clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Austin's 17 Favorite Greasy Spoons, Mapped

View as Map

To kick off Greasy Spoons Week 2013, Eater Austin is proud to present a map of the city's finest greasy spoons: restaurants, often open late night or very early, that offer cheap, hearty meals at affordable prices. Diners? Of course. Noodle houses? Absolutely. Late-night Mexican bakeries? Perfectly acceptable.

From the classic Night Hawk Frisco Shop to the Pho Danh noodle house to soul food excellence at the East 12th Kafe, find seventeen of Austin's best greasy spoons, compiled from reader suggestions and staff favorites.

Spot an egregious omission? Let us know what we've forgotten by e-mailing us down the tipline.

Read More

Night Hawk Frisco Shop

Copy Link

The scene: the last bastion of Austin's Night Hawk diner chain of the mid-20th century, the Frisco is a snapshot in timelessness. Most regulars eat at the counter (the easier to select your signature Frisco dessert), while everyone else is accommodated by the Frisco's unfailingly pleasant waitstaff in the hangover-friendly dim dining room. What to order: "decorated eggs," with Night Hawk chili and pinto beans, along with a $2 Bloody Mary, because why not?

Star Seeds Cafe

Copy Link

The scene: this is a 24-hour diner that most out-of-towners haven't yet discovered, so take your passel of adorable children with last name first names elsewhere (to Kerbey Lane). Star Seeds is attached to a sketchy Days Inn and caters to the kind of folks who don't wait until the weekend to cut loose.What to order: the A-Baum, an unapologetic pile of English muffins, queso, sausage and scrambled eggs.

The Omelettry

Copy Link

The scene: good-natured silliness (check out the ridiculous mural, like really stand there and contemplate it), combined with old-fashioned service and gargantuan breakfast plates have made the Omelettry an Austin icon.What to order: Oh, come on. It's in the name.

Magnolia Cafe

Copy Link

The scene: everybody knows the Magnolia Cafe, and with good reason. Both the Lake Austin and the South Congress locations serve high-quality diner food 24 hours a day, but expect a wait during peak dining hours.What to order: the Magnolia omelette, drizzled with lemon sour cream sauce.

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Copy Link

The scene: finding Austinite who hasn't dined at one of Kerbey Lane's five locations is as rare as spotting the University of Texas' storied albino squirrel—especially now that the little guy's reportedly moved on to the great campus in the sky. The original central location's great for dining with a friend, but head northwest, to campus or down south if you've got a large party and plenty of time to wait on a table at breakfast or brunch.What to order: the Kerbey queso is legendary, but if you catch the tomato pie on their seasonal menu, don't pass it up.

620 Café & Bakery

Copy Link

The scene: it's a bakery, it's a diner, it's where Round Rock goes for a skillet breakfast. As in, all of Round Rock: the 620 clientele is as diverse as its menu, which stretches from Mexican plates to po' boys to carrot cake.What to order: has anyone on earth ever been able to say no to chicken fried bacon? Don't be the first.

East 12th Kafe

Copy Link

The scene: find killer soul food at this little family-owned spot at 12th and Springdale comes courtesy of one of the friendliest staffs in town.What to order: the thoughtful, fresh menu would stand out anywhere, but it's particularly striking in a part of East Austin dominated by fast food joints. Get the catfish.

La Mexicana Bakery

Copy Link

The scene: this all-night panaderia and Mexican spot is a rite of boozy passage for anyone doing a little (or a lot of) drinking in South Austin.What to order: Enchiladas rojas.

Jim's Restaurant

Copy Link

The scene: Jim's feels like a postcard from a mid-century road trip, and while the food isn't going to blow anyone's hair back, it's a great family spot.What to order: keep it simple with a breakfast sandwich.

Pho Danh House of Noodle

Copy Link

The scene: decor-wise, Pho Danh is somewhere between strip mall nail salon and Vegas buffet, but that's all part of the charm at this stellar Vietnamese spot on North Lamar.What to order: pho, of course ... served lighting fast.

Stallion Grill

Copy Link

The scene: this is classic blue-collar dining. The Stallion's the kind of place where the outside marquee regularly advertises a "PORN CHOP" and no one seems to mind one bit.What to order: the beef tips over rice.

Hill's Cafe

Copy Link

The scene: Hill's has recently undergone a reinvention, hoping to stick around South Austin for another sixty or so years. The crowd's half folks who grew up eating at the place, and half folks who've heard great things about the epic Hill's burger.What to order: the aforementioned Hill's burger is always a fine choice, but take a friend so you can order the skillet enchiladas, too.

Thanh Nhi

Copy Link

The scene: a fluorescent-lit hole in the wall where the lack of decor's a good thing—these folks are putting all their effort into the food, with spring rolls you'll want to write home about.What to order: don't leave without those spring rolls, but you'll want to get two hands around the Thanh Nhi banh mi, too.

Dart Bowl

Copy Link

The scene: this a diner-slash-bar in the corner of the Dart Bowl alley that's as likely to be filled with grey-hairs arguing over the Statesman's sports coverage as teenagers making eyes over diet Coke refills.What to order: Dart Bowl enchiladas, in a skillet ... and put an egg on it.

Cisco's Restaurant & Bakery€Ž

Copy Link

The scene: this east side cafe has grown ever more popular over the years as East Sixth drinkers take blurry note of its location after a night at Shangri-La or Violet Crown, returning in the morning for a restorative plate of hangover-curing goodness.What to order: migas and coffee.

