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🔝 TOP 3 IN 10 SECONDS
🆕 Oak & Stone (Leander) — A massive $1.75 million investment will bring Florida's popular artisan pizza and self-pour tap wall concept to the Northline development.
🆕 Tifa Chocolate & Gelato (Leander) — A new 1,200-square-foot storefront has been secured at Northline to serve handcrafted gelato, gourmet chocolates, and artisanal coffee.
Limegreen Southeast Asian Grill (Leander) — This highly anticipated fast-casual spot is now open at South Brook Station, serving customizable Southeast Asian bowls and banh mi.
🆕 = new this week.
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🏗️ COMING SOON & RUMORED
🆕 Oak & Stone (Leander) — Making its Central Texas debut, this Florida-based concept is planning a massive 5,827-square-foot restaurant inside the Northline development. The venue is famous for its craft artisan pizzas, gourmet tavern fare, and an expansive self-pour craft beer tap wall.
⏰ ETA: Early 2027
📍 Address: Northline Development, Leander, TX 78641
🌐 Website: oakandstone.com
📞 Phone: TBD
🆕 Tifa Chocolate & Gelato (Leander) — The rapidly growing premium dessert chain is finalizing a 1,200-square-foot shop in the heart of downtown Northline. Guests can expect a rotating selection of handcrafted gelatos, European-style gourmet chocolates, and an artisanal espresso bar.
⏰ ETA: Early 2027
📍 Address: 508 Northline, Leander, TX 78641
🌐 Website: tifachocolateandgelato.com
📞 Phone: TBD
🆕 WorldSprings Cafe (Cedar Park) — This highly anticipated 9-acre outdoor mineral springs spa destination will feature a custom, built-in wellness restaurant. The cafe is designed to serve poolside snacks, healthy plates, and refreshments to guests lounging around the 40+ soaking pools.
⏰ ETA: Late 2026
📍 Address: SW Corner of Ronald Reagan Blvd & E. New Hope Dr., Cedar Park, TX 78641
🌐 Website: worldsprings.com
📞 Phone: TBD
Pepper Lunch (Leander) — The experiential Japanese fast-casual favorite has officially announced its expansion into the local market. Diners can look forward to signature sizzling teppanyaki plates, pepper rice, and premium steaks cooked fresh at the table. ⏰ ETA: Late 2026
📍 Address: Leander, TX
🌐 Website: pepperlunchrestaurants.com
📞 Phone: TBD
✅ NOW OPEN (LAST 60 DAYS)
Limegreen Southeast Asian Grill (Leander) — Expanding from its Austin roots, this fast-casual spot brings fresh Southeast Asian flavors to South Brook Station. The menu features customizable rice and noodle bowls, toasted banh mi sandwiches, and rich Vietnamese iced coffee.
📅 Opened: August 2026
📍 Address: 145 S Brook Dr., Suite 120, Leander, TX 78641
🌐 Website: limegreengrill.com
📞 Phone: (512) 766-6756
Dave's Hot Chicken (Cedar Park) — The viral, fast-growing hot chicken chain has officially debuted its second Austin metro location inside the Whitestone shopping corridor. The street-art-adorned restaurant serves hand-breaded chicken tenders and sliders alongside crinkle-cut fries, kale slaw, and house Dave's sauce.
📅 Opened: August 7, 2026
📍 Address: 1500 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. 100, Cedar Park, TX 78613
🌐 Website: daveshotchicken.com
📞 Phone: (737) 766-7440
🆕 Rodeo Mexican Kitchen & Bar (Liberty Hill) — The owners of Georgetown's popular Marisol's Mexican Grill have launched this brand-new location on Highway 29. The kitchen serves a delicious 50/50 split of authentic Mexican dishes and Tex-Mex favorites, including handmade tamales, sizzling fajitas, and menudo.
📅 Opened: September 8, 2026
📍 Address: 13750 W. Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
🌐 Website: rodeomexicankitchen.com
Hopdoddy Burger Bar (Leander) — It's official: this beloved Austin-native gourmet burger staple has finally opened its doors at the Gateway 29 retail hub. Diners can now easily access their scratch-baked buns, signature truffle fries, and hand-spun milkshakes without commuting south.
📅 Opened: August 2026
📍 Address: 19389 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Ste. 100, Leander, TX 78641
🌐 Website: hopdoddy.com
🆕 Cedar Park Cafe (Cedar Park) — A welcoming, independent neighborhood breakfast and lunch destination on Little Elm Trail. The kitchen focuses entirely on classic morning comfort staples, hearty multi-egg skillets, and premium freshly brewed local coffee blends.
📅 Opened: August 2026
📍 Address: 2005 Little Elm Trail, Cedar Park, TX 78613
📞 Phone: (512) 284-7847
Panda Express (Liberty Hill) — A brand-new drive-thru and dine-in location is fully operational along Highway 29. Locals can now grab all their signature American-Chinese favorites, including Orange Chicken, Beijing Beef, and fresh wok-tossed vegetables.
📅 Opened: July 2026
📍 Address: 12291 W. Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
🌐 Website: pandaexpress.com
⭐ FEATURED SPOT
Onebird (620 on the border of Cedar Park & Austin) — one chicken, every part, one bowl. More photos with our web post here: https://www.localeats.news/p/onebird
A Tokyo-born chef who helped take AFURI Ramen around the world just opened his own restaurant on 620, a short drive from Cedar Park.
My wife and I ate there and sat down with chef-owner Taichi Ishizuki. Everything tasted made from scratch because it is.
📍 Address: 12129 RM 620 N, Ste 100, Austin, TX 78750
🌐 Website: https://www.eatonebird.com
📞 Phone: (512) 243-5283
The Vibe
Open kitchen, neighborhood feel, and the owner is in the kitchen.
The Chef/Owner
Taichi spent 10 years as CEO of AFURI and, by his count, opened about 40 restaurants in 18 years, from Portland and LA to Hong Kong, Singapore and Toronto. Then he sold his shares to build something small of his own. The first Onebird opened in Tokyo last year. Austin is the first one in the U.S.
He moved here from Portland in March with his wife and their three young boys.
His idea is simple: almost everyone eats chicken. So the menu isn't strictly Japanese. It's Japanese, Thai and Southern, all built from the same bird.
Must-Order Items
-The Bird ramen: the whole chicken in one bowl. The broth comes from the feet, neck and carcass. It's topped with breast slow-cooked at 140 degrees for two hours, a crispy-skin thigh, a crumble of thigh, breast and gizzard, and a marinated egg.
-Broth-brined fried chicken: crunchy outside, juicy inside.
-Khao man gai: the Thai classic of poached chicken and rice.
-Milk bread sandwiches: the bread is baked in-house (Taichi also ran a bakery business) and used for Japanese-style fried chicken sandos.
-The sauces: every one we tried was a hit. Don't skip them.
Pro Tips
Getting it to go? The ramen comes in a clever take-out bowl with reheating instructions. Follow them and it eats almost like it does at the counter.
Closed Wednesdays. But open for breakfast at 9am on weekends.
Tell Taichi Local Eats sent you!
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P.S. Corrections welcome. If I got something wrong, email me at [email protected] — I try to double-check everything, but I’m human.