Rosewood Social Club is set to open doors in the location that once belonged to Tom Micklethwait’s BBQ truck for many years. An all-day brunch and sandwich eatery, Rosewood Social Club is embarking on a culinary journey that may very well bridge the past and future of the historic community.
A recently filed permit details that Habana co-owner Terrell Williams, of the I Am Mejo hospitality group, will open Rosewood Social Club at 1309 Rosewood Avenue. Taking a closer look at the new restaurant’s foreboding website, Rosewood Social Club is announced as coming soon to Rosewood Austin. Rosewood Social Club is said to offer a venue to eat, play, drink, repeat, with this lingering question: “Would you like to live deliciously?”
Who wouldn’t offer a simple YES to that inquiry, and Williams is working hard alongside Houston’s Chef Kendrick King to bring that concept to the Austin community and its visitors sooner rather than later. Williams told What Now Austin that there are already plans in place for a soft opening on January 1st, 2026.
“Part of the love for the city is why I moved here almost ten years ago, and I want to make this as local and neighborhood-friendly as we possibly can,” Williams said.
The California-born career hospitality enthusiast has done everything from bartending to opening Michelin Star restaurants up and down The Golden State. About 25 years ago, the restaurateur helped his brother open Habana, a Cuban and Caribbean-inspired eatery that’s become a staple in Austin.
“Austin has pretty much been a second home for our family,” Williams said.
Now, Williams is on a journey to offer a new neighborhood hangout joint to his second home, and he has found the perfect place for it to live.
“It just kind of spoke to us when we were touring the different locations,” Williams said.
With East Side Pies on one side and Franklin’s BBQ on the other, just a few blocks away, Rosewood Social Club is surrounded by both the past and present of the historic community and sits in a spot that housed the beloved Micklethwait BBQ truck.
“Tom’s old school Austin and spoke really highly of the spot when he moved out,” Williams said.
The new brunch spot invokes old Rosewood, embodying a ’60s vintage Barton Springs theme with a chef-style fast-casual dining experience.
“We want to be a good neighborhood hang where you can get a good coffee, get a good smoothie, socialize, and play some pickleball,” Williams said.
There will be two pickleball courts to try your swing on. But, believe it or not, that won’t be the key ingredient to this souped-up culinary experience.
“The food is really going to shine there,” Williams said.
Rosewood Social Club’s menu is said to reference Chef King’s Houston upbringing in collaboration with Williams’ culinary experience. Offering brunch dishes, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of beverages, Williams shared that the Rosewood Social Club will lean into recent health crazes like no-seed oil and beef tallow fry, but will also be as good for the soul as it is for the heart.
“A lot of health forward stuff. But, we’re not calling it healthy because we’re big fans of fatty, yummy, delicious food,” Williams said with a chuckle.
In addition, the plan is to work with local Texas farms and ranches. Customers will also be able to taste the Texas love in the bread that will be sourced from the Barton Springs Mill.
While an official opening date is still up in the air, the soft opening of the Rosewood Social Club on January 1st, 2026, will surely be widely talked about. Keep your eyes peeled and ears perked for an official opening date, or stop by Rosewood Social Club at 1309 Rosewood Avenue in January of 2026 to find out more details.
