Whip In

Austin, United States

3.7

Closed now

34 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 512-442-5337
Website:
www.whipin.com
Address:
1950 Hwy 35 S, Austin, TX, 78704
78704 (South Austin)
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.7 mi1500 Riverside
0.7 miWillow Creek/Woodland
0.8 mi1800 Lakeshore/Riverside
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
Live
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
No
Caters
No
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Austin) 06:56 Saturday, 21 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Tuesday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Wednesday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Thursday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Friday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Saturday 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Sunday 10:00 am – 12:00 am

Description

Specialties

Stemming from the authentic Gujarati cuisine of the Gandhi region of India, our comfort food blends with the daring palates of the Austinites deep in the heart of Texas.

We proudly offer local & organic meats, vegetables & fruits and all menu items are made in house from scratch. The dishes make us happy as we hope it does for y’all! We also enjoy giving back to the community with nonprofit fundraisers and support for grassroots organizations.

History

Established in 1986.

In the typical Indian merchant class proclivity for cornerstores, Amrit & Chandan Topiwala purchased the longstanding Whip In Convenience Store in 1986. With gas pumps and b-​rated movie rentals behind the counter, the family vended to the heart’s content of the Travis Heights neighborhood. When beer sales overtook gas sales, the pumps were pulled in favor of the better renewable resource of sudsiness. The family expanded the beer selection enough to become a mecca of interest throughout Texas and beyond.

The cornerstore has recently evolved into its current dhaba pub orientation after adding on a full kitchen, draft beers and a brew house to make our own ales. Dhaba is a Punjabi name given to roadside restaurants in India & Pakistan. Situated on highways and generally serving local cuisine, dhaba are most commonly found next to petrol stations and most are open 24 hours a day.

Meet the Manager

Dipak T.

Manager

Dipak Topiwala, general mangler, dipak at whipin dot com

After wasting my twenties away in the San Francisco bay area, I started to respect myself enough as a Texan & moved back with wife & kid to thrill my folks as I took over the family stone. Stemming from my café daze & wine bar nites, i’ve redeveloped the cornershop into everything that I miss of those halcyon California dreams. Ask me about all the beer & wine, cuz I know where it is. I also enjoy loud music, BBQ, pizza, Indian food, sunsets, mountains, biking & hiking with my wife & kid.

