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    Counter Cafe East

    3.8 (577 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Counter Cafe East Photos

    Business Info

    COUNTER CAFE EAST ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Seasonal hot cake
    Katie C.

    Counter Cafe is a great breakfast/brunch spot on the east side. Last time I was there, they had a seasonal apple cinnamon hot cake that was delicious! I'm so glad I ordered it. Surprisingly, they don't have lattes on their menu. I would love if they added them to their offerings. Overall, nice staff, good food and cool atmosphere. I'll definitely be back.

    Peach pancake
    Rachael L.

    Food was good, nothing that stands out. Pretty basic. We had the peach pancake and bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. I did drizzle honey on the biscuit sandwich and that was tasty. The value for what you get is why I am giving them a 4 Star. With tip, our bill was $37. Friendly smiles from all the staff. Ambiance is good - pretty small place so I'm sure during busy times it's hard to get in.

    Cup of Soup
    Elle K.

    This is a great neighborhood spot you can count on for a good diner type meal! It is usually pretty busy on the weekends so show up early or prepare to wait a little bit! I like their breakfast tacos and the salsa they come with. All of their ingredients taste really fresh. The menu really has something for everyone. They have some parking in the front and back of the building, then some street parking in the area.

    Crab Cake Benedict
    Hannah N.

    Spicy Bloody Mary is the way to start a Saturday and they make a stellar one at this spot! We were staying close by so this spot was awesome to walk to for a great meal to start a busy day. They do seem to get busy and it is just a walk ups to get seated and since the restaurant is on the smaller side we did have to wait but only for 15 mins. The menu had some many great items it was hard to pick but we had to start with a biscuit and gravy to share. I decided to go with breakfast tacos which I really enjoyed! Service was pretty quick which is also a plus and the servers are very knowledgeable of the menu which is always a plus.

    Biscuits and gravy.
    Isabel C.

    Good freshly prepared food and very tasty. Great service and the location is nice clean and cozy.

    Crab Cake Benedict
    Audrey K.

    The service was really friendly but the food was subpar. The crab cakes were good sized but I think they missed on the quality. Mine was grainy and the crab didn't shine through all the other ingredients. They gave us some sauces to pair with them for the eggs and I didn't think any of them blended very well. I think I'd come back to try their lunch options, I wish I would've gotten a burger instead.

    Counter Benedict
    Michael G.

    This place was jamming on a Sunday morning brunch. We waited for a little bit just to sit two of us, but that's Austin for you. The staff was very nice and management seemed to be doing a really great job with their staff and patrons. The inside had the hometown diner feel. We sat at barstools at the counter. I ordered the Counter Benedict and let me tell you that was some of the best hollandaise I've ever had. I'd probably order the same thing again because it was just so good. The eggs were cooked just right. We'll be back!

    Karla D.

    Wow! First of all, our server was AMAZING!! Super friendly and attentive. Genuine. Cute and updated version of a classic diner with a pleasant vibe. I love that everything is farm to counter. The chicken tortilla soup was some of the best I've ever had. It tasted like I was eating it in the kitchen of a grandma. Home style perfection. The boyfriend got the burger and he said he rivaled burgers that he's had at places that boast having the best.

    Hot Cake, Breakfast Taco
    Carrie M.

