Second Helpings: American Cafes

The weekly Chronicle feature "Second Helpings" offers readers the opportunity to sample tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week's entries were compiled by Chronicle Cuisines writer MM Pack. When you need quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check here.

HighLife Cafe

407 E. Seventh, 474-5338

Sun-Wed, 9am-noon; Thu-Sat, 9am-1am

When you're seeking some imaginative good food and a simpatico place to quietly hang out, it's rare to find them under the same roof. The HighLife Cafe on the eastern edge of downtown offers both in spades. For breakfast, choose from crisply thin cinnamon waffles, spiced rice pudding with pistachios, or eggs softly scrambled by the espresso machine's steamer (now, why didn't I think of that?), accompanied by herbed polenta and smoked trout. The coffee bean grinder is hand-cranked, and French-press pots are available. Later in the day, HighLife dishes out hearty sandwiches, thoughtfully prepared appetizers, and light entrées, to the contentment of the clientele.

Iron Cactus

606 Trinity, 472-9240

Mon-Sat, 11am-2am

The upstairs deck at the Iron Cactus affords the best view around of the nighttime Sixth Street scene. Specializing in flavored frozen margaritas and spicy Southwest fusion fare, this roomy restaurant is a great destination for out-of-town visitors who want to view the show and check out some interesting applications of chile pepper cuisine. In addition to the stacked enchilada dishes, the extensive menu offers hearty steak, chicken, shrimp, and pasta dishes, treated with combinations of Southwestern and interior-Mexican spices, and served with a variety of fresh and cooked salsas.

Shady Grove

1624 Barton Springs Road, 474-9991

Sun-Thu, 10am-10:30pm; Fri-Sat, 10am-11pm

Smack in the middle of Barton Springs' Restaurant Row, Shady Grove offers the best relaxed-patio dining in town. Named for the big old pecans that surround the vast patio, the twinkling lights, whirring fans, and classic movies after dark all evoke memories of Texas state parks in the Fifties. Partake from the large selection of tasty appetizers (corn fritters!), hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chili, tacos, and substantial plate dinners. The Unplugged live music series on Thursday nights is very popular.

EZ's

3918 N. Lamar, 302-1800

Daily, 11am-11pm

It isn't just a burger bar. Although the hamburgers are very good, retro diner-style EZ's serves up a plethora of chicken dishes, from battered and fried tenders to oven-roasted rosemary chicken plates to the Alamo Bowl -- a layered taco salad minus the shell. The wood-fired brick oven produces calzones and 12 varieties of pizza (choose something other than the frozen-vegetable vegetarian). This is a kid-friendly place; the noise level is high, the children's menu appeals to the under-10 set, and -- listen up, Mom and Dad -- kids eat free on Wednesdays.

The Pier on Lake Austin

1703 River Hills Road, 327-4562

Sun-Thu, 10am-11pm; Fri-Sat, 10am-1am

By land or by lake, Austinites have been flocking to the no-frills Pier for 64 years now, to gas up the boat and fuel up the sun-baked boaters. Along with the cold brews and frozen margaritas, all your basic summer food groups are here -- burgers and fries, giant onion rings, catfish po-boys, nachos, seafood, and chicken baskets. Live music is often a feature on weekend nights.

Ski Shores

2905 Pearce Road, 346-5915 Mon-Thu, 11:30am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11:30am-10pm; Sun, noon-9pm Since 1954, this laid-back landmark has been providing quantities of dockside cafe food -- lotsa burgers and sandwiches, lotsa fried snacks, ice cream, sodas, and beer -- to lotsa folks out for a good time on the water. Most easily approached by boat, you can also get there from City Park Road. Live music on the waterfront stage is common in the early evening and, for the intrepid, the place is even open in the winter.

BW-3

218 E. Sixth, 472-7227

Sun-Wed, 11am-1am; Thu-Sat, 11am-2am

If wall-to-wall sports coverage and hot wings are your thing, then the lively BW-3 is the place for you. Go for the neo-Buffalo-style chicken wings in 12 different flavors and degrees of heat, with the traditional sides of celery and bleu cheese. They also serve hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, salads, and a variety of bar snacks (catfish fingers to corn dogs), along with the 23 beers on tap and a wide selection of bottled beer.