 Ruta Maya Coffeehouse |
1986, as I prepared for a four-month stay in Austria’s capital, I pored through guidebooks proclaiming Vienna’s
heartbeat could be found inside its multitude of coffeehouses. Although the
closest thing to a coffeehouse I’d experienced back then in Sherman, Texas was
a dreary doughnut shop or the far-from-worldly Denny’s, I imagined Vienna’s
locales as dark, intriguing places where the cosmopolitan gathered to read from
tattered novels and international newspapers, and to speak of significant
matters in hushed, if knowing tones. I imagined myself inside these dark halls
of European bohemia and hoped na�vely that by virtue of my simple presence
there I would somehow absorb some of this Euro-chic. Funny thing is, I didn’t
even drink coffee then. But I learned. My subsequent years frequenting
coffeehouses both stateside and abroad taught me to shun what I initially
believed were glamorous swirls of cream and dashes of cinnamon in favor of
smaller, thicker, grittier cups of coffee.
Today, a guidebook covering Austin might also claim that our city’s pulse can
be found inside its cafes. On any given day or night, folks crowd into coffee
and espresso spots, some for music, others for food and conversation, still
others for time alone with a good book, and almost everyone for an honest cup
of joe.
For coffee aficionados, these are the golden days. While the bottomless mug of
anemic roadhouse brew will likely always have its rightful place, the American
coffee scene has forever moved out of the dark ages and into a glorious era of
experimentation and appreciation. Coffee-sipping has become a national
zeitgeist, and although a few local players (namely Cup A Jane and Soma) have
been forced to shut their doors recently, Austin residents in general seem to
be sustaining the burgeoning java house trend.
It used to be that the only choice you were faced with when ordering coffee
was whether to dress up your cup with cream or sugar, or down it “black”
(actually a rusty brown). In fact, until Starbucks educated the masses, gourmet
coffee for most meant those tri-colored International Coffee tins which have
little to do with the bean and everything to do with what is ground up with it.
Of course in Austin, those ahead of the times could cop a creamy cappucino at
Quackenbush’s as far back as 1983, but before the coffee Renaissance settled
in, ice-cream parlors were the local hang-outs of choice.
 503 Coffee Bar |
macchiato, and the bean that made it could have come from Ethiopia, Guatamala,
or Hawaii. What’s more, many local coffeehouses handle their own roasting and
blending, further distinguishing their beverages from those of their
competitors. And if that’s not enough choosing, how to fill your cup is only
one part of the coffeehouse choice. Given the sheer number of coffeehouses in
town now, another consideration is hand-picking your atmosphere. What follows
is a list of Austin’s favorite coffee hang-outs. We’ve tried to be as
comprehensive as possible, but have intentionally excluded the many fine
bakeries in town that also serve great coffee (i.e. Texas French Bread,
Sweetish Hill, Upper Crust, et.al); coffee roasters without a cafe
atmosphere (such as the well-loved Anderson’s and Trianon); and diners both
chain and otherwise. Drop us an e-mail (mail@auschron.com) if we’ve
inadvertantly left out your favorite java gem.
Austin Java Co.
1206 Parkway, 476-1829
Mon-Thu, 7am-midnight; Fri, 7am-1am; Sat, 8am-1am; Sun, 8am-11pm; smoking
outside only
This happening house where Lamar and Enfield converge features a menu that
goes far beyond that of your standard coffeehouse. At lunchtime, Austin Java
crawls with both business types and students who line up for a wide variety of
soup and salad combos and daily specials. Dinner proves a quieter time to dine,
although the cafe’s 10 moderately priced pasta plates, handful of appetizers,
and wine and beer selections also draw a crowd. Austin Java does a mean
breakfast business as well, with omelettes, several takes on eggs benedict,
French toast, pancakes, breakfast tacos, and migas on the menu.
