Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse

Austin gained a reputation as a mecca for hippies during the "cosmic cowboy" days of the 1970s, and no neighbourhood keeps it weird like South Austin. Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse was a staple on South First Street well before it became a restaurant row for foodies. You won't find any meat on the menu, but the dishes are creative enough – zucchini migas, potato leek omelette, sweet potato pecan tamales – that you might not even notice. Though the restaurant recently moved from its much-beloved original location (now home to Vietnamese-French eatery Elizabeth Street Cafe that serves lovely croissants, homemade jam, Stumptown coffee and even a breakfast pho), the new space, just a few blocks away, feels much brighter, cleaner and easier to navigate. The large patio is perfect for people (and dog) watching, and if you leave room for dessert, try a macaron from La Patisserie or a cupcake from Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, which are both nearby.
• 1900 S First St, +1 512 416 1601, bouldincreek.com, breakfast from $6, omelettes from $7.75. Open Mon-Fri 7am-midnight, Sat-Sun 8am-midnight

Kerbey Lane Cafe

This Austin institution has been serving seasonal spins on traditional favourites, like pumpkin pancakes over the autumn and tomato pie in the middle of summer, 24-hours-a-day for the past 30 years. With five locations around the city, everyone makes their way into Kerbey Lane – or its rival, Magnolia Cafe, which claims to be open "24/8" – at some point during their time in the capital city. The tattooed servers are happy to give you tips on their favourite places to grab a drink or listen to live music and, if you like their pancakes, you can buy the mix at just about any local grocery store.
• 3704 Kerbey Lane (+1 512 451 1436), 3003 S Lamar Blvd (+1 512 445 4451), 13435 Hwy 183 Ste 415 (+1 512 258 7757), 2606 Guadalupe St (+1 512 477 5717), 4301 William Cannon Blvd (+1 512 899 1500), kerbeylanecafe.com, breakfasts from $5.75. Open every day, 24 hours

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

Moonshine's Sunday brunch, which runs from 9.30am to 2.30pm, is arguably the most popular in Austin, especially with its $16.95 price tag. Don't skip the green chilli cheese grits, made with the famous Hatch green chillies of New Mexico, or the cornflake-crusted fried chicken tenders (skinless, boneless breast). If a cucumber cosmo martini hasn't satisfied your sweet tooth, try the white chocolate bread pudding with bourbon sauce. The restaurant is housed in one of the oldest buildings downtown and, if you're lucky, you can grab a seat on the shaded patio that faces a quiet street and forget you're just a few blocks from the interstate.
• 303 Red River Street, +1 512 236 9599, moonshinegrill.com, Sunday brunch $16.95. Open Mon-Thu 11am to 10pm, Fri -Sat 11am-11pm, and Sun 9.30am-2.30pm, 5-10pm

The Omelettry

An old-school diner that has been packed with college students and families almost every weekend since it opened in 1978. The owner recently extended its hours to stay open until 10pm and will soon add a dinner menu, but almost everyone comes for breakfast favourites such as cheesy omelettes and chocolate-chip pancakes. It's a cash-only establishment but, like many restaurants in Austin without a beer or liquor licence, you can bring your own alcohol. As one of the cheapest breakfast spots in town, don't be surprised if you have to wait for a table on a Saturday or Sunday morning.
• 4811 Burnet Road, +1 512 453 5062, theomelettry.com, omelettes from $6. Open every day, 7am-10pm

Biscuits and Groovy

You can't throw a drumstick without finding a food trailer in Austin, but Biscuits and Groovy, located in the heart of one of the city's most walkable and family-friendly neighbourhoods, is one of the few specialising in breakfast. Run by a vegan who originally didn't offer any meat products, the menu has expanded to include bacon, sausage and traditional white gravy. But if you're looking for a meat-free take on biscuits and gravy, this is the place – the vegan Bootlegger Brown Ale version is a little on the sweet side, though. Try the Donna Summer biscuits topped with eggs, sausage, cheese, gravy and chives, or the Philly Nelson, named for local celebrity Willie Nelson, which includes the sliced meat usually found on Philly cheesesteaks.
• 5015 Duval Street, +1 512 804 8285, iwantbiscuits.com, plates from $6. Open Mon-Fri 9am-2pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am-2pm

