Home sweet coffee shop

I love coffee shops and that culture is one of the things I like most about Austin. This is about the places I have experienced so far, really enjoy and why. When you spend as much time as I do in coffee shops, they become like a kind of home and as a homeless, wanderer,nomad-anyplace that feels like home is great. I also want to mention, I'm not a coffee connoiseur(more of a caffeine addict) by any means, there are people that can taste and detect berries and chocolates, etc. I'm not one of those people. I am an unsophisticated snob.

Thunderbird coffee was the first coffee shop I found in Austin. I visited in 2009 and played a tennis tournament and was staying nearby. When I moved to Austin some years later it was nice to make a landmark in my mind, since I didn't really know anyone in Austin, at least I knew some places. The espresso is excellent. Its bright and colorful inside and has outdoor seating. It's one of my favorite coffee shops of Austin and there are a plethora to choose from. They sell T-shirts with the logo which I have been tempted to buy on multiple occasions. Thunderbird has a very distinct smell, and all your clothes will smell like it. It smells something like coffee and toasted bread.

The next coffee shop I fell for happened when I moved to Austin. I stumbled upon it haphazardly and saw someone moving out of the apartments across the street so I called the number and sure enough a spot had just opened up. I have extremely little patience when it comes to looking for an apartment. So I ended up moving directly across the street. Flightpath is spacious and has the best barista in all of Austin(you know who you are).

 She runs that joint monday-friday. Even with all the space it still fills up and when I lived across the street it was my second home. Breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and sometimes pizza for dinner. It was ultra convenient and they serve a local Kombucha when you can't handle anymore caffeine. The coffee and espresso are really good and I love this place so much, it hurts me to say there are places which have espresso drinks that I prefer. It feels traitorous. Flightpath is number one in my shriveled heart.

Apparently this place wins the competition for best coffee drinks and I can understand why. Its good shit. There are a few locations, so I go when I can, but the downtown location hasn't been convenient to me and you have to pay for parking in that area. However if your down there and want an amazing espresso drink, this is the place. There cortado is as good as I have had. That's my snobby thing, to have a really excellent cortado with a pretty heart or leaf design. Is that too much to ask?

This is my new favorite coffee spot. Its located in south Austin and convenient to where I am staying. Has great cortados, but they aren't on the menu. Bagels are also excellent. Handful of baristas are all very knowledgable and friendly. The only downside is that it gets a bit cramped inside. On nice days they have a back patio amidst some incredible oaks.

Also in my top ten is Cenote. It's in the hip part of 6th street and the food and coffee are superb. They serve the local Cuvee brand. Its usually pretty packed inside and has nice outdoor seating, which part of it is currently being redone. Its also conveniently located across from the library. So you can really dork out there.

 

I have to mention another locale near Cenote on E 4th st. Its called the Coffee House and its a wholesale coffee place with great coffee for purchasing and also espresso machines galore. The reason I have to mention it is not because I hang out there or because they provide Austin with an enormous amount of coffee. Its because my friend C works there. I moved to Austin not knowing anybody, but it turns out that wasn't true. I ran into C at I love Video, another Austin institution my first few months here. C and I are from the same tiny town in Maryland and our parents go to the same church. We actually hung out a few times in high school and ate acid together. So it was a trip running into her and realizing how small this world is. She gave me a lovely tour. This place is definitely worth checking out, especially if you need an espresso machine, they have loads.

So these are my favorite spots in Austin. I will mention a few other great places. There is Mozart's on the water, which is a wonderful location great place to lounge and get your coffee shop on. Theres also a couple of spots located in strip malls. Trianon, which is off bee caves, which I discovered through joining a local writing group. A friend of mine told me about a cool place, Strange Brew, which is very unprententious and an all around cool space. Looks like it doesn't get too crowded there either, so if you need some quiet workspace during the day its very conducive for that.

So now you know if you are ever in Austin and need a great cup of coffee or are looking for a place to call home.If things ever get too bad you will always have somewhere you can go during the day. Please let me know other places I don't know about that you like.