Have had this on the list for awhile and really wanted breakfast food. Sooo, here I am. This place def has a vibe and is unique very Austin. Got parking right in front around 9 pm on a Wed. Upon entry was greeted by Melissa and sat in her section. The decor is very diner type with low, cozy booths and few tables and chairs. Not too big of a space and not sure if there is more seating elsewhere. Anyhoo, coffee was good and I got the Royal toast and a single pancake with eggs, and sausage. Ample amount of food and def had take away box. Everything was tasty and the buttermilk pancake was amazing with just syrup. Melissa was kind enough to provide little cups to take syrup home along with the tael away container. They had a daily special and a board above the kitchen with other items. Really wanted to try a slice of pie ( TX Pie Co) but seems a bit outta line with what I already ordered. Maybe next time. read more

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We had a double awful experience. I picked my wife up at the airport at 10 PM after her six-hour flight. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. We were both starving and this place is open 24/7. I drove by it for 20 years on the way to Avenue Barber Shop. I wanted shredded beef tacos but couldn't get them without cilantro so I chose shredded beef enchiladas (with an $8!) side of chips and salsa. My wife ordered scrambled eggs, bacon and home fries. She requested soft eggs, as she always does because too many places overcook them. The chips and salsa arrived. I was immediately disappointed. The menu said "we make our own chips." They were thick and yellow and appeared to be run-of-the-mill, out-of-a-bag chips. I prefer the thin white ones. I took one bite of salsa, and that was one bite too many. Cumin. I pushed it all aside. Cumin doesn't belong in salsa. (Sorry. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley.) My enchiladas came with black beans, and there was cumin in them. Cumin is overused and abused in most restaurants. I couldn't eat them. The rice was good but the chipotle sauce on the enchiladas was not. I scraped most of the sauce off and ate one enchilada, mainly because I just needed something in my stomach. We were still 45 miles from home. I pushed my plate away. I also ordered coffee. One sip of that was all I could stand. Too weak for me. It gets worse, much worse. My wife's eggs were barely cooked. She asked the waiter for some cooked eggs. He took her plate and returned about four minutes later. The eggs were still not cooked. She tried another bite but couldn't eat them. Her bacon was tough as a boot and not chewable. The home fries were average, but by the time her plate arrived at our table for the second time, they were cold. I pulled my card out waiting for our excellent server to return. He asked how everything was (he had to notice two plates still covered with food) and we politely told him. I ate one enchilada and some rice. My wife had two bites of egg and two bites of potato. He apologized and handed me the check. $65. Nothing comped and nothing adjusted. A manager should've been summoned. How does a place like this have any customers? It was our first and last visit. read more

Came here for Saturday brunch and waited about 45 minutes -- but honestly that's pretty expected anywhere in Austin, so no complaints there. The service was friendly and kept things moving, which made the wait feel reasonable. I ordered the Eggs Zapatino and it was super interesting -- I'd never seen anything like it before. Scrambled eggs topped with queso on an English muffin... sounds unusual but it actually worked! It was flavorful, filling, and something different from the typical brunch lineup. Prices were pretty decent for brunch, especially considering portions and quality. Overall, solid spot with good service, unique menu options, and worth the wait on a busy weekend. Would definitely come back to try more. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - eggs zapatino - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Yum! Stopped here for a late night/early morning meal after attending the Todd Snider tribute concert at Luck Ranch! Got there a little after midnight and there was still a pretty good crowd. We had great service from the young guy who sat us and got us our drinks, from our great server, and even a super nice and helpful lady working in the kitchen/bar area who noticed I wanted something and quickly walked out to find out what I needed. She took care of it immediately! My dish was great. I got the Chicken and the Egg dish. The jalapeño cornmeal pancake was really unique. A huge amount of shredded ancho chicken (chicken breast) and two sunny side eggs on top with avocados, lettuce, and pico. Black refried beans and salsa. Our server said we should try the queso with it and gave us a bowl of it to try. It was delicious. I didn't even get through half of it before being really full. Took a lot to go. My partner got the Magna Cristo sandwich with a side of home fries topped with cheese and bacon. He loved it! He had some to go as well. I got a piece of peanut butter pie to go. I haven't tasted it yet because I was too full. The cafe is really cute with lots of art on the walls from local artists which you can purchase. I love that they support local artists! Whenever I'm in Austin, I'll go to the Magnolia Cafe! So glad I found this cool, tasty joint while visiting. read more

