Diner expands hours, holds on to '70s style
The Omelettry offers Austin a taste of '70s American breakfast and Tex-Mex fare. Owner Kenny Carpenter describes it as "a plain old hippie diner that serves good food."
During the '70s, Carpenter tried his hand at construction, organic farming and eventually became a cook for an omelet shop in Santa Barbara, Calif. A friend suggested Austin as a good place to open a restaurant, so Carpenter moved here with his soon-to-be-wife, Joni, and The Omelettry opened its doors Jan. 20, 1978. Since then, not much about the diner has changed, he said, but the recent addition of more restaurants to the area is attracting more customers at night.
In response, The Omelettry expanded its hours to 7 a.m.– 10 p.m. in September and is adding more Tex-Mex staples for dinner: fajitas, pulled-pork tacos, and combination plates.
Carpenter's son and manager, Jesse, emphasized that the atmosphere is that of a quintessential diner. Servers greet regular customers by name, it's cash-only, and the food is familiar and made to order.















