For groceries and daily needs, Wilshire Wood homeowners frequent Mueller’s brand new-upscale HEB, Central Market, and Fiesta Market, a full-service international market where it’s easy to find exotic ingredients. All are within about five minutes of the neighborhood. A couple of Austin’s original shopping centers, such as Hancock Center, long anchored by Sears, and Delwood Shopping Center are within walking distance. Both have several restaurants, and high-end shops that are popular with folks who live in Wilshire Wood.
A short trip north to the Mueller shopping district provides access to Best Buy, Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and PetSmart among others. There are also a number of places to eat at Mueller, as well. Popular Austin-based restaurants like Tino’s Greek Café, Pad Thai, How Do You Roll? sushi restaurant, VERTS Kebap, as well as Chipotle, Starbucks and other chains keep the locals satisfied. Mueller is Austin’s former airport and is undergoing active development with more restaurants and shops opening all the time.
There’s plenty more convenient shopping nearby. In fact, there are six more major shopping centers within 15 minutes or less. All together, these retail centers represent over 600 department stores, local and national retailers, movie theaters, and restaurants.
From Candied Pork Belly to Meatloaf Better than Mom’s
The restaurants on nearby Manor Road run from long-time Tex-Mex favorites and inventive New American cuisine to down-home Southern cooking. One of the best of the hip new places is the Salty Sow. Salty Sow is an American Gastropub serving what they describe as “contemporary farmhouse fare.”They butcher and cure meats, concoct and craft cocktails, andsource their ingredients from local farms and purveyors. The Salty Sow is both up-to-the-minute and without pretension, featuring a menu of clean, farm-to-table food in a casual setting. Among the most popular dishes are the triple-fried duck fat French fries,the candied pork belly with collard greens in a balsamic-soy sauce, and the crisp all-natural chicken thighs with fried smashed potatoes and neck bone gravy.
On the traditional side, Hoover’s Cooking, also on Manor Road, has been serving up a wide range of down-home country cooking for decades. The menu features all the comfort food favorites, including chicken-fried steak, meatloaf better than most moms’, and thick cut pork chops accompanied by an incredible selection of more than 20 homemade and fresh vegetable side dishes daily. Fresh made rolls and cornbread are a great staple of any Hoover meal. If there is room afterwards, a selection of at least a dozen fresh desserts await to complete this true home-cooked dining experience.