A Texas Favorite Restaurant In 2025 Has California-Style Mediterranean Vibes In Austin

Typical Texan food includes tender barbecue that slides right off the bone and saucy, flavorful plates that make Austin the top-ranked barbecue city in America. While the juicy cuisine is nearly a bucket list item for tourists, one Mediterranean restaurant is rewriting the script for the city's Southern dining experience. OpenTable named Aba one of the top 100 restaurants in America, with only eight Austin hot spots making a name in the top 100 list. The reservation and review site did its rankings based on 10 million verified reviews of eateries on OpenTable from September 2024 through August 2025. Aba received close to a 5-star rating with more than 1,600 submissions. OpenTable also looked at how much demand each place received from the number of reservations made in advance. With Aba's high ratings and two-minute proximity to Austin's trendiest boutique hotel on South Congress, it's no wonder locals and tourists continue to book their spot.

Aba brings a Pacific Coast energy with a Mediterranean flair to Central Texas. It's shown in the details of the decor down to the specific ingredients on each plate. The menu brings light, herb-forward dishes with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, and a Med staple, olive oil. Pair the meal with a bright, airy ambiance and attentive service, and Aba presents a refreshing, coastal alternative to the city's barbecue-heavy landscape.

From the minute they step into Aba until they pay the bill, patrons note a lively yet relaxed atmosphere and memorable dining experience. In fact, while more than 1,600 people took the time to write a review after their experience on OpenTable, more than 6,000 people took to Google reviews. With a 4.7-star rating, people rave about the warm, modern design and stylistic meals that make their lunch service fully booked.

According to the restaurant's website, their specialities and most craved menu items include smoky garlic hummus, whipped feta spread, hamachi, shawarma-spiced skirt steak, and frozen Greek yogurt. Chef CJ Jacobson brings the West Coast twist with his avocado hummus, charred eggplant with California olive oil, and a classic avocado toast. The restaurant's clean presentations, laid-back elegance, and produce-forward ingredients give customers a way to taste of the Pacific, feel like they entered the Mediterranean, all while being located in the South. The medley of cultures is what makes Aba Austin (there are also locations in Chicago and Nashville) a standout spot on OpenTable's 2025 list. Want to find more "out-of-the-box" meals in Austin? Head to the Texas capital's hippiest neighborhood for an eclectic cuisine and art along the way.