Austin Diner

Copy Link

The scene: the Austin Diner may have moved from its original funky Burnet Road location, but the spoon is as greasy as ever in this updated space with a throwback feel.What to order: a classic home-style breakfast plate.

EZ's Restaurant

Copy Link

The scene: families love the not-for-the-faint-of-eardrum EZ's for their kid-friendly menu and bright, 50's-gone-wild decor. What to order: skip the pizza and burgers and go for the rosemary chicken.

Loading comments...

Night Hawk Frisco Shop

The scene: the last bastion of Austin's Night Hawk diner chain of the mid-20th century, the Frisco is a snapshot in timelessness. Most regulars eat at the counter (the easier to select your signature Frisco dessert), while everyone else is accommodated by the Frisco's unfailingly pleasant waitstaff in the hangover-friendly dim dining room. What to order: "decorated eggs," with Night Hawk chili and pinto beans, along with a $2 Bloody Mary, because why not?

Star Seeds Cafe

The scene: this is a 24-hour diner that most out-of-towners haven't yet discovered, so take your passel of adorable children with last name first names elsewhere (to Kerbey Lane). Star Seeds is attached to a sketchy Days Inn and caters to the kind of folks who don't wait until the weekend to cut loose.What to order: the A-Baum, an unapologetic pile of English muffins, queso, sausage and scrambled eggs.

The Omelettry

The scene: good-natured silliness (check out the ridiculous mural, like really stand there and contemplate it), combined with old-fashioned service and gargantuan breakfast plates have made the Omelettry an Austin icon.What to order: Oh, come on. It's in the name.

Magnolia Cafe

The scene: everybody knows the Magnolia Cafe, and with good reason. Both the Lake Austin and the South Congress locations serve high-quality diner food 24 hours a day, but expect a wait during peak dining hours.What to order: the Magnolia omelette, drizzled with lemon sour cream sauce.

Kerbey Lane Cafe

The scene: finding Austinite who hasn't dined at one of Kerbey Lane's five locations is as rare as spotting the University of Texas' storied albino squirrel—especially now that the little guy's reportedly moved on to the great campus in the sky. The original central location's great for dining with a friend, but head northwest, to campus or down south if you've got a large party and plenty of time to wait on a table at breakfast or brunch.What to order: the Kerbey queso is legendary, but if you catch the tomato pie on their seasonal menu, don't pass it up.

620 Café & Bakery

The scene: it's a bakery, it's a diner, it's where Round Rock goes for a skillet breakfast. As in, all of Round Rock: the 620 clientele is as diverse as its menu, which stretches from Mexican plates to po' boys to carrot cake.What to order: has anyone on earth ever been able to say no to chicken fried bacon? Don't be the first.

East 12th Kafe

The scene: find killer soul food at this little family-owned spot at 12th and Springdale comes courtesy of one of the friendliest staffs in town.What to order: the thoughtful, fresh menu would stand out anywhere, but it's particularly striking in a part of East Austin dominated by fast food joints. Get the catfish.

La Mexicana Bakery

The scene: this all-night panaderia and Mexican spot is a rite of boozy passage for anyone doing a little (or a lot of) drinking in South Austin.What to order: Enchiladas rojas.

Jim's Restaurant

The scene: Jim's feels like a postcard from a mid-century road trip, and while the food isn't going to blow anyone's hair back, it's a great family spot.What to order: keep it simple with a breakfast sandwich.

Pho Danh House of Noodle

The scene: decor-wise, Pho Danh is somewhere between strip mall nail salon and Vegas buffet, but that's all part of the charm at this stellar Vietnamese spot on North Lamar.What to order: pho, of course ... served lighting fast.

Stallion Grill

The scene: this is classic blue-collar dining. The Stallion's the kind of place where the outside marquee regularly advertises a "PORN CHOP" and no one seems to mind one bit.What to order: the beef tips over rice.

Hill's Cafe

The scene: Hill's has recently undergone a reinvention, hoping to stick around South Austin for another sixty or so years. The crowd's half folks who grew up eating at the place, and half folks who've heard great things about the epic Hill's burger.What to order: the aforementioned Hill's burger is always a fine choice, but take a friend so you can order the skillet enchiladas, too.

Thanh Nhi

The scene: a fluorescent-lit hole in the wall where the lack of decor's a good thing—these folks are putting all their effort into the food, with spring rolls you'll want to write home about.What to order: don't leave without those spring rolls, but you'll want to get two hands around the Thanh Nhi banh mi, too.

Dart Bowl

The scene: this a diner-slash-bar in the corner of the Dart Bowl alley that's as likely to be filled with grey-hairs arguing over the Statesman's sports coverage as teenagers making eyes over diet Coke refills.What to order: Dart Bowl enchiladas, in a skillet ... and put an egg on it.

Cisco's Restaurant & Bakery€Ž

The scene: this east side cafe has grown ever more popular over the years as East Sixth drinkers take blurry note of its location after a night at Shangri-La or Violet Crown, returning in the morning for a restorative plate of hangover-curing goodness.What to order: migas and coffee.

Related Maps

Austin Diner

The scene: the Austin Diner may have moved from its original funky Burnet Road location, but the spoon is as greasy as ever in this updated space with a throwback feel.What to order: a classic home-style breakfast plate.

EZ's Restaurant

The scene: families love the not-for-the-faint-of-eardrum EZ's for their kid-friendly menu and bright, 50's-gone-wild decor. What to order: skip the pizza and burgers and go for the rosemary chicken.

Related Maps