East Highway 290, 272-4212
6am-10pm Mon-Sat, 7am-10pm Sun The average driver on a two-lane highway spends about 70% of their time
looking for speed traps. If you’re smart and/or hungry, you’ll invest the other
30% searching for road diners. Now that plastic burger franchises have spread
to most small towns, independent diners should qualify for Endangered Species
protection. Anytime you see a full parking lot, pull in and help preserve a
dying breed, even if it’s just for a road break of pie and coffee.
If you find yourself eastbound on Highway 290, you’ll get your chance when you
hit the Manor Downs turnoff eight miles out of Austin. Since 1948, Cafe 290
has served fresh, old-style diner food to a mix of travelers, horse racing
fans, and citizens of the burgeoning ManorPlex. On any given day, you’ll see a
parking lot packed with work trucks, DPS cruisers, and out-of-state Lincolns.
Cafe 290 turns out great variations of roadhouse standards — anything
grilled, chopped, or chicken-fried — in servings so big they’ll cure hiccups.
Their chopped steak platter with mashed potatoes hits the table looking like an
edible mountain range. The hand-dipped onion rings come light and almost
grease-free, as do the various chicken-fried selections. Even cream gravy
fanatics will appreciate the cafe’s rich brown variation, which is so good you
want to ask for a bucket. Even if there’s no room left, order the homemade pie
or cobbler and linger awhile over coffee. That’s cultural conservation — one
blue plate at a time. –Pableaux Johnson
This article appears in December 1 • 1995 and December 1 • 1995 (Cover).