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Chefs' 14 Favorite Greasy Spoons & What They Order

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To conclude Greasy Spoons Week 2013, we present a greasy spoon guide assembled with the help of some of the city's best chefs, who were kind enough to answer the question: What's your favorite greasy spoon in Austin, and what do you order when you go?

Award-winning pastry chef Laura Sawicki of La Condesa and Sway, for example, hits up Hut's Hamburgers for her favorite cheeseburger, while Contigo chef Andrew Wiseheart goes for the huevos rancheros at La Fruta Feliz, and more than a few chefs recommended La Michoacana as their greasy spoon of choice. Find out where other Austin industry notables go for their greasy fix, after the jump.

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Hut's Hamburgers

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Pastry chef Laura Sawicki, of Sway and La Condesa fame: "Huts Hamburgers. Doesn't matter if you go for breakfast or lunch, it's all delicious! My favorite is the cheeseburger ... I really love the hamburger bun!"

Asia Cafe

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Benjamin Baker of Travaasa Austin's Jean's Kitchen: "I like Asia Cafe. It's a diner with an Asian twist. It is a very dressed down place with plastic plates and bowls. I order the eggplant with ground pork, sesame tofu, salt and pepper fish, green beans and Sichuan duck."

Dirty Martin's Place

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Chefs and industry folks in Austin love Dirty Martin's.Says Kevin Williamson, chef and owner at Ranch 616, Star Bar and Rattle Inn: "Dirty Martins on Guadalupe. This place is a long time UT and Austin favorite. I love their Sissy Burger served with mayo, lettuce and tomato."

Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden chef Ted Prater says he goes for all the burgers here, and Mulberry's Kristine Kittrell goes for the cheeseburgers: "Love watching the guys working the flat top."

Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop

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Says Philip Korshak, Senior Kitchen Manager at Home Slice: "That's kind of a tough one as there isn't, to my knowledge, a proper greasy spoon diner. But I do LOVE Joe's Bakery. They are local to the bone and have really, really delicious enchiladas. In my honest opinion, it is the Austin version of the old Cherokee Diner on 31st and 10th Avenue."

Tam Deli and Cafe

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Says Matt Burke, Head Chef at Shady Grove: "The Tam Deli at 8222 North Lamar may not qualify as a greasy spoon, but the fried shrimp bahn mi sandwich is as good as any po' boy I have ever eaten anywhere. The combination of browned garlic, mayo and cilantro with the shrimp is amazing. The delicate cream puffs sell out quickly. I order the dessert first."

Whip In Convenience Store & Pub

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Says Allison Jenkins, Executive Chef at upcoming laV brick-and-mortar and the currently open Say laV food truck: "Though it seems pretty healthy, I had biscuits with goat chorizo gravy & fried eggs for brunch recently. They make some great nachos & cheese fries."

Din Ho Chinese BBQ

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Says Sarah McIntosh, chef and owner of Epicerie, gets the Beijing duck and roast pork at Din Ho.

Counter Cafe

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Industry folks love the Counter Cafe. Says Allison Jenkins of Say laV and LaV: "Blueberry pancakes & bacon. They have great biscuits & gravy too." The Alamo Drafthouse's Jason Donoho also calls the Counter Cafe his greasy spoon home. His order? "A classic breakfast. Three eggs sunny side up, bacon AND Sausage. No toast. Side of salsa. Black coffee."

La Michoacana Meat Market

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Says Lawrence Kocurek, Chef de Cuisine at TRACE: "Greasy spoon? How about a greasy store: the La Michoacana Meat Market on the east side has a little area in it to get food, the staff is kind of rude and doesn’t really seem like they want anyone in there asking for anything, that is I think part of the charm though. And my favorite thing there is the Boss Chilaquiles con Huevo. It is a an amazing gut bomb of a breakfast."Mulberry chef Kristine Kittrell is also a fan: "My favorite hangover spot is La Michoacana. I always have the desebrada beef. It will cure all that ails you."

Of course Searsucker's Brian Malarkey is the kind of guy who would answer "Peche," an upscale cocktail bar, to a question about greasy spoons: "It's not a greasy spoon, it's a greasy spoon, fork, knife, fingers and chin!” “… Great cocktails and some of the best bar food ever. Bone marrow and fries and sweetbreads..... On the same plate!!!!!”

888 Vietnamese Restaurant

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Uchiko's chef de cuisine Page Pressley orders the "whole mackerel and the squid and green onion pancake" at this South Austin Asian diner, while Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden chef Ted Prater's order is: "Pho fully loaded (extra meatballs, brisket, tendon and tripe), iced coffee, and shrimp spring rolls."

Kerbey Lane Cafe

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Uchi chef de cuisine Jeramie Robison goes for "buttermilk pancakes, two sunny side eggs, orange juice, coffee," at Kerbey Lane.

Tan My Restaurant

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Jennifer Costello and Chris Hurley from The Bonneville: "Tan My for Pho up on Ohlen road, you have to have the Beef Brisket Pho with Meatballs. It's amazingly good, greasy and will make your nose run for days."

