Memories and Good Eats from Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin, TX

Kerbey Lane Café is an iconic and beloved Austin diner.

Disclosure: Kerbey Lane Café sent me a gift card to try their newest menu items, and all these honest opinions and stories are my own.

If you live in Austin or maybe even if you’ve visited Austin, you know about Kerbey Lane Café. It’s a uniquely Austin restaurant that will give you different experiences, depending on the location and time of day. On a recent visit, I started thinking back on some of the memorable meals I’ve shared at Kerbey Lane.

First Girlfriends

Everywhere I looked around campus my freshman year, I felt like the only lonely person in a new city. I wasn’t living in a dorm, none of my close friends were going here, and you can imagine how my awkward and shy self navigated through orientation. College wasn’t this bright and shiny adventure I had pictured it being.

I befriended a girl in my class and after a few weeks, she casually invited me to join a couple other girls for dinner. Hesitantly, I went to Kerbey Lane that night, hopeful that it would be a fun time or at least I would get to try this Kerbey queso everyone had been talking about.

It’s cliché but true, college was were I figured myself out. I had the space to be myself and not the person my parents wanted me to be. I learned who I was becoming, found my voice, and discovered what values mattered to me. It was a tough and fulfilling journey, and it started with some girls welcoming me into their circle. And I could finally be on the other side, excitedly asking other new Austin transplants, “have you tried Kerbey queso yet?”

*Kerbey Queso is classic queso with guacamole and pico de gallo in it. Yum, I know!

The Last First Date

“How about Kerbey Lane?” he said, picking a place near his house.

We signed up for the 5K race months ago, but on the day of the event, we hadn’t seen each other for weeks. Our relationship had always been tumultuous, and we didn’t know where we were headed. The 5K, awkwardness and all, wasn’t so bad and we ended up having a lot of fun together. Maybe it was the start of something new.

The next night, I spontaneously called him up after attending an event. I was in his part of town and maybe he wanted to get dinner. He arrived first and when I sat down at the table, we grinned ear to ear, feeling a renewed spark between us. I ordered a salad, he ordered a burger. The butterflies subsided as we talked for an hour or so, catching up on the last couple of weeks and finding our familiar comfort with each other.

As we walked out the door and said our goodbyes, there was cautious excitement in the air. We didn’t know then that a few months later, it would be the end for good this time. That date is one of our last memories, forever suspended in the hope of falling in love again.

Late Night Shenanigans

What time does Kerbey Lane close? Oh, that’s right, it’s open 24 hours! Which is how we ended up there, probably around 2:30 a.m.

Friends were visiting from out of town and we showed them the vibrant nightlife, local specialty liquors, and invincible “this definitely won’t hurt tomorrow” spirit Austin has to offer. There was only one stop left that night.

I don’t have a photo from that night but I’m sure you can imagine a table filled with plates and all of us silently refueling and feeding our munchies. Amid the omelets, tacos and breakfast platters, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were multiple exclamations of “these are the best pancakes ever!”

*Below is the new chicken and pancakes dish. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and savory and my new favorite!

Kerbey Lane

Boyfriend and I were sitting at the bar at Kerbey Lane, watching all of the action in the restaurant. It’s probably the best spot to sit for attentive service plus there’s no need to wait for a table. First come, first served.

From restaurant remodels to chefs, Kerbey Lane has changed in the last few years, but there’s always coffee and a huge menu of selections. Their focus on seasonal menu items offers a fresh menu on every visit.

They still make the best pancakes around (so good that they sell their pancake mix) and the seasonal pancake flavors (yes, pumpkin in the fall) keeps it fun. Three special flavors are featured every week.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night, or whenever the craving hits, Kerbey Lane Café has been here since 1980 and will always be a place with good food and good memories for me. Now, who wants to go eat through the menu with me?

The Details

Kerbey Lane Café has seven locations in the Austin area. (I’ve been to 5 out of 7! How about you?) See them here.
Check out the menu here.
Current summer specials: The Chicken & Pancakes with a strawberry maple-jalapeño sauce and Salmon Burger with Miso Cauliflower (pictured above) are both fantastic!
They’ve partnered with Amy’s Ice Cream (hello, Mexican vanilla ice cream!) to provide three special desserts. Above is the snickerdoodle ice cream sandwich, and they also have an ice cream queso sundae and a fudge brownie sundae.
Yes, there are vegan and gluten-free options.