34th Street Cafe
1005 W. 34th, 371-3400
Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm; Sat, 11am-4pm
34th Street Cafe is the perfect setting for a quick, informal lunch in an atmosphere more sophisticated and relaxed than your average deli. The menu features a dozen classic deli sandwiches made with Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, salads, Tuscan pizzas with crusts as thin as water biscuits, homemade soups, and daily blue plate specials. The cafe kitchen offers full service catering and also prepares sandwich and dessert trays to order.
Chez Zee
5406 Balcones Drive, 454-2666
Mon-Thu, 11-10:30pm; Fri, 11am-midnight; Sat, 9am-midnight; Sun, 9am-10pm
Northwest Austin’s premier power breakfast meeting spot offerings include bagels, muffins, danish pastries, the restaurant’s famous croissants with strawberry butter, cold cereals, hot cereals, fresh fruit, and a daily quiche special. The voluminous Chez Zee American cafe menu offers many good choices, and on a recent evening, three specials. Bear in mind when dining at Chez Zee that you need to reserve space for two very important items: the warm sourdough bread served with the house special — smoky, garlicky olive oil — and their famous desserts.
Austin Java Co.
1206 Parkway, 476-1829
13376 Research, 219-5388
409-A Colorado, 322-0051
Mon-Thu, 7am-midnight; Fri, 7am-1am; Sat, 8am-1am; Sun, 8am-11pm
Austin Java Co. features a menu that goes far beyond that of your standard coffeehouse. At lunchtime, Austin Java crawls with both business types and students who line up for a wide variety of soup and salad combos and daily specials. Dinner proves a quieter time to dine, although the cafe’s moderately priced pasta plates, handful of appetizers, and wine and beer selections, also draw a crowd. Austin Java does a mean breakfast business as well, with omelettes, several takes on Eggs Benedict, French toast, pancakes, breakfast tacos, and migas on the menu.
Kerbey Lane Cafe
3704 Kerbey Lane, 451-1436
2700 S. Lamar, 445-4451
12602 Research, 258-7757
24 hours a day, seven days a week
Everyone in town frequents this culinary institution at one time or another where “great big salads,” eggs, signature pancakes, sandwiches, entree classics, and pastas are devoured around the clock. A favorite of the late-night smokes-and-coffee set, the shopping and lunch crowd, and the dinner bunch. Does that leave anyone out? The original location is housed in two quaint west Austin cottages and has old Austin charm.
Magnolia Cafe
1920 S. Congress, 445-0000
2304 Lake Austin Blvd., 478-8645
24 hours a day, seven days a week
Both Magnolia locations pack ’em in at all hours ’round the clock, but especially at mealtimes. With monster omelettes, entrees, daily specials, and scrumptious daily pies, the menu is wide enough to satisfy all hankerings within a given group of people. Musicians, families, slackers, business types: They’re all there. Check out their cozy patio dining under the oaks at the South Congress location.
Star Seeds Cafe
3105 N. I-35, 478-7107
24 hours a day, seven days a week
This motel-straddling institution has been around since the Armadillo days when hungry cosmic cowboys restored themselves at its booths. But aside from its cultural significance and the skilled fry cook, Star Seeds is one of the only places in town that doesn’t require you to get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday to avoid an hour wait. Star Seeds’ menu has breakfast selections galore, and an à la carte section that appeals to fussbudgets. It’s as close to a real diner as Austin has.
Red River Cafe
2912 Medical Arts, 472-0385
Daily, 7am-4pm
When driving or walking to the Red River Cafe, it’s best to look for the two eggs, sunny-side-up, hanging outside — giant yellow beacons inviting you in for breakfast. If nothing else, they’ll give you an idea of what you might want to eat, as it seems that breakfast is the restaurant’s most popular meal. Lunch and dinner are prime time for burgers. Most of the time, you may sit where you like, and it is best to sit outside to eat.
Eastside Cafe
2113 Manor, 476-5858
Mon-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri, 11am-11pm, Sat, 10am-10pm; Sun, 10am-10pm
This dining spot has become a destination in and of itself. The gardens, which provide the basis for many of the menu’s offerings, are frequented by pre- and post-dining strollers. It’s difficult to say which is more of a draw, but the delicate soups, numerous daily specials, and pastas make good use of the bounty grown out back. A charming gift shop next door offers to-go items and cookbooks featuring favorite items from the menu.
Hyde Park Bar & Grill
4206 Duval, 458-3168
Daily, 11am-midnight
The landmark giant fork in the road assures diners that they’ve found the home of Austin’s favorite french fries. A menu with wide entree options as well as daily fish and pasta specials, it is nevertheless almost impossible to pass up the batter-dipped, french-fried beauties. Lots of wines by the glass and a killer peach pudding too.
This article appears in November 5 • 1999.