What to know about the new Lake Austin H-E-B

It'd be easy to spend an entire day inside H-E-B's new Lake Austin location.

The big picture: The highly anticipated, 97,000-square-foot store at 2652 Lake Austin Blvd. opened last week and offers a True Texas BBQ restaurant, South Flo Pizza, Lake Austin's Coffee Spot and underground parking.

• It's everything Texans love about the iconic grocery chain — on steroids.

Why it matters: The new site is the grocery chain's first multi-level location in the Austin area, and offers a glimpse of what's to come at the South Congress and Oltorf location, currently under construction.

• Pandemic delays stalled construction at the Lake Austin site, which began in October 2019.

Your first stop: Drive to the underground parking garage, where you'll find two levels of parking to choose from, plus curbside spots. Lights above each spot tell you exactly where to park.

• From there, grab a coffee and breakfast taco on the ground floor at Lake Austin's Coffee Spot, open daily from 7am-9pm for coffee and 7-10:30am for tacos.

What to expect: Take the escalator up to the second level, where you'll find H-E-B's True Texas BBQ restaurant, which includes a full bar, TVs and indoor and outdoor seating. Don't skip the view of the skyline from the outdoor patio while you munch on a sliced brisket sandwich.

Also worth checking out: The Sushiya sushi station is massive, and make sure you head to the Cooking Connection for a cooking demonstration and a sample.

• The beer and wine department includes a selection of more than 1,000 beers and over 2,000 wines, including a sampling station.

Of note: The usual suspects — H-E-B's famous tortillas, handmade bread and ready-made meals — are still available. There's just a lot more to choose from.