Good things (and bad things, but we're focusing on the good here) come in threes, so its no surprise that not one, but three food halls are set to open in Austin in the near future. For a city that doesn't have any as of yet, that's a pretty big jump. Each are set to bring something different to the table—both literal and figurative—so here's a look at each of the newcomers:
Market Eatery: It was recently announced that H-Mart, a family-run Asian supermarket, would be opening near the Lakeline Mall in North Austin in mid-January. H-Mart already has a few locations in Dallas and Houston (in addition to a number of national locations), but the Austin supermarket would be the first one to include a food hall, dubbed Market Eatery. And there are some pretty drool-worthy restaurants on the bill already: Sunday Bird (Korean fried chicken), Sunday BBQ (Korean BBQ), Maru Maki (sushi), Snow Monster (Taiwanese shaved ice, boba, waffles), Seoul Sausage (Korean BBQ and street food) and Lai Lai (Chinese food), among others. The food hall will also sell beer, wine and sake, which customers can then take into a bar space that features a stage for performances.
Fareground: The downtown food hall was supposed to open at the end of 2017, but we all know how that goes—it's now looking like early 2018. You may have noticed the sleek, modern structure on Congress Ave between Cesar Chavez St and 2nd Ave, which will soon include a mix of both beloved and new Austin restaurants: Antonelli's Cheese Shop, Contigo, Easy Tiger Bake Shop, Henbit & Honeybit, Dai Due Taqueria and Ni-Komé, to start. A large outdoor patio will serve as a communal cafeteria for downtown Austin (and a decent place to get some sun once the temps heat up).
Block 71: Details are still emerging about Block 71, a mixed-use development that will take over a 1.75-acre block downtown. Included in this block is a historic post office and the Claudia Taylor Johnson Hall which, if all goes to plan, will be converted into Block 71's food hall. A restaurant and outdoor food trucks are all in the plans as well, though nothing—including an opening date—has been solidified yet. We'll keep you posted on Block 71's upcoming plans!