Local Lobster Roll Spot Expands Onto North Lamar

Seafood restaurant Garbo’s Fresh Maine Lobster is opening another location closer to downtown Austin. This time, the lobster joint is taking over the former home of local diner Counter Cafe in Clarksville on 626 North Lamar Boulevard sometime this fall.

Before the physical restaurant opens, Garbo’s opened up a food trailer parked at the building starting on June 30. That trailer will close on Saturday, November 19, as the restaurant preps for construction.

Once Garbo’s new restaurant opens in the fall, it will serve a menu of crab cakes, lobster rolls, desserts, and more, similar to the food truck’s menu. It will also serve beer and wine and offer meal packages like shrimp cocktails or clam chowder.

The small restaurant has 10 seats at the counter inside and there will be an additional 10 seats on a new covered patio outside. Garbo’s will also have a walk-up window to order food to go.

Owner Heidi Garbo started the business as a lobster roll truck in 2013, and expanded with a Wells Branch restaurant in 2014, which closed in 2020 to relocate to far North Austin. There had been a downtown food truck which is still closed. There’s also the roaming food truck.

Counter Cafe’s original location opened in 2007 and closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. Its other two locations in East Austin and West 29th Street remain open.

Update, Thursday, November 10, 11:46 a.m.: This article, originally published on June 29, has been updated to include the closing date for Garbo’s temporary food truck.