The Austin food scene is gearing up to welcome a new local favorite as Micklethwait Craft Meats, known for dishing out top-tier barbecue from its vintage trailer, is set to establish its first standalone restaurant in the heart of East Austin. After a savory journey that began on Rosewood Avenue in 2013, the barbecue truck is securing a permanent location at an erstwhile church at 4602 Tanney St., with official announcements surfacing Tuesday.
According to The Austin Statesman, original plans for the acquired church were intended to create much-needed commissary kitchen space. However, owner Tom Micklethwait has decided to broaden those intentions into a full dining experience in the space that includes a past pastor's study and an ample courtyard shaded by pecan and peach trees. Micklethwait Craft Meats emphasized the connection between barbecue and the spiritual, stating, "Barbecue is a spiritual experience for a lot of us, so we took that literally and we’re making this old church our new home."
Eater Austin adds to the story, delineating that this new venture is not the barbecue connoisseur's first foray into the restaurant realm. Micklethwait had previously expanded to a restaurant location in Smithville in 2018 but opted to close it down in 2020 to refocus on the Austin truck operations. Tom Micklethwait articulated his continued dream for a brick-and-mortar presence. Citing Micklethwait's history with entrepreneurial pursuits – including various offshoots like a sandwich truck, taco truck, and a bar-slash-garden – the new restaurant is described as "modern market-style" with an expansive indoor dining area and a verdant courtyard featuring thriving pecan trees and prominent offset smokers.
While barbecue aficionados must wait until early winter 2024 for this much-anticipated restaurant to open its doors, they can still enjoy the flavors that put Micklethwait on the map at the original food trailer and Saddle Up on Rosewood Avenue. Eater Austin reports that both locations will remain operational until the transition to the new site is complete. Furthermore, the lease for the Rosewood Avenue spot will not be renewed at the year's end, making the move to the church-based eatery all the more definitive in the company's evolution.
The local dining scene will indubitably feel the impact as Micklethwait Craft Meats looks to offer a fresh yet familiar haven for barbecue lovers, marrying its distinct smoky flavors with the novel charm of an East Austin sanctified space turned food sanctuary.
