super delicious!! I got one of the specials called Bruce's (toasted english muffin w/ ham, spinach, 2 poached eggs, topped with chile con queso) absolutely amazing. I honestly prefer the queso over hollandaise which is usually on eggs benedict. Not sure why this place has only 3 stars, it deserves so much more!! Our waitress so so sweet, upbeat, and attentive. Will definitely be back. Is a great classic diner to eat at with family. read more

Austin Diner - special of the day: "Bruce's" (toasted english muffin w/ ham, spinach, 2 poached eggs, topped with chile con queso) - Diners Near Me - Austin, Texas

The atmosphere is cute, flash back to the fifties... The food is cooked fresh to order... diner style food, but prices are decent for diner food. For example, for two eggs, 2 bacon strips and 2 sausage patties, with biscuit and gravy, will cost you about 9 bucks. The husband ordered the hamburger, which was a little dry, but the portion size was good. They've recently moved into a strip mall location, which is a little hard to find, and makes it lose a little of the flavor and feel. The service was ok, it took us awhile to get our orders in because we were sitting in the back... overall it was a decent meal for a decent price, but nothing to write home about. read more

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Why 5 stars? I drive all the way from Round Rock to have breakfast here. It's fast, friendly, and has that classic Austin vibe that you usually find only downtown on South Congress. It's laid back and I enjoy the crowd. If you want the big family with screaming kids experience, stay in Pflugerville and northward. The food is fast and made fresh. I also enjoy the soundtrack that is playing every time I eat here. You want a surprise at this diner? Try the beef enchiladas. They are very good..and being Hispanic married to a Mexican woman, I'm picky about enchiladas. Breakfast tacos score high as does the coffee. The price is also better than reasonable so no reason to be acting like a freakin` food critic. read more

Austin Diner - Eggs and pork chop breakfast with potatoes instead if hashbrowns. - Diners Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is thoughtful well executed American food. I've only had breakfast here ... but I was impressed. American breakfasts in restaurants are usually solid. They are rarely excellent. The dishes are standardized - and frankly not that hard to cook. (How hard is it is to make migas really???) And nothing here would make Anthony Bourdain fly a thousand miles to have a once in a life time breakfast. But here nothing is screwed up and the small touches are well done. The French toast has subtle traces of cinnamon that really help the dish. I don't know if the the blueberry compote that came as an optional topping was fresh or from a vendor ... but it was NOT the awful bright blue stuff that passes for blueberry pie filling and pancake topping you get at a lot of other places. It may not have been fresh Pacific blueberries 30 minutes from the field in Oregon - but given the realistic limits of being in Texas - it was nicely done. Sausage was served in a bowl (well I can add one more odd experience to my life) it was still good - flavored with sage rather than the black pepper that ruins so much breakfast sausage. Coffee was excellent (and yes there are highly regarded diners in Austin that will pour you a cup of stale coffee.) This is a serious go-to location for someone looking for a traditional American breakfast. It is not Nirvana. The 1950's retro furniture has received a LOT of wear and tear and needs replacement badly. One booth was so cramped and uncomfortable we had to shift ... and we swapped out several stand alone chairs before we could find one that didn't rock. And - - - this is my own personal sensibility not shared by others - I cringe when i see people decorate by puncturing phonograph records and hanging them from walls or the ceiling. A phonograph record is a cultural artifact that is ruined if it is punctured or abused. One never knows now what artifacts will be rare or irreplaceable some day in the future. But that's just me. Both the furniture and the decorating are going to change because Austin Diner intends to change location - and reoutfit in the near future. If they fix the physical plant issues and keep the food - they will be a first class institution. read more

I have been wanting to try some of the new places on Burnet that are so close to my house. This looked cute and I haven't been to the new location. When I walked in I LOVED it and very retro/kitchy. Dinged up booths, soda counter, 50s music, etc. The food options were great... very "home cooking" or "comfort food" looking. I tried a few litmus test items to see how they were & my buddy did the same thing. The food was a 3, for sure, but they may be better for breakfast (per Yelpers). Server was nice, only 3 other tables full at lunch time, but super eclectic crowd. (Points for that.) Between all of us we had a bit of Queso, Onion Rings, Fried Okra, Salad, Chicken Fried Steak, & Mashed Potatoes. Queso needed salsa, fried stuff needed salt and were OK. CFSteak had bland gravy, but was HUGE... even my carnivore friend couldn't finish it! Prices were cheaper than getting the same things elsewhere... but none of those items would make me go back when I had a craving... There are just too many other places around that do those other items well. I REALLY wanted to LOVE this place... I gave it 4 stars for the vibe, service, music, parking, and the food was good enough. read more

