Exclusive: Fresa's opening locations in West Austin and Mueller. Here's what we know
West Austin has never been a hotbed for locally owned restaurants, but that seems to be slowly changing.
And a long-planned Fresa’s location may help reinforce the idea that west side denizens are indeed craving local flavor.
The Mexican restaurant owned by Margaret Vera, Tracy Overath and chef-partner Rene Ortiz has had the location at 3600 Loop 360 in development for a couple of years, and the opening has finally become a reality.
The third location of the Mexican restaurant centered on grilled meats and vegetables will open in September in a space once inhabited by Thai Spice and the Austin outpost of Houston restaurant Berryhill Baja Cafe. The restaurant will occupy 6,000 square feet, and feature a large patio overlooking the western hills.
The food and drinks menu will be the same as the South First Street location which opened in 2016, four years after the original drive-thru location opened on North Lamar Boulevard. That menu moved beyond tacos and grilled meats to include raw fish preparations, margaritas and more.
The Fresa’s on Loop 360 will be located a stone’s throw from Jack Allen’s Kitchen and across the highway from locally owned Jade Restaurant and Maudie’s Milagro. It joins a mini-trend of new openings out west that includes the wine bar Neighborhood Vintner and Baldinucci Pizza Romana, which both opened last year in the West Lake area.
The location in Davenport Ranch West is not the end of Fresa's expansion plans. The restaurant group, which decided in 2021 to focus its growth on sit-down casual restaurants and forego the drive-thru model due to the shifting restaurant landscape, will open a fourth location in September 2024 in Mueller. That location will be situated in the forthcoming Solomon apartment building at 1414 E. 51st St.
The dining room at the new Fresa’s will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. As with the South First Street location, there is a dedicated to-go window that will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Mexican restaurant Fresa's opening locations in West Austin, Mueller
