"A converted Holly Street laundromat that won Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year, 2016 — book the patio for a birthday."
About Launderette
The wide front windows are the old washateria's, and after dark they throw the patio's string lights back across a room of terrazzo and warm brass. Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki gutted the 1950s laundromat on Holly Street in 2015 and kept its mid-century bones; inside a year the place was a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist and Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year for 2016. It has been one of East Austin's busiest tables since.
What holds the room is range. The menu reads Mediterranean on one line and Gulf-Texan on the next, and it works because Ortiz spent two decades in high-end kitchens 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
Ortiz cooks the savoury side; Sawicki, his partner in the project, runs a pastry section that has made her a repeat James Beard finalist. The dish people cross town for is the Plancha Burger, a thin double patty seared hard on the flat-top and routinely named among Austin's best. Around it sit wood-grilled octopus, fried oysters, and shrimp lacquered in ginger, lime and tom yum. Mains run $24 to $48; the burger is the value order at the bar.
Leave room for the close. Sawicki's birthday-cake ice cream sandwich, funfetti cookies around malted vanilla, arrives as the last course and is the single easiest reason to book on the actual day. It is the house signature, and the kitchen knows exactly what it is for.
The Room
Request the back patio in spring and autumn, when the string lights come on and the heaters keep the corner tables comfortable; inside, the light stays low and warm against terrazzo and a long bar. Sound runs conversation-easy on weeknights and climbs to a lively hum by Friday, so a two-top that actually wants to talk should book early in the week. Dress is Austin-casual; jeans draw no second look. The room seats about seventy across the dining floor and the patio, tables close enough to feel full and far enough to keep your night your own.
Best for a Birthday
Book Launderette for a birthday because the room is built to carry one: the patio swallows a table of eight without a private-room surcharge, the cocktail list keeps the night moving, and the birthday-cake ice cream sandwich arrives ready for a candle. Reserve the patio two to three weeks ahead for a weekend, ask for the corner by the heaters in winter, and say it's a birthday when you book; the kitchen runs with it. For a quieter two-top, the bar seats double as a fine first-date perch.
Not for
Skip Launderette if you want a hushed white-tablecloth tasting menu. This is a loud, quick neighbourhood bistro on a converted laundromat floor, and by Friday night the dining room runs at full volume.
Frequently Asked
Is Launderette worth it?
Yes, for an unfussy room that cooks far above its price. Launderette was a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist and Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year in 2016, and Ortiz's kitchen has held steady since. Come for the Plancha Burger, the wood-grilled octopus and Sawicki's desserts; look elsewhere if you want a formal tasting menu rather than a lively bistro.
How hard is it to book Launderette?
Weeknights usually open a few days out, but Friday and Saturday patio tables, and any birthday seating, should be booked two to three weeks ahead through the restaurant's site or Resy. Walk-ins can take the bar, where the full menu, the burger included, is served.
What is the dress code at Launderette?
There is none. This is East Austin: jeans, sundresses and sneakers are all at home, and the patio is deliberately relaxed. Dress up for a birthday or anniversary if you like; you won't feel out of place either way, and no one will ask you 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 earn the extra course. Cocktails and the short, smart wine list will lift the total on a celebration.
Is Launderette good for a birthday?
It's one of the better birthday rooms in Austin. The string-lit patio handles a group, the cocktails keep things moving, and the birthday-cake ice cream sandwich is purpose-built for a candle. Mention the occasion when you book, and see more options on the best restaurants for a birthday guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Launderette
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.
Practical Information
Address2115 Holly Street, Austin, TX 78702
NeighbourhoodHolly, East Austin
CuisineNew American
PriceMains $24–$48; ~$45–$70 pp
Dress CodeNo dress code
Seating~70, dining room + patio
ReservationResy / direct, 2–3 weeks for weekends