    The wait here can be long during peak hours as the interior is kind of small. After a couple of attempts, I came here at 10am on a Saturday, and our group of four was seated in 10 minutes. I ordered the hot cake, which is a large pancake that comes with packaged butter and maple syrup. You can add whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries, pecans, or chocolate chips for an additional cost. It is large, but not enough for a meal unless you are child sized or on a caloric restriction. It was really good and fluffy. I also ordered the breakfast taco, which has eggs, bacon, cheese, potatoes, and a mild salsa. It was a good, very standard breakfast taco, albeit a little bit small for the price. I only ordered it so I wouldn't be hungry with the one pancake. My friends enjoyed their egg sandwich, breakfast potatoes, fruit and granola, and counter burger. The counter burger ranked the 2nd best burger out of 50 in Texas by Texas Monthly Magazine in 2009. This was quite a long time ago, and I haven't seen it in more recent rankings, but my friend who ordered it said it was a really solid burger. We agreed the fries were great too. The prices are reasonable with normal portion sizes as we all finished our meals and were satisfied. We were told at the end that they couldn't split the bill by item. This was surprising because this is a nice and modern restaurant in 2024. It was inconvenient, but I didn't think much of it until I read other reviews and found out that they can split the bill, but apparently the waiters don't like to do it because it takes a long time. Fair enough (although I suggest that they upgrade their antiquated system), but I felt very deceived that she told us that they "can't" split the bill. The service was friendly and relatively attentive. This isn't a restaurant to linger in when it's busy as there is limited seating with a long line. There is parking in front of and behind the restaurant.

    Paloma, people watching
    Jeanette S.

    We stayed the night close by and walked over to have some breakfast on a Friday morning. We had our dog with us so we went straight to the patio in the back and were greeted immediately by Dora. They had fans and dog bowls; special touches. My husband had a spicy Bloody Mary and the Counter Benedict's that he enjoyed. I wanted some huevos rancheros but it wasn't on the menú and Dora said, "not a problem". I'm not a fan with the tostada on the bottom of the dish but Dora said that I would not be disappointed and SHE WAS RIGHT! The tostada was so crispy that it never got soggy. The salsa and refried beans were seasoned perfectly. We ordered our precious Paloma some bacon. The service was great and the people were super friendly.

    Brian T.

    For a decently long wait on a Saturday, Counter Cafe is a average choice for a brunch in Austin. My group of three was seated in the patio area of the restaurant. Typically, this seems like a nice environment, as the restaurant provides blankets on the chairs for the outdoor seating as well as heaters that placed every two tables. Being a chilly day, I asked our waiter if he could turn on our heater and he said "no, we're out of fuel for that heater, but the temperature is great out so I think you'll be fine." Not off to a good start. Later, I saw the next table try to turn on their heater as well to no success. The food was very average, and overall not very flavorful. The biscuits and gravy were okay, and the biscuits were slightly overdone. Will not be returning here.

    I LOVE these plants outside
    Jesika H.

    Turn down for what? This place was welllllll worth the excruciatingly 20 min wait in the Austin heat with 30 other folks!!? I had the Benedict ( sub whatever meat for spinach and avocado, chefs kiss) the hollandaise sauce was like a lemony sort of concoction which normally I would hate but it worked so well! But let me tell you about this vanilla spiced pancake with a dash of nutmeg and a sliver of love, that pancake was SOOOO yummy and not as big as I thought because it was definitely finished with no crumbles left, equally as good was the crab cake benny. We were seated outside in a small outdoor Patio that was equipped but really lovely plants AND water mists and fans going so it was a lovely no sweating while eating situation!! Service was fantastic and the gentlemen over the waitlist was just that, a very nice guy!

    Counter Benedict and Local Coffee
    Clau R.

    Just went back to Counter Cafe with my boyfriend's parents, who were visiting us. A bit of a wait, but we went next door to Lazarus for a drink while we waited and kept walking over to check in. After about half an hour we were able to snag a table inside. It was really hot out and the AC wasn't blowing super well inside, but it was much better than sitting outside! We ordered some mimosas and then our brunch came. I ordered a baby cake with chocolate and pecans and the yogurt with fruit and granola. Delicious!

    Blueberry pancake, eggs and fruit

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    2 years ago

    Counter Cafe is hands down one of the best brunch spots in Austin. There's usually a bit of a wait, but so immensely worth it.

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    2 years ago

    Great breakfast place. Food and service was great. Eggs bene and breakfast sandwich was great.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing service. Amazing people. Amazing food. Consistently good. My husband & I have become regulars.

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    Page 2 of 15

    Ask the Community - Counter Cafe East

    Is the patio dog friendly?

