LocalEats 1/23/26

 NOTE: 🆕 Indicates new additions this week. We will remove items after they are open for a month.

🏗️ COMING SOON

🆕 Crave Cookies- the first of several planned for the area to open in April.
-8481 W State Highway 29, Suite 600 in
-Leander
-https://cravecookies.com/

🆕 Sovian Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge - European-style steakhouse with a cocktail lounge. Focused on traditional dishes from the South of France and from Italy. By Chef Vira, owner of La Riv Wood Fired Italian, the Italian restaurant with locations in Georgetown and Temple.
-February 2026
-1500 Rivery Blvd., Suite 2175

🆕 Game On Bar & Grill - Comfortable sports-viewing experience that is elevated through its food and service. 44 draft beers, mostly from Texas breweries. The American grill will serve smash burgers, wings, loaded fries, nachos and more.

Shake Shack
Construction on the burger and shake chain is slated to begin later this year, wrapping up in early 2027, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. The build out is expected to take place along the 183A Toll Frontage Road, costing an estimated $1 million.

PopStroke. Co-owned by golf legend Tiger Woods.
Coming to Cedar Park in April, PopStroke has two 18-hole mini-golf courses, full-service scratch kitchen restaurant & ice cream parlor. It will include indoor and outdoor restaurant seating, three bars, outdoor beer garden, yard games and an enclosed soft-surface playground.

Dill N Chill

Chipotle Mexican Grill — Mexican/Build-your-own — Leander

Estancia Brazilian Steakhouse — Brazilian Steakhouse — Leander

Desiwala Pizza & Wings — Pizza & Wings — Leander

Panda Express - American-style Chinese restaurant. There are well over 2,000 Panda Express restaurants in the United States.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar - According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, construction on a new Hopdoddy Burger Bar is slated to begin in early January as part of the Gateway 29 development. Work is set to last until late June, the filing states. The burger restaurant has seven locations in the Austin area. This will be its first spot in Leander.

✅ NOW OPEN

🆕Layne's Chicken Fingers from College Station now has 40 locations across the country.

🆕Antena Kitchen and Bar this is the same family who owned Elena's Mexican Restaurant that closed in Liberty Hill last year after 20 years in business. The food truck serves breakfast & lunch and is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sundays.
- 14251 Hwy. 29, Liberty Hill

Café Java- Café Java opened its third Austin-area location Jan. 12 near the Austin-Cedar Park border, according to a representative from the location. This is the first new Café Java location in 20 years, according to previous Community Impact reporting. Café Java has a selection of coffees, teas and juices and a range of breakfast and lunch offerings including pancakes, breakfast tacos, soup and salads.
-Opened Jan. 12
-12129 RM 620, Ste. 120, Austin
-www.thecafejava.com

Frankie's NY Style Pizza & Pasta reopened in Georgetown after closing in October 2024 due to damage from a fire.
-Reopened Jan.
-191211 Leander Road, Georgetown
-www.frankiesnypizzapasta.com

❌ RECENTLY CLOSED (Based on Community Impact news alerts)

⭐ Featured Restaurant

Texas Wine Flyer

Perhaps not a “restaurant” but we’re going to include it because it’s Wine! In Cedar Park, the Texas Wine Flyer does a 66-mile round-trip ride with a two-hour layover in Burnet. It’s a 21-and-over train ride that includes a wine tasting from Wedding Oak Winery.

🗣️ COMMUNITY

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✌️ Until next Friday,

Eric S.

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P.S. Corrections welcome. If I got something wrong let me know at [email protected] . I try to double check the information but I can certainly make mistakes.