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Four of us had lunch here on a weekday (Monday) and thankfully we all found parking either in their lot or nearby. We were quickly seated and our waitress was quick to check on us and was patient while we figured out our order. I was with my 83 yo aunt so we needed a bit of extra patience. We all enjoyed our food. I had the fish tacos which were good with a side of rice and beans. The special of the day was biscuits and gravy, which my son ordered. We were tempted with the apple pie and ice cream and we all thought it was really good! I was sad when the Lake Austin location closed but glad to see it is still surviving even if at a further south location which makes it harder for me to get to. I hope they continue to thrive as it is an Austin original! read more

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Solid brunch spot. An inspired souther/Tex mex menu with something for everyone! Inside is no frills, diner ish vibes. I had an omelette with lemon sour cream special sauce (so dank) but it was interesting that the vegetables were steamed and kind of rolled into the omelette rather than mixed in as I'm used to. Great hot sauce options! We also tried the red pozole soup of the day which was delish. Wait list on a weekend but moved quick. No complaints here. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Red pozole - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I'd heard about this brunch place before so when a friend suggested it, I was excited. I did have diner food (IHOP) earlier in the morning so wasn't sure if I was down for it again. But it turned out to be a silver lining. We got in the waitlist at the counter at 1:09pm and stayed waiting there until our table was ready at 1:37pm. Our food arrived at the table around 2:08pm and we left around 2:45pm after feeling full. It's definitely an Austin signature and a must-do experience for anyone, local or tourists alike! Great place to bump into people who also went to your college too :) read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Ham & Cheese omelette with fruit and home fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Magnolia Cafe was a disappointment. Food was cold and some didn't look or taste fresh. Service was slow. Over-rated.

We stopped in and got breakfast before volleyball game. THE Food was absolutely delicious - 1000% recommend this restaurant!! The waiter was friendly & joyful! Food came out super fast, which was great for us because we were in a hurry. read more

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Came on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and there was still quite the wait! They have a QR code you scan and get in queue. They offer a tent outside with 2 benches to sit at. We put "any seating is ok," and ended up at the bar after a 15-20 min wait. Bar seating was fun to watch the chefs and servers work in harmony and get all the food out to the customers, but over time, the lack of back support from the chair made the seating a little uncomfortable. Service is quick, and they definitely try to get your order quickly. This is definitely an old school "original" Austin diner establishment, and I was glad to find me make it here! The inside decor definitely fits the "keep Austin weird" vibe. Migas (6.5/10) - great portion sizes! Came with a side of flour or corn tortilla, beans, two onions, homemade pico de gallo. - the Migas itself was not what I'm used to. I originally thought that Migas was crispy fried tortillas with egg and cheese topping. However, this dish was just egg and cheese, no crispy chips underneath - not sure if this is a Tex-Mex style Migas, or just how they do the this year, but I was hoping for a little more than eggs/cheese with a side of tortilla - ultimately, the beans and salsa definitely saved this dish as both were quite delicious and paired very well with the eggs Overall, a unique Austin establishment with relatively cheap food with generous portion sizes. Expect a Tex-Mex twist on all of their breakfast dishes, and I was a little disappointed with their Migas as it had no crispy chips on the bottom (felt like eggs and cheese). Might come back in the future and try another dish. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Migas (6.5/10) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pro tip: tough critics out here! If you go in with the mindset of visiting a diner, you'll have an enjoyable experience for sure. Diners are open late, they have an extensive menu, they top you off whenever they get to it from a pot of whatever coffee is available, and the servers can be hit or miss. Its great! Especially when you're looking for a full meal at midnight. The server was okay. She forgot about us quite a bit and then perhaps blamed the host when she saw our coffee mugs weren't filled. But, that's not why we came. The Prima Dora was solid (Sliced avocado with cheddar/jack cheese, topped with lemon sourcream sauce, verde and chipotle sauces. Choice of two sides: Home Fries, Black Beans, Fruit, Sourdough toast, Rye toast, English Muffin). The Egg scape not so much...it literally was two eggs over potatoes. Shared a pancake. I said yay, my partner said nay. Whaddaya gonna do? read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Checked out Magnolia Cafe for the first time on a Saturday! You can join the waitlist via a QR code, which is posted outside the restaurant. Overall the wait was around 20 min for us. There's some parking spots in front, but somewhat limited. We got seated at the bar, which was fun because you can see all the food and orders being made. It can get kinda loud (as expected) so if you're looking to have more privacy, would recommend waiting a bit longer for booth seats. Our server was friendly and attentive, and we got the food in a reasonable time. Chicken and the Egg ($16.50, 3.5/5) - Features cornmeal jalapeño pancake with pulled chicken, cheese, and two eggs (over medium) - The cornmeal pancake itself is an interesting concept, but it came out kinda thin - would have liked it to be more dense & have more volume. - The chicken is on the drier side, so the sauces/sides come in handy. The addition of black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, and lettuce adds a nice Tex-Mex spin. Also liked the red sauce that the dish came with! Overall, Magnolia is a charming, historical spot with the classic diner ambiance. If you're visiting, you can count on food made with traditional and fresh ingredients - just don't expect anything too complex. Would probably come back if someone I knew wanted to try it out for the first time! read more