Tamale House East

You can't leave Austin without trying migas, another signature breakfast dish made from eggs and tortillas. Instead of wrapping the egg (and cheese, potatoes, beans, bacon and whatever other toppings you'd like) in the tortillas, migas are made by scrambling eggs, cheese, peppers and salsa together with strips of corn tortillas. No one does it better than Tamale House East, the newest restaurant from the family that has long operated other Tamale House restaurants in the city. Several of the siblings who run the place are artists and architects, so the inside seating area and large patios are filled with sculptures, mosaics, fountains and plants.
• 1707 E Sixth St, +1 512 495 9504. facebook.com/pages/Tamale-House-East, tacos from $1.25 and breakfasts from $4.95. Open Tue 7am-3pm, Wed-Fri 7am-2pm, Sat-Sun 8am-3pm

24 Diner

For an upscale diner experience, complete with cocktails and a nice beer list, in a space that feels more like a mid-century modern eatery than a typical pancake house, check out 24 Diner. Chef Andrew Curren, who briefly appeared on the most recent season of Top Chef on cable TV, serves hash, waffles and frittatas made with locally sourced vegetables and meats, as well as burgers, sandwiches and other lunch items. (Austinite Paul Qui, who ended up winning Top Chef, doesn't serve breakfast at his restaurant, Uchiko, or his East Side King trailers, but you should try to check them out when you're in town anyway.) This popular eatery often has a queue, but you can take a stroll through Waterloo Records or Whole Foods Market's flagship store nearby while you wait for a table. Gluten-free friendly.
• 600 N Lamar Blvd, +1 512 472 5400, 24diner.com, breakfast platter $9.95. Open 24 hours daily, except Wed 1am-6am

Maria's Taco Xpress

Speaking of hippies, Maria Corbalan may be the queen of them all. Every Sunday, she hosts what has become known as "hippie church" at her quirky South Austin taco restaurant, Maria's Taco Xpress. Grab a bloody Mary or an agua fresca (a traditional Mexican fruit drink) and a few breakfast tacos and head out to the patio, where you'll find regulars dancing to live music until 2pm. The eccentric space is filled with Corbalan's funky, hand-drawn murals and mantras about being happy and finding peace through friends and food.
• 2529 S Lamar Blvd, +1 512 444 0261, tacoxpress.com, shrimp tacos $3.50. Open Mon 7am-3pm, Tue-Fri 7pm-9pm, Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 9am-2pm

Contigo Austin

Still considered a new kid on the local restaurant scene but, in less than two years, the ranch-inspired, mostly outdoor eatery in East Austin has garnered a huge following, especially for its Sunday brunch. Only in a place like Austin, where winter lasts about six weeks, could you pull off a restaurant that is almost entirely outdoors. Homemade English muffins, challah and biscuits show up in a number of dishes, including the rabbit and dumplings and eggs Benedict, which is topped with ham that chef Andrew Wiseheart cures in house. Not in the mood for pork? Try the house-cured salmon instead. While the dinner menu features a number of pates and charcuterie, at brunch offal lovers will have to get by with the beef tongue hash and a bloody Mary that can be made with aqua vit, vodka, white whisky or Tequila.
•2027 Anchor Lane, +1 512 614 2260, contigotexas.com, brunches from $10. Open every day 5pm-midnight, Sunday brunch 10.30am-2.30pm

The Sustainable Food Center Farmers' Market Downtown

The City of Austin recently allowed hot food to be prepared and served at local farmers' markets, which means that some of the best breakfasts being served in Austin on any given Saturday are at the downtown market in Republic Square Park. In addition to farmers, ranchers, bakers and cheesemakers, you'll find chefs preparing fresh breakfast at a number of booths. Among them is star locavore chef Jesse Griffiths, who serves a different menu every weekend, depending on what ingredients he can get from farmers and ranchers. Another favourite is mobile pizzeria Bola Pizza, which offers breakfast pizzas made with raw milk cheddar, shaved red onions and farm fresh eggs. You'll also find breakfast tacos from Tacodeli and freshly made sweet kolaches (a Czech pastry popular in Central Texas) from The Zubik House trailer.
• 400 W Guadalupe St, (Republic Square Park), +1 512 797 1195 (day of market), Sustainable Food Center +1 512 236 0074, sfcfarmersmarket.org, prices vary. Open Sat 9am-1pm year-round

• Addie Broyles is a food writer for the Austin American-Statesman, and helped found the Austin Food Blogger Alliance. When she's not blogging about the Austin food scene at austin360.com/relishaustin, she writes about women and food at TheFeministKitchen.com