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“The Dude” is the signature burger at Lebowski’s Grill. (Olivia Aldridge / Community Impact Newspaper)
At first glance, Lebowski’s Grill looks like any other bowling alley concession space: an order window, a small kitchen, and a menu of burgers, chicken, and fries. Owner Helen Alger knows that Lebowski is more than you think, but she doesn’t mind having surprises.
“It’s better than most people expect when they go to a bowling alley. I think people are just expecting some kind of flattened, greasy burger with a bun that is falling apart, ”said Alger. “But I’m pretty picky about burgers, and that’s almost the only place I eat.”
The restaurant has one on the Highland Lanes on Burnet Road. A second location on Westgate Lanes on West William Cannon Drive, which Westgate Lanes said closed on October 25th.
The place is named after “The Big Lebowski”, a cult film classic from 1998 with Jeff Bridges in the lead role, who partly plays in a bowling alley.
Alger opened the first location on the Highland Lanes 12 years ago with her friend Gabriel King, who frequented the store and noticed when the grill in the alley was empty. Alger had young children at the time and was reluctant to take action; She had owned restaurants before and knew how difficult it could be, but she also said she grew up in a family that owned restaurants and was passionate about the business.
Alger has made a career as HR manager at a bank in Georgetown, but takes time for Lebowskis, her longstanding passion project.
She credits a hard working staff, now including her high school age kids, with maintaining the high quality and keeping Lebowski’s reputation as a hidden gem going.
“We were so lucky, but I can honestly say it’s not just luck. It’s the fact that we have great people working for us who really care, ”she said. “I’ll keep this place open as long as possible.”
Get to know The Dude, Lebowski’s signature burger
The Dude ($ 7.25) is named after the main character in the Coen-directed film “The Big Lebowski”.
- Bread rolls: Lebowski’s gets its bread from the local Lil ‘Mama’s bakery.
- Sauce: All Lebowski sauces, including Jalapeno Ranch, are made in-house.
- Patty: The Dude has a third pound of Angus beef patty.
- Products: lettuce, tomatoes and other products are sourced from the region.
Lebowski’s grill
In Highland Lanes, 8909 Burnet Road, Austin
512-419-7166 | www.highlandlanes.com
Opening times: Tues.-Wed. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Thurs. & Sat. 11 a.m. – 9.30 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. – 10.30 p.m., Sat. 12 a.m. – 11 p.m., closed Mondays.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on October 26th to reflect the correct name for the local Lil ‘Mama’s bakery. It has been updated to reflect that the Westgate Lane location is now closed.
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https://communityimpact.com/austin/southwest-austin-dripping-springs/dining/2021/10/25/bowling-alley-burger-dive-named-after-a-cult-film-upends-expectations-in-austin/
