Kerbey Lane Cafe

by J. J.

I like that this is another late night place since I can be indecisive at times - by the time I figure out what I want to eat, it's already midnight.  Anyhhow, the hostess was very nice.  She immediately acknowledged me and asked if I would be sitting in or taking something to go.  I told her I'd be staying and right after she asked me if I had a preference of where I wanted to sit.  Great customer service.  =)  I'm a huge fan of 'the first face' of every business and if that goes good then I'm pretty laxadaisy afterwards.The Kerbey Chicken sounded delish but I instead went for the pork tenderloin.  With the spinach and potatoes, everything was really tasty.  I was also happy with the prices - they were definitely reasonable.  And the set up inside plus the menu and dessert items sorta reminded me of Marie Callendar's.I'm sorry to hear that a lot of people weren't happy with this location.  Maybe I'm missing something since I have yet to try the original Kerbey's location.  Parking is good and there's also outdoor seating if you want to brave the semi-cold winter winds.  The access to get to this place, however, can be a  bit of a trial and error especially if you're not from the area.

by Candace S.

This was the first time I came to Kerby Lane since the move. I met a co-worker here for lunch yesterday and apparently beat the rush (we were there maybe just after 11:30am). We were promptly greeted and seated in a booth.Lately, I had been having a craving for roastbeef sandwiches so I ordered that from their lunch menu and it was great! I'm usually not a horseradish fan, but they had it in a slaw-type mix with the roastbeef and it was delicious! The fries were a bit soggy, but that didnt stop me from eating them all. My co-worker ordered the fried tofu sandwich which she just loved and raved about.When we left, the place was packed and there was a crowd at the door. I usually dont come for breakfast on the weekends unless it SUPER early otherwise, I guess waiting will be part of the norm.

by Matt M.

Kerbey Lane WTF!!!!! First let me state that I do not hate their food.... But, that being said WTF is wrong with a little customer service! 1. New waiter extremely nervous...... Maybe even scared to speak to people! Did I mention the trainer with him allowed him to just continue his track of mistakes with out helping him. 2. All but one order incorrect! Waited 20 minutes for water and another hour for food. 3. No apologies... Nor any corrections once the manager was contacted. 4. Nice response by the manager and I quote " If you had made a scene inside the restaurant we would have comped the incorrect orders or given you a free dessert" Really????? So, I guess you want all your customers to notice the problems we were having rather than trying to settle it without getting the whole restaurant involved. Not to mention we couldn't speak to her since she was not on duty..... We had to call her the next day only to get a bunch of attitude. I really hate to give this place such a bad review but, if you hate your customers what's the reason for us to frequent your restaurant. We have given Kerbey Lane the benefit of the doubt on many occasions but, this was the last straw. If you enjoy mediocre food and most of the time terrible service than knock yourself out!!! I know there are a lot of good reviews for this place and on the rare occasion they get everything right it is a good place.... However, that is the exception and not the rule with Kerbey Lane! There are a lot of other great places to go in Austin where you get the food and service. Really Kerbey Lane! If a taco stand selling $1 tacos can get it right why can't you!!! I on the other hand will never go back! Thanks Kerbey Lane!

by Jen H.

I like the selection of vegetarian food but I am never very impressed with the taste.  Good atmosphere, ok food.  I will go back... until I find better.

by Cameron K.Jim C.Vanessa N.Martin S.Errol M.

