Name: Irene’s
Telephone: (512) 298-0853

Irene’s, a New American Austin restaurant and bar just south of West 6th, with easygoing familiar foods and craft cocktails. Two bars, and plenty of outdoor space including a large patio overlooking Shoal Creek. Open for coffee & breakfast.

Stroll up to the counter window for a thick slice of sweet or savory toast or breakfast sandwich along with a cup of coffee for brunch. Then, meander back to the spacious patio nestled beneath massive pecan trees on the banks of Shoal Creek.

When midday hits, park your bike in front of the shop at the custom metal bike stand, and come inside for a selection of seasonal salads and classics such as our pulled chicken & avocado sandwich or dirty shells & cheese.

For heartier fare at night, consider roasted chicken or classics such as our Frito Pie and pulled pork sandwich with Alabama white sauce. Our housemade old-school desserts, including strawberry cake and whoopie pie, hit the spot any time of day.

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(512) 298-0853

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I will forever be in love with Irene’s. I have been here at least 20 times now.

Must haves:

on the weekends they do biscuits and booze. The biscuits are AMAZING. Def. get a side of gravy with the breakfast sandwich.

The rice crispy. Massive size. Can easily be shared. Great price @ $4

The ice cream cone. Get it covered in fruity pebbles. #Droolworthy

Any of the toasts are absolutely phenomenal.

I could keep going but I’ll chill out.
Kristi M. , 5 years ago
We have our favorite Austin spots, but we decided we had to try something new (for us). Irene’s did not disappoint. We had our Shiba with us, and it was chilly. The waitstaff was very accommodating and found us a place on their indoor patio. Of course we had a brew, and my stout was perfect. I had the veggie sandwich and potato salad. Both were very fresh, very tasty, and more than I could finish. The veggie sandwich had the right amount of hummus and feta without overwhelming the veggies. My son had a side of Mac and cheese, and he declared it the best in Austin. He ordered a second bowl (he’s 18 years old and 6’5). My husband had the turkey wrap, and he said the meat was high quality, and the wrap held together well. We will add Irene’s to our “regular” list!
Tonya R. , 5 years ago
Irene’s is a downtown staple for casual lunches and happy hours. I’m always able to find a seat, and I always love the vibe and the service.

The lunch special is always a great option if you’re looking for a well-priced meal. I’ve had some vegetarian sandwiches and the avocado tacos. The shells and cheese is AMAZING and the hibiscus iced tea is awesome too.

In terms of happy hour, Irene’s also has pretty good options. The drinks are yummy and you can always get shared plates with friends!
Manlin Y. , 6 years ago
Not only is Irene’s located in one of the coolest cities in the US, it also is part of the reason why the city is so cool. With an eclectic, inviting feel, Irene’s is decorated inside like a vintage airplane but is super open, smells delicious, and just overall a fun hangout spot.

We chose to sit outside because the weather was cooperating and thankfully were there on a Sunday for brunch. While the menu isn’t huge, I had the hardest time deciding because everything on it sounds amazing. After surfing through some Yelp photos, I decided to try two of the toasts.

First toast was the “seasonal” which was divine. It was a nice thick slice of something (idk?), toasted, and topped with mascarpone, berries and fresh mint — holy wow! The second was a nutella toast topped with bananas and nuts which was also pretty decent.

We also tried the bloody marys (HUGE), mimosas (on par), and I got their Original Coffee which was this delicious butterscotch iced coffee that gave me the jolt I needed to keep exploring the city after eating an amazing meal.

On top of all of this, Irene’s also has one of the most picture-worthy spots out front — a grass wall with their name in neon.
Jules B. , 6 years ago
Stumbled upon this gem while checking out the neighborhood (SXSW).
Service is great. We ate at the bar.
I ordered the Adult Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. I only wish I was hungrier because it’s delicious. The soup is actually bisque which is heaps better than soup in my opinion. It was well balanced.
My husband got the BLT w spicy coleslaw. Everything was wonderful- but above all was the stellar service.
Cheryl O. , 6 years ago
There is nothing bad I can say about Irene’s! The environment is perfect for socializing, whether it be over brunch, drinks, or dinner. Outdoor seating in the back was especially nice – large picnic tables to seat a group. The Irene’s sign in the front is perfect for your Instagram photos and goes well with a soft serve ice cream cone.

