Cafe 290

Woooohoo love this place. Fluffiest and best pancakes when I’m too lazy to make them. Texas breakfast toast husband loved it. And we also got the hot dog so filling and filled with toppings. They have daily specials I believe. We got meatloaf to go. Will come back again.

Back in 09/2023 we ordered to go for football game at home and then we were missing half our chicken wings (mango habanero) so we called them and they said they would take care of it for us. Sweet of them. I didn’t claim it because it was so long ago.

Very good cute little place, a lot of the food was homemade so it took a while but I was willing wait. The servers are all very nice and compliment you a lot, make you feel like film even! I'm glad we tried this place even though it's not as "glamorous" as some of the other places, it was still worth it!

First time here! Excellent roadside diner food! Generous portions and fresh food. The Club sandwich was HUGE and the fried pickle spears were an unexpected and excellent side dish. Not pictured was the delicious Cherry cheesecake I had for dessert! Heather, our waitress, was super friendly and attentive. What a great little gem of a diner just outside Austin!

Excellent breakfast all day at prices you would expect to see about 10 years ago! (Which is great considering how expensive most restaurants are these days.)

Friendly and prompt service, endless and speedy coffee refills, and an ambiance that hearkens back to the Austin of old.

Parking can be a little rough, but that's usually a sign the food is good!

Hello! We have eaten here more than once and it's always good! My meal for this trip was a Breakfast - very generous portions and very tasty! I added the Ham Slice extra. Yum! Their Chicken Fried Steak is pretty doggone good, too :) If you're passing by the 290 Cafe ... stop in and grab something good to eat! Friendly staff too. :)

I stopped in for dinner. What a change of pace. It's such a charming place. I ordered the chicken fried chicken, buttered carrots, and green beans. Absolutely delicious! In four desserts, a huge serving of coconut cream pie. Folks, it doesn't get much better than this.

First timer and the food, customer service was excellent. Ms V. Served us very well, she was attentive to our needs and I will be coming back with a group of folk. Maybe after church how's that. ♥😊

This place is Awesome! If you are driving through to Austin from Houston stop here. The Queso Covered Chicken Fried Chicken here is the best I have ever had! This is just a really neat place! Good Service when I went and the food was on Point. Atmosphere was small town Diner type of thing and I am really into that so it was great for me. They also had breakfast options at lunch time. I highly recommend this place!

Flavor: A-
Service: A+
Tea: A
Solo dining: A
Okay, if you like chicken fried steak then you've got to try the one at Cafe 290. It's thin, perfectly tender, lightly battered, not greasy or gristly, and the batter sticks to the steak perfectly. In a dream world, I'd make it (and the gravy) a little more flavorful but I'd still be happy to eat it again and again as-is. Everything is made from scratch, including the delicious buttermilk pie I had for dessert. I've also had a take-out burger from here that was great. So it seems like you can't go wrong! And anytime I find myself in this neck of the woods, I'll definitely be back!

UPDATE 2 years later… They have redone the inside , new menus. Still a great place to stop in for great home cooking! This time had Fried green tomatoes, fried pickle spears and toasted ravioli

Eating in this old army bunker is great! Home cooked food had great flavor. Steam table for lunch. This place has been here since Eisenhower. Pies & cakes are amazing. The coffee is off the hook, roasted 15 miles away has a taste like no other.

I stopped there on my way out on a Thursday and had a great lunch with a coworker. On Friday I realized I had left my debit card on the counter after I paid for my meal. I called to ask about it and they told me that they had it and would put it in the register for me so me, my wife, and my autistic son drove 2 and a half hours to the restaurant and the lady at the register made sure it was mine to protect my card and then we had a very good meal and the waitress treated my son just like her own. Cafe 290 is hands down one of the best ever. Thank you so very much.

The food was very good! And customer service was great!! 👍🏻 😊😊😊

Visited for breakfast and had a very good experience. Their staff is helpful and the food good in value, flavor, and quantity. Parking is around the building and they accept credit cards.

Updated Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The food is still good. Really large portions. Service is simply great. Friendly, friendly staff.

Good food. Great service. Haven't been here in ten years. Will definitely come back. Update: They close at 2pm. We didn't know this and didn't leave till after 230. If they minded, they didn't show it. I really appreciate that! Five stars!

I had the catfish plate, was very good. Hubby got chicken fried steak was huge and delicious. We will be back. Burrito was fabulous.

We had a great experience here on 4/7/18 for a late lunch. We were greeted immediately, served in a courteous manner, and the food was great! Unexpected stop had delicious pie (not many places make meringue anymore) and a great atmosphere (child friendly & polite). I would recommend stopping in if you are in the area. Ask for Michael if he is there - great service (peppy, happy, attentive, nice).

Great weekend breakfast! Simple food, but tasty. For example, plain coffee, no mocha. But migas were good! Place was packed. They let us stay and talk, didn't kick us out when we finished eating. Thankfully it was less full by then.

With the charm of a local cafe and the service, food, and speed of a nice restaurant, this spot in Manor is a must if you crave classic breakfast, lunch, or dinner items or are looking for something a little different, Cafe 290 is the place for you! I've been numerous times with friends and family and they never disappoint and always exceed my expectations!

This restaurant is easy to access from the highway. They have plenty of parking. When you go inside it smells like your grandmother's kitchen did when you were little. They literally have fresh baked pies, cakes and muffins daily. They are displayed in a glass shelf, and sold out fast. I went there 2 days in a row. The chicken fried steak is huge! The eggs and hashbrowns were perfect. I took pictures of the desserts, but I can't find them. Sorry. I will go back!!!!!
Anyone who has been here knows why it is rated a 5 star. The food, the service, even the awesome customers who are regulars. I saw a cake, fleshly made (all desserts are!!), and asked for a piece after I had eaten. The waitress told me that a table had already paid for it, they were celebrating a birthday. I said ok, give me pie!!! She came back and told me that table offered me a piece of their cake, WOW!!!
The cake was a buttermilk coconut with chocolate. I told her that was very sweet, but they had a large table of people and I could not do that. This restaurant will definitely be a stop for me no matter where I am in the western part of Texas❣❣

Great breakfast! Some of the best homemade biscuits I've ever had. Their coffee is roasted locally and is the only Fair Trade Organic coffee option in town. So rich and smooth!!