    Yes it is!

    How crowded does it get at 8:00 am on a Saturday?

    Is breakfast served all day?

    Yes! It's only open until 3pm everyday

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Jewboy Burgers - Sloppy José. Yum! @coreyd123 on Instagram

    Jewboy Burgers

    4.6(1.7k reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    As one of the tribe, I couldn't not check this out. Especially with a burger called the "yenta"…read morethat has a latke in the burger. I'm going to repeat that - a crisp, golden disc of potato love is in the burger. Not on the side. In. Be still my heart (literally, I think that got me close to a heart attack). I cannot recommend Jewboy burgers enough. Staff was friendly, service and ambiance were great with plenty of places to sit inside and out. Parking is somewhat limited but worth braving to get a little peace of Old Testament heaven in your belly.

    The hype couldn't be further from accurate! Ordered the standard Jewboy Burger as it comes, onion…read morerings, fries and a fountain soda. First off, i'm so over places offering only Maine Root options. These always taste horrible. Id pay double for a canned coke or pepsi anyday. Before we get to the disappointment of a burger, lets talk about the onion rings and the fries, as they shared the same problem. Either your oil needed to be changed 2 days ago, or your timer stopped working. Both came out brown and tasted of bitter overused oil. Now to the burger. I do appreciate the amount of pickle slices on this burger, but this heavy hand was also responsible for the mustard levels! I think i'll be tasting mustard for a couple days. The bun was too soft and barely held up to the task. If I do give this place another shot, it will be minus mustard for sure.

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    Jewboy Burgers - Interior seating

    Interior seating

    Jewboy Burgers - Tater tots. @coreyd123 on Instagram

    Tater tots. @coreyd123 on Instagram

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    Outdoor seating

    NADC Burger

    NADC Burger

    3.9(198 reviews)
    0.7 miEast Austin
    $$

    I've eaten here twice. Once the patties were beautifully charred and the overall burger was…read moreperfection. The second time the patties were light grey and tasted like they had been boiled. I'd like to know which style I can expect from this place as I prefer one over another.

    Long story short - it's an average burger, where flavor wise the beef itself was overpowered by the…read moreamount of pickles. I'm a girl who prefers no pickles on burgers so that's my own bias but even my partner stated he felt the burger was very pickle forward. The waygu beef was suppose to be star, especially at the price point for this ($40 for two burgers, a diet coke, and a shared order of beast fried), and it simply wasn't. Both the burger and fries were well cooked but my feedback is slapping what seems to be sliced cheese that will only melt to the top layer of fries and leave the rest without any toppings feels like a missed opportunity. It makes it harder even grab fries because they are conjoined together by the cheese. I like consistency in each bite, once the top layer of fries was gone they were just plain Jane fries. I think if the burger had some crunchy / crispy to just break up all the soft textures that would be nice as well. Like subbing the grilled jalepenos for raw ones. I can't say I'd go out of my way for this spot again with other competitors like Buddy's being closer and less pricey but it was still a well cooked burger. But if you like pickles, this is the place for you! It's bar/ high top dining only so definitely a casual, quick bite stop.

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    NADC Burger - Front Counter

    Front Counter

    NADC Burger - NADC

    NADC

    NADC Burger - NOT A DAMN CHANCE - courtesy of NEEN!

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    NOT A DAMN CHANCE - courtesy of NEEN!