Despite the focus on food (the cafe’s creamy tomatillo crawfish pasta [$9.95]
deserves laud as does a daily special of Shepherd’s Pie [$5.95] packed with
fresh rosemary), Austin Java hasn’t neglected its coffee selection. A basic
daily blend will set you back $1.25 (free refills). Most of the cafe’s coffees
come from a roaster in Tyler, and an extensive list of both hot and cold
espresso- and cappucino-based beverages includes the one-of-a-kind Caramel
Knowledge ($2.95), a shot-in-the-arm for sweet tooths. One of my favorite
dessert treats is the Vietnamese coffee ($1.95), a hefty serving of Cafe du
Monde French roast brewed into a bed of condensed milk and poured over ice.
Austin Java’s sizeable patio out back makes it a prime place to absorb your
caffeine with a healthy dose of sunshine.
Captain Quackenbush’s
2120 Guadalupe, 472-4477
Mon-Fri, 7am-10pm; Sat & Sun, 9am-10pm; smoking section
This popular hangout on the drag was serving coffee before coffee was cool.
Today it’s difficult to navigate the place at lunchtime, when campus types fill
both its non-descript back room and the adjoining space with its
Italinate-toned walls, gilded mirrors, and cigar counter. Quackenbush’s does a
variety of sandwiches and salads as well as a daily special that goes easy on
your wallet. The matzo ball soup is comfort food at its best and rivals only
the gigantic cafe au lait. Health nuts will appreciate the smoothie selection.
Try the kiwi ($2.47) for an astringent, refreshing vitamin kick.
The Coffee Exchange
1200 W. Sixth, 474-5300
Mon-Sat, 6:30am-9pm; Sun, 6:30am-4pm; smoking outside only
More coffee specialty shop with a few tables and stools than coffeehouse, the
Coffee Exchange roasts beans, blends them, and packages them by the pound. But
the crowded shop also sells coffee by the cup, and a particularly decadent
early morning treat is the slightly crunchy sorbetto topped with tiny bits of
shaved chocolate. The Exchange is good spot to search for that coffee-related
gift for the folks back home; or, grab a tall barstool in the shade out front
and watch the traffic whiz by on West Sixth.
Dolce Vita
4222 Duval, 323-2686
Open daily, 11am-midnight; smoking outside only
Coffee and ice cream make a great pair, but espresso and gelato go unrivaled.
This sophisticated little place with its harlequin decor and homemade,
specialty ice creams takes dessert and coffee seriously. Dolce Vita’s espresso
tends toward the thick and slightly smoky, and the cafe’s gelato is the best
I’ve tasted this side of the Atlantic. A bountiful brandy selection and wide
variety of Italian sodas complete the menu, and an artful assortment of music
(jazz, blues, opera) played inside and piped out to the patio’s festive
umbrella-ed tables hits the spot as well. Dolce Vita is not the best spot to
snuggle up with a good book; though the chairs inside are stylish, they aren’t
exactly of the lounging variety, and the tables are tiny — there’s not much
room for anything beyond a couple of cappuccinos and your dessert, on which
you’ll want to stay focused anyway.
503 Coffee Bar
503 W. Oltorf, 462-0804
Mon-Thu, 7am-11pm; Fri, 7am-midnight; Sat, 8am-midnight; Sun 8am-11pm;
smoking outside only
A great place for healthy victuals and mild espresso drinks in South Austin,
503 has been in business just over a year, but unfortunately remains uncharted
territory for many Central Austin residents. The coffee bar is a comfy little
spot, with changing art, several small tables, two living areas with the
requisite vintage couches, and a sizeable backyard patio. Live music livens up
503 every Saturday (no cover) from 9pm to close, and during the daily happy
hour (4pm-7pm weekdays), beer imports and microbrews are $1 cheaper and
espresso drinks are half-price. I also suggest slipping into 503 for lunch. The
cafe prepares an out-of-the-ordinary chicken salad sandwich ($4.95) loaded with
chunks of rum-, ginger- and cilantro-marinated white meat studded with walnuts
and rum-soaked raisins. Fans of pimento cheese will appreciate the upscale
mezzo pesto sandwich ($4.95), a dense mound of shredded jack, Jarlsberg and
cheddar cheeses packed with green olives, fresh basil, roasted pine nuts,
sun-dried tomato, and garlic. Sandwiches come with a side dish — a bean and
barley salad moistened by an orange-ginger vinaigrette the day I visited — and
soups, salads, and a la carte items such as hummus ($1.75) and tabbouleh round
out the menu.
