1886 Café & Bakery at The Driskill Hotel is one of the leading Austin, Texas restaurants that serves classic Texan comfort food in a casually elegant setting. Originally the hotel's saloon and billiard hall, today, the open kitchen features daily specials complimented by local favorites. The hotel was declared a National Historic Landmark in November 1969, and the café located at the busy corner of Sixth and Brazos streets, remains the social gathering place for locals and out-of-town guests alike looking for delicious traditional Texas comfort foods that combine time-honored Texas traditions with contemporary preparation.
The bakery features an incredible array of daily pastries, breads and Austin's finest custom-crafted cakes and pies, available via direct order, or by visiting the café for a custom consultation.
1886 Café & Bakery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with late-night dining, and offers full bar service.
Before a full day of sightseeing in Austin, Keith and I walked over to the Driskell Hotel for breakfast. This charming historic café was already full with mostly tourists. An item from the menu immediately caught my eye -
South Congress Migas. Made with scrambled eggs mixed with strips of corn tortilla, diced onions, sliced chile peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, and cheese. It was served with a bowl of hot and smokey refried beans topped with plenty of Queso Fresco and came with choice of flour or corn tortillas to make your own breakfast tacos.
The dish was warm and comforting and all the elements went well together - the soft eggs, the crunchy tortilla chips, the tangy onions and peppers, and the buttery tortillas. I really enjoyed this dish, and it filled me up perfectly for the big day ahead.
Keith ordered the
Brazos Baked Huevos Rancheros that was a layered dish of eggs, chorizo, pico de gallo, refried black beans, and Queso Fresco in corn tortillas and topped with sour cream, guacamole, & roasted tomato salsa. His dish was more spicy than mine and also quite comforting and filling.
Additionally, we wanted something from the bakery so we ordered a
Chocolate Croissant to share. It was large and buttery with a nice dark chocolate filling. I needed a little sweet ending to the meal and the croissant satisfied. Overall, service was a bit slow but friendly and the food was better than the average diner breakfast. I'd recommend stopping by the bakery at least to check out the interior of this grand historic hotel.
Total Rating:
3.9
Food: 4, Price: 3.5, Service: 3.5, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5
What I ate:
♥South Congress Migas♥
scrambled eggs mixed with strips of corn tortilla, diced onions, sliced chile peppers,
diced fresh tomatoes, and cheese, served with refried beans, and flour tortillas
♥Chocolate Croissant♥
Plus Keith ate:
Brazos Baked Huevos Rancheros
eggs, chorizo, pico de gallo, refried black beans, Queso Fresco, layered in corn tortillas
topped with sour cream, guacamole, & roasted tomato salsa
