46. House Wine
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 322-5210
Address: 408 Josephine St.
Description: Tucked in a cottage behind the P. Terry’s hamburger stand at the corner of Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard, and just a couple of blocks south of Lady Bird Lake is a neighborhood abuzz with a downtown vibe, this cozy wine bar offers weekly tastings, light noshes, and a front porch where patrons can watch neighborhood happenings and listen to live music.
47. Vino and Vino
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 465-9282
Address: 4119 Guadalupe St.
Description: This Hyde Park wine bar has an Austin vibe, thanks to its location and the neighborhood clientele. The cafe offers a fresh menu, salads and soups, plus sandwiches and light dishes that might include beef carpaccio, salmon gravlax, vegetable tian, and cheese plates. There are also several light and delicious desserts.
48. Austin Java Company
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 476-1829
Address: 1206 Parkway at Twelfth and Lamar
Description: Austin Java Company has a relaxed feel, with picnic tables on the deck outside for those who enjoy a little sunshine with their coffee. Among the house specialties here are Vietnamese coffee, mocha shakes, and mocha chinos, little mocha lattes. The cafe has expanded its menu from snacks and pastries and now serves sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The coffeehouse also offers a late-night menu until 4 a.m. on weekends. There are four other locations in the city, including one in City Hall.
49. Bouldin Creek Coffee House & Cafe
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 416-1601
Address: 1501 South First St.
Description: This south-of-the-river coffeehouse caters to the local neighborhoods that are a mix of old and new Austin. The bright green exterior is in step with this part of the city where old Austin funky meets new Austin gentry. Inside old Austin hippie artists lucky enough to have hung on to their once modest, now high-priced homes rub shoulders with techies and lawyers. The cafe also offers an all-day vegetarian menu and has a fun website.
50. Cafe Mundi
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 236-8034
Address: 1704 East Fifth St.
Description: The Austin Chronicle, which is almost mandatory reading in the city’s coffeehouses, has described Cafe Mundi as Parisianlike and an oasis. There is a quirkiness about this quiet eastside coffeehouse that sits amidst a small arts district along the abandoned railroad tracks in the city’s eastside barrio, near downtown. The menu features the usual wide variety of coffees, chais and teas, plus breakfast, sandwiches, and salads. Small music groups also perform in the garden; the schedule is posted on the cafe’s website.
51. Crescent City Beignets
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 472-9622
Address: 1211 West Sixth St.
Description: Tucked back from the busy street, this small restaurant is open from early morning to late evening, serving Cajun specialties in addition to those air-filled beignets coated in powdery sugar that are a hallmark of life in New Orleans. The coffee menu also includes that chicory-coffee blend that is a natural accompaniment.
52. Dolce Vita Gelato and Espresso Bar
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 323-2686
Address: 4222 Duval St.
Insider Pick:
Description: The name means “the sweet life,” and there are layers of meaning to that phrase for this Hyde Park–area coffeehouse. The menu is rich with sweets, many with an Italian flavor—gelato, sorbet, granitas, tiramisu, cannoli—and there is also a relaxed, easy-living European atmosphere at this neighborhood cafe. The menu also features Italian sodas, coffees, a full bar, and a variety of grappas. Dolce Vita opens early for breakfast and stays open late for after-theater snacks.
53. Flight Path Coffeehouse
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 458-4472
Address: 5011 Duval St.
Description: Old Austin hands know that this small, neighborhood coffeehouse was once in the flight path for planes landing at what used to be the city’s main airport, Robert Mueller Airport. Located in the heart of the Hyde Park neighborhood at Fifty-first Street and Duval, the Flight Path is a popular gathering spot for families, students, and artists, some of whom exhibit their work here.
54. Flipnotics
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 480-8646
Address: 1601 Barton Springs Rd.
