Yaya’s Restaurant plans January 2027 opening in downtown Round Rock

A new fine-dining restaurant serving Southern cuisine with Tex-Mex influences is planned for downtown Round Rock.

Yaya’s Restaurant, led by Miguel Salas and chef Dino López, is expected to open in January 2027 at 306 E. Liberty Ave., about two blocks from Water Tower Park.

The restaurant is named after the family nickname of López’s wife, Yvonne Escobedo. The owners said the name reflects the tradition of cooking with love and their desire to create a welcoming restaurant that feels like home.

Yaya’s will occupy a new 3,996-square-foot building with seating for 219 guests, including 141 indoor seats and 78 outdoor seats. Plans also call for an event room, catering services, free parking and a balcony designed to provide a more private dining experience.

The menu will be rooted in Southern cooking, with dishes including fried chicken, waffles, pancakes and sandwiches. More elaborate offerings are expected to include beer-braised osso buco, a Parmesan-crusted chicken stack and stuffed squash blossoms. Tex-Mex influences will be incorporated throughout the menu.

Salas said he was attracted to Round Rock because of its growth and the mixture of technology workers, blue-collar families, homes, wedding venues and downtown nightlife.

“Main Street has a vibrant nightlife scene with a diverse array of establishments, ranging from various eateries to energetic sports bars,” Salas told What Now Austin. “The area is a destination for social gatherings, offering unique venues like trendy hangouts and spirited piano bars.”

The restaurant’s proximity to Water Tower Park and Round Rock’s downtown entertainment district is expected to provide strong visibility and pedestrian traffic.

A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists the privately funded project’s estimated construction cost at $500,000. The filing describes the development as a ground-up fine-dining restaurant involving all construction trades.

The state filing lists a construction period running from March 2026 through March 2027, although the owners have said they expect construction to be completed in December 2026 and the restaurant to open the following January. Construction schedules listed in state filings are preliminary and subject to change.