    Mission Burger

    Mission Burger

    4.7(203 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    It's been a while since we've been back here and since then, they've moved and this is their…read moreSECOND, new location. Whoa! I studied their website before we went as a review session and they have a section with ingredients and options for food allergies and special diets. I got there prepared and the owner was there and I found out that website hasn't been updated in about 2 years. Many things have changed, but not their website. Our go-to Meati Sandwich is no longer on the menu. But I must say I love the new place. Bold, clean, awesome. Other than that, not too much has changed; they still have a lot of mouthwatering items on the menu... and my family can only eat one burger on the menu. We're allium-free vegetarians and there's alliums in sauces and certain proteins used. Thankfully, we were speaking to one of the co-owners and he was super helpful and patient with us, even looking up ingredients and letting us double check. He is aware of the Jain diet. They also have a kids menu and we actually ordered off of one for the first time for the kids (just a simplified version of the regular burgers), We ended up ordering: MISSION BURGER ($16.95): a classic burger with 2 Impossible patties. Having said that, the patties were super thin and smooshed flat. The guys got this burger. Took out onions and subbed out the house sauce with ketchup and mustard. JR MISSION BURGER ($12.95): same as the regular with only 1 of the smooshed impossible patties. My sister and I got this. A very good burger and it's such a nostalgic feeling eating a burger (that I didn't make myself for once). The burger was perfectly filling but I could definitely also eat a regular Mission with no issues since the patties are smooshed down. KIDS' CHEESEBURGER W/ FRIES (1 with a gluten-free bun), both $11.99 so no additional cost for GF: both my kids got this with nothing added in other than cheese and the smooshed impossible patty. The saddest looking burgers BUT they ate it! The gluten-free bun is a bit... flattened, but my kid ate half of it there and finished it on the car ride out of Austin. Then asked for another one. In fact, he's still asking for another one and it's been almost 2 weeks. My other kid (picky, no allergies) likes it as well, but didn't finish and not as much as her brother. But she definitely loved the fries. SMALL FRIES ($3.50): almost every order of burgers came with a side of fries. These are perfect, stayed delicious, and were perfectly seasoned. If you are gluten-sensitive or have a wheat allergy, do know they use a shared fryer for ALL their fried items. My kid with the food allergies couldn't eat them, just to be safe. COOKIES AND CREAM MILKSHAKE ($11.95): This is made with their soft serve and regular Oreo cookies. SO GOOD. My daughter and my vegan sister got one each. Not too sweet, hit the spot perfectly. I would like to suggest they offer a gluten-free version made with GF Oreos if they can figure out how to significantly eliminate cross contamination... or just use only GF Oreos. VANILLA SOFT SERVE ($3.99): fun fact - these are lentil protein based! Got this for my kid with the food allergies (he's allergic to wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, avocado, pineapple, kiwi) who prefers real dairy and he ate almost the entire cup! It's a pretty hefty serving. I had a taste and it's pretty good. Very close to the dairy version. We were thrilled with our visit. Everything tasted great! I loved how there isn't an additional cost for a gluten free bun (it's a little wonky shaped... irregularly flattened on top). My food allergy kid asked me to make him a burger because he misses the one he got here and he specifically requested for buns with a round top so it's apparently a sore spot with him. I also love how I could actually talk to someone and make well informed decisions on what we could order... and we ordered everything we could have (aside from desserts). I'm a bit sad Mission Burger is so far away, but I guess it just means we'll have to stop by Austin when we're in Texas again. Thank you for another amazing experience!

    My BFF and I came here looking for Spin Burger and realized this location had moved in. Sad I…read moredidn't get a burger frisbee, but this was a great substitute. FREE Chocolate Chip Cookie - The cookies are definitely great--no crazy standout, but they had a distinct oat flavor. I can imagine sea salt would enhance the flavor even more. I love chocolate chip, though... and FREE is the best seasoning. Mushroom Truffle - We agreed to split these burgers 50/50, and bro zoned out while eating; I got like 1/4 of it. Hopefully that emphasizes how much he enjoyed this burger. The first thing I noticed was that the patty wasn't as thick. I do like their burgers and how they're medium-rare, but this one was much more packed with mushrooms, per the burger style. If it had the B&B patty, this would've been my favorite. Hold up--I did not know this was an Impossible patty. Not bad, but it does explain the difference in flavor. Still, it paired exceptionally well with the mushrooms. Black & Blue - Very deep flavors. I didn't like it as much as the Mushroom Truffle. In fact, I felt like this was way too saucy. The blue cheese didn't hold the show as much as the rest of the burger, and I'm a sucker for blue cheese. Like, inject Penicillin straight into my soul; obsessed. Anyways, it was just okay. My BFF and I agreed that these burgers are TENDER. Like, "didn't have to chew; it was a soft slush in my mouth" tender. Anyways, the sauce on both of these was on point--the first bite was a very obvious banger of flavors. Okay. I lied; these are ALL Impossible patties. Instantly changed the game because these were very well executed. On the way out, one of the workers (perhaps the owner) asked for our feedback. Apparently, many of these burgers are new menu items, and we got to hear a bit of their backstory (and got another FREE cookie). Some of the loveliest people I've met. I really love what they're doing here, and I'm glad they moved just 15 minutes away from our location. Wishing them the best!

