Interested in getting intel on the newest restaurant and retail additions to Zilker? From an Italian restaurant to a bakery, read on for a rundown of the newest hotspots to open their doors in this part of Austin.
The Connection Pizza & Bar
1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Suite 2140
The Connection Pizza & Bar is a cocktail bar, offering pizza and more.
Order from one of the 15 signature pizzas, which include the Pizza Bianca (fontina, bacon, egg, garlic, oregano and thyme), the Blockbuster (pecorino reduction, mozzarella, mushrooms, popcorn and truffle oil) and the Wolf (homemade pizza sauce and sausage, mushrooms, olives, mozzarella, bacon and crushed chilly and onions). There are also pasta dishes, salads and appetizers on the menu.
The Connection Pizza & Bar's current Yelp rating of three stars out of eight reviews indicates the newcomer is finding its way, but it's still early days.
Yelper R B., who reviewed The Connection Pizza & Bar on Feb. 28, wrote, "The food has a neat twist on favorites and its own style on others. They make their own pasta and it had the perfect al dente, mouthwatering texture — I could have just eaten it on its own."
Nick M. noted, "Very good pasta [and the] pizza is high quality brick-oven style with sourdough crust. The beer selection was adequate and mostly local, and the wine selection and cocktails were outstanding."
The Connection Pizza & Bar is open from 4–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday, 3 p.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 3 p.m.–11 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
Carpenters Hall
400 Josephine St.
Carpenters Hall is a New American spot.
In the morning, look for waffles, omelettes and breakfast sandwiches. For dinner, try the Vaquero Bean Dip to start and then move on to the Seafood Fritto Misto or Chicken Schnitzel. (Click here to view the full menu.)
Carpenters Hall's current Yelp rating of 4.5 stars out of 36 reviews indicates positive attention from users.
Yelper Benjamin R., who reviewed Carpenters Hall on Feb. 17, wrote, "We had an amazing brunch. Great service, great coffee and the double cheeseburger was well worth the $14 price tag (homemade bread was awesome), and the shrimp and grits felt special."
Ashley M. noted, "[What a] super hip atmosphere! We worked our way through the dinner menu splitting items. We started with the caviar, then the stracciatella, frito misto and spaetzle. We had a great time, the food was delightful and our service was great."
Carpenters Hall is open from 7 a.m.–midnight daily.
ThoroughBread
1709 Bluebonnet Lane
ThoroughBread is a bakery, offering desserts and more.
On the shelves, the spot sells sourdough bread (in white, wheat, rye and olive) and traditional loaf bread (white and wheat), as well as cookies, which come in flavors such as banana Nutella and chocolate chip pecan, and burridoughs with egg, cheese and either ham or avocado. (Take a look at the entire menu here.)
Yelp users are excited about ThoroughBread, which currently holds five stars out of 30 reviews on the site.
Yelper Noc F., who reviewed ThoroughBread on Feb. 15, wrote, "[They have] great cookies — so big and tasty and fresh."
Oliver M. noted, "The best cookies in Austin! I haven't tried any of their other baked goodies, but the cookies are amazing. I've tried the PB&J and the Banana Nutella and both are awesome. They're both not too sweet, which is great and the gooey filling inside is a nice surprise."
ThoroughBread is open from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m.–1 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
Darcy's Donkey
1608 Barton Springs Road
Darcy's Donkey is a pub and Irish spot.
It offers a broad selection of Irish, Scottish and American whiskeys as well as the "Holy Trinity" of beer offerings and an Irish menu. As far as food, there is the Guinness & Steak Pie (slow braised beef, bacon, carrots, turnips, potatoes and Guinness gray) and Fish & Chips. (To view the full menu, click here.)
Darcy's Donkey currently holds four stars out of 49 reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews.
Yelper Susan W., who reviewed Darcy's Donkey on Feb. 21, wrote, "Great food, greasy beer and an authentic atmosphere. I love this place! Try the Scotch Egg & The Sausage Rolls. Yummy!"
Matthew M. noted, "This place is absolutely amazing. Had the steak and ale pie and it was probably the best I've ever had — and I travel to England often. Morgan, the chef, came out to talk about my wife's allergy. She was really great and made sure we were accommodated."
Darcy's Donkey is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–1 a.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.–1 a.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m.–midnight on Sunday.
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