Noms at 3am
By Anne Harris, Fri., Dec. 31, 2010
For the young and not-so, for those with kids and without alike, this is the time of year we return to the right life: the nightlife. Perhaps the third cup of grog gives us a second wind, or maybe it's the heady days of oncoming flu that inspire us to drink and dance on winter nights. Either way, a girl's got to eat, and so do you. Here are our picks of the late-night harvest, giving us more reasons to be thankful this season for living in Austin, Texas.
24 Diner This "chef-inspired comfort food" includes stuffed Swiss chard, beer cheese, and a fancy twist on fried jalapeños alongside burgers, breakfast, and meat loaf. It also has six varieties of milkshakes. 600 N. Lamar, 472-5400. www.24diner.com. $$
Denny's Denny's hasn't changed a bit, as you'll discover when you lurch in at 4am for a farmhand breakfast. Various locations. www.dennys.com. $
IHOP Get in there for those holiday specials while they last. You can have an international pancake experience 24 hours a day! Various locations. www.ihop.com. $
Jim's Restaurant Breakfast fare includes most of the standards, along with decent tacos and waffles. For lunch or dinner, try the chicken-fried steak plate. Various locations. www.jimsrestaurants.com. $$
Kerbey Lane Cafe Famously fabulous for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a favorite of the late-night set, this place wears its groovy legacy on its sleeve with pastas, black beans, great coffee, and Frisbee-sized pancakes. Various locations. www.kerbeylanecafe.com. $$
Magnolia Cafe This place packs 'em in 24/7. If you can't decide between a garden or bison burger, get the gingerbread pancakes or try the Neptunian Landscape. 1920 S. Congress, 445-0000; 2304 Lake Austin Blvd., 478-8645. www.themagnoliacafe.com. $
Sam's BBQ stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, so if you hurry over you can still make it after the clubs close. Some say Sam's has the best chicken in town. 2000 E. 12th, 478-0378. $
Star Seeds Cafe This institution has been around since the Armadillo days, when hungry cosmic cowboys restored themselves at its booths. Find breakfast selections galore. 3101 N. I-35, 478-7107. www.starseedscafe.com. $
Waffle House The famous round waffle, the crushed ice – you can have that and more 24 hours a day here. 7809 E. Ben White, 389-0444; 8800 Hwy. 290 W., 926-1683. www.wafflehouse.com. $
Estimated meal cost per person:
$=<$10
$$=$10-25
$$$=$25-40
$$$$=$40+
See full info on these restaurants and thousands of others – reviews, awards, current listings, links to coupons, and more – at the Austin Chronicle Restaurant Guide: austinchronicle.com/restaurant.