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I love me a greasy spoon! Especially when my butt is hungover and it's in the morning during the weekend. Here's the best part, there's never really a wait! I've never had lunch here, so my review will be just on breakfast alone. The coffee here is your standard brew, but it's always pipin' hot and served with a smile. I typically get the "Laura's Big Time" plate. This heapin' helpin' plate full of hangover relief comes with all your heart attack inducing goodness favorites like 3 eggs, sausage, bacon and just to help all those calories push through quickly through your belly---wheat pancakes! If that breakfast combination doesn't soak up all that damn Jager you drank the night before... I don't know what will. Get your slow moving butt down there on a Saturday or Sunday morning and enjoy the cool 60's vibe this place has. We need more places like this in the world. read more

This place was fabulous. The service was friendly and incredible. The food was so so delicious. We called ahead and put our name on the list for a table and didn't wait long at all read more

I eat here twice a week because it is, quite frankly, the best diner in the area if you add price into the equation. Also try both the green and red salsas. They are awesome! Also you can ask them to custom make anything you want. read more

Austin Diner - Everything to drink you could ever want. - Diners Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place makes me want to sit around and read a Stephen King novel (not his horror stuff, but maybe like 11.22.63) while eating pork chops and hash browns. The music is a little too loud, the ketchup bottle is a little too over-squeezed, the silverware is a little too bent, but the food is comforting, the prices are right, and the eggs are easy! Not a bad spot to get some pancakes and chill out. The hours are extremely limited (7-3) so 24-hours-diner it ain't, but for what it actually is, it's pretty good. read more

It doesn't look like much when you walk past but I went with my family and the service was great but I had the French toast and it was dry and tasteless, even with syrup. I should have ordered something different because everything else was great! read more

Terrific food...EXCEPTIONAL service. Just an honest, good ol fashioned diner with the lovely oldies song playlist included everyday :). Wonderful family friendly vibe, and super low maintenance so you can stop by anytime. Lots of menu variety + daily specials, and best part is they serve full breakfast all the way until closing, so you never have to worry about waking up! I order the scrambled egg platter for takeout by phone 2-3 times per week and is always fresh and ready to go in minutes...but dine-in is a joy too because of the sweet and friendly friendly servers!! A++++++ place, truly a hidden gem !! read more

The best home cooking around. No frills diner that's been in Austin forever. Great chicken fried steak.

I come here every Saturday morning to meet some friends that have been coming here for years. Letty brings my black coffee as soon as I walk in the door. I usually order the early bird special and with coffee and tip it's under $10! That's very reasonable for the quality of food, level of service, and overall camaraderie amongst friends. The eggs are always cooked perfectly (over easy), the hash browns are nice and crispy, and my coffee cup is always full. Since I love dropped eggs on toast, the cook actually does this for me instead of me trying to do it myself!.... Nice touch. Letty always greets everyone with a warm sincere smile! read more

This place was a pleasant surprise for my boyfriend and I when we found it and I am so glad we decided to try it. The vintage diner decor is adorable. The food is home style cookin and is always delicious, and service is always great! read more

Ok diner! Great staff, but "meh" migas. Definitely was a slice of that old school diner vibe, but I feel like I ordered the wrong thing. We'll see after a second visit. read more

Great diner! Food is always great and the staff has always that warm feeling of welcoming you. Tons of smiles and see you later and checking to see if you need anything! Cooks hit the food on the head with flavor! Check it out and enjoy! read more

Great Breakfast! Only place I've found with fresh, right out of the oven, flaky homemade biscuits. Vic Native Austinite read more

Awesome diner with great breakfast and friendly service. Real vintage Austin. Highly recommend!

