mon,tue,wed,thu, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM · South Congress, Austin
$6 Summer House margaritas, $6 rotating wine and beer. Food: $6 carnitas tacos, $6 eggplant toast, $6 herbed guacamole. Mon-Thu 3-6pm.
Set inside Hotel Magdalena, Summer House opens onto a leafy patio overlooking a manicured lawn that feels removed from the rest of South Congress. The saffron cavatelli with fresh pesto is a dinner standout, while weekend brunch regulars keep tabs on the rotating homemade Pop-Tart of the week. One of the easier places in the neighborhood to visit on a whim, thanks to the large on-site parking garage.
Brunch staple: tres leches-soaked brioche with strawberries and whipped mascarpone.
Lox, smashed avocado, candied jalapeno, pepitas, pickled onion on sourdough.
Gulf shrimp, Calabrian chili butter in squid ink orecchiette with bottarga crumbs.
Weekend brunch only — seasonal filling made in-house, changes weekly, regulars plan around it.
Thick patty loaded with beef-fat mayo — juicy, rich, no apologies.
Charred eggplant with curry oil — a starter that shows up on both the brunch and dinner menus.
Fresh pasta with fresh pesto and saffron-yellow color — the standout dinner entree.