Reviews & Ratings for Kerbey Lane Cafe
27 reviews
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Great pancakes, horrible service
by firehawkchick
August 11, 2006
We go to Kerbey Lane on Lamar often and were in the neighborhood of this location and checked it out. The last time we went will be well, our last time. The waitress cared so very little about her job and our existence that other tables with other servers were looking at us with pity. It was embarrassing. She kept dropping menus, she gave us SO much attitude every time she came to the table and then the bill came... first the itemized bill, then the bill you sign. There were only two of us, and she added her own gratuity. I asked her to bring the itemized bill back (which had been sitting in water from our glasses) and she brought a fresh (and dry) copy that reflected the new bill we were to sign. Needless to say, there was some seriously questionable behaviour going on here. I've been in touch with management. If you go, the food is fantastic. The service is awful, so order everything you need at once. Keep an eye on your bill!
- Pros: Fantastic food, large portions for those eaters in your family, awesome coffee
- Cons: Terrible service, late-night waits take longer due to service staff's laziness to clean tables off for new customers
For the price the palce could at least be clean!
by peppermint81
May 18, 2009
I have been there just once and about had it. After waiting for 45 mins...yikes! I was hungry. If I am paying $13 n up per person at least they could,
1) sweep the floor once a while ..there were paper napkins, stains on the seating, crumbs on table all chairs were messed around.
2) have descent food...my pasta was floating in olive oil..n my husbands beef dish was dry.
3) Have patient staff...not rude.. dont bother me attitudes..waiter took forever just to get 2 glasses of water
4) Have the staff cover their tattoo n piercings! Gee what is with that? our server had her belly ring greeting us and the whole snake/dragon thing on her uncovered hand...It was a turn off! Is it just me who finds this a little over the top?
- Pros: None
- Cons: Unclean , overcrowded, impatient staff, not professional
Just not good food, service or cleanliness - either location
by shaft28
February 03, 2009
I find the food to be ok at best, but the wait and the horrible wait staff (ok there is always one cool hippie chick working there) aren't worth it. Last time at the downtown location the garbage was overflowing, food trash strewn on the ground outside and a rash of flies and ants were everywhere - more than is remotely acceptible.
Older punk/goth folks always make great servers....wait no they don't. At all.
We're done with either location and never going back.
WHY?
by ATX3499
February 03, 2009
You have to love and get Austin to understand this review... My wife and I loved eat at the 183 Kerby Lane. It was a Saturday thing we did every week. It was in an old house from stains on the carpet to the art local on the walls the tattoo perced freindly waitstaff and the great breakfests they served, it felt like Austin. One of the only places that still did along 183 north. We were driving by one day a few months ago and noticed that they had moved to Anderson Mill and 183 into one of the strip centers there. Decided to go there that day and check it out and find out why they moved. Well as we walked in I could tell the whole vibe was different, it felt cold and corporate ( a four letter word in Austin, or it use to be) like any out of town chain, think The Black Eyed Pea, Applebees, what Cedar Park is turning into. But the waitstaff was still the same so I figured it was just because it was a new location, we were seated and asked our waiter why they moved and he had no idea, we could tell he wasn't that happy with the move he thought the new location felt very corporate as well. We got our food, it was good but they I started looking around at the photos on the walls, they we of Austin ,all the landmarks, I noticed there was a photo right above our table, a shot taken from the ground looking up at the sky in downtown. the only thing in the frame were cranes. Just cranes, not the birds mind you. I felt sick. That told me that yes Kerby Lane had turned away from what they once were, now it's all about the money baby!!! I just hope the other locations doen't follow suit. And to anyone from out of town, Go to the Original one one Kerby Lane or Magnolia Cafe if you want a real Austin Experience.