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Nearby

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34 reviews of Whip In

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
The food special was amazing, atmosphere was great, band was fun, people and service top notch… def coming back!!! Thanks for a great hump day!
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
This review is for 4.5 stars.
Whip In is a pretty cool venue. It’s a fairly extensive bottleshop (prices in range with other bottle shops in the area). But the cool thing about this place, which I had never seen before, is the fact that you can purchase a bottle or six pack and drink in store. They have a beer garden and an indoor area for food and drink, with a few TVs to watch sports or whatnot.
The one downside is the $ 1 ‘corkage’ charge for opening a bottle in store. Still, buying by the bottle is always cheaper than draft, and I ordered a rare variety, plus the corkage fee, for cheaper than an average beer variety on draft. They offer about 20 taps of beer and wine in addition to drinking their inventory.
I hear they also cook Indian food which could be an interesting experience. I highly recommend Whip In if in the area.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
We came here for a tap takeover featuring Real Ale brewing. This place is unique to say the least. If someone asked me to describe the «South Austin vibe» I would send them here and they would definitely experience it. It’s a relaxed place that combines Indian food, convenience store, wine bar, numerous beer taps, and a nice outdoor patio. The feel is eclectic and the place defies classification.
Place rating: 3
Lubbock, TX
I wanted to be so impressed.
I came here alone on a Sunday for a nice and Austiny lunch. I have heard good things and think I may have just ordered something they just aren’t great at. I ordered the Barka Burger. The fries were really hard shoestring fries that were crazy over salted. The burger patty only filled up about half of the burger. So I was left with half the burger just being lettuce, cheese, and bread. The bun was nice, but that is really the only good thing I have to say about my actual meal. The cashier didn’t even talk to me, he was talking to his coworder about where they are going to go that evening for drinks. The atmosphere seemed really nice and quirky. They have a lot of wines and beers for sale to take home and a big option for in house as well. The venue seems like a fun place to go and get a few drinks at with friends and maybe even see some live music.
I would not go back for the food, but perhaps for a drink and leisurely time.
Place rating: 2
Austin, TX
Fusion Indian food nothing special. The food didn’t look appetizing nor did it taste any good.
The place has a unique vibe very contemporary feel to it. Very Hippie. But other then that bleh
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
I heard this place was really fun so was excited to check it out. We ordered the special (chicken curry), pulled pork, and Kombucha. We got the drink right away, and it was very vinegar-​y, so they ended up taking it off our bill. The pulled pork was fine, it was on naan so that was cool. The fries were also delicious. The curry was super watery, and there were three small pieces of chicken total. The atmosphere was fun, but so are a lot of places in austin. The food was a bummer. And the service was mediocre at best.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Definitely surprised. Popped in to see a friend and had lunch and couldn’t have been more surprised. TexMex + Indian? Mega deliciousness. Who knew? Get the nachos, they’re bangin’.
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
An excellent, eclectic place. Came here for breakfast one day — had the Mumbai Migas, which was awesome. I also had a fresh and tasty TX IPA with my breakfast. Good quality, fair value. This place also doubles as a bottle shop, and there is also a large range of beers on sale. Great range of TX micros, in addition to national craft brewers and imports. Overall, this is really an outstanding place and definitely worth visiting.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Hybrid Indian fusion craft beer café! Yes, that’s Whip In. This Indian themed café has a lot to offer.
It carried a unique Austin vibe, with Indian painting and posters. The walls were decorated handcrafted embroidery wall hangings. A beautiful wood bar in the front, little booths with wooden frame and a tungsten light lamp on the side. The ceiling of booths is covered with Indian sarees giving whip In the Indian Dhaba ambience. Loved it! The tables were spacious and there is an indoor stage for live music/​shows.
Whip in has a huge covered patio out front with plenty of seating (backless benches), decent parking and a great staff. The only downside is– it is an order at the counter place causing the crowd to wait in line.
The tailored menu of whip In has Tex-​Mex/​Indian mixed items like samosas, nachos, hummus etc. The food menu changes, it can be found sketched out on chalkboards above the bar. They had a pretty decent selection of vegetarian options.
We ordered Thali plate and Channa Masala Dhaba bowl. Naan was dense, covered with butter/​ghee. Hummus was tasty and veggies were fresh.
Dhaba bowl is served with basmati rice and a side of coleslaw. Chana masala had rich flavours, not overly spicy. It goes well with rice or naan. Coleslaw was crunchy, tangy and mildly sweet.