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My mom and I wanted to walk around the Soco area and I thought this might be a good spot for dinner. Our server was super friendly and helpful, offered a drink to go at the end and other things. We started with an order of the Mag queso (queso with pico de gallo and sliced avocado on top). It was delicious but slightly thick for me, my mom said she liked it too. For dinner she ordered a burger and I got the Tony's chicken sandwich (grilled chicken with melted Jack cheese, roasted chilis and roasted red peppers with grilled onions and chipotle mayo). I ate most of it without the bun, felt there was more peppers than onions than I would have liked but still very good. It was very cute inside with artwork for sale. Definitely would stop by next time I'm in Austin. read more

Visited in the morning during the week, there was plenty of seating inside and outside. Big variety of menu items available. My family and I enjoyed everything we got! The Queso was delicious! The food and the service were great! I would go back. Parking is a bit limited but we found a spot right away. read more

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Magnolia Cafe - Where Flamingos Would Totally Dine if They Could If you've never been to Magnolia Cafe, let me paint you a picture: imagine flamingos running the place--because the staff here are just that cool. Melissa and the crew glide around like a flock of pink legends, taking care of everything with grace, humor, and the kind of hospitality that makes you want to stay for three more meals. Let's talk food. The shredded beef queso? It's not just queso. It's a fully loaded, beefy, avocado-kissed, pico-dancing masterpiece. If queso could win "Most Likely to Steal the Show" in a yearbook, this one would be voted unanimously. Then there's the Magna Cristo sandwich. Top notch doesn't even begin to cover it--it's like a glorious, melty, golden-fried hug that makes you question every other sandwich you've ever had. It's indulgent. It's beautiful. It's what your taste buds write love songs about at night. Between the food and the flamingo-vibe staff, Magnolia Cafe just radiates Austin charm. Open late, full of character, and serving food that makes you do a happy dance in your booth--this is one of those rare spots where everything just clicks. Melissa and the entire wait staff? Absolute rockstars. If I could give them a standing ovation after every plate, I would. Final Verdict: Come hungry, stay silly, and prepare to leave planning your next visit. Magnolia Cafe doesn't just serve food--it serves pure joy. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Shredded beef queso - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

The SoCo breakfast Austin scene is chock full of great places. The folks at Magnolia do an outstanding job with fast friendly service and excellent food. We went for breakfast and loved the wide selection. Food is great.They're ketchup, even is no HFC syrup, now that's awesome. Super friendly folks. Large portions. Ambience is typical austin flair. They do have parking around the back. You have to look for it. (Hint: It's behind a big blue trash can) and they do have outside seating as well under a huge, beautiful oak tree. Such a Great place for breakfast lunch. They have wine beers , ciders , all sorts of goodies, just huge menu come and enjoy. read more

I've been in austin 8 years and this was my first time at magnolia! I was craving waffles so we thought we stop by. We soon found out that magnolia is pancakes only. No biggie, I settled for French toast and it was good! Service was ok, I'd say a little slow for it being pretty empty but overall decent. The ambiance was ok as well. If I went back I think I may take the food to go but I'd def give it another shot! read more

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Magnolia Cafe is an oldie but goodie in Austin. They've got everything from pancakes and waffles to club sandwiches and burgers to tacos and enchies. They're best known for their enchies, "Mad Mug" queso, and pancakes. Just about every table has a stack of pancakes-well done! I got a turkey avo omelette with gluten-free bread, and my girlfriend got the black bean entree, which was essentially a multi-layer bean dip. No shade, looked good. We had great service-our server even made a simple syrup for my friend to add to her iced tea. While no longer my favorite breakfast spot in Austin (my taste has evolved since college), it's consistent in food quality and service. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Queso and salsa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Magnolia Cafe South has been around since foreverrrr - okay, since 1979 ;) & really is a local Austin Gem for so many reasons including -- -- - - open 7 days a week, 7am-midnight -- - - fresh, hot, tasty dishes! You can't go wrong w/ anything you order but a few of my favorite dishes are the pancakes, home fries, Turkey Reuben --- - - my NEW favorite is the frozen Mimosa w/ lemonade! Parking situation: Magnolia has their own parking lot & there is also parking across the street. read more

