Bee Caves, Lakeway, Hudson Bend Eats

[Mack Tripper 696]

Drove by earlier and the Whataburger is finally open. 

Also, Baldinucci might have the best pizza in town. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Mack Tripper

[jimmyjazz 45957]

5 minutes ago, Mack Tripper said:

Also, Baldinucci might have the best pizza in town. 

They have "Romana" and "New York" styles . . . have you tried both?

[Mack Tripper 696]

Indeed I have. Both are great. The only thing they make that I haven't tried is the vegan and gluten free pizza. 

[YGIFS 19450]

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

They have "Romana" and "New York" styles . . . have you tried both?

I pictured you saying this in the voice and outfit of the woman in "The Blues Brothers" at Bob's Bunker.  "We have both kinds!"  

Yeah, Baldinucci's pizza is fantastic.  And they are super nice folks that don't hesitate to help when we ask them to help out with school events and such.  Great, now I want to eat a half pie myself.  Which reminds me of another 80's movie...

[jimmyjazz 45957]

So . . . is the NY a legit NY pie?  It's pricey, but hey, if it's that good, might be a nice alternative to Homeslice, etc.

[Mack Tripper 696]

Yes, the NY is legit. I like it better than Home Slice, which in my experience can be a bit bland. You can get it by the slice to test it out. It's the closest I've had in Texas to Joe's on Carmine in NYC, which is the slice joint to compare all others to.

[Mack Tripper 696]

On 8/30/2023 at 10:01 AM, Mack Tripper said:

Drove by earlier and the Whataburger is finally open. 

 

Well that didn't last long. Yesterday I saw a few people driving from the drive thru with food and saw the location on the app available for orders. Today its closed. 

[YGIFS 19450]

Yeah, that was weird.  The two outside kiosks were labeled with old school printed signage as "out of order", not sure about drive-thru....but that was the most unceremonious soft opening in hamberder history.  

[blacklab 11929]

On 8/30/2023 at 10:01 AM, Mack Tripper said:

Drove by earlier and the Whataburger is finally open. 

Wrong. 

Was all excited based on your post. Drive up, see "Open" sign. Try to order on app, store doesn't show the store, fuck with the app for a few minutes, can't get the store to show up. Get out and go up to order on the kiosk. Employee tells me they aren't open. Asks me why I thought they were open and I point over to "open" sign. Look at sign and realize it says "opening soon" and that the "ing soon" was blocked by the dumpster next to it when looking at it from the road.

 

[jimmyjazz 45957]

Peak Whataburger.

[YGIFS 19450]

What-a-Burger in question had another 'in-house opening visit' for some team members visiting.  Kinda looked like a weird version of a soft-opening involving food lockers if that's a thing.

Not quite the area of this thread, but kinda on the way to it...Spec's at 290/MoPac is about to enter a lease workout.  I think they're done by end of calendar year at the earliest.  Probably can stick it out for another year or so, but they're cooked,   Long story, but they're throwing up a lot of red flags with their property manager, their vendors, et. al.  I know they have many other locations doing great, but I'm just following this one because that strip center/pad sites for its great four corners hub location is just a revenue/square foot shitshow for most of its tenants.  What the fuck do you with that Spec's?  It's fucking huge.  Every other sustainable big box model is already covered in that area.  Oh wait, lemme guess...homeless housing or a movie theater?  

[ftf82 485]

I don't understand why the owner of that center hasn't developed more pads on 290. Or sublease the parking lot to a car dealer.

[blacklab 11929]

Drove by this morning and there are balloons and a bunch of people standing around out front. 

[jimmyjazz 45957]

Team Total Wine.  Super fast curbside service, and at least for the things I buy, lower prices.

[ftf82 485]

4 hours ago, blacklab said:

Drove by this morning and there are balloons and a bunch of people standing around out front. 

From today's SABJ. Still saying it's in the Bee Cave neighborhood (which I guess is sort of correct [but not really] since that area is known as Bee Cave Woods).

 

Spoiler

San Antonio-based Whataburger opened its first digital kitchen in Austin today, bringing a new dining experience to the 70-year-old chain.

The new Whataburger digital kitchen is located in the Bee Cave neighborhood in Austin. The establishment is focused on providing an all-digital experience to provide a seamless experience for customers.

