The long-empty building that once housed Threadgill's on Riverside is finally getting a new headliner: Bartlett's is moving in with a second Austin outpost at 301 W. Riverside Drive. The classic American steakhouse is set to bring crowds back to a stretch near Lady Bird Lake that has been largely quiet since Threadgill's shut its doors, with a different kind of show planned for the storied room where so many locals remember live music nights.
The plan was first reported in the Austin American-Statesman and rounded up by CultureMap, which notes that Bartlett's is teaming up with McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality to take over the site. MML, which operates a roster of well-known Austin spots, will join in a full reimagining of the Riverside building. The move marks a high-profile reuse of one of South Austin's more prominent long-idle addresses, according to CultureMap.
Design, menu and timeline
The new Bartlett's will stick close to steakhouse comfort: think steaks, roasted chicken, and a wood-fired grill, backed by rotating specials and an open show kitchen. Plans call for overhauling roughly 9,000 square feet of the mid-century structure, outfitting it with leather booths, fireplaces, and a double-sided bar, plus about 110 parking spaces. Design duties are in the hands of Olson Kundig, and the partners are eyeing an early 2028 opening, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.
Why the building matters
Threadgill's World Headquarters held down 301 W. Riverside Drive from 1996 until it closed amid rising rents in 2018, and the venue occupies a loud corner of Austin's collective memory. The Riverside location was known for its big beer garden and steady stream of performances, helping lift local acts and cementing its place in the city's music lore. Its 2018 shutdown and the brand's later struggles were covered extensively at the time, per the Austin Chronicle.
Who is running it
Bartlett's owner Trey Wolslager has joined forces with McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, the group behind Clark's Oyster Bar, Swedish Hill, Pecan Square Café, and Joann's Fine Foods, to operate the Riverside outpost. CultureMap highlights MML's role and notes that the hospitality group's culinary team will get room to "flex its creative muscle" while Bartlett's recipes and service style remain the anchor. The collaboration is being framed as a blend of Bartlett's long-running identity with MML's operational horsepower, according to CultureMap.
Timeline and what's next
Wolslager, who bought Bartlett's in 2023, will continue overseeing the Anderson Lane location while partnering on the Riverside project, with MML handling day-to-day operations at the new site. "I think they do a phenomenal job," Wolslager told the paper, while MML co-founder Larry McGuire described the concept as "a classic big, comfortable, American restaurant," per the Houston Chronicle. The team says the renovation will work with the building's original bones and is targeting an early 2028 debut, which would finally give South Austin a long-awaited new dining room along the river.