Flightpath Cafe
5011 Duval, 458-4472
Mon-Thu, 10am-11pm; Fri & Sat, 10am-1am; smoking outside only
Look up from the new deck seating out front and you can practically see your
reflection in the guts of a DC-10. Flightpath’s gimmick is its location, and
this Austin veteran still fills nightly despite its need for an interior
facelift and the impressive roar of planes gliding overhead. Most folks at
Flightpath are engrossed in textbooks or hunkered over a PC keyboard, but
conversationalists won’t be sent away. Sharing space at a formica-topped table
is the norm here, so don’t be shy. Grab a gritty espresso or cop a cup of the
city’s best hot chocolate and enjoy the airshow.
Flipnotics Coffeespace
1603 Barton Springs Rd., 322-9750
Mon-Thu, 7pm-12am; Fri & Sat, 7am-1am; Sun, 8am-12am; smoking outside
only
One of the best things about sipping coffee at Flipnotics is that the
background music is usually of the live variety. This outdoor coffee cabana
with wooden picnic tables and plastic chairs dotting its deck (and a few
scattered places to sit inside a dimly lit back room) calls itself a
coffeespace but probably sells as much beer as it does brew of the caffeinated
sort. Flipnotics’ frothy cappucino deserves an honorable mention, and the
cafe’s food, offerings both savory and sweet — quiches, sandwiches, pastries
— are honest and cheap.
HighLife Cafe
407 E. Seventh, 474-5338
Sun-Wed, 9am-midnight, Thu-Sat,
9am-1am; smoking section
The French press sets HighLife Cafe apart from Austin’s other coffee bars.
While this cozy place brews a mean little espresso (and even makes ultra-light
scrambled eggs using the machine’s vapors), the best thing to do here is to
settle in for some scintillating conversation (film books line the shelves so
the subject of cinema might be an apt topic) and order your own private pot of
joe. Beans are pressed through an antique, hand-turned grinder behind the bar
and then doused with steaming water. The aromatic coffee brews while en route
to you, and watching the grounds as they are slowly squeezed to the bottom is
almost as fun as enjoying the full-flavored cups that result. Food is more than
half the equation at HighLife. Try the smoked trout plate with polenta, the
High Plains hummus, or pair your java with a breakfast of homemade waffles.
Jake’s Coffee
(inside 12th Street Books)
827 W. 12th, 499-8828
Mon-Fri, 8am-7pm; Sat, 10am-6pm; Closed Sunday; smoking outside only
ACC students have long been privy to this comfy coffee counter surrounded by
books. Forget the Barnes & Noble/Starbucks formula, Jake’s is what a
literary coffeehouse is all about. The tall, tiled counter, set within arm’s
reach of several soaring bookshelves, is the perfect place to peruse the work
of a little-known author, sip on a cup of organic coffee or a hot, spiced tea,
and nibble on a muffin or pastry. Jake’s smoothies ($2.25) are the perfect warm
weather choice and there are those who love the Ginseng Rush soda. For a rush
of the caffeinated kind, there’s nothing quite like the Headhammer, a cup of
coffee bolstered by an added shot or two of espresso.
Little City
916 Congress, 476-2489
Mon-Fri, 8am-midnight; Sat, 9am-midnight; Sun, 9am-10pm
3403 Guadalupe, 467-2326
Mon-Fri, 7am-midnight; Sat-Sun, 8am-midnight; smoking in the back of the
downtown location, and outside at both locations.