The digital location allows customers to place their orders online or through the Whataburger app. Customers then select their preferred pickup method, which is either at the drive-thru or in an exterior, temperature-controlled and weather-resistant food locker.

 

Customers who forget to order ahead can order at the restaurant through a kiosk.

 

“Making Whataburger quicker and more convenient for our guests means fully embracing the digital restaurant experience — but not forgetting who we are at our core: A Hometown Whataburger,” Whataburger President and CEO Ed Nelson said in a press release. “Our Austin guests were early to embrace other digital innovations, making it a perfect fit for our first Whataburger digital kitchen.”

 

There is no dining room at the cashless digital location. However, the restaurant is staffed by 50 employees.

The new digital kitchen is one of multiple new expansions by Whataburger. The chain is opening a new location on the Las Vegas strip and a new establishment in Tennessee. Earlier this year, Whataburger also revealed its plans to double its footprint in Florida with 12 new locations coming to the Jacksonville area.

 

[Mack Tripper 696]

I had stopped going to Whataburger because of the shitty quality lately. Went earlier today. Ordered on app while at Petco. Food was ready in 3 minutes. Since so much attention is being paid to this place, it appears they are actually trying to make edible food again - it was probably the single best Whataburger meal I've ever had. 

And yeah that's right in the middle of Westlake. Not sure how a reporter would get such a simple fact wrong. 

[YGIFS 19450]

Good to know about the quality.  Of course, it could just be since all eyes from corporate and Chicago, they are nailing everything.  But yeah, my enthusiasm for that place has really waned over the last couple years mainly due to the burgers going south, but I'm encouraged by your report.  Gonna go check it out later today.  With the blistering heat off that fresh asphalt, and the food lockers facing west...they barely need any electricity.  

 

[ftf82 485]

Was at the post office in the same center so decided to try it for lunch. Ordered with the app. BLT, Fries and iced tea. Was ready in 5 minutes or so and pick up from the lockers was super easy. They forgot the tea so I had to find an employee to fetch it for me. Got home after a short drive. BLT was fine. Fries were clearly not fresh and soggy so needed re-heating. Full cup of lukewarm iced tea with zero ice (not requested that way). I'll give them a few weeks before going back.

[Anastasis 23469]

Best pizza is the area currently being run out of Winston's near lake travis middle school.

 

Sorry for the half ass pics, I have a family of fn savages.

 

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45957]

Damn.  Thata looks good.  On the list.

[Mack Tripper 696]

Good undercarriage 

[YGIFS 19450]

Is that burnt raisin bread?  

Read somewhere that Los Pinos on 2244, not quite all the way to Bee Cave proper.  It has changed owners.  I ate there a few times per month for a few years when we had an office in Lakeway.  Always liked it.  But it was always pretty dead and a little dirty (not in a fun mexican dive kinda way), I could see them having to sell.  I've got to go out there soon and was thinking of eating there again if anybody knows the new story on it. 

Definitely to hit up Fresa's next time I'm up that way, traffic permitting with that construction shitshow.

  

[YGIFS 19450]

Not technically on Bee Caves Road, but close enough.  Sadly, Old Austin has lost a classic institution.  The iHOP at 2244/Loop 1 has closed down for good. 

Salt Trader's is doing very well there still, even after the expensive finish out and Pandemic.  Could another upper-mid restaurant make a go of it in the old iHOP skin?  They'd have to sling a lot of booze as an alternative to Salt Trader's.  It's certainly possible.  But that lease takeover and finish out won't justify itself if it's just another breakfast/late night place.  The pad site is too small to attempt a rezone and add more office space to Barton Oaks Plaza.  Other than Friday happy hour at Salt Trader's and ACL/Trail of Lights, they sure as shit don't need more parking at the development.  I don't see any retail thriving there.  It's 90% gotta stay restaurant/bar.  That's an expensive pad though with little T/I wiggle room.  Give kudos to that goofy fucking iHOP though.  Like the one by Rainey Street, how in the world did it survive that long?

[irishtexan 11519]

7 hours ago, YGIFS said:

Not technically on Bee Caves Road, but close enough.  Sadly, Old Austin has lost a classic institution.  The iHOP at 2244/Loop 1 has closed down for good. 

