Restaurants Supply

Boasting robust population growth since the mid 1990s, the University of Texas at Austin, a strong tech-oriented employment market, and its legendary live music, Austin, Texas is often portrayed as a youthful city.

But it also has a rich history and there are many active institutions and establishments that connect locals and visitors to Austin’s past. Among restaurants, for example, there are many Austin eateries that have been operating for decades. Here are three Austin restaurants that have been serving Austin for more than 50 years.

#1 – Matt’s El Rancho

Matt’s El Rancho on South Lamar has been a popular family owned restaurant going back to 1952. It features quality Mexican food in a classy but not formal setting. With its vine-covered columns and large, wooden, sun-engraved, double doors, the restaurant has one of the most distinct front entrances in Austin. Matt Martinez, the original owner, was a former boxer and winner of the 1942 half marathon in Kodiak, Alaska.

#2 – The Frisco

The Frisco Shop, as it is officially known, is the last surviving eatery of what was once known as the Night Hawk Restaurant chain. Harry Akin opened the first Night Hawk Restaurant on the corner of Congress Avenue and Riverside DR all the way back in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression. The first diner had two booths and a small counter, and offered 15 cent hamburgers. Harry Akin, who would also become Mayor of Austin during the early 1960s, would eventually have a chain of 7 diners and steakhouses in the Austin area, a line of frozen dinners, and his own cattle operation to supply his restaurants.

#3 – Threadgill’s

Austin’s legendary Threadgill’s Restaurant (there are two locations) didn’t actually start out as a restaurant. The first Threadgill’s began in 1933 as a gas station and small grocery store (and a discreet location to get your “homebrew” during the final days of Prohibition). Following Prohibition, music-loving Kenneth Threadgill converted his establishment into a bar that was a haven for musicians and music lovers alike. In the early years, musicians who played at Threadgill’s were paid in beer. Threadgill’s is also famous for being the place were Janis Joplin got her start.

In the mid 1970s, Kenneth Threadgill sold his establishment to Eddie Wilson of the Armadillo World Headquarters (another legendary Austin live music venue), who would bring a full menu to Threadgill’s in the form of his signature Southern home-style recipes. And, of course, as a music venue, the rich tradition remains unbroken as Threadgill’s continues to entertain and delight music lovers.

For more details and full reviews on these and other restaurants in Austin, check out the Real Austin Texas Austin Restaurant Guide. And for a more comprehensive listing of local dining establishments, an Austin Restaurant Directory is also available.