Love love LOVE the fall menu, especially the Spiced Apple Punch! It was like a fall version of a Moscow Mule and it was delicious. Sangria was OK. Honestly I am just still dreaming about that Spiced Apple punch.

As for food, I came during Happy Hour, and I highly recommend ordering their farro & mushrooms; it is the epitome of a fall dish, complete with butternut squash and a fried egg for your all your yolk pic needs. One thing I will say is that the Mac & cheese is extremely small…not worth it in my opinion. But mainly anything else you order will be great. The spinach dip comes with Saltine crackers that the waiters refilled when empty which was super nice.
Hanna J. , 9 years ago
Cool hipster vibe, creative/tasty drink list, attentive wait staff and interesting food options. The ambience is very comfortable and he people watching is great. I bought two T shirts already and will certainly return to this place each time I can when visiting Austin. Ive been twice now and have been pleased with each visit.

I particularly enjoyed the Avocado toast and the Egg &a Bacon toast.
Kyle M. , 9 years ago
I have been to Irene’s twice, respectively and both visits I was happy (as well as my guests) with the service, food, and drinks. I absoutely adore this spot in West Austin for its variety, sleekness, and incredible friendly service.

1st visit was at lunch time during the week and there was plenty of parking in West Austin for a party of 3 of us to get down on some tasty toast that Irene’s serves up. We threw in $2.50 worth of time in the meter off of W. 5th Street which allowed us to stay for over an hour for our lunch. We sat on the nice breezy patio and ate up all of the delicious harvest mix as an appetizer before our delicious toast came out.

2nd visit was a big one! I had a “Boozy Birthday Brunch” (name was a play off of their Boozy Brunch Sunday theme) for my 34th birthday with 17 of my closest friends for about 4 hours on a Sunday. We occupied the back seating area (the wooden seated area with nice clean cushions) where we received excellent service from our own waitress for our huge and separated order of food and drinks. We are a rowdy crowd with an appetite for anything brunch style which we had (about 9-10 bottles total) of champagne($15), loaded biscuits ($6), and the ‘jugs’ of Sangria we could consume in the time we were there.

Do not overestimate that seating area in the back if you cannot find a table to sit at whether your group is large or small. Paying on separate tabs was not an issue (which is a HUGE plus considering how large our party was and how many people were coming & going during the time) and was easy peasy at the end of our time. Plus you get a great spot to see DJ Emily Rabbit throw down the reggae beats throughout the brunch times.

I also got a surprise gift from a man in charge named Chad for my birthday along with their delicious strawberry cake on the house! He was very kind and asked us, as we continued to drink, who we were celebrating. After some kind words with me (the birthday girl) he asked me what I wanted to try or have – I told him to surprise me. He came back with a nice white coffee mug for me (wrapped up) and wished me a happy birthday. I really appreciated the service, the kind words, and the amazing time we had here at Irene’s. Thank you, Chad and to our server, Dena (i think that was your name – I am sorry if I did not get it right) for the excellent service & great brunch times.

We are already planning to come back and enjoy the fall weather and try out some of their other brunch and boozy specials on a Sunday to come and I cannot wait!
Melissa G. , 9 years ago
I wondered what all the hype was about so I finally tried our Irene’s. We went on a Sunday for brunch and thought we’d never get a table, but we sat at the bar outside and it was perfect.

The bar has food service too, so grab a seat there if you can.

We shared the egg salad toast, pigs in a blanket and the pulled chicken and avocado sandwich.

Egg salad toast – super savory, well-made egg salad. The arugula and lemon juice really paired well with the egg. There some red onions mixed in too. The toast was divine!

Pigs in a blanket – I would have never ordered these as I’ve never liked the concept. However, I’m glad we did because these were amazing. The andouille sausage wrapped in the Easy Tiger puff pastry with the Brooklyn lager mustard was a very delicious, small bite. Totally going to get these again!!!

Pulled chicken and avocado sandwich – holy amazeballs! I’m a sucker for pulled chicken and add an avocado, I’ve died. They used smashed black beans as a spread and the cabbage slaw and pickled jalapeños made this sandwich zesty, creamy and the perfect pairing. Grab this next time you’re there!
Shveta B. , 9 years ago

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Irene’s

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