The pricing is average, a large selection of craft beer can be found on tap and the enormous selection of beers and wines to go. Must visit this place to experience the vibe and craft beers.
Place rating: 5
Tampa, FL
I love this place. Wine market, brewery, excellent local taps, kombucha, AMAZING Indian nachos, vegan food options… All wrapped up with knowledgable bar staff, a very chill vibe, a dog friendly patio and live music at times?! This place is perfect! Their beer selection appeals to the IPA lover to the sour face. Not to mention its convenient location right off I35. I love to grab a beer while watching the traffic crawl by…
Place rating: 3
Topanga Canyon, CA
Good food, good beer, and hands down the worst sound system around. Dear Whip In owner (s) spend even just a little money on your sound system and your patrons might enjoy the live music performance. Just to be clear it’s not the artist or the guy doing sound for them either.
Place rating: 5
McAllen, TX
My local friends love this place and promptly brought me with them when I suggested we eat Indian food. There was a really hipster-​ish vibe going on, but I feel like this is true of half of Austin. I had the Travis Heights and a hard cider, and OMG. My mouth waters at the thought. It was so damn GOOD! If I lived in the city, I’d be a regular. I’m honestly craving another Travis Heights as I write. The only thing is that they’re crazy popular, so seating is extremely limited. But it’s a minor hiccup and won’t be deterring me from coming back.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
Three stars, you’re getting, Whip In, for failing to advertise your corking fee anywhere within the premises. A simple sign stating that enjoying a bottle of wine onsite leverages an additional $ 6 cash money fee would be virtually painless and costfree, and would advise your clientele of this policy.
I’ve visited here four times and enjoyed the food and beer/​wine selection. It’s definitely improved the ambiance on IH-​35 southbound. Hopefully I’ll see a sign about the corkage fee next time I return.
Place rating: 4
Burbank, CA
I like the vibe, liquor store turned fusion Indian beer garden with a side of live music… all right!
60+ beers and Asian Frito pie. Mmm, that’s good
My only retraction is that they ran out of things at the end of the night. I wanted the fries!
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
Kitchen was already closed at 9:45pm.
Food was good the last time I came here, but a wasted trip today.
Place rating: 2
Austin, TX
Cool place with a good vibe, but the food portions are tiny and the prices are way too high.$ 12 for 2 tiny goat sliders you will not get full at all unless you’re willing to drop at least $ 20 for one person (not including alcohol). The restrooms are non existent there is just 1 disgusting port a potty outside and when it’s freezing outside it makes it that much more enjoyable. Prices are WAY too high for the amount of food you get. Alcohol prices are too high as well and no specials. Service is mediocre and the staff are not the most friendly. Save your money and go somewhere else if you are coming for food on an empty stomach. With these ridiculous prices one would think they would pay for building an actual bathroom. This just shows how money hungry business owners can be.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
The décor of the place is pretty cool. It doesn’t really make sense, and you’re not sure what to make of it, but it makes for a nice vibe. The menu is not super descriptive and EVERYTHING is spicy. I definitely understand that Indian food is spicy, but even the kids fries have the spice on it. The sound is good, it’s a pretty decent music venue and the staff is always friendly.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Yes, «old Austin» still exists and it sometimes is populated with jumpsuit wearing Elvises.
We stopped in on Elvis’ birthday and, although we passed on the Fat Elvis Burger, we did enjoy the Goat Sliders, spicy fries and a curry that were washed down by multiple 512 Pecan Porters and unsweetened teas (guess who didn’t have the tea?).
The craft beer selection nearly put a tear to my eye and finally tempted me to stray away from Pecan Porter to a very tasty and smoky milk stout.
The goat sliders were amazing, the spicy fries at least as delicious if not more so. I was not able to taste the aromatic curry that briefly graced the other side of the table, but the good news is that I only suffered light contusions from my unsuccessful attempts to do so.
The ambiance is what makes the Whip In a mandatory stop on your Austin Bucket List. The tiny corner where the slightly medicated, slightly (okay, more than slightly) aged rockers are getting their Grateful Dead on. The other side of the room, where the Elvises are pouring goodness to thirsty patrons sitting in front a beautiful wood bar. In between, tables and hard booths are filled with a fun, and accurate cross-​section of Austin humanity: kids, parents, students, LGBTers, over the hill hippies, from the valley Bros, posers, real-​deals.
In summary, the Whip In is a microcosm of all that is awesome about Austin and one of the main reasons it is.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Cool place. Had lunch here on a workday here and the food was great. I liked the Chana Dal (yellow lentils) and the samosa was huge, warm, and delicious. Entire «combowl» meal cost around $ 11. Will be back.
Side Note: I would really have liked to get a beer b/​c the tap menu looks extensive. I don’t know how accurate it is to say that this is a market. It looked like they mainly sold wine and beer behind the restaurant/​bar area, but I wasn’t paying attention that closely so I could be wrong.
Place rating: 2
Austin, TX
Seriously guys. Been going there for years, through all the (small) renovation/​remodeling and you still cannot add a decent bathroom facility? It’s ridiculous. Your prices are not low, you are regularly crowded and doing brisk business, but you can’t invest any of that money back into a relatively inexpensive plumbing project?
