Do you pine for a time when breakfast was more than some limp fast food breakfast sandwich wolfed down behind the wheel of the car? When pies were proudly displayed in glass cases up front and the waitresses called you “Hon”? Then you’ll fondly embrace The Frisco Shop. It’s downhome, genuine, and a little old fashioned. And did we mention the pies?
The Night Hawk’s Heritage
Displaced from its original location in 2008 by a Walgreen’s store, The Frisco Shop stands proudly and newly spiffy at 6801 Burnet Road, the last bastion of the legendary Night Hawk restaurant chain. Though the Frisco dates back to 1953, Harry Akin opened the Night Hawk during the Depression — on Christmas Eve, 1932 — and its name referred to its unusually late serving hours.
Akin became a sort of legend himself, hiring women and minorities, integrating the restaurant and raising his own beef to ensure consistent quality. Eventually, Akin even created Night Hawk Frozen Foods, and managed to find time to serve as Austin mayor. Harry Akin’s motto still resonates at today’s Frisco Shop, and perhaps accounts for its success. He famously declared, “There’s nothing accidental about quality.”
Sixty Years of Satisfaction
Plenty of diners cherish the Frisco. Deb Blumenthal says, “The Frisco was the only place to get a real breakfast when I was in college. Every once in a while, my roommate and I just had to get away from the dorm and have real fried eggs to order! Somehow, it made us feel grown up at the same time that it reminded us of home.”
In its 60th year now, the Frisco Shop continues to serve up homestyle food and specialties like Top Chop’t steaks and Frisco burgers, enchiladas, huge chicken-fried steaks with gravy, an all-day breakfast and, of course, those pies. They have all kinds of pie: pecan, apple, cherry, chocolate, banana cream, andcoconut cream pie. One bite, and you’ll understand why customers are as dedicated as the long-time staff to this iconic diner.
Memories at The Frisco Shop
When Carl Pederson talks about The Frisco, he gets a little misty. “I remember eating there with my daughter when she was little. She’s a lawyer now, but just stopping by the Frisco for a piece of pie brings back some really great memories.”
The vast menu offers delicious Texas diner grub such as chicken-fried steaks, chili cheese fries, burgers and onion rings. But they also offer food you just don’t see much anymore — egg salad and meat loaf sandwiches, a ”steakette,” biscuits with sausage gravy, and decorated eggs (fried eggs with chili). You’ll also find daily specials at the Frisco, like beef tips in gravy, turkey and dressing, or meatloaf with whipped potatoes.
Retro Charm Moves Into Today
While the Frisco maintains a charming ambience of mid-century diners, it has made a few concessions to the modern world. A counter still runs the length of the dining room and high-backed booths offer privacy, but you’ll now see flat screen televisions and enjoy free Wi-Fi. Plus, you can now keep up with The Frisco on Facebook, Yelp and Twitter.
Rumored to be a favorite of author and local bon vivant Kinky Friedman, The Frisco Shop offers an old-time welcome with good-time food. It’s a sweet reminder of a simpler time.
Did we mention the pie?