After months of renovations and top-secret plans, H-E-B at Mueller is excited to reveal a new food hall and bar is coming to the neighborhood—and in even bigger news—fan-favorite Chef Tiffany Derry is making her restaurant, Roots Chicken Shak, a cornerstone of the new space when it opens in late August inside the store.
Chef Tiffany Derry, known for her culinary expertise and warm southern charm, gained international notoriety when she appeared on Season 7 of Bravo’s Top Chef, and has made appearances as a culinary expert and judge on several TV shows, including Bar Rescue, Top Chef Junior, Chopped Junior, Bobby’s Dinner Battle, and Foodfighters. Chef Derry is heavily involved in the culinary community with a focus on food access, education, gender and racial equity. She serves as Ambassador for Novo Nordisk, is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, serves on the Board of Directors of Food Policy Action, is on the James Beard Foundation’s Impact Advisory Board, and acts as an ambassador for the Beard Foundation’s food waste initiative.
In 2017, Chef Derry opened her duck fat fried chicken restaurant, Roots Chicken Shak, in Plano to wide acclaim. This will be her first restaurant in Austin.
“Feeding people great food and putting a smile on their face is at the heart of everything I do, and nothing does that better than Southern comfort food. I love food, and I’m excited to share the food that holds childhood memories for me with the Austin community.” said Chef Tiffany Derry. “More importantly, we know that our community is struggling with health, economic, and social justice challenges and we hope to bring comfort with our Roots’ cooking as well as join the Austin community to help make a positive difference.”
The Roots Chicken Shak menu will feature Duck Fat Fried Chicken Wings and Duck Fat Fried Chicken Strips, its Big Bird and Spicy Bird chicken sandwiches, Shak Caesar Salad, The Barnyard Cobb salad, and Duck Fat Fries with house-made Clucking Sauces. And to finish it all off, Banana Pudding made with vanilla custard, cookies and fresh banana and Southern Sweet Tea.
H-E-B will celebrate the grand opening in late August with community donations to Urban Roots and The William B. Travis Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts at Travis High School.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to share this news with our neighbors, and we hope they all agree it has been worth the wait,” said Kristin Irvin, Director – Made to Order Restaurants at H-E-B. “Chef Tiffany Derry makes incredible food, and more than that, she is an incredible person. Her passion for increasing food education and access and addressing racial inequity is inspiring and mirrors our beliefs, and we are honored to partner with her in the Austin community.”
In addition to Roots Chicken Shak, the new food hall and bar, called Main Streat by H-E-B, will also include True Texas BBQ, serving brisket, turkey, sausage, and sides; Calle Taqueria, a street taco-inspired restaurant; Yumai Japanese Grill, with rice and noodle bowls and Japanese-style skewers; and The Meltery, a gourmet grilled cheese shop. The Bar at Mueller will serve snacks and shared plates alongside a full menu of draft beers, wines, and cocktails featuring Texas breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Once open, FAVOR will offer free delivery from all restaurants inside Main StreatTM, including Roots Chicken Shak.
More details about the grand opening of Roots Chicken Shak and the Main StreatTM Food Hall and Bar will be shared in August. There are several job openings in the new restaurants, and they can be applied for at www.heb.com/careers. For more updates, follow @mainstreatfoodhall on Instagram and Facebook.
