Iconic Hudson’s restaurant gets reboot, relaunch
Lakeway favorite’s new owners want to restore eatery’s classic vibe.
Hudson’s on the Bend, a landmark restaurant in the Lakeway area for decades, is coming back after its abrupt closure last year.
An ownership group that includes real estate developer and philanthropist Dilum Chandrasoma, musician Kris Kimura, former J. Black’s general manager Eric Leonard and entrepreneur Lysa Nguyen bought the restaurant in December. They plan to reopen in mid-March at the same location under the name Hudson’s Hill Country, with the kitchen under the stewardship of executive chef John Sturdivant, formerly of Z’Tejas.
Chandrasoma was a regular at Hudson’s on the Bend for about 25 years and said Tuesday that he wants to bring back the classic ambiance and nostalgic feel that made it so popular for so long. He describes the reboot as “a modern classic of Hudson’s,” with a menu and vibe that “made Hudson’s an Austin icon.” The new owners say they have no major changes in store for the space.
In addition to Hudson’s Hill Country, the group also recently opened Parker Jazz Club in the space beneath the old Spaghetti Warehouse on Fourth Street.
Chef and co-founder Jeff Blank opened Hudson’s on the Bend in 1984 and turned the game-centric restaurant on a bend in the Colorado River into a spot that could serve as a destination-dinner retreat and comfortable home for regulars.
He sold the business in 2016 to an owner who closed it for several months to conduct a substantial renovation. Hudson’s reopened in November 2016 under the guidance of chef Billy Caruso and sommelier Chris McFall but closed again after just a few months, with little explanation from the owner.
December’s sale did not include the Mighty Cone food truck, which had previously operated on the property. The new owners say they might introduce their own food truck on the property in the future but have no immediate plans. Mighty Cone still operates under previous ownership on Barton Springs Road.