- Cons: Atmoshere
Not worth the wait...
by anniewend
September 14, 2008
New to the area, and my husband wanted to go to the "famous" KLC. Okay. We went to the one off 183. Sunday at 12. We waited an hour for a table (but noticed many empty tables in back- maybe they were short a few servers). The waiter was ok, but not great. The food was just ok. I got the frisco egg sandwich thing. It was ok, the eggs were over cooked, and I only got a little sliver of avocado. He got biscuits and gravy. Again, only ok. The biscuits were a bit heavy. We also got pancakes, which I found very heavy, and with too much almond extract flavor. The food was lukewarm, and delivered by another server (perhaps ours was out back smoking?). It wasn't horrible food, but it certainly wasn't great, and nothing like other reviews would have had us believe. I did, however, like the coffee. If you want good breakfast food, head across the highway to La Tapateria- great food, way cheap.
- Pros: plenty of parking, open 24 hours
- Cons: the wait, the food, the service
New Location, Horrible as ever
by db741
August 25, 2008
First, I used to love Kerbey Lane, the old one, actually on Kerbey Lane. I hadn't had the best experiences at the one north on 183 and now that they've moved to their new location near Anderson Mill, they've gotten even worse. The waiter took forever to come over and get our drink order, so we put the entire order in all at once, of course he didn't write it down, and of course it was wrong. Later he came over and said they were out of one part of our order. When the food finally came, he brought my son the wrong meal and before we discovered the problem, he was gone, so I told the hostess, who was close, about the problem. She actually came over and told my 4 year old that if he "didn't eat it, he would have to sit there for another 20 minutes with a hungry belly." It was all I could do not to reach over and choke her. Luckily, my son told her that he wanted what he ordered. When it came, it was thrown together and pretty gross. My food was mediocre at best, tasted like it had been sitting out for a couple of hours. I know Kerbey lane is supposed to be kind of an Austin experience, but if outsiders came here, they would think Austin is a nightmare. Magnolia, please please open a restaurant up north.
- Pros: Nothing
- Cons: Everything
The best anything you want, any time you want because, they're open 24 hrs. a day 7 days a week!
by angelcaprice
July 31, 2008
Kerby Lane, Kerby Lane, Kerby Lane...
When I say that name, all can think about is my favorite Cobb Sandwich on Sourdough with a side of black beans and a cup of fruit. The Odwalla Orange juice with so much pulp it's just so yummy. If I'm feeling a little naughty... two buttermilk pancakes that are sooooo hot and steamy with real butter and warm maple syrup tops off the evening.
I have eaten at every Kerby Lane in Austin. Since I live South, the one on South Lamar is the one I call home.
Jackie, Kevin, and David are three of my favorite waitstaff. Seriously they all so cool!
Did I forget to mention... Kerby Lane Cafe makes the most beautiful cakes for any occasion.
I called upon Kebry Lane Cafe Specialty Cakes for a wedding I was planning on Christmas Eve of last year.
The manager at the time personally delivered the cake to our function at "The OASiS". That was super cool!
It was Incredibly delicious and so incredibly beautiful.
So, If you're hungry for anything, checkout the menu. There's something for you, I promise!
If you're looking for an AwEsOmE artistic baker, it's Kerby Lane Cafe.
- Pros: I love everything about Kerby Lane,it'shome to me!
- Cons: I have leave because, there's always someone who's hungry and needs your table...
This place smells
by jacksinaussie
February 08, 2008
Food is ok,just ok sometimes,I grew up with this place and it has declined so much.The thing that gets me is when I first came in after moving back to Austin,I was all gunned up to eat and show off the local eatery,well blah the place smelled like pine-sol and pee.We made jokes just thinking something must have happened,Ha this place really does smell like pine-sol and pee,for a year the smell has not changed.The staff is friendly but your food takes forever even when your the only one in the joint,and its all dried out when it gets to you,lay back on the doobs guys,you might get more tips.
- Pros: Its 24 hrs
- Cons: smells
Mediocre service
by cityflashpacker
November 05, 2007
This is our second visit to a Kerbey Lane Cafe and our first time at this location. We were disappointed both times, but let me write about our visit at this particular location.