Another place with a serious disconnect between "quality of food" and "quality of service."  Also, bring a bookduring any normal meal times, the wait is atrocious.The food is 4.3789251 stars.  Omelets are very nice.  Breakfast tacos are delicious and ginormous.  Panacakes are tolerable, the fajita salad is great and the gingerbread is fanshmastic.  Service?  I wonder if half their staff can even spell the word.  Just keeping Austin weird, dude...  Yeah, between bong hits.Once, at the old location, I commented on the nice little vase with the carnation.  The waiter told us that if we needed to get his attention, to throw the thing at him.  Well, after literally 20 minutes (read my reviews, when I get pissed I start timing) of an empty glass, I did throw the thing near him and off the cabinet.  Dude really got angry at me and I told him he A) shouldn't have told me I could throw it, 2) that he should have provided better service and 3.14) if I'd wanted to hit him, I would have.Summary: Sad.Not-so-long version: I've always liked Kerbey Lane as a breakfast place, especially breakfast at non-breakfast times, it seemed to be a nice local change.This new location isn't bad, not much character but nicer inside than the old 183 location. And it seems to be popular too, there was a 30 minute wait around 12:30 on Sunday.And... the pancakes are still good. I had a short stack of blueberry which was very tasty, though now that I've tasted Cafe Java's pancakes I'm no longer a fan of these superlight fluffy ones with no texture. And the chicken salad my friend had was decent.But... here's the thing... I ordered their "Gambler", three sliders with antelope, bison, and lamb. What I got reminded me of those old Wendy's "Where's the beef" commercials... the tiny, thin patties were dwarfed by the size of the buns they were on. Which would have been fine if they had been cooked properly, but they were amazingly overdone, to the point of being barely edible.Not only were the slider patties overdone, so were the sausage patties I ordered - the regular breakfast sausage patties. That's just wrong.Service was good, atmosphere decent... but that's meaningless if they can't cook your food properly.Aarrghhh! Zombies have sucked the soul out of Kerbey Lane! What was once a funky, erratic, yummy spot to satisfy my pancake yearnings has moved to a new (strip mall? Really?) location, and become a sterile, lifeless corpse, masquerading as a hospital cafeteria. I could possibly overlook the generic, lackluster decor had my food not come out stone cold. I don't LIKE cold food. On discovering the problem, our server came back, 15 minutes later, with a new plate of warmer food, which I hadn't asked for. Now I have 2 plates of food I don't plan on eating. There was no manager called over, no comp on our bill, just heaps of waste. Bad call, KL, bad call.Why, Oh Why, are you driving me away Kerbey Lane?  I'll miss your Tomato Pie sweetness. I'll miss your crisp Sweet Potato fries with Chipotle Mayo dip.I'll miss your Kerbey Chicken.But I just can't take our relationship anymore!!! I can't keep coming back to the pain.First it was the soups that never match what's on the board. OK, you can change your mind. Then it was the dry chicken. OK, anyone can overcook something sometime. Then I stopped listening to your excuses. My eyes were opened to the horrible risotto, dry pancakes, and painfully inconsistent service. I love the waitstaff. They're quirky and fun and mean well, but I'm sorry, they are sooooo slow.But KL, the last straw was when you just couldn't get my order right. Eggs, bacon, and pancakes, all cold! You tried again but you just couldn't fix it. I know you tried to get those eggs right. But first they were too cold, so you tried again and they were overcooked, so you tried again and the third time they were too runny. I just couldn't ask again, there was nothing more to say. I'm really not picky, but they're eggs! How many times can you get something so simple so wrong? I have to blame the kitchen and the management. When you moved to this location it was really good. Like you were trying really hard to make this relationship work. I came here often, two dozen times this year. But you've gotten so bad. That's it, I'm done.You tried to be nice and take some money off. You said you'd like to see me again. But like flowers for a jilted lover, it's just too little, too late. I want to say goodbye, but I know I'll have a moment of weakness. A midnight craving for hummus or Kerbey queso. I know, sooner or later, I'll be back. Please get your act together. Break-ups are so sad.Came here for lunch and confused the waitperson and myself by mistakenly asking for my usual Magnolia omelet instead of a Kerbey one. Is that a sign of getting old or what? At least I managed to babble "...and a short stack of buttermilk" correctly. Every once in a while when I come here, I'll switch Beatle tunes:  " o/~....two of us, eating…

by Jessica S.

Had I not been to other Kerbey Lanes in my life, I would have liked this better. I love the charm of the other ones--the house-like feel, the grimy tables at 2:00 in the morning, the patio-seating area...This one's in a strip center area, and has more of a what's the word? More of a strip center feel, almost like a cafeteria or something. I felt a small sigh of relief when our waiter had a green mohawk. Ah, at least a little bit of the Kerbey funkiness that I know and love. It's very clean and very new. Most of the waitstaff was very friendly. The migas tacos were good; dad liked his french toast. Coffee is just the same as all the other places. I went there because I was in the area and wanted breakfast food.  The food was good, but the strip center "strips" it of its charm.

by Cameron K.

Another place with a serious disconnect between "quality of food" and "quality of service."  Also, bring a bookduring any normal meal times, the wait is atrocious.The food is 4.3789251 stars.  Omelets are very nice.  Breakfast tacos are delicious and ginormous.  Panacakes are tolerable, the fajita salad is great and the gingerbread is fanshmastic.  Service?  I wonder if half their staff can even spell the word.  Just keeping Austin weird, dude...  Yeah, between bong hits.Once, at the old location, I commented on the nice little vase with the carnation.  The waiter told us that if we needed to get his attention, to throw the thing at him.  Well, after literally 20 minutes (read my reviews, when I get pissed I start timing) of an empty glass, I did throw the thing near him and off the cabinet.  Dude really got angry at me and I told him he A) shouldn't have told me I could throw it, 2) that he should have provided better service and 3.14) if I'd wanted to hit him, I would have.

by John I.

I prefer the former location further south on 183 as this one just lacks the charm and character.  I appreciate the large and varied menu items.  The pancakes are a case of big not being better.  Just a bunch of batter with not much flavor.  The bacon was a limp mess of fat. yuck!  They don't even try to cook the fat out so you better ask for it crisp.  I'm over this place.

by Richard R.

I can't believe this won awards for best pancake or breakfast  in Austin. This wouldn't rank in the top 3 for best breakfast on my block in New York.One thing that always bothers me is being told that orange juice is fresh squeezed and being give a glass of juice which clearly came from some sort of bottle or can. The food took a long time to arrive - and we showed up when the restaurant was somewhat empty - around 10am.The fresh sausage which came with the pancakes was a good sausage.But most of the pancake flavors weren't very good.

by C. C.

By far the best so far at this relocated locale.  Timothy did very well, service fast and not overbearing.  Usually after 1am, service takes a dip; not this time.  He welcomed me, took a drink order and was back in a minute and a half.  I ordered an app, kerbey queso, and that was out fairly quickly.  Just before the app came out, Tim took our entree order with a few mods.  The panini and fries were really good, though the citrus mayo should be tasted before slathering off so much.  An inconsistent prep of this condiment can slightly change the flavor and smell pine-sol/bleach like.  All in all, pretty good though, fries awesome.  The David enchiladas were good, again.  Only missing was a little more sour cream.  The black beans were flavorful with accompanying guac.  Only missing was a prebus of some BB and my salad plate.  We asked for the check, after Timothy recoed dessert.  He even brought us out a couple to go containers and fresh chips in a bag for the leftover queso.  For just under $30, well worth it tonight.  In past, service has been slow and menu items missing.  Keep improving, love the place.