Salt Trader's is doing very well there still, even after the expensive finish out and Pandemic.  Could another upper-mid restaurant make a go of it in the old iHOP skin?  They'd have to sling a lot of booze as an alternative to Salt Trader's.  It's certainly possible.  But that lease takeover and finish out won't justify itself if it's just another breakfast/late night place.  The pad site is too small to attempt a rezone and add more office space to Barton Oaks Plaza.  Other than Friday happy hour at Salt Trader's and ACL/Trail of Lights, they sure as shit don't need more parking at the development.  I don't see any retail thriving there.  It's 90% gotta stay restaurant/bar.  That's an expensive pad though with little T/I wiggle room.  Give kudos to that goofy fucking iHOP though.  Like the one by Rainey Street, how in the world did it survive that long?

I lived in an apartment off Barton Skyway from 1999-2001 and ate at that IHOP at 2:30am SOOOOOOOOOOO many times. Machacada con huevos with a roasted jalapeno.

[YGIFS 19450]

I lived off Spyglass in 2002 & 2003.  Many a weekends I started off my day at Tacodeli and a bike ride or time down at the Campbell's Hole.  Then head downtown to meet friends/then girlfriend.  Head back home in a cab but drop us at either that market (before it became Thom's) to buy more beer for the night or iHOP for said drunk buffet.  Yeah, hard to believe it was there at least 20 years, maybe more.  

Last time I ate there was when our second one was born.  Wife was in hospital with her and after 48 hours straight awake, she sent me home and one of her sisters spent the night up in the room.  I headed home where her folks and other sister were staying along with our oldest.  It was cold out that night and I had totally spaced on the fact that I hadn't eaten in like 24-36 hours.  So I stopped off there and ordered some kinda corned beef mash breakfast platter at like 1am and 2 pots of coffee to get me through 'til sunrise.  Wasn't too bad.  Paid up, And I took my  coffee and sat outside on those shitty blue metallic benches and stared at the skyline and just laughed at myself.  15+ years and 2 kids later, from a shitty 3-floor walk up apartment to a nice house to the same late night iHOP, all 3 within a mile of each other.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Server came out after me and yelled for walking out with the coffee mug.  I think I flashed my hospital wristband and said, "It's okay ma'am...I'm a father!"  

[ftf82 485]

It will be a doc in the box or bank.  Bookit 

[YGIFS 19450]

Yeah, with Westlake hospital down the road literally in bankruptcy workout and Arise hospital down the street about to the same.  I could see that.  Banks continue to make one stupid real estate decision after another so that wouldn't surprise me.  All three Wells Fargos on Bee Caves Road are already closed or about to close within one calendar year.  Nevermin all the other smaller named ones between Rollingwood and Cuernavaca.  I don't understand how they don't understand.  They're just multi-mililon dollar ATM's at this point.  

All that to say, I'd like a family friendly option where iHOP was.  Flower Child is about the only sit-down place between MoPac and 360 to take the kids for dinner for a modest price.  

[ftf82 485]

@YGIFS what's going on at the Wells Fargo in front of Honey Ham? Construction dumpster and Honey Bucket set up today.

[Mittens 8283]

As if that lot needed any help being more of a clusterfuck.

[YGIFS 19450]

Some of y'all probably know the property manager of that strip center.  He's a great guy/texas-ex.  I won't ask him directly, but have it on good authority that Wells Fargo is "improving" the building with no T/I's so as get financial support from corporate and not the landlord.  With the idea, they'll then turn it around in a year or so and try to sublet it as it a pad site.  For what?  I have no fucking idea since any restaurant going in there wouldn't have any fucking parking.  As stated just above, that whole center is a fucking shitshow for parking/ROW/egress except maybe nighttime Mon-Thu during the summer.  No fault to my friend who runs it, the center predates him, but you could give Ray Charles 20 minutes and some crayons and he'd come up with a better ingress plan that fucking disaster.  That Wells Fargo site is literally a multi-million dollar property that has 2 part-time employees and an ATM.  That's it.  no drive-thru, they even did away with the "IRA/Rollover/Private Banker" ruse they were running for years there.  I had to get something notarized there recently and just assumed there'd be somebody there.  The poor woman had to drive down from a 183 branch and I felt bad, coulda just gone downtown and gotten it done and saved her an hour of her life.  But oh yeah, the Congress Avenue branch is also a dollar drain with fucking nobody in there.  At least they had the sense to monetize their worthless drive-thru lanes.