We arrived after 10 pm and were seated promptly. The server took our orders and that was about the extent of their good service. I don't know if the server was untrained, inattentive or both. When our drinks were delivered, I asked for straws, and she brought back only 1 and gave it to my SO. We ordered an appetizer and the entrees at the same time. We were hungry and you would think that she would bring out the hummus first. But no, everything was brought out all at the same time. The hummus was good, but the pita bread could be better. I asked again for a straw and though she acknowledged my request, she never came back with one.
My chicken tortilla soup was about the only thing that was good. I ordered the special and it was supposed to come with fresh baked bread. I asked the server what kind of bread it was, and she didn't know and said she would find out. I said that's ok I'll just go ahead and order it anyway. But she never brought out the bread (she didn't charge me either for the bread so that was good at least.)
My SO's turkey panini was really greasy and had too much spread on the inside that he scraped it off the bread. The casear salad was ok.
It took forever for her to bring us our check. She looked like she was punching something on the POS system and needed help from someone else. When we got the check, we didn't risk paying with a credit card lest we be kept there for another 15 minutes. We just left cash and went.
The table next to us left after 10 minutes of being seated because no one came to their table to take their orders.
Not sure if we'd give it another chance. It was a bad experience that we even thought of just hitting the IHOP the next time we needed a meal late at night.
- Pros: Open 24 hours
- Cons: Bad service
Doesn't live up to the hype, but it was ok.
by emsmwhite
August 10, 2007
I suppose I was expecting something spectacular in dining at Kerbey Lane for the very first time. While I lived in and visit Austin regularly, I never made it 'til this past Monday. We were seated quick enough, but, of course, we got there at about 1130pm, so I wasn't too worried. Our server was nice enough, as servers go, too, but she wasn't all that attentive. I had the migas, which, while they looked a little questionable, ended up being pretty solid. The place is super loud, though, even at 1130 or 12 at night, the crosses hanging everywhere are slightly unnerving, and the wait staff seems a little, well... untrained, maybe. As I stated, the waitress was nice, but she only came for a drink order, food order, and someone else delivered our food. Getting a refill was out of the question, and hot sauce for my migas wasn't happening either.
I'd probably go back if someone else was heading there, but it CERTAINLY doesn't live up to its hype.
- Pros: Migas with black beans, I guess?
- Cons: Loud, average to below average all around.
Horrible service, mediocre food
by mamaross
August 05, 2007
I ate at this location of Kerbey Lane for the first time today and was not impressed. When we arrived we were told that the wait should be around 25 minutes. We went to the bar and ordered drinks and an appetizer while we waited. Neither of us wore a watch, so we weren't aware of just how long we'd been waiting, but it began to seem like it was taking a very long time and others who had arrived after us were being seated. So, after an hour wait I went to the front counter to check on the status of our table and saw that our names had been checked off the list and they were about 15 groups past us. I asked why we hadn't been paged or called and was told they had a new pager system (which doesn't explain why they didn't bother to call out our names as they had for other parties in the bar area). We finally sat down and ordered. The food was a little slow in coming but we were ravenous by that point which probably made us slightly less patient. The fish tacos I ordered were extremely bland, and my companion's Caesar salad was similarly tasteless and uninspiring. Once we finished, I looked around for the server and saw her lingering in the corner with a drink. Shortly thereafter, she disappeared. I was frustrated that she hadn't even bothered to check in with us since delivering our food. I couldn't stand to wait any longer so I went to the front hostess stand and asked for help in getting my check. Their response regarding our server was, "Oh, she just went to smoke." OK...so I'm supposed to just chill out and wait for her to finish hanging out in the back, leisurely puffing away. I told her I had already waited an hour for the table and needed the check now, so she finally had another server print it and bring it to us. Needless to say, the whole experience was extremely frustrating and I won't be a repeat customer at this location.
- Pros: Good nachos and Bloody Mary
- Cons: Horrendous service and lackluster entrees
