“Feel Good Food and Great Music for 76 Years and COUNTING…” is the slogan you’ll hear at Threadgills, an staple so purely Austin it can be grouped alongside Longhorns and bluebonnets.

Threadgills is the type of place you’d imagine if you broke down the word for it’s intended meaning – restaurant. It would be the equivalent to your grandma’s back porch swing on a Sunday afternoon with the sound of crickets, hummingbirds, and shuffling horses as your only jukebox.

For those of you, who didn’t grow up in the South, picture a mixture of wooden and tin walls, flashing neon signs that guide you to one of the hodge podge of classic diner-style table and chairs that scatter the hardwood floors.

Depending on where you’re seated, you can possibly see the metal kitchen appliances and hear the small order cooks call out to each other, like players on a team bouncing a ball back and forth. This isn’t your typical diner that you equate with truck stops and abandoned 24 hour back road detours. This is a diner in is essence, in it’s natural state.

The neon lights suit the family-friendly landmark. There is no pretense, no bother with coat checks, or needing to get dressed up to go for a meal. Comfort is what Threadgills is all about, in it’s demeanor and with it’s menu. And if you’re watching your waistline, you’d be advised to hit the road, because Threadgills isn’t concerned with carbs or calories, just food made with love…and a bit of butter.

An array of steaks are offered up including their famous Chicken Fried Steak, all of which are served with two sides. Just like you would find in Momma’s kitchen, the menu is an assortment of meatloaf, glazed ham, and grilled pork chops and applesauce. For crustacean lovers out there, try the Fried Mississippi Catfish, grilled tilapia, or fried oysters. Sandwiches and salads are made with the Threadgill touch and offer many choices, including Grilled Ahi Tuna Spinach Salad, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (that comes with its own warning), and the wild west meets the New Orleans, with the Seafood Poyboy.

The side order list, in of itself is a menu as it stretches nearly the length of the page. Although entrees allow you to pick two, you may be hard pressed to choose among steamed asparagus, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, red beans and rice, garlic cheese grits, and the list goes on.

True to the Southern tradition, if you have any room left over after those Texas-sized portions, the dessert list is simple and delicious. Fruit cobbler, banana pudding, cheesecake, and a multitude of homemade pies with vanilla bean ice cream await you. Even if you can’t get to it right away, the best thing about Threadgills is that no one is there pushing you out the door, waiting on your table.

The idea is to leisurely enjoy your meal and take in all the smells and flavors; perhaps this is why there is live jazz music on Sundays, to slow your pace even more so. At the corner of the restaurant a jazz band make themselves at home as tunes from Armstrong, Holiday, and Sinatra smoothly drift from the saxophone and keyboard. On Sunday the menu, is a jazz brunch so it’s all you can eat buffet. I must warn you to pace yourself, however. The crisp waffles with strawberries and cream, the omelette station where the chef easily cooks up your heart’s desire, the fruit, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and more could make you more stuffed than a Thanksgiving turkey. You may not be able to jump into Lake Austin right after wards, but I must say it’s one of the best ways to settle back with family and friends and wind down the week.

There are two Threadgills locations, aptly dubbed “Old No. 1” and “Threadgills South Austin.” Both are equally inviting and bare the same menu. Whichever one you go to, whenever you decide to go – be it a Sunday brunch, a Tuesday afternoon, or a Friday night – you will always leave with a stomach that is full and a face with a smile.