The Lost Sock Launderette & Coffee Lounge
3101 Speedway, 524-0059
Coffee shop: daily, 9am-9pm; Laundromat: daily, 8:30am-12mid
How times have changed! If only the Lost Sock had existed when I lived in an apartment and lacked my own washer and drier, I wouldn’t have had to do my laundry at a disgusting Laundromat full of screaming children and creepy characters. Nowadays, folks in Central Austin who need to do their laundry can do so at an ultracool, retro-style launderette while sipping an espresso, having a pastry and reading, checking their e-mail, or watching a cool show on the Discovery Channel. The brainchild of partners Delana Jones and Dee Dee McGee, the Lost Sock is the ultimate in groovy Laundromats.They serve their fair-trade coffee (roasted by Fontana Coffee Roasters in Houston) in a wide variety of styles, including a creamy, kickass iced Thai coffee. So far, the food focuses on ever-changing items that go well with coffee, such as muffins, turnovers, and bagels, and they will soon be adding cookies, biscotti, and kolaches. They have added seasonal refreshing drinks such as Italian sodas, frozen coffee frappés, and an amazing sparkling pomegranate lemonade. There are talks of adding a snow cone machine for summer, and for the health conscious they also feature passion fruit, mango, and strawberry/banana smoothies that are nondairy and nongluten-based.
The recently covered patio is a nice spot to get something cold to drink and get shelter from the sun. The Wi-Fi works both inside and on the patio, so there’s plenty of fun to be had while the clothes are in the washer. The hours are variable. While the sign on the door says 9am-9pm every day, if late customers come in, the Lost Sock will stay open until they are finished, generally until 10pm. And speaking of lost socks, customers have spontaneously begun a “lost sock art project,” pinning their lonely socks on the walls and adding messages and drawings.
This article appears in June 29 • 2007.