Every time I've been at Austin Diner it's been a great experience. Good food, great service. A really awesome, straight forward place that's reliably yum. read more

The decor looks like a diner I went to in San Francisco in the business district. So do the menu prices. Maybe it should go without saying, but a diner should never look like it belongs in the business district of San Francisco. Diners should be the last refuge of the salt-of-the-earth type people. The waitress should be middle-aged and call you honey. You should be able to get a cup of coffee for about a dollar. A diner should not come off like whatever the restaurant equivalent is of an upper-middle-class kid slumming. This diner has some sort of weird identity crisis. It wants to look hip and charge a lot of money, but it wants to still try to serve traditional diner fare. But it fails at both, because it misses the mark on what makes traditional greasy diner food so good. Look, if you're going to be this greasy, you should be tasty and cheap. read more

What? Austin Diner, how is it possible that have I missed reviewing you? You have been there when I am barely able to crawl out of bed at 11am and serve me migas and pancakes to nurse my hangover. You were there, fast with the coffee refill, when my dad comes in town and makes me eat breakfast at 7:30am on a weekend. You have been there when I just plain didn't want to eat dinner for dinner, so you obliged by putting a fried egg on my Sante Fe enchiladas. You smiled when I ask to switch out home fries for hash browns and nodded approvingly when I stress the my bacon must not be on bend in the least. We've had some good times, you and me. Let's keep 'em going. read more

This place is kind of interesting. The decor is a little funky - records hanging from the ceiling, concert posters and etc. The food is order from menu, and I haven't found anything bad yet. They usually have a couple lunch specials with generous portions and a good selection of veggies. Here's what makes it interesting - everything I've had so far has been prepared with a slightly Mexican flair. Order the pot roast, and it's just a little bit Mexican. Not overpowering, just a hint of some spice or flavoring that makes it seem to lean that way. Interesting, but quite good. Of course the enchiladas and other Mexican fare is just great, but this is NOT a Mexican restaurant. Whatever it is, it's one of my favorite places to have lunch. try it - it's pretty cheap, good service, good food - what more could you ask? read more

I really would only come here to support a local place and if I was too lazy to make myself plain food. Or if they had late night hours. Food- Extremely mediocre. Given the time, proper ingredients and a little know-how you can make anything at this place much better at home. The sides were bland and lukewarm and the entree itself was like what you're hoping your lunch lady is going to serve you at school. You know it's not going to be great, but you pray it's going to be decent. Atmosphere- I thought it was really cute and kitschy. I love booths. I love the location. Service- Our waitress was nice and a little bit of an air head, but that's okay. read more

Awesome diner with great food. Very friendly staff. Would highly recommend. Love it here. read more

The last time I went here I got food poisoning. No joke. Also, the general quality seems to have declined over the past few months, so even though I live literally NEXT DOOR to this place, I don't think I'll go back... Sorry, Austin Diner, you made me barf. read more

I used to be a Austin Diner faithful, but the past couple years, the food has really gone down hill. Aside from maybe some of their sandwhiches and enchiladas which are both sorta-kinda passable, everything I've gotten here just makes me nauseous. Namely the greasy, uninspired breakfasts and tasteless blue plate specials are the ones that turn my face green (ECk --- my memory's pissed at the simple recalling of these dishes). It's not BAD food (Starseeds wins that Coup d'Or); it's just really, really mediocere. It's been around a year since I last went, and I have no desire to go back. They need a revamp bad. And with such stiff competition on Burnet I am sure they're feeling some sort of sting. For breakfast in the area, just go to the Omlettry. For dinner on Burnet, Blue Star Cafeteria will do. For lunch, maybe try Billys. There's really no reason to go to Austin Diner anymore. I really hope they can turn it around, but a large part of me just doesn't really care. read more

