New American bistro · Holly, East Austin · $24–$48 per person
New American$$$Holly, East AustinFood & Wine Restaurant of the Year, 2016
"A converted East Austin laundromat that became a Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year — book the patio for a birthday worth repeating."
8Food
8Ambience
8Value
About Launderette
The building poured quarters into washing machines until 2015. Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki gutted the old Holly Street Washateria, kept the mid-century bones, and opened a bistro that has been one of the busiest tables in East Austin ever since. Within a year it was a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant and a Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year for 2016.
What keeps the room full is range. The menu reads Mediterranean one line and Gulf-Texan the next, and it holds together because Ortiz cooked at high-end rooms before he came home to cook for his neighbours. See the rest of the city on the Austin dining guide, or compare it with the wood-fire crowd at Aba.
The Kitchen
Rene Ortiz runs the savoury side; Laura Sawicki, his partner in the project, runs pastry, and she was a James Beard Award finalist for her work here. The dish people drive across town for is the Plancha Burger, a thin double-patty seared hard on the flat-top and routinely called one of the best burgers in Austin. The wood-grilled octopus and the fried oysters anchor the savoury menu; the wood-grilled shrimp comes lacquered in ginger, lime and tom yum.
Then there is dessert, which is the reason regulars leave room. Sawicki's birthday-cake ice cream sandwich — funfetti cookies around malted vanilla — is the house signature and the easiest argument for booking on someone's actual birthday. Mains land between $24 and $48; the burger is the value play at the bar.
The Room
The dining room keeps the laundromat's wide front windows and adds warm low light, terrazzo and a long bar; the back patio under string lights is the seat to request in spring and autumn. Sound runs to a lively hum on weekend nights, conversation-easy on weekdays. Dress is Austin-casual — no one will look twice at jeans. The room seats roughly seventy across the interior and the patio.
Best for a Birthday
Book Launderette for a birthday because the kitchen treats the occasion as a sport: the birthday-cake ice cream sandwich is built for a candle, the patio absorbs a table of eight without a private-room surcharge, and the cocktail list is long enough to keep a celebration moving. Reserve the patio two to three weeks out for a weekend, ask for the corner near the heaters in winter, and tell them it is a birthday — they run with it. For a quieter two-top, the first-date seats at the bar work just as well.
Not for
Skip Launderette if you want a hushed, white-tablecloth tasting menu — this is a loud, fast neighbourhood bistro on a converted laundromat floor, and the weekend dining room runs at full volume.
Frequently Asked
Is Launderette worth it?
Yes, for an unfussy but seriously cooked East Austin dinner. Launderette earned a James Beard Best New Restaurant nod and a Food & Wine Restaurant of the Year title in 2016, and the kitchen has stayed consistent since. Go for the Plancha Burger, the wood-grilled octopus and Laura Sawicki's desserts; skip it if you are after a formal tasting menu rather than a lively bistro.
How hard is it to book Launderette?
Weeknights are usually available a few days out, but Friday and Saturday patio seats and any birthday table should be booked two to three weeks ahead through the restaurant's site or Resy. Walk-ins can sit at the bar, which is also where you can order the full menu including the burger.
What is the dress code at Launderette?
There is no dress code. This is East Austin — jeans, sundresses and sneakers are all normal, and the patio is deliberately relaxed. You can dress up for a birthday or anniversary without feeling out of place, but nobody is required to.
What is the average meal price at Launderette?
Plan on roughly $45 to $70 per person before drinks. Mains run $24 to $48, the Plancha Burger is the value order, and Sawicki's desserts are worth the extra course. Cocktails and the short, smart wine list will push the total up on a celebration.
Is Launderette good for a birthday?
It is one of the better birthday rooms in Austin. The string-lit patio handles groups, the cocktail program keeps the night moving, and the birthday-cake ice cream sandwich is purpose-built for a candle. Mention the occasion when you book — see more options on the best restaurants for a birthday guide.
Reservations via the restaurant and Resy. Patio and weekend tables book 2–3 weeks ahead.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Launderette sits in our running list of neighbourhood rooms that out-cook restaurants twice their price — the kind of bistro that justifies the flight to Austin on its own.
