Astra Restaurant & Bar is poised to become one of the most important new openings in the Austin area, bringing a chef‑driven, hyper‑local concept to historic Main Street in Buda. Opening in late January or February, Astra arrives with serious culinary pedigree: it’s the newest project from Matti Bills, co‑founder of Mum Foods

and founder of Three Six General
butcher shop in San Marcos. Every part of Astra is built around responsible sourcing, seasonal ingredients, and scratch-made craft—from the on-site garden to the house-cured meats coming straight from Bills’ own butcher operation.

Astra sits at 404 N. Main Street in the former Budaful Tavern space, anchoring the city’s ongoing Main Street revitalization efforts. Local officials have emphasized Astra as a future community hub, and the restaurant’s design reflects that vision: casual enough for weekday lunches but elevated enough for a destination dinner. For readers planning a broader escape, Astra pairs naturally with day trips to quiet nearby nature spots like those in Austin’s Quietest Escapes: The Insider Guide to Nature Preserves Where Locals Actually Disappear.

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Astra Restaurant & Bar

404 N Main St, Buda, TX 78610
Sun, Mon, Thu 11 am–9 pm; Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm (closed Tue–Wed at launch)

The menu leans into wood-fired comfort and technique-forward preparations. Expect shared plates, artisan sandwiches built around house-cured meats, wood-fired pizza made with Barton Springs Mill flour, pastas, burgers, crudos, seasonal vegetables, and house-made soft‑serve in waffle cones. On the beverage side, Astra secured one of the region’s strongest talents: Lauren Beckman, cocktail director at Michelin-starred Mixtli in San Antonio.

Her program is expected to elevate Astra beyond a neighborhood spot into a regional dining draw, similar to how specialty concepts like Inside Milkmade ATX’s January Launch: The Insider Guide to North Austin’s Newest Small‑Batch Ice Cream Trailer
have quickly become destination stops for local food lovers.

Note

With a cocktail lead from Michelin-starred Mixtli, expect Astra’s bar program to feel closer to a destination restaurant than a typical suburban spot.

At launch, Astra will open with the following hours: Sunday, Monday, Thursday from 11 am to 9 pm and Friday–Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm. Tuesday and Wednesday will be added later in 2026 as operations scale. Happy hour and Sunday brunch are also planned after the soft-opening phase, mirroring the kind of expanded programming that’s helping new destinations like Inside Canyon Ranch Austin: The Insider Guide to Texas’s Ultra‑Luxury Wellness Resort Opening in 2026 build all‑day appeal.

Sun, Mon, Thu: 11 am–9 pm · Fri–Sat: 11 am–10 pm · Closed Tue–Wed at launch (additional days coming in 2026)

INSIDER INTELLIGENCE
• Astra’s initial menu will heavily feature Bills’ house-cured meats—expect specialty cuts and charcuterie not commonly found in Austin restaurants.
• The on-site garden is designed for high-output herbs and seasonal produce, meaning late-spring dishes will shift quickly and frequently.
• Beckman’s cocktail menu is expected to highlight botanical and Mexican-influenced spirits, mirroring some of her work at Mixtli.
• Because Astra anchors Buda’s Main Street development, city officials anticipate heavier-than-usual opening traffic—weekday lunches may be the best time to visit early on.
• Astra’s team plans to roll out online reservations shortly after opening; until then, walk-ins will be the norm.

Note

The on-site garden and seasonal focus mean the menu will change frequently—especially heading into late spring—so don’t bank on the same dishes being available every visit.

Pro Tip

Early visits are likely smoother at weekday lunch, when Main Street revitalization traffic is lighter than weekend prime-time dinner.

Heads Up

Astra will launch as walk-in only and is expected to draw heavy crowds as a Main Street anchor—arrive early or be prepared for a wait until online reservations go live.