Through a chain of errors, the meetup was on South Congress and already half over when I arrived at the wrong place, Austin Diner. I salvaged what I could by ordering a vegetarian egg white omelet, no cheese. Most of my meals these days are beans, eggs, tea, or a clif bar, but it's still a luxury to have someone else make it. And, I'm always glad when I can be picky without the waitress showing any hint of irritation. I asked whether they made the lemonade. Yes. I asked whether it were premade or made on the spot, since I'd take it if they left out the sugar. Premade. I'd already be in some people's bad graces with just that line of questioning. Then I ordered the ome, hold the let, and again got no glance askance. I was pleased. It was fluffy and football-like, because it was stuffed with a huge mound of raw spinach leaves. This was a mixed blessing, but on the bright side, I never feel I have enough egg in my cobb salads, and this made up for several. 275 or so calories and a huge tumbler of tea later, we were on our way. I hadn't felt "full" in a couple weeks, so it was kind of strange. The chalkboard special related to pork chops, and there was an admirable drawing of a milkshake. These are foods that find no purchase in my mind, slipping out without recognition or reflection, so I'm just passing on that they would appeal to you and you should try them. The decor was interesting, with rows of vintage appliances. The waitress's classic dress fit the theme, and the atmosphere was tranquil, but not dull. I came back yesterday to get some work done, but decided to try the Omelettry, instead. I see advantages in both; I'd bring people here (and eat the whole thing) or spend slightly more there, sit at the counter by myself, and take home half the food. Regardless, I plan to return to Austin Diner for the pork chop and milkshake in a month or two, when I've hit my goal. This has been your day in Austin omelets. read more

Austin Diner is kind of the spot you go to when you're too lazy or hungover to pick a nicer brunch spot. It's in my neighborhood and there's rarely a wait. I've only ever been for a weekend breakfast and have never had a bad experience. I'm never excited to come here, but then I never regret it afterward either. The food is actually solid for diner fare. I typically get the Migas, which are quite a meal once you factor in the tortillas and the potatoes and black beans that come with it. The menu for breakfast-stuffs is pretty basic. The stuffed pancakes sound good, but I've never tried them. I like the omelettes and benedicts too. I did once have a burger here, which was also pretty good. Other than that, I've never been off the breakfast part of the menu so I can't comment on the quality of the lunch / dinner entrees. The service is functional and efficient, if not friendly. I like to sit at the counter where you get a little more attention. The restaurant efficiently handles their weekend crowds so it's never a disaster. But I have to knock a star off for the laughably bad decor. It's like they tried to go kitschy / retro, but they stopped short of the mark and just left it looking like a few pieces of old junk sparsely scattered around the space. There's a random old stove sitting in the middle of the restaurant (just like grandma's kitchen?). And there are old records on the wall (like happy days?), but they are way too organized to have the intended effect. Then the color scheme is a discomfiting blue / green that evokes an insane asylum (so I've heard). Then their windows are round instead of square which seems like it's trying for a nautical theme. It's like they half-assed 5 different design themes instead of settling for one. So 4 stars for the reliable and cheap food, 3 stars for the no-nonsense service, and no stars for the alarming decor. I'll settle on 3 stars for this place, and I guarantee I'll be back there because it's too damn convenient not to go. read more

Here's the thing. I tried to eat at this place three times before today. All attempts occurred in the evening. Their hours say they are open until 9pm. I have never discovered this to be the case, as chairs are usually up on the tables by 7:30pm. As fate would have it, today is the day I would be able to walk in and be sat. We waited a few minutes for the waiter as the hairy man in the booth adjacent to mine pushed against his seat, making me feel sea sick. I ordered a cherry limeade off the menu. The waiter said "I don't know if we have that," to which I replied, "it's on the menu". He said he would check and returned with the news that it is no longer offered. So I ordered an iced tea instead. The waiter returns and I order the lunch special, fish tacos. My fellow diner orders biscuits and gravy. And so the wait begins. I observe the employees doing sidework and eating, as the food piles up in the window. We watch a to-go order appear in the window next to a sad stack of pancakes that would still be sitting there when we made our final exit. Twenty-five minutes pass. We start fantasizing about the places we should have gone to. The waiter finally appears with the aforementioned to-go bag which has now been sitting in the window for a good fifteen minutes. The good-natured fellow is obviously flustered at this point. He announces that he has no idea what happened, he must have entered the code wrong and it came out as a to-go order. My friend expresses his discontent at eating food that has been sitting in styrofoam under a heat lamp for such a long period of time. The waiter replies that he will see what he can do. It is at this point we decide to make our exit. We let him know to cancel the order, and offered to pay for our iced teas. He said not to worry about it and offered to give us our to-go mishap for free. We declined the offer. Starving, we headed to Billy's on Burnet for a consistently-delicious lunch. That's my take on The Austin Diner. The food might be tasty, but sadly, after four attempts, I've never been able to make it that far. read more

