Juniper
The saffron cavatelli arrive with a gnocchi-like bite under a whole-grain mustard sauce, seeds included.1
Why go
Nicholas Yanes and Michael Covey opened Juniper in 2015 and named it for the evergreen that grows in both the Italian Alps and the Texas Hill Country. That is the whole argument of the menu in one word.6 Since June 2025 the kitchen has been run by Sterling Ridings. He trained at Le Cordon Bleu. He then spent six years at Uchi, as sous, chef de cuisine and finally executive chef, under Tyson Cole, Paul Qui and Shawn Cirkiel.2 Under him the room has pushed further into nose-to-tail butchery. It buys from Steelbow and Boggy Creek Farm. Chef partner Junior Borges sets the direction he executes.6 Every dish named below comes from a review published six months before Ridings arrived. Treat the pasta as the constant.
Order this / avoid
- Cacio e pepe. Pecorino thick enough to coat, black pepper landing in every bite.1
- Saffron cavatelli. Shell-shaped, gnocchi-textured, in a whole-grain mustard sauce that brings both acid and the texture of the seeds.1
- The puffy potato to start, described as a crossbreed of a tater tot and mashed potato, with caviar available on top.1
- Little Lettuce if the table wants a light opening: bibb and herbs, honey shallot vinaigrette, crisp fried parmesan for savor.1
- Avoid: the tasting menu. It runs around $100 a head and carries almost no pasta, which is what this kitchen does better than most rooms in the city.1
- Avoid: the center cut ribeye. The Infatuation says it
doesn't really have the ultra-rich flavor and soft texture that you'd expect from a ribeye
and points at the seafood and vegetable dishes.1
What locals & experts say
- Nicolai McCrary rated it 8.2 for The Infatuation on 6 December 2024:
The cacio e pepe is probably the most iconic dish at Juniper, and for good reason
. His criticism of the other format is just as plain:the tasting menu overlooks Juniper's biggest strength by serving almost no pasta.
1 - Nicholas Yanes on the handover, to CultureMap Austin on 16 June 2025:
This evolution represents both a celebration of what we've built and a recommitment to excellence, hospitality and our place in Austin's dynamic food scene.
He now runs the restaurant through Excelsior Hospitality Group.2 - Not in the Statesman's 2024 or 2025 dining guide, which contradicts the Top 10 claim on the venue's own accolade wall for 2024. The 2019, 2021 and 2023 guides are not checked here and nothing is claimed about them.4
- Not in the MICHELIN Guide. Absent from Austin's 2024 and 2025 selections.7
Good to know
- Dinner only, seven nights. Aperitivo hour runs Sunday through Thursday in the early evening, with an antipasti list that is not on the main menu.32
- Groups: the second-floor private room takes 50 seated or 75 standing, and parties of eight or more are asked to call.3
- Getting there: 2400 E Cesar Chavez St, Suite 304. The old patio became an indoor lounge in the 2025 renovation.2
- Hygiene: nothing to disclose. Austin Public Health carries Suite 304 at 86 on 2 June 2025 and 94 on 11 October 2023. Two other businesses share the street address on their own permits, Rockman Coffee & Bakeshop in Suite 200 and Blue Owl Brewing in Suite 300, and neither reading belongs to this kitchen.5
Verdict
should-visit — Book it and come early enough for the aperitivo hour. The kitchen changed hands in June 2025 and I haven't found a review of it since, so ask what Sterling Ridings has put on that week and order it alongside the cacio e pepe.