Description: If the oversize cafe au lait doesn’t make you flip for Flipnotics, nothing will. It is made from whole milk and condensed milk and served in a cup as big as a soup bowl. Not far from Zilker Park, Flipnotics offers a light menu of sandwiches, muffins and bagels, wine, beer, and coffee, of course. In the evening, local musicians often perform. It is open until midnight every night except Sun, when it closes at 11 p.m.
55. Green Muse
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 912-7789
Address: 519 West Oltorf St.
Description: There is a relaxed, laid-back feel to this South Austin java joint not far from the St. Edward’s University campus. The exterior is decorated with murals; inside, the couches, bookcases, and assorted tables give the place a true coffeehouse aura—dare we say groovy? There is a patio out back. Light snacks are on the menu. Given its location near St. Ed’s, it is busy in the morning. The coffeehouse is open daily and closes at midnight Sun through Thurs, and 1 a.m. on weekends.
56. Jo’s Coffee
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 441-3627
Address: 1300 South Congress Ave.
Description: Jo’s is a true neighborhood hangout in SoCo where the locals gather to gossip, read, or hang out. The staff at Jo’s is tuned into neighborhood happenings and art events. They even conjure up special happenings like the Average Jo’s Fashion Show, held in the neighboring Hotel San José parking lot, featuring retro chic clothes and aimed at raising money for animal rescue groups. Success has led to the opening of a second location in the Second Street District at 242 West Second St. (512-469-9003).
57. Little City Espresso Bar and Cafe
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Address: 916 Congress Ave.
Description: Just a few blocks from the capitol, Little City has helped give new meaning to the word avenue. Little City was among the first downtown cafes to promote the idea of putting tables and chairs on the wide sidewalks that line the city’s main street. The cafe serves coffee, tea, juices, granitas, breakfast items like bagels and muffins, and lunch and snack food, including sandwiches and savory pastries. Little City is open until midnight during the week, until 1 a.m. on Fri and Sat, and until 9 p.m. on Sun.
58. Mojo’s Daily Grind
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 477-6656
Address: 2714 Guadalupe St.
Description: A coffee shop with a bohemian bent, Mojo’s is popular with UT students and campus habitués. The 19th-century-home-turned-cafe is open 24 hours daily except Sun. The purple neon lights and the giant coffee mug sign mark the spot. Mojo’s prides itself on presenting the work of cutting-edge, and sometimes controversial, artists working in a variety of mediums including photography, painting, and collage. There are also poetry events held at the cafe; check the listings section of the Austin Chronicle. The popular house drink is the Iced Mojo, a cold, creamy brew. Munchie offerings include coffeehouse-style eggs steamed at the espresso machine, bagels, muffins, oatmeal, pastries, and empanadas. Beer is also served at Mojo’s.
59. Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 477-2900
Address: 3825 Lake Austin Blvd.
Description: This West Austin cafe, which boasts a large deck overlooking Lake Austin, is a good spot for a late-afternoon cappuccino or a late-night espresso. On Wed and Sat local artists perform contemporary music under the stars on the deck, which seats 350 people. In addition to an extensive coffee bar menu, the cafe also serves iced, herbal, flavored, and chai (soy-based) teas, granitas, Italian soda, pastries, and snacks. There is a juice bar on the premises as well as a bookstore specializing in arts, travel, and literature. Mozart’s also roasts and sells a variety of coffee beans. Mozart’s is open until midnight during the week and on Sun, 1 a.m. on Fri and Sat.
60. Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery
City: Austin, TX
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (512) 453-3399
Address: 411 East Forty-third St.
Description: Quack’s, as the UT students call it, is lively and sometimes noisy at night. Quack’s offers work areas, however, for aspiring poets and playwrights to plug in their laptops. The cafe hosts a weekly poetry workshop under the auspices of Austin Poets At Large (APAL). The work of local artists is featured on the walls, and classical music plays in the background. Serving breakfast, lunch, and late-night snacks. Quack’s is open until 11 p.m. daily.