épicerie
Beignets fried to order, and on weekends a laminated pastry case, out of a converted bungalow where the French technique is pointed at Louisiana.1
Why go
Sarah McIntosh owns it and runs the kitchen. She puts croissants at the front of her own bio.2 The menu is French with a Louisiana lean. That is why a shrimp po'boy sits beside the gnocchi without reading as drift.1 The room is a house turned restaurant, walk-in only, with a covered patio and a bar. It opens from mid-morning to late evening most days, so you can use it for breakfast, for a working lunch and for a bottle of wine at night.2
Order this / avoid
- Order the beignets, fried to order, for dessert. The Infatuation is unambiguous:
No matter what you do, get the fried-to-order beignets for dessert, and a chocolate chip cookie or two for the road.
1 - Also: the shrimp po'boy, the gnocchi or the quiche, which is Raphael Brion and Nicolai McCrary's own rotation.1
- Avoid Tuesday. The kitchen is closed and there is no other door.2
What locals & experts say
- Raphael Brion and Nicolai McCrary rated it 8.0 for The Infatuation in April 2024, and name the weekend baking, croissants included, as the other reason to come.1
- The wine list calls itself award-winning on the venue's own site, and names no award, no body and no year, so there is nothing there to check.2
Good to know
- Closed Tuesday. Sunday is brunch only and stops in the early afternoon; every other day runs from mid-morning into the evening.2
- Walk in. There is no booking route.1
- Where: 2307 Hancock Drive. The venue calls this Rosedale and The Infatuation files it under Allandale. Same door.2
- Hygiene: Austin Public Health scored the kitchen 90 on 22 October 2025, on a 100-point scale where 70 is the failing line. Earlier routines read 83, 90 and 75.3
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Eater, for the pastries"
Verdict
should-visit — Walk in, because there is no booking here, and take the patio. Come at the weekend if the pastry is the point and any other day if the kitchen is.