While there is no sorcery involved, Connie Green, Joe's Place and Connie's Beer Garden business manager, says the restaurant has its own magical passageway.

Inside the small, 30-seat restaurant is a door that leads to a backyard garden and patio, which Green called one of the best-kept secrets in Austin. The garden of the East Austin restaurant, which borders the busy intersection of Chicon Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, seems miles away from civilization, much less a busy intersection, Green said.

"I tell people when they walk through the garden entrance, it's like going through the doorway into Diagon Alley [from the "Harry Potter" series of books]," she said. "People always say, 'I had no idea. I walk by this place all the time.' I like that about this place."

The backstory of Joe's Place begins with Joe Cook, who started working in the catering industry after graduating with a philosophy degree in the '70s. Cook started his own catering company several years later, with UT being his biggest client.

After acquiring a liquor license at the request of UT, Cook opened Joe's Place in 2009. Green, who laughingly described her own origin story as an artist who got lost in the business school at UT, said the duo wanted Joe's Place to be different from other restaurants in town.

"It's like a French country place where you feel like you're at home," Green said. "I always tell people to come by and have a mini vacation."

Joe's Place serves many of the favorite comfort food dishes of Green and Cook. The menu features sandwiches, salads and entrees such as smoked salmon and enchiladas, all of which cost less than $11.

Customers at Joe's Place come from throughout the city, Green said. She added that she never gets tired of seeing people get excited after discovering the restaurant.

"We have customers who love coming here and telling their friends, and then those friends come and tell their friends about us," she said. "I love the word of mouth. I think that's the best way to find out about something."

Catering

Despite the growing popularity of Joe's Place and Connie's Beer Garden, the primary focus of Business Manager Connie Green and owner Joe Cook remains their catering business, Green said.

While its main catering client is still The University of Texas, Green said the restaurant can cater everything from breakfast meetings to elegant dinners. She added that the restaurant can work with anyone to figure out a menu and budget that works for an event.

The catering menu can range from sea bass to beef tenderloin to sandwiches, and the food is prepared in-house. Joe's Place can also work with special dietary needs such as diabetic menus.

"Our catering menu is infinite," Green said.

The restaurant can be rented out as a venue space. Green said the restaurant's back patio and garden is an ideal location for many events.

For more information on catering, visit www.joecooks.com.

Child-friendly amenities

With its big backyard eating area, sand pit, stage and numerous toys, Joe's Place and Connie's Beer Garden is also intended to be a child-friendly restaurant.

Business Manager Connie Green said the expansive backyard patio made making the restaurant child-friendly a natural fit.

"The parents really do love this environment because they don't really have to worry about their kids—they're having fun," she said.

Diner Ken Bodden said he enjoys bringing his family to the restaurant because it is a place where everyone has a good time.

"It's definitely nice to have a place for the kids and for [parents]," he said. "We can all relax a little bit here."

Meatloaf

Green said while she never liked meatloaf previously, she loves the meatloaf that is served at the restaurant. Meatloaf is a top menu item at the restaurant and is served three different ways:

Meatloaf entree: Classically prepared, the meatloaf comes with garlic mashed potatoes and is served with house-made gravy.

Meatloaf sandwich: A sliced-off piece of meatloaf is slightly warmed up, put on a bun with house-pickled jalapeos and a house-made Guinness mustard and served with a savory coleslaw.

Meatloaf burger: A meatloaf patty is cooked like a hamburger, served on a traditional hamburger bun with blue cheese and sauted onions, and served with french fries.

Other popular menu items

King Ranch: The dish is made with layers of corn tortilla, cheese, rotelle tomatoes, and chicken that is diced up and served with a gravy made out of cream of chicken.

Ginger flan: A rarity in Austin, the dessert has a light ginger taste and is more like creme brulee in texture than traditional flan, Green said.

Joe's Place and Connie's Beer Garden, 1814 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 512-472-3105, www.joefood.biz