An urban coffee bar par excellence, Little City’s downtown location, with its
hip, stained-concrete floors and cool slip-covered chairs, draws a constant
crowd. “Micro-roasting” occurs on a daily basis at Little City’s Guadalupe
location, and the cafe’s signature coffee is a 100% arabica high-altitude bean.
In addition to selling the standard hot and cold beverages and beans by the
pound (buy your bags on Tuesday for a $2 discount), Little City serves a
luscious caffe sorbetto ($2.50) that goes down like a rich milk shake with the
miraculously full flavor of a strong cup of joe. Little City on Congress does a
mean sandwich business at lunchtime, and both locations offer the usual variety
of baked goods. After-hours visitors beware: You may have to wait for a table
at the Congress Avenue location.
Los Armadillos Coffee
1605 W. Fifth, 322-0280
Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm; Saturday, 8am-5pm; Closed Sunday; smoking outside
only
This tiny java shack is first and foremost a coffee roaster, but a bar with
stools inside and a few tables set up outside qualifies them for coffeehouse
status. While you can slip in for coffee by the cup ($0.78) and a sweet snack
supplied by Texas French Bread , Los Armadillos’ principal line of business is
selling coffee by the pound to individuals and a number of local restaurants.
The company imports over 20 different whole bean coffees, including varietals,
blends, estate coffees, and decaffeinated beans. Roasting is a daily affair,
and Los Armadillos has left no major coffee-growing region untouched, with
beans shipped from plantations in Africa, Central and South America, Indonesia,
and Hawaii. Prices per pound begin just over the $6 mark with Los Armadillos’ 2
estate coffees, the Guatemalan San Rafael Organic and the Kona #1 Special
Captain Cook topping the list at $8.95 per pound and $13.90 per pound
respectively. If you are unsure of where to begin given Los Armadillos’ wide
selection, the Java Estate Jampit varietal ($7.10 per pound) makes a rich, dark
pot with almost no acidic aftertaste. The House Blend, comprised of Colombia
Supremo, Brazil Santos, and Java Estate Jampit, offers a more pronounced bite
and a deep aroma thick with spice.
Lovejoy’s
604 Neches, 477-1268
Open Daily 4pm-2am; smoking
More bar than coffeehouse, Lovejoy’s nonetheless bills itself a haven for
those in search of “fine coffees.” It’s a great little haunt for that early
evening cup of coffee to get you motivated for the long night ahead, or an
ideal late-night spot for a sobering shot after a crawl along Sixth Street. At
Lovejoy’s you can even shoot a game of pool while you toss back your joe,
though too much caffeine won’t do much for a steady cue. Here the mood is dark,
yet homey, reminiscent of a neighborhood pub, and the coffee options are
plentiful.
Manor Road Coffeehouse
1809 Manor Rd., 474-2505
Mon-Fri, 7:15am-midnight; Sat & Sun, 8:30am-midnight; smoking
section
 Manor Road Coffeehouse |
the Austin coffee scene. Egyptian bas reliefs and a trickling fountain announce
the cafe’s entrance, and once inside you feel you’ve penetrated a gypsy or
fortune-teller’s intimate den. Windows at Manor Road are dressed with an
amalgam of draperies — floral curtains share billing with batik prints and
purple lace flounces. Estate sale still-lifes compete for your attention with
modern canvasses, and mismatched tables, chairs, and desks fill both the halves
of the cafe, one side of which is generally reserved for live music.
Italian sodas, beer, and wine join coffees and herbal teas as the drinks of
choice. Food offerings are as diverse as the furnishings, including breakfast
tacos under $2, miso soup, empanadas, a changing selection of salads, and a
slew of home-baked cakes and cookies.
