Kerbey Lane Cafe

Is it possible to have lived in the Austin area without having dined at Kerbey Lane Cafe?  For those who have not been, quit reading.  Get yourself to one.  That’s as bad as admitting never to have seen any of the Star Wars original trilogy.

Kerbey Lane Cafe was the very first restaurant that I patronized when I moved down to Austin in 1994, and though that clouds my judgement of Kerbey with all levels of sentimentality, it is still my “go to” dining establishment to take out of towners for a true Austin eatery.  This 24 hour restaurant saw me through many long nights of studying, and the gingerbread pancakes taste even better at 1 am.  Scouts honor!  No one makes breakfast better than Kerbey Lane, and the seasonal menu with local produce is fantastic.  If you love tomatoes, you will love the tomato menu.

I have sampled just about everything here over the years, and I still have that internal debate each time whether I should deviate from the pancakes for something else.  I love that you can add avocado to just about anything.  Love it.  Sure there are nicer restaurants with fancier fare and more posh atmosphere, but Kerbey Lane just has that special whole granola crunch that no place except maybe Magnolia Cafe can compete for the similar food and vibe.  What I love even more now as a parent is the “kids eat free” deal on Tuesdays.  The kid’s breakfast platter (and just about everything on the kid’s menu) is big enough for two little kids so for the price of one adult meal, my kids and I walk out happily stuffed.  I should point out that the sausage patties are a tad spicy if your kids are very sensitive to heat, something I would not have noticed until my daughter pointed this out as she was stuffing her face.

The original Kerbey Lane Cafe on Kerbey Lane is probably the least child friendly location of the four, not that it has anything to do with the staff who are always so laid-back about kids.  This location has few parking spaces so that tries my children’s patience, and it is in a converted split-level bungalow.  The physical building makes this location a more challenging space (read: small) for dining with kids.  The campus and south locations are more spacious.  We have not been to the northwest Austin location since its relocation, but we plan to check it out with the Greenling crowd this coming Tuesday to support area restaurants who buy from local farms so check back for commentary. 

For grins, I calculated the minimum which I alone (excluding hubby or kids) have plunked into this eatery in the past 15 years, and it is in the range of $1920.08.  Every penny was worth it.  And just so you know, the restaurants especially the campus and Kerbey Lane locations seem to me anyways to be even more crowded in the wee hours of the night than during “regular” dining hours.

Kerbey Lane (original)
3704 Kerbey Lane
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 451-1436

Kerbey Lane (campus)
2606 Guadalupe St.
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 477-5717

Kerbey Lane (northwest)
13435 Hwy 183 N Ste. 415
Austin, TX 78750
(512) 258-7757

Kerbey Lane (south)
2700 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 445-4451

Related posts:

1. Kerbey Lane Doll Shoppe
2. Evangeline Cafe (South Austin)
3. Galaxy Cafe at the Triangle
4. Austin Java Cafe and Coffeehouse
5. THE original Central Market with playground and free concerts