Fucking banks and their real estate fetish.  3, count 'em 3 Wells Fargos just on Bee Caves road closing in the next year.  Nevermind all the smaller ones like Amegy, American Bank, and BofA.  When was the last time you sat in traffic for 9 minutes to take a left-hand turn to get to a bank branch that had nobody working at it?  

 Anyway, new tenant for iHOP should be announced Q1.  I'll see if I can get a leak from the broker while getting him drunk on his own tab at Salt Trader's.  

[ftf82 485]

"Coming Soon" signage is up for a Pepita's Cafe & Bar in the same center as Chinatown in Rollingwood. Anyone know anything about this place?

[YGIFS 19450]

Whuh?  Where the pizza joint is or where?  Everything else is long-leased.  Seems odd, but if you got some inside baseball intel, cough it up brutha.  This would an interesting development.  

[ftf82 485]

I have no clue. Just saw it when we were picking up Chinatown to go the other night. We ate at the pizza joint (Love Pizza maybe?) during the 2023 Icepocalypse that knocked out power throughout the Westlake area. It looked like it was only a temporary setup on the inside. A good Tex-Mex place with a bar would be a cool addition there. Decent enough parking and Rollingwooders can stumble home.

[Mack Tripper 696]

Yes, it's where the pizza place was between the jewelry store and the massage place. Basic internet sleuthing says that the owner used to be a manager at Maudie's and then Cisco's. 

[Gladeite 375]

Our weekly, by the house place is The Grove on Bee Caves.  They have a new pizza Smothered in Sausage that is very good and new #1 seller there.  Their new dish, Creole Fettuccini is also very good.   

[YGIFS 19450]

The food at the Grove has always been fantastic and not terribly expensive.  When the weather is nice, I love sitting on that patio under the oaks and lights.  My two hangups about the Grove are the parking, but that's nothing terribly original.  But the fucking layout for lunch inside sucks ass.  I can't count the number of serious conversations I've had to have at the two-tops on either side on the main dining room with people right the fuck on top of me.  I get it, rip margins on your square footage.  But for years, if somebody suggested a business lunch for the Grove and it was hot or cold outside, I'd politely suggest elsewhere.  

That strip center is also flanked by two bank branches that are already on notice by their landowners.  An overlooked gem is that County Line.  Not great BBQ, but lots of other options.  Love that patio, easy parking, great staff, fair prices, etc.  Now I gotta turn left outta there to get home which fucking blows, but they got that land when dirt was cheap and I've never had a great meal there but never a bad one either.  There's a reason why there's almost no restaurants between that and all the way out to Bee Caves Parkway.  The land and the food sales just doesn't make any sense.  

Fajita Pete's on Bee Caves Road has still not be cleared for it's grease trap by inspectors.  Going on a 9-month delay.  I'm starting to get the feeling they may fold up that spot.  They've been super cool about bringing spreads to our school events from their catering kitchen up north and I'm rooting for 'em, but they keep tripping over their own dicks.  Not the best stuff, but it'd be nice to have a mid-price to-go option to pickup for the kids or for a street hangout.  

[Gladeite 375]

County Line is also on our list.  Grilled wings , beef ribs and moist brisket are favorites.  The Well has become another spot for us. Food has been great and they are generous wine pourers if you are a regular.  
 

[Mittens 8283]

16 hours ago, YGIFS said:

Fajita Pete's on Bee Caves Road has still not be cleared for it's grease trap by inspectors.

Good.  That place fucking sucks.  I was starving and near the one on Balcones so stopped in to grab beef fajitas for one - $20 of bland nonsense.

The new sushi spot next to Jimmy John's is overpriced as all get out.  Can't see it lasting very long.

Agree that on a nice day/evening, the deck at the Grove is pretty excellent.

[YGIFS 19450]

New sushi spot next to the Jimmy John's by the Grove?  Like where that Kolache place used to be?  What's it called?  I gotta check that out.  

[Mittens 8283]

Correct on the location.  Can't recall what it's called.  I'd go to Izumi 10 times out of 10 before going back there.