Metro Espresso Bar
2222 Guadalupe, 474-5730
Open 24 hours daily; smoking upstairs 2pm-6am
A favorite spot on the drag (formerly called Insomnia), Metro fills up late at
night with students and a thick curtain of cigarette smoke. The coffeehouse
doesn’t feature the shabby-chic decor popular at most student hangouts, but the
ultra-contemporary, utilitarian loft look provides a welcome change of scene.
The caffeine-sensitive be forewarned: Metro’s tight little espresso is a
killer.
Mojo’s Daily Grind
2714 Guadalupe, 477-6656
Open 24 hours Mon-Saturday; Closed Sunday night; smoking section at the
bar
This favorite on the drag fills day and night with industrious students who
feel at home behind the tables and slouched in the chairs and couches that
cover this converted old house. Mojo’s menu centers on coffee, although a
handful of pastries, not to mention the latest magazines and an amusing
selection of vintage games, are available to go along with your brew. The
coffeehouse used to roast its own beans, but now buys in bulk from Texas Coffee
Traders and sells by the pound as well as by the cup. For a bracing caffeine
kick, down a tight black espresso and save the slightly sweet iced mojo for a
warm weather treat.
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
3826 Lake Austin Blvd., 477-2900
Mon-Thu, 7am-11pm; Fri, 7am-1am; Sat, 8am-1am; Sun, 8am-11pm; smoking
outside only
A swanky, waterfront coffeehouse with candlelit tables, Mozart’s seems to
cater to “grown-ups” inside, while its deck draws a significantly younger set.
In addition to offering a changing selection of coffees by the cup and the
usual espresso drinks, Mozart’s roasts beans in-house and sells its coffees by
the pound. Mozart’s menu also features yogurt, a surprisingly nice complement
to a cup of house-roasted Kenyan AA.
Ruta Maya
218 W. Fourth, 472-9637
Open daily, 8am-2am; smoking
A downtown veteran with staying power, Ruta Maya’s muraled stoop greets urban
loungers day and night and provides the perfect vantage point for
people-watching. Inside, coffee drinks, a variety of house-roasted coffee by
the pound, a cigar room, and live music offer ample entertainment. A political
education is also possible at Ruta Maya, where the fight of Central America’s
indigenous peoples, the Mayan, is championed. Buy Ruta Maya’s namesake,
Mexican-grown coffee-by-the-pound and a portion of the proceeds will benefit
the native people of Central America.
Spider House
2908 Fruth, 480-9562
Mon-Fri, 7am-1am; Sat, 8am-2am; Sun, 8am-1am; smoking outside only
It’s hard to stir this huge house-cum-coffee bar most evenings when students
pile into the comfortable chairs and couches, but order an aromatic chai or
colossal hot chocolate, and take to the wrap-around patio until a space frees
up. The Spider House feels like the sprawling home of a long-lost aunt, and a
solid selection of pastries and assorted appetizer-type plates adds to the
comfort factor. Loungers in for the long haul will appreciate the odd
backgammon game or Scrabble board, especially if studying is not your diversion
of choice.
Starbucks Coffee
Six Locations
This Seattle-based coffee giant probably ought to be credited with elevating
the humble coffee bean to gourmet status. As the #1 retailer of specialty
coffees in the U.S. (according to 1995 figures), Starbucks brought the bean to
everyman’s attention. The company, incidentally named for the java-sipping
first mate in Moby Dick, was begun back in 1971 by three coffee
connoisseurs dedicated to selling high-quality, whole-bean coffees. In 1987,
Starbucks turned to Italy for inspiration. Betting that Americans would
appreciate their own version of the Italian espresso bar, Starbucks took the
unusual step of selling coffee by the cup at its retail outlets. Today the
popular coffeehouse’s locations do follow a franchise formula when it comes to
atmosphere and menu offerings, but coffee remains concern number one. n
This article appears in March 14 • 1997 and March 14 • 1997 (Cover).