    Photos
    Mission Burger - Counter service

    Counter service

    Mission Burger
    Mission Burger

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    Jimmy's Big Burger - Jimmy's Big Burger

    Jimmy's Big Burger

    4.7(78 reviews)
    5.1 mi

    This burger spot is essentially just a food truck, but the food is solid, and the service is great…read more The food truck itself is nice and clean, and there's a big signage out front. There is some picnic bench seating if you care to eat there, but each order is ready to take home You can also find a menu and other information posted on the outside. The menu mostly offers burgers, but there are a couple other offerings like a cheesesteak, partner, etc. The staff were very friendly and precessional. I really appreciated that they double checked everything in our to-go bags against what we ordered just to make sure we had everything. Everything was bagged, and the orders had the individual order and special order requests written on top Everything tasted great. The burgers were classic burgers, slightly messy, but very flavorful. The fries weren't quite as crisp as I like, but they were seasoned well and tasty Some tips: Consider ordering online so you can have your meal ready when you arrive The burgers/entrees don't come with fries, so, consider ordering a couple fries to share. One order of fries is more than enough for 2 people to share. To do this just make your meal a combo on the ones you want to have fries. Combos also come with a drink, but it's not a fountain drink it's in cans which they also bag for you Cheers!!

    When I chose to eat here, I checked the reviews and there were way more positive reviews than…read morenegative, so I thought the odds were in my favor. The few negative reviews mentioned bland burgers, but the positive ones say these are the best burgers in town. I thought I couldn't be unlucky enough to be in the minority and receive bland burgers, but, boy, was I wrong! NO SEASONING IN THE PATTIES!! Not even salt? If they had just seasoned the patties like they seasoned their fries, my experience would be completely different. An easy 5 stars. But nope. A solid 2, only because of everything other than the patties. We came at around 8pm on a Saturday night and were the only customers, so maybe that should've been a sign. Also the lot felt kinda sketchy in the dark. Idk if I would have wanted to be there alone at night. Food was also ready in 10 minutes, like the guy told us. FRIES: Thick cut, well-seasoned, good. Looked like a steak seasoning on the fries. I liked it, but since they were thick, the center of the fries were bland, unfortunately. Maybe it would've been less noticeable if we ate them right away. Large serving though. My bf and I only got one combo and couldn't finish the fries with each of our burgers. The burgers are big, at 4 inches wide. THOUSAND ISLAND BURGER: I liked it at first because of the thousand island, but for the bites that didn't have it, I noticed that the patty didn't taste seasoned...like at all. I was shocked at how bland it was without the dressing. MUSHROOM BURGER: The mushrooms had no flavor, probably weren't seasoned at all. The burger, overall, was also very bland. Unseasoned patty here too. The ingredients felt fresh, but it was missing the flavor we were expecting. Really disappointing. They gave ketchup packets in the bag, but we didn't remember they were in there before finishing our burgers. It probably would've really helped, but the burgers shouldn't have needed it to be good.

    Photos
    Jimmy's Big Burger
    Jimmy's Big Burger - Thousand island burger

    Thousand island burger

    Jimmy's Big Burger - Signage and seating

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    Signage and seating

    Counter Cafe East - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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