La Fruta Feliz

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Contigo's Andrew Wiseheart goes for the huevos rancheros at this east side Tex-Mex dive.

Cover 3

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Can a high-end sports bar qualify as a greasy spoon? It does if Austin's food-dad Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen's kitchen says so. He gets the batter fried shrimp and oysters.

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Hut's Hamburgers

Pastry chef Laura Sawicki, of Sway and La Condesa fame: "Huts Hamburgers. Doesn't matter if you go for breakfast or lunch, it's all delicious! My favorite is the cheeseburger ... I really love the hamburger bun!"

Asia Cafe

Benjamin Baker of Travaasa Austin's Jean's Kitchen: "I like Asia Cafe. It's a diner with an Asian twist. It is a very dressed down place with plastic plates and bowls. I order the eggplant with ground pork, sesame tofu, salt and pepper fish, green beans and Sichuan duck."

Dirty Martin's Place

Chefs and industry folks in Austin love Dirty Martin's.Says Kevin Williamson, chef and owner at Ranch 616, Star Bar and Rattle Inn: "Dirty Martins on Guadalupe. This place is a long time UT and Austin favorite. I love their Sissy Burger served with mayo, lettuce and tomato."

Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden chef Ted Prater says he goes for all the burgers here, and Mulberry's Kristine Kittrell goes for the cheeseburgers: "Love watching the guys working the flat top."

Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop

Says Philip Korshak, Senior Kitchen Manager at Home Slice: "That's kind of a tough one as there isn't, to my knowledge, a proper greasy spoon diner. But I do LOVE Joe's Bakery. They are local to the bone and have really, really delicious enchiladas. In my honest opinion, it is the Austin version of the old Cherokee Diner on 31st and 10th Avenue."

Tam Deli and Cafe

Says Matt Burke, Head Chef at Shady Grove: "The Tam Deli at 8222 North Lamar may not qualify as a greasy spoon, but the fried shrimp bahn mi sandwich is as good as any po' boy I have ever eaten anywhere. The combination of browned garlic, mayo and cilantro with the shrimp is amazing. The delicate cream puffs sell out quickly. I order the dessert first."

Whip In Convenience Store & Pub

Says Allison Jenkins, Executive Chef at upcoming laV brick-and-mortar and the currently open Say laV food truck: "Though it seems pretty healthy, I had biscuits with goat chorizo gravy & fried eggs for brunch recently. They make some great nachos & cheese fries."

Din Ho Chinese BBQ

Says Sarah McIntosh, chef and owner of Epicerie, gets the Beijing duck and roast pork at Din Ho.

Counter Cafe

Industry folks love the Counter Cafe. Says Allison Jenkins of Say laV and LaV: "Blueberry pancakes & bacon. They have great biscuits & gravy too." The Alamo Drafthouse's Jason Donoho also calls the Counter Cafe his greasy spoon home. His order? "A classic breakfast. Three eggs sunny side up, bacon AND Sausage. No toast. Side of salsa. Black coffee."

La Michoacana Meat Market

Says Lawrence Kocurek, Chef de Cuisine at TRACE: "Greasy spoon? How about a greasy store: the La Michoacana Meat Market on the east side has a little area in it to get food, the staff is kind of rude and doesn’t really seem like they want anyone in there asking for anything, that is I think part of the charm though. And my favorite thing there is the Boss Chilaquiles con Huevo. It is a an amazing gut bomb of a breakfast."Mulberry chef Kristine Kittrell is also a fan: "My favorite hangover spot is La Michoacana. I always have the desebrada beef. It will cure all that ails you."

Peche

Of course Searsucker's Brian Malarkey is the kind of guy who would answer "Peche," an upscale cocktail bar, to a question about greasy spoons: "It's not a greasy spoon, it's a greasy spoon, fork, knife, fingers and chin!” “… Great cocktails and some of the best bar food ever. Bone marrow and fries and sweetbreads..... On the same plate!!!!!”

888 Vietnamese Restaurant

Uchiko's chef de cuisine Page Pressley orders the "whole mackerel and the squid and green onion pancake" at this South Austin Asian diner, while Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden chef Ted Prater's order is: "Pho fully loaded (extra meatballs, brisket, tendon and tripe), iced coffee, and shrimp spring rolls."

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Uchi chef de cuisine Jeramie Robison goes for "buttermilk pancakes, two sunny side eggs, orange juice, coffee," at Kerbey Lane.

Tan My Restaurant

Jennifer Costello and Chris Hurley from The Bonneville: "Tan My for Pho up on Ohlen road, you have to have the Beef Brisket Pho with Meatballs. It's amazingly good, greasy and will make your nose run for days."

La Fruta Feliz

Contigo's Andrew Wiseheart goes for the huevos rancheros at this east side Tex-Mex dive.

Cover 3

Can a high-end sports bar qualify as a greasy spoon? It does if Austin's food-dad Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen's kitchen says so. He gets the batter fried shrimp and oysters.

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