The 24-hour diner may be a declining business model, but one Austin diner is getting back to its always-open roots: North Lamar's 24 Diner is returning to 24-hour service from Wednesdays through Saturdays starting February 19.
It's been years since 24 Diner has been open at 4 am, but it sounds like management is feeling confident about these marathon service periods spanning half a week.
One of the struggles of a 24-hour space is not having time to deep clean or perform maintenance while guests are in the space. A release does not discuss these logistics, but it does set hours on the non-continuous days — Sundays through Tuesdays — for 7 am to 11 pm. That's still a long day, but it does provide plenty of breaks for the space.
“We’re back, Austin,” said general manager Chris Cuellar in the press release. “Bringing back 24-hour service has been a long time coming, and we can’t wait to welcome guests back, whether they’re stopping in after a night out or getting ready for a late shift.”
This would be big news for any restaurant, since Austin's 24-hour scene has greatly diminished. The pandemic put a damper on continually open services everywhere, and the closure of Stars Cafe on I-35 just sprinkled salt in the wound. It's a great bonus, then, that on top of offering expansive hours, 24 Diner also serves great food.
It'd be reasonable to expect a few hiccups in getting back to this more demanding service style. However, not only has the diner pulled it off before, but the 7- 11 hours aren't new; staff is already used to serving relatively early-morning and late-night guests.
For a refresher on the menu: classic diner foods with a big focus on breakfast anchor the menu. The spot is best-known by a wide margin for its chicken and waffles, but guests also often compliment the hash and milkshakes in reviews. Sandwiches and salads add more heft, and a small but well-curated dinner section gets into the really cozy territory.
There will also be some new "comfort-driven dishes" like Wagyu smash burgers, chicken pot pie, and bangers and mash. A release suggests these additions are chosen to suit the overnight hours.
