The May Hit List: AKB, Uptown Sports Club, Odd Duck, and More

When it comes to eating at the Domain, all the spots are superior to mall food and AKB is another solid example in that category. Attached to the Archer Hotel in the newer end of the Domain, brunch offerings include bagels, lox, and capers and the cowboy plate with a brisket option. It’s also an easy spot to stop for a cocktail or beer and charcuterie plate after you’ve “popped in” to more stores than you had planned.

The East Side offers dive bars, breweries, and natural wine bars — and things continue to evolve with this new upscale cocktail spot from the folks at Kinda Tropical and Olamaie. Choose from dry, dirty, espresso, and other kinds of martinis, or cocktails like the Year of the Rabbit made with white port, vermouth, and bitters. Don’t come hungry, though: the menu is mostly snacks like zucchini fritters and kale salad.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Similar to sister restaurant Gusto, Gracia is a nicer but still casual meal in the Rosedale neighborhood. For a filling start, try the hummus with their house flatbread, beets, and labneh, or oysters. Look for happy hours throughout the week, plus half off bottles of sparkling wine on Wednesdays.

The sisters who started Veracruz All Natural have expanded their beloved taco footprint all over Austin and this is their first step into something fancier. Located in Mueller, Veracruz Fonda and Bar serves breakfast tacos, chilaquiles, and smoothies in the morning and antojitos like tamals and empanadas and cochinita pibil at night. There’s also a full bar with margaritas, a Mezcalita, a michelada, and fresh juices and smoothies.

No reservations. Find more info here.

This new spot on the East Side caught some attention on social media early on, with claims it would be a Chili’s. But after many gasps, laughs, and eye rolls, it turned out the the restored historic building from 1949 would house a new restaurant and bar from Aaron Franklin and friends, serving New Orleans style food like fried green tomato po’boys and smoked trout dip. The fun range of cocktails includes a bloody mary with an entire wedge salad on top.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Just across the street from the South Lamar Alamo Drafthouse, Jjim Korean BBQ is serving Korean dishes without the grill in front of you. The seafood pancake and brussels sprouts are among our favorite starters. Their namesake Jjim dishes are big enough to share with the table, braised nicely so the meat and vegetables are tender, and come with a little kick if you’re up for it.

While it’s easy to get drawn into the new options on the East Side (see #2, #4, and #8 on this list) , Buenos Aires Cafe has aged nicely even with all its new neighbors. We still love coming for their empanadas, especially the verdura and cebollo and queso, and save plenty of room for the meat from the parilla, like the bife de lomo with chimichurri. Pro Tip: Plan ahead for an after-dinner drink at their subterranean speakeasy, Milonga.

Our love for Este is no secret (see the April Hit List), so naturally we were excited to meet their side space, Bar Toti. It’s been mostly used for private events, but now you can walk in on the weekends for a drink or a light bite like croquetas or their Mexican hamburguesa. We suspect many will be drinking tinto de veranos, palomas, or a glass of sparkling tempranillo.

No reservations. Find info here.

Remember when Odd Truck was a food truck? Us either. Their brick-and-mortar has been popular for 10 years now and you definitely still need a Resy. The locally sourced menu changes constantly and currently features cast-iron cheddar cornbread, grilled kale salad with pork belly, and blackened redfish with bok choy. Finish off your meal with a chocolate and masa icebox cake with caramel corn and a nitro espresso martini.

Julio’s is an Austin institution known for its rotisserie chicken, margaritas, and casual patio in the heart of downtown Hyde Park. The caldo (a comforting chicken soup) is surprisingly perfect even as the weather is heating up and comes with warm tortillas on the side. And while there is tough competition for enchiladas in Austin, the green tomatillo chicken enchilada plate at Julio’s is hard to beat.

No reservations. Find info here.