This is my husband's favorite diner. We used to go a lot more frequently, but too many strike-outs have made us not go as often, and given other diners more attention. I guess what mainly strikes me is that their pancakes aren't as good as they are at Kerbey, Magnolia, or even IHoP or Denny's. They taste kind of burned, and they don't have a satisfying, Saturday morning comfort texture. That said, I still went many other times and ordered something else. I've had their grilled cheese, lots of various vegetarian breakfast tacos, french toast, etc. Those things are all better. But I'm really a pancake fan, and the fact that theirs aren't so light, fluffy and delicious keeps me from coming as often. read more

Errol hit the nail on the head; Austin Diner is... a diner. A few years ago, it was really SOMETHING. The old location, the old menu. The breakfast tacos were the size of my head. The biscuits and gravy were to kill for. Any egg dish... don't get me started. The decor really kept Austin weird There was so much heart and homemade soul. Now they've downsized the menu and food a bit so that the old flair is gone but the flavor remains. What I like about Austin Diner is that I could get all of this food at IHOP... but it wouldn't be as good, cheap, or local. This isn't going to blow your mind, but it brings you back to why places like this exist. I used to call them my favorite breakfast tacos in town. For some reason the smaller size... made them less yummy? I miss the days of one taco for $3 that I could never finish.. now I pay $6 for two of reasonable size. And where did my huge tub of salsa go? I assume they're family owned because we've always got the same sweet older people and bored young people each time I visit. I like that they keep a stock of local favorites, such as Elgin sausage. As much as I hate to say, this place is declining over the years. What I once would have given a 5-star rating has easily become a 3.5. I'm not sure what the word is for a place that used to be a must-eat and is now just tasty- I think it's Austin Diner. read more

COCKROACHES! COCKROACHES! COCKROACHES! OMG I am never going here again. As I was walking out, I decided to look at the album covers on the wall in the entry way. It was covered with cockdoaches!! Omg they were huge. I almost lost my breakfast all over the floor. I'm really upset because this has always been one of my favorite places too eat. read more

I have these weird Sunday morning post-soccer game cravings for diner food. Since I'd never tried Austin Diner (it was closed on two attempts), I hit it up with a teammate a few Sundays ago. It wasn't her favorite spot, but I enjoyed myself. I'll have to go back again to get a better feel for the place, but Austin Diner doesn't disappoint. Big menu, big crowd, big personality. The breakfast food is comfortably greasy, but not excessive. Prices are affordable. Waitstaff is easy going. Semi-rushed, but patient with patrons. Respectable cup of coffee. Easy to find on Burnet Rd. Austin Diner is definitely worth a visit. Maybe two or three. read more

Austin Diner has become one of my fave spots in Austin and in particular for dinner. There is, in my opinion, nothing more comforting than some spinach casserole, fried catfish and some cornbread. I know this is a great spot for breakfast, but try it for dinner too. You will not be disappointed! Seriously, I can't get enough of the spinach casserole. read more

I've always been for breakfast and always had a good experience. It's a quirky place, to be sure. We've had some entertaining minor mishaps (rickety table, wrong food orders, etc.) but they've always been fixed promptly and with a smile. I like the decor - it's great fun to look at all the old-fashioned appliances and doodads. (Yes, I just said "doodads.") The food is good, plentiful and inexpensive. Whenever I have a hankering for a giant breakfast with biscuits and gravy (which, thankfully for my waistline, isn't *too* often...) I find myself hinting to the boyfriend that maybe, just maybe, we should head on down the street to the good ol' Austin Diner. And we do. And it's good. read more

I don't know what to say... We need a diner in Central Austin so much, but this ain't it. Stopped here at just before 10am on a Saturday morning: there were nine servers/hostesses, and at least four people in the kitchen, yet getting served here takes an act of God. The place has about 14 tables, and half were open. Eight seats were at the bar (how I love sitting at the bar) with six open: they were not packed. Despite the number of staff - or maybe because of it - no one greeted me at the door. I found a seat at the bar and eventually someone gave me a menu. It was not quickly. It took over than ten minutes more - despite numerous comings and goings right in front of me - before a different person came and asked me if I was ready. Ready? How about the specials, the house favorite or maybe just good morning? Nada. The lone cup of coffee I'd got had gone empty long ago. Order? No thanks - at this rate it'd be Tuesday before I got my food... Could be the reason the other lone bar inhabitant got up, went around the counter and poured his own refill: you won't get any service here. read more

