, Austin, TX 78721
When: Opened early January 2025
Barbecue aficionados in Austin regularly rank Micklethwait Craft Meats among the very best in town, but this humble food truck in Rosewood seemed perfectly content to operate on a small scale, up until recently. Finally, the Micklethwait team decided to launch a brick-and-mortar off of Springdale Road in far East Austin. But if you’re concerned that the magic of Micklethwait’s brisket, sausages and impeccable side dishes will dim now that they’re off the truck and running a full restaurant, early feedback from guests indicates that those fears are unfounded. Tom Mickelthwait and his skilled team still know their way around a smoker better than just about anyone, and they’re now offering their celebrated dishes in comfier surroundings that aren’t as weather-dependent as the truck’s outdoor picnic area.
Small’s Pizza
What: A New Haven-style pizza shop that started as a truck and now operates out of Springdale General in East Austin.
Where: 1023 Springdale Road, Austin, TX 78721
When: Opened mid-January 2025
For the uninitiated, the pizza made in the Southern Connecticut city of New Haven (which is known as “apizza”, by the way) just might be the very best in the United States (as a Southern Connecticut native, I might be a little bit biased here, but I stand by my claim). But these thin-crust pies cooked in coal ovens until the crust gets dark and blistered and then sliced in asymmetrical slices haven’t had a presence in Austin, and pizzaiolo Kelsey Small– who hails from the New Haven area– is determined to change that. Small’s pizza shines with dusky char on the crust, perfectly stretchy mozzarella cheese and bold toppings that range from classics like plain cheese and anchovy to more inventive choices like vodka sauce and potatoes with bacon. Small’s Pizza got its start as a food truck right next to East Austin coffee shop Mercado Sin Nombre, but they now have their own kitchen space at Springdale General, which allows them to make more apizza and accommodate more Austinites in need of great pies (and Northeastern transplants desperate for a taste of home).
Aris
What: A sleek Mediterranean-inspired steakhouse from a popular Houston restaurant group now open in Clarksville.
Where: 1111 West 6th Street, Austin, TX 78703
When: Opened mid-January 2025
Fans of the Houston culinary scene greeted the news of Aris’ opening with great enthusiasm. This reaction makes sense, as Aris comes from the same restaurant team behind H-Town hits like Doris Metropolitan and Hamsa. Aris’ menu focuses on steakhouse favorites with a Mediterranean twist; expect dry-aged prime cuts, seafood treats like oysters on the half shell and Moroccan tiger shrimp, and on-theme dishes like lamb chops with tahini and mint gremolata. Plant-based diners will also find plenty of robust options here, as Aris places equal emphasis on their meat offerings and their inventive veggie dishes like honey harissa carrots, fattoush salad with cucumbers and sumac onions, and beetroot with five cheeses, pistachio and hazelnut dukkah.
Oribello’s
What: A sports bar and restaurant near the UT campus with classic pub grub infused with Filipino flavors.
Where: 519 West 37th Street, Austin, TX 78705
When: Opened late January 2025
A lively sports tavern with excellent food is a welcome sight anywhere in Austin, but the Drag feels like a particularly inspired location choice for Oribello’s. This casual pub comes from the restaurateur behind Sazan Ramen and Endo Sushi, but this project emphasizes Filipino cuisine in an approachable way. Dishes like a birria pizza with adobo sauce and soy ginger wings show off Oribello’s skill at blending American bar-food influences with Filipino ingredients, and the space also features plenty of screens to catch the game and beer, wine and cocktails to wash down your meal.
Handsome Dan’s
What: A relaxed sandwich shop and beer destination in East Austin.
Where: 979 Springdale Road, Suite 124, Austin, TX 78702
When: Opened early February 2025
With retro charm and jaw-unhinging sandwiches, Handsome Dan’s in East Austin has plenty to recommend to neighborhood folks and visitors alike. This show is the brainchild of Josh Hare, owner of the celebrated brewery Hops & Grain. Hare also heads up non-alcoholic beer brand Rick’s Near Beer, so Handsome Dan’s feels like an oasis for craft beer lovers and alcohol-free guests.
Cousin Louie’s Italian American
What: Soul-warming red sauce dishes and enthusiastic hospitality on the Austin-Dripping Springs border.
Where: 165 Hargraves Drive, Suite T100, Austin, TX 78737
When: Opened early February 2025
The dishes created in the United States by Italian immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries are some of the best possible examples of “comfort food”, and Cousin Louie’s, a new restaurant now open on the border of Austin and Dripping Springs, leans into that vibe with full force. Chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, fried calamari- all present and accounted for, and Cousin Louie’s warm service just adds to the old-school Italian family-style energy.
The Greek Bar
What: A casual Greek restaurant in South Austin serving fresh Mediterranean dishes, wines and cocktails.
Where: 534 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
When: Opened mid-February 2025
The Greek Bar in South Austin offers a relaxed, taverna-style setting with a Mediterranean coastal atmosphere. Its menu features traditional spreads like tzatziki, skordalia and favasalata, along with mezze options such as spanakopita, hirino gyro and dolmades. Heartier options include signature dishes like Big Fat Greek Fried Chicken—feta-brined with briami, lohano salata and honey—or Lavraki, a whole grilled Mediterranean sea bass with wild greens, lemon and EVOO. Complementing the menu is a curated selection of rare Greek wines and cocktails infused with ingredients like kalamata olives, thyme and pomegranate.
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