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This place is a GEM in Austin!! My friend and I visited Austin for three days and came here every single night to eat. 24 hours on the weekends so it was the perfect first stop after we pulled into the city at midnight on a Friday starving and this healed every part of us. The service here is perfect (shoutout), the food is SO good with huge portions and very reasonable prices. I already miss the Mag Mud and Frose. read more

Food is amazing & plentiful. Staff is friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend the Shredded Beef Omelette with Home Fries. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Shredded Beef Omelette with Home Fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

It's a good breakfast/brunch spot! I especially like their outdoor area, it feels like you're in a greenhouse. The parking a little tough and the wait time can get crazy especially on the weekends. 100% recommend to get their horchata cold brew. The food is consistently good regardless of what I'd get. They have classic American and TexMex options. I've had Melissa as a server multiple times and she's great! read more

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Always amazing and so worth the wait. Had friends in from out of town and have been dying to go there. You can never go wrong with the food or service here. It has the best fun vibe anywhere! The food is always fresh and so much of it. Started out with a carafe of mimosas for the 3 of us. Then finished off with the lemonosas. A refreshing hot day treat. We had the migas, habanero rancheros and traditional breakfast. Never anything ever wrong always perfection with the food and the staff! read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Habanero rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Came by on a Sunday morning. We did wait about 30 minutes to get a table so be prepared to wait if you don't come early enough on a weekend. There's an area where you can get mimosas while you wait. Our server was friendly and helpful. We split a veggie omelette with black beans. Omelette was good and beans were great. Our friend had the primadora omelette and she enjoyed it very much. Honestly, there wasn't anything that blew me out of the water. This is just a simple basic breakfast joint. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Primadora omelette with fruit and toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Cafe that is in an older building as it's been around for about 50 years. Okay seating, felt very relaxed but not up to date, 3 stars for that as it was still clean. Service was quick and fast and she was very friendly knowing our names and getting it quick for us. No rushed service. Food I can tell was fresh eggs and veggies and not frozen or reheated. It felt bland so needed salt which we added from the table. Food was 4 stars and that carries the weight for me. read more

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After a late night of bar hopping as a young man, my friends and I would head to a local diner, usually a Denny's, to relax and have a quick bite. You'd always find a collection of characters: carousers, shift workers heading home or on their way to the job, truck drivers, and other night owls. Denny's isn't what it used to be anymore (assuming you can find one), but I prefer a homegrown joint over a chain anyway. Magnolia is a perfect landing zone for a post-bar crawl repast, with its Austin-weird humor ("Sorry, we're open!") and comfortable dining room. We stopped in on a Sunday night around 10 pm and there were no problems getting seated. The menu has a spot-on diner vibe including its breakfast anytime offerings. And breakfast was exactly what I wanted. The shredded beef omelette was Texas hearty with both its flavors and portion size. The house fries were delightfully crisp on the outside, fluffy and buttery inside. I don't typically love black beans but Magnolia's were just the right texture and taste. My friend ordered quesadillas and French toast and while I didn't get to sample them, they disappeared quickly from the table. Service here was outstanding too. Two servers watched over us and got beverages and food out promptly and the manager stopped by to say howdy and check on our meal. This may be my new late-night stop. Highly recommended. read more

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I had the migas. They were tasty. Black beans were good. Unfortunately the corn tortillas were lacking. But the salsa was good I had to ask for more! My friend had blueberry pancakes and they were okay. Service was good. Friendly waitress. No wait time. Food was delivered quickly. We were seated inside. Nice and calm. There's plenty of seating outside too. There's also more parking in the back read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Magnolia deserves its reputation as an Austin staple, but with that comes some downsides. The main one is just how busy they get, how long the wait can be for a table, and how hard it can be to find cheap parking. My friend and I met here for Sunday lunch last weekend. We ended up waiting about an hour for a table. Fortunately we decided to walk around and look at shops while we waited. However, she had parked somewhere with a 2 hour limit or else she would have to pay another $15 to add a full extra hour to her parking. I'd lucked out and got one of Magnolia's free spots in their lot. Our lunch ended up being rushed so she could get back to her car in under two hours. Now instead of subbing sides, they allow us to order omelets without sides for a dollar less. We both did that, and had plenty of food. I tried the shredded beef omelet, because my husband had loved it last time we were here. I asked to sub bell pepper for the onion and cilantro in it, which they honored. Magnolia is still a charming classic restaurant to visit, but there are other places where you can get similar food with less stress. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Shredded Beef Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Stopped in for breakfast and to see the amazing staff! Thank you Sharon for the recommendation of the daily special! The Power Bowl! read more

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We had a wonderful experience here this past weekend. No wait and very and friendly attentive staff. We really enjoyed what we offered, but the cornmeal and jalapeño pancakes was our favorite!! Super yummy with honey drizzled on top. The chill vibe was as perfect for our Sunday morning. They do have parking onsite !! read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great options, fair price! The gingerbread & corn bread pancakes, insanely delicious!!! We've dined here a few times & have been very pleased. read more

My friends and I came here for lunch and we all really like the food. Service was great as well!