Love the decor, hate the food. Driving down Burnet the other day, I decided to try this place because the place looked cute from the outside. Inside, it's got a nice retro vibe going on that I really liked. Unfortunately, the quality of food seems like it hasn't evolved from the 1950s either. We ordered their "famous" fried green tomatoes to start, which were way too heavy on the breading for me--I could barely taste the tomato and I ended up peeling off the breading in the end to make it taste better. For entrees we got a veggie burger, philly cheese steak, and roast beef sandwich. Veggie burger patty (Morningstar black bean frozen patty) was overcooked but still edible, and came with plenty of onion rings. Roast beef sandwich was pretty mediocre, and the philly cheese steak--well, you can't really go wrong with a philly cheese steak sandwich. Overall, nothing tasted fresh, and the amount of grease that pooled up on my plate from the onion rings was astounding. To add insult to injury, the prices were on the high side (we paid over $30 for our 1 app + 3 sandwiches, no drinks). Oh, and our waitress was pretty inattentive and slow (especially since we were one of only 3 groups in here). Maybe I'm expecting too much from a diner, but they've done such a good job with the decor that I was hoping the food wouldn't be the typical grease-laden grub that leaves you feeling sluggish for the rest of the day. Oh well. read more

I loved this place. This diner was exactly what I was expecting and really needed it to be. The real thing is hard to find these days... I've been driving past this little gem for about two years now, fearing the long weekend lines. Then on one of those rare mornings that my man & I had a week day off together ,we stopped in to grab breakfast on the way to the bank... ahhh, what a great idea that was... thanks big daddy! DELICIOUS biscuits and gravy (holy crap!). EXCELLENT service. FUN atmosphere. RELAXED vibe. my favorite thing about this diner was the adorable plastic pie in the ladies room. how more homey can you get?!! mmm, plastic pie... read more

Never really been a fan of this place...even though I used to live within walking distance of it. Meh... Upon my last visit, we were utterly ignored by the completely useless hostess for a few minutes before she realized that there were several open tables and two of us standing there, waiting to be sat. Ugh! Then she sat us at a booth right behind the hostess station, asking us for our drink order. Five minutes later, our somewhat less worthless waitron approached our table, asking if our drink order had been taken. We told him yes, then reordered...because she was useless (did I mention that the hostess was useless?!). I was happy to hear while we were leaving (with her not even making eye contact as we were paying) the hostess telling some friends of hers that she'd given her two weeks notice the day before. Service was pretty awful, the waitron had to be flagged down more than once for coffee/tea refills. And, although perhaps not his fault, there was salt in the sugar pourer thingie. It took two servings of tea to figure that one out. The food wasn't memorable, except that the wheat pancakes were really dry. I had to order fruit to supplement the dryness of the pancakes, which only helped minimally. Also because the fruit was mostly cantaloupe, which I don't like at all. When we finally got him to drop off the check, he didn't tell us if we needed to give him the money or bring it to the useless hostess. It was okay, though, because we were reading through the Chronicle...wasting time. Just FYI, you have to bring it to the useless hostess. Not excited about coming back...period. read more

I will be writing an update, because I barely remember this place. No, I wasn't drinking. I'm just not a morning person, at all, and was only one energy drink into the day. What I do remember, was that they had great parking, and that they let us sit wherever we wanted...I think. The restaurant had a nice set up. It was pretty open and there were a lot of booths. The menu looked great. It seemed to have a little big of everything. I ended up getting the chef salad which was HUGE! It was pretty good too. I couldn't even begin to finish it. The way they set it up was really great too. The eggs were sliced, which I like, and the meat was cut in a way that made it easy to pick up with a fork while I piled on other bits of the salad. I can't stand it when I have to eat my salad piece by piece. The server seemed friendly enough. She managed to not anger me, even though I had just woken up, so she was doing something right. I'm proud of her for that. It was clean and I'm curious about what the rest of their menu is like, so I plan on going back. read more