Japanese Barbecue Chain Restaurant Chubby Cattle Is Opening in Austin

Austin is set to welcome Chubby Cattle, a renowned U.S.-based Japanese barbecue restaurant chain, next year. The restaurant will be located inside the Barton Creek Square Mall on the Capital of Texas Highway and is expected to open its doors in 2025.

Unique Offerings at Chubby Cattle

Chubby Cattle is known for offering an all-you-can-eat wagyu experience. The restaurant chain specializes in a grill-it-yourself formula that emphasizes wagyu meats, including cuts like rib-eye, short-rib, and even Wagyu paired with uni and caviar. Other offerings include scallops, pork belly, and lamb chops, as well as non-barbecued dishes such as sushi, hand rolls, dumplings, soups, seafood, vegetables, and fruits.

The menu is divided into three tiers, available at different prices for restaurant group members and non-members. Memberships come with a slew of benefits, including fascinating NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), free birthday meals, discounts, guest passes, and reservations advantages. However, the dining experience is subject to respective time limits for seated service.

Conveyor Belt and Robot Server System

Chubby Cattle has garnered attention for its conveyor belt service and robot servers, a unique approach to dining that is rounded out with visual projections. This tech-driven service model adds an element of novelty and excitement to the dining experience.

The restaurant chain sources its wagyu from California and Oregon ranches via strategic partnerships, promising an authentic taste experience for its patrons.

Expansion Across the U.S.

Chubby Cattle made its debut in Las Vegas in 2014, founded by Harby Yang and managing partner David Zhao, with a focus on hot pot. Since then, the chain has expanded to several cities, including Denver, Chicago, Southern California, Philadelphia, and Duluth, some of which focus on hot pot or shabu-shabu instead of Japanese barbecue. A location in Houston is also in the pipeline.

The parent company of Chubby Cattle also operates other dining establishments, like the Las Vegas hot pot restaurant X Pot, the Los Angeles Japanese steakhouse Niku X, and shabu-shabu restaurant Mikiya.

All-you-can-eat trend in Austin

In recent years, Austin has witnessed the arrival of several pan-Asian restaurants offering all-you-can-eat experiences. This trend seems set to continue with the upcoming opening of Chubby Cattle, soon to join the ranks of new additions like Gangnam Korean BBQ, Soupleaf Hot Pot, K Pot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot and Liuyishou Hot Pot.

Customers can locate the Austin branch of Chubby Cattle on the second floor near the Nordstrom wing of the Barton Creek Square Mall. The restaurant is expected to offer indoor dine-in services with operational hours extending from day to late evening for the convenience of its customers.

This upcoming restaurant promises to be a gastronomical delight for meat lovers in the city, giving Austin’s food scene a novel dining experience enhanced by technology and an expansive menu.