Kerbey’s world-famous Queso now at Whole Foods!
Exciting news for melted cheese dip lovers in Austin and beyond—Kerbey Lane Cafe’s famous Queso is now available in Whole Foods stores in Austin and the store’s southwest region. This is the first time in Kerbey Lane’s 36-year history that its Queso can be purchased outside of the restaurants.
Both versions of Kerbey’s Queso—the Classic and Vegan—are available in the refrigerated dips section of Whole Foods stores for $6.99. The ingredients and production meet the high standards of both Kerbey Lane Cafe and Whole Foods, so there are no artificial ingredients in either version.
“We’re thrilled to be able to spread the Kerbey love, in the form of Queso, to fans and friends all over Texas and beyond,” says Kerbey Lane CEO Mason Ayer. (Whole Foods’ southwest region encompasses Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.)
Ayer’s parents, who founded Kerbey Lane in 1980, originally served a yellow queso to guests. According to his mother, co-founder Patricia Atkinson: “Around the time that we opened our second location in 1986, we changed our Queso recipe to a white cheese blend to make it a more natural product. Kerbey Lane may have been the first in Austin to serve a white Queso, and it caused quite an uproar!” Atkinson says.
Once they got used to a Queso that wasn’t orange, guests embraced the new white Classic Queso and it was used to create two of Kerbey’s all-time most popular appetizers: Kerbey Queso (queso served with guacamole) and Cowboy Queso (Kerbey queso mixed with black beans), both still on Kerbey Lane Cafe menus at all seven locations.
Kerbey first developed its Vegan Queso when a team member, MJ Jackson, approached the chef with the idea of using nutritional yeast to create a queso option for vegan guests. The new, zesty Vegan Queso was a hit, and has been on Kerbey Lane menus ever since.
Kerbey’s Classic and Vegan Quesos now join Kerbey Lane’s pancake mix as favorite items available outside of the restaurants. The pancake mix is available at Whole Foods and other retail stores, and on kerbeylanecafe.com.
The packaged Quesos have shelf life of 70 days, and should be consumed within four days of opening. For more information, see http://kerbeylanecafe.com/queso.
