Yummy yummy 24 hours a day at Kerbey Lane Cafes, Austin
I’m posting later than usual today–my eyeballs were closing on me last night while I was writing, so I figured I could hold off ’til the morning. As I was thinking about the next topic to introduce 2itch about, I remembered a place that I had eaten lunch at while travelling through Austin on a trip from Los Angeles to Pensacola, FL last year. We were kind of just roaming around looking for a bite to eat, when we spotted this cafe nestled amongst trees and situated conveniently next to a really hip looking Goodwill, which I would head to after our meal. It’s incredibly lively at Kerbey Lane with people from all walks of life dining together under one welcoming delicious roof. Seniors, kids, hipsters, nerds… just one big happy eating family!
So, in case you’re wondering, the Kerbey Lane story is this–The first location opened on May 5, 1980 (just a couple of months before I was born!) They started the cafe with a vision in mind–to celebrate local farmers and products as well as create a comfortable space where people could come together and share good honest food. At the time, there really wasn’t a lot of competition for them since everyone hadn’t exactly jumped on the “green” bandwagon back in the ’80s. But, from what I’ve experienced, they’ve still maintained that fresh and friendly atmosphere to this day. Over the years, their popularity increased and some strokes of luck enabled them to open three more locations (including the “diner” style South Lamar location I visited that you can map out at 2itch.com). Kerbey Lane is also famous for their pancakes (none of which I tried) and, in 2008, began offering a variety of pancake mixes (that are mixed locally) at local Whole Foods, Central Markets, and HEBs as well as online.
In today’s corporate environment, it really is difficult for local businesses such as Kerbey to stay alive. It’s great that Austin has kept and flourished this concept of supporting local artists, food, and services. Kerbey gives a lot back to the community by supporting local charities, artisans, and suppliers AND as an added bonus—their yummy, fresh, and eclectic menu is served around the clock everyday! Who could ask for anything more….
G-map the other three Kerbey Lane locations:
As the editor of 2itch.com, I get to find all the places across the nation that are open up way past my bedtime. I'm a wanderer by nature, so finding late night grub, coin-operated racquetball, and slushies in the middle of the night has been a lot of fun for me. And I'm sure there's a lot of other wanderers out there who would find this information useful... so enjoy and drop me a line when you find some cool 24 hour places of your own. Read more from this author