I suppose y’all have heard this before, and probably have an answer for it. Is there a permitting issue? Will adding restrooms put you in a different category or something with the health department?
At least put a sign up acknowledging and explaining the pathetic-​by-​1st-​world-​2016-​standards wait that your customers have to endure, to share a single hole in which to pee. Man, I feel sorry for your female patrons. They have to rely on the good aim of the guys, and in a bar environment that’s asking a lot.
It’s kind of hard to enjoy my food — and especially my beer or wine — when I have to keep a constant eye on the restroom line and time my trip there.
Oh, and the porta-johns…freaking empty and/​or deodorize them once a century, M’kay? Thanks.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
I have lived next to the Whip In for 7 years and have been here through all the changes… patiently I might add.
5* for beer/​wine selection
4* for food. Great menu selections. Brunch is good but WOW home fries and bacon are Waaaay top salty. And they are always out of the grits by the time I arrive. Maybe once try and make more … Just once.
3* for efficiency. It seems to improve and then they make another change and it dips again
I know that change is difficult and agree that the venue itself has improved immensely overall
That’s why I keep coming back
Will never understand WHY there are no Servers and why they choose the order at the counter option forcing patrons to stand and wait in line. Seems like employees would make better tips and guests overall experience would improve.
Check it out if you’ve never been. I’m sure you will enjoy!
Place rating: 5
San Antonio, TX
Hands down my favorite late night spot in Austin.
One half music venue/​one half carry out /​one half bar /​and one half Indian/​Texmex fusion restaurant, there is simply nowhere else quite like it.
It boasts great beer selection, good service, live music, and an eclectic mix of Texmex dishes garnished with a South Asian twist.
I simply cannot recommend this place enough.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
The actual place itself, 0 stars. The food… 5, so I decided to be polite and not average those two numbers. If there was such thing as a Tex Mex version of Indian food, this would be it. The red curry was delicious, with good quality meat, because I tend to pick out every piece of fat, tendon, muscle there is. So, I was pleased about that. The rice was good, though due to the spice level of the curry, I would have liked a bit more rice to mellow out the fire. Plus, it’s rice, DO NOT BE STINGY WITH RICE. I ordered the naan as backup, in case this were to happen, but I was not stoked about this pita bread disguised as naan. The slaw was a nice addition, which I was not expecting. However, since my boyfriend hates anything mildly similar to cabbage, I ended up getting more than I wanted, as he poured all of his onto my plate. All of that being said. I would never go back here on a Friday night. The seating situation was horrendous, and I watched so many people walk in and leave right away since there was no seating, so I am assuming this is a common issue. The entrance/​where to order, everything else was confusing. After finally finding a wobbly wooden table out in the cold, my boyfriend ran the mile back to our car (p.s. parking also sucks) to grab me another jacket. We seemed to have gotten the last open table, because everyone after us would slowly walk past our table and eye us up and down to see if we were leaving anytime soon. This would not have been annoying if it were to happen once, twice, maybe three times, but this literally happened about 50 times throughout our meal. If this place has takeout, then COUNT ME IN FOR SURE! Otherwise, bye bye!
Place rating: 5
Kingwood, TX
found this place via Unilocal when searching for cheap craft beer places in Austin to try local brews. I honestly didn’t notice that you could order food, but it might be because I didn’t go until 11pm.
The atmosphere was good, friendly wait staff, heaters outside for when it’s cold, port-​o-​potty outside (hopefully a real bathroom inside too). Seemed like a great place to spend a week night at because they will play popular shows or do games.
Beer was cheap & had a huge variety. You could also buy single bottles or a 6-​pack at the store.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
I love this place!
I like a short walking distance away and it is a problem.
The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is to die for!
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
The category should read as: Indian fusion. Okay, now that we got that out of the way. This is a convenience store/​live music venue/​dive bar/“restaurant.”
They are going for a lot of things here. One they’ve got going for them is the plethora of cool beer in the refrigerated section. It’s impressive if you’re into local brews, kombucha on tap, or want to try something new. All right, so this place is confusing if you’ve never been before. They’ve got a seat yourself patio or post up next to a pair having their first okcupid/​tinder date or whatever. There are two areas you can order inside: One side is presumably only food/​booze from the convenience side and the other with the inside seating is booze/​food ordering. The food menu is fusion all the way. They’ve got a good number of meatless stuff we ordered and my favorite were those monster sized samosas. Those were divine, I’d go back just for that and to people watch again. I found the prices to be somewhat high, given the lack of real ambiance and that it is half convenience store. I could get the same thing elsewhere for cheaper and have a server. But maybe that is the whole point here. However, the vibe isn’t really my scene. I saw mostly tourists, newcomers, and seemingly college aged kids. But it was worth a shot, and it was mostly a meh experience. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but I wouldn’t be completely opposed if you’re buying.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
