Neighborhood: Bouldin Creek
Address/Phone: 517 W. Oltorf, 462-0804
Hours: Daily, 6:30am-midnight
Munchables: Bakery goods, light menu of sandwiches and Middle Eastern specialties
Standard Cup o’ Joe: $1.10
Bean Source: Cafe Moto, San Diego, California
Crowd: Neighborhood students, moonlighting writers
Artwork: Showings by local artists
Soundtrack: Barry White, Lyle Lovett, Ali Farka Toure
Bonus Points: Candy Land among the board games, complimentary condom basket
The Room: Another in a growing group of “do-it-yourself” neighborhood coffee joints, the 503 Coffee Bar makes its home in the commercial borderlands of Travis Heights. Twinned with a check-cashing storefront, the 503 is located at 517 Oltorf (go figger) directly across the street from the Pollo-Plex (a single city block containing both Popeye’s and Church’s franchises). Not exactly where you’d look for a coffeehouse, but in an industrial-funky section of South Austin, it works just fine.
The relaxed, semi-clubhouse atmosphere suggests a group of art students let loose inside Home Depot with high hopes and a limited budget. The cinderblock walls are painted deep jewel tones, and the buildout features a corrugated metal bar front, chunky wood counter pieces, and an oversized freshwater fish tank. As is the norm with non-corporate coffeehouses, there’s not a matching piece of furniture in the joint — but the garage-sale pieces are all thoroughly flop-friendly. The exposed ceiling reveals shiny ductwork, and the womblike rear seating area makes a great supercaffeinated study hall.
But it’s the offbeat details that make the 503 a good match for its neighborhood. Old Peculiar Yorkshire ale in the beer cooler. A complimentary basket of assorted condoms set out like grammaw’s butter mints. A complimentary library containing suitably outdated reference works and thrift-store novels. And, of course, a wall-sized selection of hot tea options (one box each of every imaginable variety). And if you’re prone to cravings for fried chicken …
— Pableaux Johnson
This article appears in October 8 • 1999.