Phoebe's Diner: Classic American diner in South Austin

Looking for brunch in South Austin? Look no further than Phoebe's Diner — Looking for brunch in South Austin? Look no further than Phoebe’s Diner

Phoebe’s Diner, located in Austin, Texas, is a casual diner serving everything from scratch-made American classics to barbecue. In 2017, the owners of Winebelly, one of South Austin’s best wine bars, opened Phoebe’s Diner. The diner, located a few doors down from Winebelly, sits next to a gas station in a strip mall off W Oltorf St.

Since opening, the breakfast and brunch spot has gained a following for its extensive menu featuring made-from-scratch Americana dishes. Dishes include fried chicken, shrimp & grits, biscuits & gravy, and Texas barbecue.

Tip: On weekends, I always join the Phoebe’s Diner waitlist on Yelp before I arrive. I recommend doing this, otherwise, you might be waiting for a table.

Interior of Phoebe’s Diner

Due to its strip mall location, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked inside the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised when I made my way from the parking lot and through the door.

The first thing that caught my attention was how small the dining room was. On one side of the narrow room was a long counter, ubiquitous at most American diners. On the other side, opposite the counter, were small booths. A nook with a few more tables was at the far end of the dining room. At the front, near the entrance, was a small covered patio.

Another thing that caught my attention was how loud the place was. It was busy and noisy, with people talking, sounds from the kitchen, and music playing in the background. If you are looking for a quiet meal, this may not be the best spot. For me, this was no issue at all. It was all part of the ambiance of the small diner.

As for the décor, I would describe it best as clean and modern while rustic and cozy at the same time. The simple white walls, checkerboard floors, and retro red lamps reminded me of a 1950s diner with a modern, industrial twist.

Phoebe’s Diner Menu

Breakfast and brunch menu at Phoebe's Diner, Austin, Texas — Breakfast and brunch menu at Phoebe’s Diner

Lunch menu, Phoebe's Diner, Austin, Texas — Lunch menu

For a small diner, the extensive Phoebe’s Diner menu surprised me. The menu featured everything from classic American dishes to barbecue using brisket smoked in-house. The variety made ordering difficult as there were so many great options.

Breakfast items included eggs benedict, omelets, fried chicken, grits, pancakes, crepes, and French toast. Enjoy Texas barbecue? Be sure to order something made with smoked brisket, such as the Smoked Brisket Burrito ($11.50).

The menu’s second page featured snacks, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and mason jar goodies. You can find something on the à la carte menu if you aren’t too hungry. Are you dining with kids? Check out the small selection of items for those ten and under.

As for drinks, you had coffee, tea, cocktails, craft beers, wine, mimosas, juice, soda, and milk.

Brisket Benny

Two of my favorite things are eggs benedict and smoked brisket. So, ordering the Brisket Benny ($12.50) seemed like an easy decision for me. This Texas-style eggs benedict came with over-easy eggs, chopped BBQ brisket, buttermilk biscuits, hollandaise sauce, and BBQ sauce. Served on the side was a hash brown casserole.

At first glance, I thought to myself, where is the brisket? I quickly learned that looks can be deceiving. Hidden under the eggs was a generous amount of chopped brisket.

Brisket can be challenging to cook and easy to overcook, I know from personal experience. But at Phoebe’s Diner, they cooked their brisket to perfection until tender and moist. Each shredded piece of brisket was the perfect mix of meaty bits and rich, melt-in-your-mouth fatty goodness.

The smoky brisket, sweet and salty BBQ sauce, hollandaise, and the yolk from the perfectly poached over easy eggs was a match made in food heaven. They all complemented each other.

As for the hollandaise sauce. Its taste was buttery and tart from butter and lemon juice. But I felt the smoky brisket and BBQ sauce overpowered the bright flavors of the hollandaise.

Traditionally, you use English muffins for eggs Benedict. At Phoebe’s Diner, they used buttermilk biscuits instead. The unique square biscuits were golden brown and crispy on the outside while moist and buttery inside. Even topped with brisket, eggs, hollandaise, and BBQ sauce, the biscuits remained crispy on the outside until the last bite.

Hash Brown Casserole

Served on the side was a hash brown casserole. This interesting side was different than expected. The potatoes, served cold, were crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside. The potatoes had a texture that seemed undercooked or even raw. Mixed in with the potatoes was cheese, making each bite creamy. While I enjoyed the casserole, others might not enjoy the texture of the potatoes.

My friendly server brought over two types of homemade salsas without asking. The red tomato salsa was both smoky and spicy. The green salsa was also smoky and spicy but had a bright, tart flavor from tomatillos and jalapenos. I enjoyed pouring each salsa over the brisket benny and hash brown casserole for another layer of flavor and a kick of heat.

Service at Phoebe’s Diner

Even though it was a busy day, I found the service at Phoebe’s Diner to be both efficient and personable. I appreciated how my friendly server gave me her recommendations, which turned out to be great. And food arrived quickly even with a busy kitchen. I also enjoyed how my server seemed to come around when I needed something yet knew when to leave me to enjoy my meal.

Conclusion

Phoebe’s Diner is a hidden gem located between a gas station and mobile store in South Austin. Even with its unusual location, it’s not uncommon for there to be a long wait for a table at this local diner. But, the wait is worth it for their scratch-made American classic dishes and Texas barbecue. Everything on the menu looked great. With its great menu, friendly service, and cool décor, I can’t wait to return to Phoebe’s Diner on my next visit to Austin.