Garbo's moving into Counter Cafe space on North Lamar, expands truck hours

Almost two years after the shoebox-sized Counter Cafe closed at 626 N. Lamar Ave., the small building across the street from Bookpeople will have a new tenant in the months ahead.

A second location of Garbo's Fresh Maine Lobster is moving into the space occupied for more than a dozen years by the modern diner. The Garbo's folks also announced this week that its food truck currently parked in the building's empty lot will expand its hours of operation to include Sunday service beginning this week. The truck serves a to-go menu that includes lobster and crab rolls, smoked fish dip, crab salad and lobster grilled cheese from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

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Connecticut native Heidi Garbo started Garbo's as a truck in 2015 before opening her first Austin restaurant off Wells Branch Road. She relocated that restaurant to North Loop 1 in 2020, the same year that Debbie Davis closed the original Counter Cafe and opened another in the former Conan's Pizza space at 603 W. 29th St. in West Campus. That location remains open, as does a Counter Cafe on East Sixth Street.

Garbo's is slated to open in September inside the building on North Lamar Boulevard that also was once home to GM Steakhouse.

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