[YGIFS 19450]

Good to know.  Then I won't bother trying it out.  Yeah, Izumi is an underrated spot in that part of town.  Always liked it and the staff is fantastic.  I see the whole overhaul of the old Office Depot is up and running.  I've also noticed, anecdotally, that Sway has far less traffic/business than it used to.  Not sure why, but it is markedly slowing down.  And I still don't understand how the worst building on Bee Caves Road next to it hasn't been bought, demolished, and turned into something different.  Then there's those 3 creepy swiss chalets behind it that make zero fucking sense.  

My friend WS finally assures me that the "Westlake SoHo" on Bee Caves where the old Gatti's used to be is almost ready for delivery.  And they'll be offering a smattering of catering/dropoff options.  Let's see how that goes.  

The Goettesman flophouse/restaurant pad deal where the bank used to be in the strip center across the street is also an interesting property.  

Anyway, I'm racking my brain to see what's gonna go into that old iHOP.  The property manager said they'd like to keep it a legacy kitchen and have some interest but at that price/sqft...it'd be tough.  So they're looking for a bank.  Which of course makes zero sense but some dumbass regional brand will double down and wonder why nobody's coming inside in person.  The old Chase off of Walsh-Tarlton by the mall will be announcing its trade soon, should be decent news.  

And that's the way it was...

[Deej 76793]

2 hours ago, Mittens said:

That place fucking sucks.

It's awful. Do they boil the beef fajitas? What the fuck is going on there?

[YGIFS 19450]

I pictured you saying this as Prescilla in "The Naked Gun"

"I'm boiling fajitas, how do you like it?"

-Very hot.  And very moist.  

[Gladeite 375]

Do not go to the sushi place in between Jimmy John’s and The Grove.  It is ridiculously overpriced and a bad wine selection.  Surprised it has not closed. 

[ftf82 485]

2 hours ago, YGIFS said:

I see the whole overhaul of the old Office Depot is up and running. 

That ROK Golf looks pretty cool, and a great use of that space. Looking forward to checking it out.

[blacklab 11929]

On 3/13/2024 at 2:26 PM, Gladeite said:

Do not go to the sushi place in between Jimmy John’s and The Grove.  It is ridiculously overpriced and a bad wine selection.  Surprised it has not closed. 

concur. the rolls are 99% rice, 1% fish. It was over $100 for two of us and I was contemplating going to hat creek afterwards.

[Mack Tripper 696]

My friend WS finally assures me that the "Westlake SoHo" on Bee Caves where the old Gatti's used to be is almost ready for delivery.  And they'll be offering a smattering of catering/dropoff options.  Let's see how that goes.

What’s the story here?

[YGIFS 19450]

He calls it the Westlake SoHo House as a working title.  Not sure if it will even have a name so as to add to the mysterious allure.  
 

he hit all kinda permitting issues but it’s basically just down to punch list stuff and finishing the parking lot at this point.  I’d say by May, but who knows given how it’s gone for the last two years.  

[Mack Tripper 696]

18 hours ago, YGIFS said:

He calls it the Westlake SoHo House as a working title.  Not sure if it will even have a name so as to add to the mysterious allure.  
 

he hit all kinda permitting issues but it’s basically just down to punch list stuff and finishing the parking lot at this point.  I’d say by May, but who knows given how it’s gone for the last two years.  

Was Gatti's in the Trader Joe's center? Is this a ghost kitchen? What kind of food is it? 

[YGIFS 19450]

No.  This is old gattis stand alone building by shell gas station.  North side of the street.  It’s gonna be kind of a ‘social club’/events venue by night. And cowork space by day.  You can bring in food, have delivery, or catering.  I’m not sure on the alcohol situation as far as licensing on/off premise, but there is a bar in there.  There’s a little outdoor area that’s nicely done.  
 

idea would be you meet there by day to work, have coffee, maybe get a lunch delivery and a beer.  At night, they rent it out for parties or fundraisers if possible.  If not, then milfs and real estate bros can have cocktails and play poker or wine tastings or book clubs.  That kinda thing.  He got the site for a song but the finish out has been very costly.  So not sure what pricing will look like to recoup that but I’m gonna ask him next time I see him.  He’s also still trying to figure out parking for larger events.  You don’t want a bunch of drunk women in high heels running across bee caves to their cars at Panera.  Unless that’s your fetish.