Whip In

If you find yourself sitting in traffic on 1-35 in South Austin, you might find your eye drawn to Whip In’s vintage neon sign. For almost 40 years, this fusion eatery has been a touchstone of the city’s craft beer scene.

In 1986, Amrit and Chandan Topiwala bought a convenience store in the Travis Heights neighborhood. At first, the unassuming building sold the typical selection of snacks, drinks, and B movies. But when the Topiwalas noticed how well their beer was selling, they started expanding their selection to include unique and hard-to-find beers. The store became a haven for craft beer lovers at a time when it was much harder to find offerings from independent breweries. Alongside drinks, Whip In began serving up food that married elements of Gujarati and Tex-Mex cuisine, like daal sliders and South Asian frito pie.

Over the years, Whip In grew into a full-on brewpub (for a time, it even had an on-site brewery). They also built a tiny stage, which plays host to live music from local artists.

While the Topiwala family passed operations of Whip In over to new owners in 2017, the roadside eatery still boasts a vast and ever-changing beer menu and a menu filled with fried chicken with ginger, tandoori chicken flatbread, jalapeno naan, and more. The convenience store roots are still there in the form of a market filled with snacks, drinks, and other groceries.