So I love Indian food. I’m a fan of fusion. I was really hoping that this, as a restaurant with «South Asian Food with a South Austin mood» would be a slam dunk for me, but alas, it was not.
When we first walked in, I felt like I was kicked in the face by a really pungent odor. It took me a moment to place it, but I believe it was «Eau de Porta Potty.» Not a great start to a meal, obviously.
I took a look at the menu and was excited to find that they had a pretty decent selection of vegetarian options, though most were dishes I’ve seen in other restaurants, rather than fusion. I ended up ordereing a Dhaba Bowl with Masoor Dal and and Chana Dal. Both were fine, not especially memorable. Maybe somewhat underspiced. The naan was strange… it was much denser than what I’m used to, and was coveredddd in what I assume was ghee. My dining companion ordered the South Asian Frito Pie and was a huge fan.
Service was fast and the guy behind the bar was friendly. I didn’t spend too long browsing their beer and wine selection, but from what I saw it looked pretty awesome.
Place rating: 4
Plano, TX
I really love this place. It’s cozy and dark on the inside, and cozy and bright on the outside. There’s always a great beer selection. I did not have a chance to try to the food but I certainly will next time I go back (which will be soon!) Great service, helpful bartenders, and a really great selection of beer in the freezers to buy and take home.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
I love Indian food, S Austin, good beer, and an eclectic wine selection. And I so want this place to be better…
I’ve visited scores of times and each time it’s morphed into something less desirable. So the now…
Be prepared for tatted hipsters, loud rock ‘n roll (that, I approve of), an expensive «by the glass» wine menu, and a menu that mostly delivers, but not always. (For a $ 10 cork fee you can buy a bottle off the retail rack and they’re generally well selected and priced fairly)
The trick here is to appear unassuming, and find one great staff member, to act as your shepherd. Otherwise you’ll wait impatiently as staff zips around, tacitly pretending you’re not there. Or worse still, while they sit at the wine bar, seemingly off duty (and tacitly pretending you’re not there)
It’s difficult to ascertain who’s running this place, and why snotty, lazy staff remain. But they do…
There is a patio, but most seats are bench (backless) and they allow smoking out there. Bleh
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
Well I have lived in Austin for over twenty years and always thought this was just a convenience store that sold alcohol. Boy was I surprised to know it also was an Indian restaurant. Small space, but a fairly good amount of seating.
I wasn’t too crazy about the menu offerings. They vary daily & definitely are not the traditional Indian offerings that you would expect. Whip in has tailored their menu more as an American-​Indian mixed menu with items such as nachos.
I tried the chicken curry that they did have on special for the day and just thought it was ok. The extra habanero sauce I asked for on the side definitely helped enhance the dish. The naan however was a huge disappointment. It was gummy and not cooked all the way.
Beer selection is enormous so definitely go to at least check that out.
Place rating: 4
Manhattan, NY
When you’re Hangry & over heated, nothing sounds good, but you could eat your arm off. I’ll be honest & tell you I was disappointed when I first glanced at the menu, but I quickly realized I had to take «Indian» with a grain of salt.
Whip in is Indian season food mixed in with your typical European fare. Slight gentle twists on your classic favorites let you have lentil falafels, lamb burgers on naan, and enormous sized samosas.
You’re doing yourself an injustice if you don’t try one of their home brewed beers, cocktails or stick around for the love music.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
You want a place with character? This place has character. Even the door has character (though it’s hard to open).
I had an odd grilled cheese sandwich made from naan bread, which was kind of eh. But, crike look at all those beers on tap. And the stuff on the walls. And it’s also a mini-​market? Neat.
Place rating: 2
Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX
The food was okay. The brunette girl with the short hair/​bowl cut (not sure what her name was) had the most disgusting attitude I’ve seen out of any establishment I’ve been to. Swiped my card, THEN told me its a $ 10 minimum (on a $ 6 order). I asked if I could just put something else on the order then, and she gives me the biggest ‘fuck you’ smirk I’ve ever seen and says ‘sorry, it’s too late’.
TL;DR: good place, but whoever that was is bringing the whole place down with her garbage gutter ass attitude.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Would have been a 5 if the service was better. The food was absolutely on point, no questions asked. Everyone was basically licking their plate at the end.
Service — When I went to order my meal, the host at the front was very abrupt and they seemed to be out of everything I asked for on the menu. I ended up getting the migas — I’m not supposed to eat yolk, and they can’t do egg whites — so I was going to change my order to just get the quinoa grits which they were out of. There was nothing else on the brunch menu that I could get without eating the yolk so I caved for this meal and it was obviously worth it. My other friend had to wait 20 minutes before anything came out, so we were all pretty much finished with our meals before he even received his — he ordered the special for that.
Vibe — The atmosphere of the bar/​restaurant is cool and unique to Austin. It’s one of the best places in this area of Austin and I would come again for sure. I just have to suck up a little poor service for a well worth it meal.
Food — The migas were amazing. Four of us ordered them, and everything about the flavor was spot on. There was a lemon rice and rich black beans as the side and the corn tortilla with the eggs were flavorful and just the right portion.