Exploring The Domain NORTHSIDE
- Kimi's Travel Thoughts
- 26 minutes ago
- 5 min read
February 2026 Monthly Adventure
With plans that kept me away from Austin for nearly the entire first two weeks of the month, I needed to find something that I could quickly do for my Monthly Adventure and still get a good experience. After some careful thought, I opted for an evening at the Domain NORTHSIDE.
Background
I've lived in Austin for the past ten and half years. In this time, I have visited the Domain and Domain NORTHSIDE too many times to count. However, there have been a lot of new additions to the Domain NORTHSIDE (yes, it really is supposed to be all caps) in recent years as they have continued to expand their retail, food, and drink options. It's been maybe about 2 years since I last took time to just walk around and explore Domain NORTHSIDE, so I took an evening after work to check out what's new there and eat dinner!
There's a Difference: The Domain vs. The Domain NORTHSIDE
You might have noticed that I have been deliberately specifying that this Monthly Adventure is about Domain NORTHSIDE rather than just writing "The Domain". The reason for this is because those are technically two separate locations. The Domain is the original part of the North Austin mixed-use property that is owned by the Simon Property Group and covers the south half of the area. The Domain NORTHSIDE occupies the northern half and is owned by a completely different entity. Both offer shopping and dining experiences. They are nearly indistinguishable until you notice a key difference: pricepoint.
The retail stores and restaurants at The Domain by Simon are more along the lines of what you would see in any of the malls they own. At Domain NORTHSIDE, much higher end retail stores and more expensive restaurants and bars take up residence. In fact, Domain NORTHSIDE is an entertainment district as a result of all the businesses there and they even have various events open to the public throughout the year.
Domain NORTHSIDE Dining
The Domain NORTHSIDE offers a variety of cuisine options available at a range of price points. This includes standalone restaurants or bars and the restaurants or cafés inside of stores such as Nordstrom. You can get anything food such as ramen, burgers, donuts, Irish classics, burgers, southern classics, dumplings, tacos, and so much more. Some places are more popular than others at dinnertime, so I would recommend checking to see if it's possible to get a reservation at the restaurant you're considering if you want to be sure to have an opportunity to eat there.
I was in search of a restaurant that offered convenient seating for a solo diner like myself. I was considering some of the newer restaurants such as Hattie B's or Loro, but neither really captured what I was wanting to eat in that moment. I've been to many of the restaurants and bars at the Domain NORTHSIDE, so it seems that they haven't experienced a lot of change in the past couple of years.
I opted for Sweetgreen, a national chain serving up flavorful salads and protein plates, after deciding I was really craving a salad. The seating is designed for individual diners or those coming in pairs which made it the perfect option for what I was looking for the night I was exploring the Domain NORTHSIDE. I ordered a delicious crispy rice bowl and it's something that I would easily order again. While $14 is a bit pricey for a salad I could've made at home for about the same price in a larger quantity, I also have days where I don't feel like preparing my own food. In this case, I didn't feel like cooking and was out of town for over a week. I also wasn't going to be home long enough to buy groceries before leaving town again which made eating out at the Domain NORTHSIDE a great opportunity for part of this Monthly Adventure.
Fun Fact: I actually went to this Sweetgreen location a couple of years ago when they had their soft launch.
My initial plan for dessert was to get a donut from The Salty, a donut shop based out of Miami, before going home. However, they were just minutes away from closing as I was preparing to leave, so I went to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams instead. The smell of the waffle cones and waffle bowls got me! I ordered a standard two half scoops of goat cheese with red cherries ice cream in a waffle cone before heading back to my car. That ice cream was just what I needed to wrap up my evening!
Domain NORTHSIDE Retail
As I mentioned earlier, the retail stores at the Domain NORTHSIDE are typically a bit higher end. You can find retail stores such as YETI, Lush, Apple Store, Google Store, BOSS, Faherty, Skims, Paper Source, and plenty of other stores to shop at. They have many new stores (which includes some of the stores I mentioned) and they were almost all closed for the day. I went on a weekday evening and discovered that a lot of stores close early with only a small number staying open past 8:00 PM with several closing well before that time. Once I finished eating my salad, I decided to do some shopping at Sephora for a couple of items that are from brands that they exclusively carry. With the majority of retail businesses preparing to close for the day, I took time to casually walk around and see what other stores are around and enjoy the nice weather that evening.
As I walked, I came across some beautiful murals and seasonal art installations. The Domain NORTHSIDE is all about offering up an experience -- one that can be captured in photos and video to share on social media. The giant heart tunnel covered in pink and red flowers for Valentine's Day is a perfect example of that.
Wrap-Up
I had a really nice evening exploring all that's been added to the Domain NORTHSIDE over the past couple of years. It's not too crowded on a weekday evening, but that's likely due to the fact that most retail stores close early. Restaurants and bars are open later and that's the big draw on a weekday evening. If you want to check out the retail stores on a weekday, you'll want to go during the daytime or early in the day during the weekend. The Domain NORTHSIDE is very crowded on the weekends, so you should aim to keep that in mind when considering your parking options. If you're comfortable walking a bit farther, parking at garages or lots closer to the outer perimeter of the overall Domain complex is your best option for easily finding parking and getting in and out of the mixed use property.
The food and beverage options haven't changed significantly in the past two years, but there are several new retail stores that have been added. If you're looking for reason to browse higher end stores, make a purchase from one, or just appreciate the experience of in person shopping, you would enjoy hanging out at the Domain NORTHSIDE. I primarily go there to visit the AT&T store, the Erin Condren store, or Whole Foods. However, everyone once in a while I find myself there for drinks or dinner and it's been a positive experience each time no matter where I'm ordering from. Whether taking a nice solo stroll to shop and eat, spending time with the family, celebrating a milestone, or having a cute date night, it seems that the Domain NORTHSIDE offers something for everyone looking for at least a slightly elevated experience.
On to the next adventure!
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