Ember Kitchen Austin Menu – Josper-Fired Latin Cuisine in the Seaholm Power Plant
Ember Kitchen Austin
Menu & Dining Guide
Austin’s only Josper oven. Live-fire Latin cuisine inside the historic Seaholm Power Plant — with Subterra Agave Bar one floor below.
From Boilers to Josper:
The Seaholm Power Plant Story
For nearly seven decades, the Seaholm Power Plant on West Cesar Chavez Street kept the lights on across Austin. Its oil-fuelled boilers hummed day and night until the city mostly decommissioned the site in 1989, leaving the massive industrial hall to sit empty for years.
Redevelopment began around 2005, and by 2016 the soaring interior had found a new calling as a dining venue — the aptly named Boiler 9 Bar + Grill, which traded on those original pipes and ductwork. Boiler 9 gave way to Ember Kitchen in early 2023 when Austin-based hospitality start-up inKind rolled out an entirely new concept centred on one very particular piece of kitchen equipment.
Walking in today, you still see ancient steel beams and concrete pillars rising towards the ceiling. The design team at Crow contrasted that industrial grit with warm woods, lush greenery and dramatic curved lighting — the result is equal parts power station and fine-dining room, which suits Austin’s personality perfectly. The space spans two levels: an 80-seat main dining room upstairs with an open kitchen and chef’s counter, and Subterra Agave Bar tucked below.
What Is a Josper — and Why Does It Matter?
Ember’s servers speak about it in hushed tones. They point you towards it at the chef’s counter. They’ll offer to take a picture of you in front of it. The Josper — a sealed charcoal grill-oven made in Spain — is the foundation on which the entire restaurant is built.
Unlike a conventional grill or wood-burning oven, the Josper operates as a sealed chamber. That means it can be dialled down for low-and-slow roasting or cranked up to 1,100 °F for an almost instantaneous crust. Smoke stays in the chamber, concentrating around the food rather than escaping up a flue.
The equipment is so large that when Ember first opened, the restaurant’s front door had to be removed to get it through the entrance. Texas Monthly critic Patricia Sharpe noted that after three visits, the Josper’s most impressive achievement with the food she tasted was the chicken — arriving blackened outside, miraculously pink within.
Find Your Flame — The Josper Dial
Pick how much fire you want on the plate tonight. Each setting surfaces the dishes at Ember Kitchen that best suit that intensity of char, smoke and heat.
These dishes use the Josper at its most restrained — low temperature, sealed chamber, precise moisture control.
The Josper’s smoke concentrates beautifully in this mid-range — these dishes carry a Latin-inflected char that never overwhelms.
Order one of these cuts at the chef’s counter and watch the Josper do its work at 1,100 °F — the crust forms in seconds.
Why the Corn Dishes Are Worth Your Attention
Ember Kitchen isn’t just a steakhouse with Latin accents. The masa programme is a serious undertaking — the corn used across the menu is sourced from Masienda, a Los Angeles-based company regarded as one of the most rigorous buyers of heirloom Mexican corn in the United States.
That attention to sourcing shows in the texture and flavour of the dishes built around masa. Texas Monthly’s Patricia Sharpe described her masa mania at Ember as “truly epic” — starting with the complimentary welcome tortillas (blue and yellow corn, served with cultured butter and whipped beef tallow dusted with powdered guajillo chile) and continuing through the caviar bites and tamal ahogado.
That welcome tortilla course — offered gratis on arrival — is one of the things that sets Ember apart from comparable fine-dining rooms in Austin. Sharpe noted she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen a gratis bread course in a restaurant.
Caviar Bites (Sopes)
Masa sope topped with crema and yema curada — the current expression of Ember’s signature corn programme.
Crispy Tamal “Ahogada”
Sweet potato and goat cheese with a pecan and pepita adobo sauce — a current menu staple built around masa.
Welcome Tortillas (Gratis)
Blue and yellow corn tortillas served warm in a folded napkin on arrival, with cultured butter and whipped beef tallow dusted with powdered guajillo chile and microgreens.
Chef Nayely Castillo & the Menu She Built
Ember Kitchen’s founding culinary team was led by Executive Chef Nayely Castillo, from El Paso, and Consulting Chef María Mercedes Grubb, from Puerto Rico. Grubb hired Castillo specifically for her experience with live-fire cooking and her deep personal connection to the food of her youth in El Paso.
Each section of the menu was designed as a heavily personal project. Castillo drew direct inspiration from her grandmother’s cooking — combining elements from throughout Latin America with classic steakhouse flavours, then channelling everything through the Josper’s extreme heat.
The resulting menu, which Texas Monthly’s Patricia Sharpe called “one of the most striking” she had seen in that category of restaurant, continues to bring in repeat visitors. The two chefs have since moved on to other ventures, but the dishes they built around the Josper remain at the heart of what Ember Kitchen does.
The restaurant is backed and operated by inKind, an Austin-based hospitality start-up that provides non-dilutive funding and marketing services to restaurants across the country. Ember Kitchen serves as inKind’s flagship demonstration concept for its operational platform.
On arrival, the server offers a complimentary tequila-mezcal welcome drink and a basket of warm blue and yellow corn tortillas — made from Masienda-sourced corn — tucked into a folded napkin. Two accompaniments arrive alongside: cultured butter with flaky sea salt, and whipped beef tallow dusted with powdered guajillo chile and microgreens. It’s a rarely seen gratis bread moment in fine dining, and one that sets the tone for everything that follows.
Subterra Agave Bar
Descend from the dining room and you find yourself in a dimly lit basement speakeasy that operates as a full stand-alone cocktail experience. Subterra Agave Bar holds craft agave cocktails and one of the widest selections of Latin spirits in Austin — mezcal, tequila, sotol, raicilla and more.
The cocktail programme plays on morning classics adapted for evening: Bloody Marias, micheladas and carajillos feature alongside original Agave-forward creations. The bar seats 65 and is bookable separately from the main dining room.
Hours & Before You Go
Opening Hours
| Mon | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Tue | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Wed | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Thu | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Fri | 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Sat | 10:30 am – 2:00 pm (Brunch) 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
| Sun | 10:30 am – 2:00 pm (Brunch) 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm |
Dinner and brunch hours verified on Ember’s official site. Always confirm before visiting.
Insider Tips
Ember Kitchen Austin — FAQ
What is a Josper oven and why does Ember Kitchen use one?
What kind of food does Ember Kitchen serve?
Does Ember Kitchen offer brunch?
Where exactly is Ember Kitchen located?
What is Subterra Agave Bar?
Do I need a reservation at Ember Kitchen?
Is parking available near Ember Kitchen?
What are Ember Kitchen’s must-order dishes?
Visit Ember Kitchen, Austin
Ember Kitchen & Subterra Agave Bar
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