Although South By Southwest has often been described as an adult’s playground, it could also very well be considered a test of one’s endurance. The restaurants listed below will solve your late-night hunger pains, leaving Austinites and SXSW attendees replenished for another day of festivities.
Magnolia Cafe
Price: $-$$
WHERE: 1920 S. Congress Ave.
Time: Open 24 Hours
Open 24 hours, Magnolia Cafe offers an array of late-night treats that range from energy-boosting breakfast plates to stomach-filling hamburgers. Their latest concoction, the Sloppy Burger, comes fully-equipped with a well-cooked beef patty drizzled in zesty queso and piled high with bacon and vegetables, served with a side of their delicious homefries. If their burger is too much, you can always get their delicious migas or breakfast tacos.
24 Diner
Price: $-$$
WHERE: Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard
Time: Open 24 Hours
Closer to downtown, Austin’s 24 Diner is also conveniently attached to Waterloo Records, which will be hosting an assortment of shows from bands Foxy Shazam, Talib Kweli and of Montreal. Among 24 Diner’s standout entrees is the chicken and waffles plate. “It’s the perfect blend of savory and sweet,” said Lindsay McCalmont, one of the restaurant’s managers. The entree encompasses the whole plate; a large, sugar-coated waffle toppled underneath medium-sized pieces of fried chicken breasts and drizzled with sweet syrup. Along with their chicken and waffles plate, 24 Diner also offers great chili cheese fries and meatloaf.
Homeslice Pizza/More Homeslice Pizza
Price: $
WHERE: 1415 South Congress Ave.
Time: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (Mon.-Thurs.), 11 a.m.-midnight (Fri.-Sat. with More Homeslice open until 3 a.m.), 12-11 p.m. (Sun.)
For those on the go, Homeslice Pizza is your restaurant of choice. Their authentic New York-style pizza is a favorite among Austinites and tourists alike, offering an array of pizzas and subs. “I would suggest a sub for late-night meals,” said Homeslice Pizza general manager Jeff Mettlore. “That, or the eggplant parmesan pizza we’re only offering on Friday 16, during Music By the Slice.”
Music By the Slice, also known as MXTS, is an annual event in which Homeslice Pizza hosts a party that features over 10 performers. This year’s lineup includes The Belle Brigade, who performed at last year’s Austin City Limits Festival. “It’s 16 bands, with music beginning in the morning and ending at night,” Mettlore said.
Big Bite Restaraunt
Price: $-$$
WHERE: 415 W. 24th St.
Time: 11-4 a.m. All Week
Known for their deliciously large and heavy “Phat Sandwiches,” Big Bite will cure even the largest hungers with their trademark dish. These sandwiches, which can be filled with chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, egg and anything else you could possibly imagine, are a must-have.
Kerbey Lane Cafe
Price: $-$$
WHERE: 3003 South Lamar Blvd.
Time: Open 24 Hours
No night would be complete without a stop at Kerbey Lane Cafe for their notorious Kerbey queso. A staple for Austin eateries, Kerbey Lane has a vast selection of breakfast plates and other entrees. Aside from the delicious migas, you also have their delectable pancakes, which come in varied flavors.
“I always get something from their seasonal menu,” said government sophomore Timothy Clark. Kerbey Lane’s seasonal menus feature everything from pumpkin pancakes to basil pesto pasta. But no matter what, the Kerbey Queso that comes first. “My feelings about Kerbey Queso are the same feelings I have for water: I need eight cups of it a day,” Clark said.