I visited Magnolia Cafe on South Congress Avenue for brunch, and it lived up to the hype! There was quite a long wait, but that's always a good sign, and it was worth it. At the table, we ordered the Primadora Omelette and Huevos Rancheros, both of which were exceptionally good. The flavors were on point, and the portion sizes were generous--perfect for a satisfying meal. We also tried their café special drink, the Sunrise Tea (I think that's what it was called). While the tea didn't quite hit the mark for me, it didn't overshadow the food experience. read more

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First, congratulations on being the last OG café in Austin. I've been here since 1982 and you are the sole survivor (and the soul survivor). Well done! I love you guys. Truly, you are my favorite place to eat in all of Austin. i'm sorry you have to deal with all the new everything and the bother that brings. Hang in there. There are a couple of points where you need to improve. These are important. 1. Your Love migas and everything else with the love butter has to have garlic chunks. Freshly chopped garlic chunks are what make it. Maybe that was just the location that closed. But those little chunks of garlic made all the difference. Please bring them back. The love butter is just oily nothing without it. 2. Your locally sourced coffee. Well, it's not coffee unless you actually put some coffee in the filter. The stuff you serve barely qualifies tea. There's not nearly enough coffee in it. Coffee should be black. Please get online and look up how many ounces of ground coffee per quart of water. Or use metric if you must. Hint-about 3 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water. Or 12 tablespoons so quart. This is a deal breaker. Don't feel bad. All cafés make their coffee, weaker and weaker and weaker over the years. Even Kirby Lane did it before they sold out. It's just wrong. And it's a terrible cup of coffee. But it's a neat way to save money. At five bucks a cup, you guys can afford to make real coffee. I'm begging. 3. This last one is a minor point. I should be able to surrender two sides for one single pancake. Come on guys. Having those guys separate.... just seems wrong for a café. I know they are big sellers. But give me a little pancake on the side. That's it. And thanks for sticking around! Blue read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Not really coffee at this point. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went to dinner last Sunday. Taffy was our server. She was excellent, witty and informative at the same time. The food was delicious. We tried the fish tacos, chicken enchiladas and the Baton Rouge salad. Everyone enjoyed their food. Very reasonable in pricing as well. read more

Food was okay (I got a biscuit with a side of jello and my friend got nachos), but our server wasn't very attentive.

Service was fine, I like the atmosphere. The online waitlist is once you get there, it would be nice to have the option of a waitlist on yelp, we enjoyed the eggs Benedict & landscape. The pancake was meh. read more

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Honestly worth the hype and the wait. Food is really good and atmosphere is super comforting. Pancakes are dank. The Migas with the tortillas was perfection. I'll try to keep coming back when my stomach can wait a lil bit :) read more

Magnolia Cafe South - migas really good - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas

Came here on a Monday noon for brunch and had 30 mins of wait-timefor visiting Magnolia Cafe on South Congress Avenue. While there was a bit of a wait to get a table, it's always a promising sign of great food ahead, and Magnolia Cafe didn't disappoint. We ordered the Huevos Rancheros and the Primadora Omelette, and both were absolutely delicious. The Huevos Rancheros were packed with bold flavors, and the perfectly cooked eggs and vibrant toppings made every bite enjoyable. The Primadora Omelette was equally impressive, with its fluffy texture and hearty, flavorful filling. The portion sizes were just right, leaving us fully satisfied but not overly stuffed. To drink, I opted for their Hibiscus Tea, which was refreshing and paired well with the rich and savory dishes. It was a lovely touch that rounded out the meal perfectly. Magnolia Cafe's welcoming vibe, attentive service, and exceptional food make it a spot I'd highly recommend for anyone visiting Austin. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Don't order anything that isn't breakfast. If you are okay with bland food and overcooked protein and watery coffee then this is the place for you. I'm pretty sure the breakfast is good cause you can't mess up breakfast... I'm sure they have something worth eating but as a person who can eat everything and anything and has experience in culinary arts, I would not recommend. The food is not worth the price. 3 entrees = 60 dollars The staff was great and we got seated quickly. Other than that, i do not recommend. read more

Magnolia Cafe South - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Austin, Texas