Austin Restaurant Weeks 2019: What To Know

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Restaurant Weeks is back for 2019, officials announced with palpable anticipation.

The event kicks off Thursday, Aug. 15, and runs through Monday, Sept. 2. This annual fundraiser for the Central Texas Food Bank features prix fixe meals and drinks at more than 100 of Austin’s best restaurants, bars and breweries.

A portion of the cost of each specially-priced offering at participating establishments will go directly to the Food Bank. Patrons aren’t directly solicited for donations and the proceeds help provide hundreds of thousands of meals to the one in seven Central Texans who are food insecure, organizers noted.

"It’s a delicious and simple way to help fight hunger while enjoying some of the best food and drink Austin has to offer," officials suggested.

Added Lisa Huddleson, Director of Strategic Philanthropy at Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which presents the annual event: “We’re proud to return as the presenting sponsor of Austin Restaurant Weeks. Last year's event helped raise more than half a million meals for the Central Texas Food Bank, and we're excited to see what the community will raise this year to continue the fight against hunger."

With lunch, brunch, dinner, cocktail, beer and wine options available, diners will have many opportunities to indulge their palates while supporting the Food Bank in the fight against hunger. Participants will be offering one or more of the following options during ARW:

● A 2-3 course lunch or brunch priced at $20

● A 3-4 course dinner priced at either $35 or $50

● Tito’s Handmade Vodka-based cocktails at $12

● Establishment’s choice of beer or wine offered at various prices

See the full list of participating Austin restaurants, menus and reservations.

“Austin Restaurant Weeks is such an exciting event for our city. Last year 86 participating restaurants, bars and breweries raised nearly 550,000 meals for Central Texans facing hunger,” Mark Jackson, Chief Development Officer at the Central Texas Food Bank, said. “With such a great lineup of participating establishments and sponsors this year, I know the event will help us feed even more of our neighbors in need.”

Additional sponsors of Austin Restaurant Weeks include The Austin Chronicle, Bank of America, Becker Vineyards, Bell’s Brewery, CultureMap Austin, Delta Air Lines, Domain NORTHSIDE, Edible Austin,Fairmont Austin, Farmhouse Delivery, Honey Bear Digital, ProductionFor, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, Screamer Co., and W. Hamilton & Co., PLLC.

OpenTable is the exclusive restaurant reservation partner for Austin Restaurant Weeks, so diners will be able to make reservations on the ARW website with those restaurants that use OpenTable or be linked to whatever method the restaurant uses.

For the unfamiliar with ARW or those who haven't visited some of the featured restaurants, here are participants' videos that act as primers:

YUYO:

BELL'S BREWERY

REVUE:

ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK

The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of about 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 46,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.

ABOUT TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is America’s Original Craft Vodka. In 1997, Bert “Tito” Beveridge, now a 50-something geophysicist, obtained the first legal permit to distill in Texas and created Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s distills its corn-based vodka using old-fashioned pot stills and the vodka is naturally Gluten-Free. Tito’s Handmade Vodka is distilled and bottled by Fifth Generation Inc. in Austin, Texas, and is available in Liter, 1.75L, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml and 50ml sizes. For more information, visit www.titosvodka.com.