Austin Java

Just a note on this location, I stopped by this past Friday only to see a note posted to the wall saying that Austin Java will be moving? and that there will be an exciting «new concept» at this particular South meadows location.
Not sure if this means, this location wasn’t doing well and closed? or if this new concept is Austin Java owned or something else totally new? Nevertheless. this Austin Java location is no longer…
Bye Bye granola pancakes :(

Austin’s best French Toast — that bread is awesome. I used to get the Egg in a Hole, but they quit using enough butter to fry the bread. I miss it, and the French Toast consoles me. It is becoming a Sunday ritual to head to Austin Java and relax over some syrupy French Toast.
It is a very different feel than the Austin Java on Barton Springs or Lamar, much better for parents/​kids, not as good for singles or someone trying to get work done. Like the other locations the staff is friendly and the mood is fun, it’s just a little suburbanized.
My only real problem is a philosophical one — that the owner of Austin Java is involved in that mess of development on Barton Springs. Austin doesn’t really need another batch of condos quite as much as it needs an area that makes you remember why Austin is one of the best places to live in the U.S.

This place can be a little hit and miss. I love their turkey burger with avocado. I admit that I tend to order the same thing every time I go. Today, with some encouragement from the very nice counter gal, I decided to branch out and order the tuna nicoise salad.
The salad was generally tasty, but the tuna itself was over-​cooked. It was also a little heavy on the pickled/​brined items. Not on this visit, but at other times, they’ve messed up my order. They’ve always gone out of their way to correct things and accommodate me, so I can’t complain too much.
I like to come here to get out of the house, use free wifi and work. That being said, the acoustics are bad and the music can sometimes be a little distracting, so if you are working on something that requires a lot of concentration this might not be the place. Plus, the corner with all the outlets is always freezing cold (AC vents blasting)! Bring a sweater. There’s a lot of good light though — and if you’re having an upbeat day and can go with the flow… it works.
The coffee is nothing to write home about, and the carafes make the first cup lukewarm.
This place has its redeeming qualities, but it could be better.

I was disappointed with the quality of service and food at this new location. I thought «how cool!» when i saw the full menu further south. My sandwich was missing ingredients that were clearly on the menu and my soup was nasty. I love the peanut soup and never questioned the pricey-​ness of it till now. My god, it was awful… the peanuts were so stale. Needless to say, I left with a bad taste in my mouth, literally. I have since tried the crack the recipe and will be saving my money one bowl at a time.

I love the Austin Java on Barton Springs, so I was thrilled to hear that one would be opening on Slaughter, considerably closer to my house. The entrees, chai and desserts are just as good, but the ambiance is not.
The ceilings are very high, so the cozy feel and acoustics are messed up. Also, it’s next to an enormous playground, so kids are constantly running in and out. You can work there, but bring headphones. Or better yet, don’t think of it as a coffeehouse but rather as a casual, family-​friendly place that happens to have good caffeine, and you won’t be disappointed.

I believe I once thought there was a time when I believed that it was hard to mess up French Toast. No more. I’ve had enough of it around town to now discern a palpable difference, and what I had this morning at Austin Java was pretty good as French Toast goes. Not mouth-​watering, but pretty good, not as thick as Antonio Banderas’ accent, and just enough of it to satisfy.
It’s hard to review Austin Java completely based solely on a breakfast experience, as they boast a decent wine list, lunch and dinner items as well as the suite of breakfast options. But we dove into the most important meal of the day here, and to put this politely, I was *starving*, and they were bustling this morning. The place appeared to be mostly manned by a couple of gals who never seemed overburdened by the growing crowd, and our plates came out reasonably quickly. As I get the chance to sample lunch or dinner, this take may evolve, but as of this sitting, they’re starting off positive. And I’m starting off full.

I’m a big fan of migas. And that being the case, when I hit up a spot for breakfast/​brunch and see migas on the menu, then guess what I’m ordering.?! That’s right, Sherlock… migas.
So, I’ve been around the block enough times to know that a coffee/​sandwich shop that seems to try a little to hard to be… I don’t know… cool, I guess (I’m fairly certain I saw a poster that was a sort of self-​proclamation of funkiness)…probably isn’t a place that’s going to drop the bomb migas on that ass. And it wasn’t.
Don’t get me wrong, they were fine… but really… nothing more, nothing less. And the accompanying salsa was, indeed, less than impressive. I’m pretty sure there was some cheese involved, but the fact that I can’t say for sure is rather telling. I should be remembering gooey, cheesy goodness, but I don’t. At the same time, I neglected to take the initiative and ask for avocado (I’m assuming that’s an option), so in that respect, I have only myself to blame for not maximizing my migasian experience. HOWEVER, I did order chorizo on the side, so I suppose I did at least sort of do my part. The chorizo was… fine. Beans were fine (and I do remember the cheese on the beans — YAY!). Potatoes were… meh…over seasoned and slightly wet. None of that crispiness on the outside that good breakfast potatoes should have.
Okay, enough about the freaking migas. I also ordered a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches off the kids menu ($ 3.79) and that’s exactly what they served up. Two slices of bread with a slice of slightly old, unmelted cheddar cheese and a couple slices of ham. Nothing accompanying… no fries, fruit, drink, espresso for the kiddies… nothing. I found that rather odd, and the kids didn’t dig on the sannies. In fact, they ended up eating mac and cheese (with fruit and apple juice, thank you — $ 1.99! Deals!) at Jason’s Deli on the other side of the playscape an hour or two later. [Mental note — consider giving an extra star to Jason’s Deli.]
Ohhhh yeeeaah, Austin Java is a coffee shop, and I did order a coffee — mocha latte. It was served to me in a pint glass. Is it just me, or is that odd? I like beer in pint glasses. Cold, beery beer. I want mocha latte in a mug, thank you. Or a [recycled] cardboard cup, or something along those lines. If you must serve me my mocha latte in a pint glass, then throw some whiskey in that biaaaatch, damn it! Whatever.
Okay, after all that… Austin Java still clocks in at a solid 3 stars. For a number of reasons… for one, as I said, the migas were fine. Fine = 3 stars. But also, they serve beer, and there is a nice, big playscape right there. Serve me shit on a platter next to a playscape, and accompany that shit with a beer, and you’ll get three stars every time. Because that’s the way I roll. And for some reason, I’m confident that Austin Java will coax another star out of me. I’ll peruse the menu for a sanny that catches my fancy, eat that bread, meat and vegetablecombination with a cold beer while the kids eat their grub from Jason’s Deli and cause havoc on the playscape, and I’ll think to myself… that there’s worthy of four stars!
Or not. Stay tuned…

Really those 3 stars are more for the food. I have to say I was really disappointed when I went to Austin Java after reading the reviews for some of the other locations. I ordered a whole milk double latte with a little vanilla which tasted good for about 5 minutes and then it tastes like wet dog. Why? They served it in a clear glass *glass*. UGG. CPK does that too. WHO serves latte or coffee in GLASS?!! GROSS. Hot milk just does not go in a glass container. It’s nasty. So if I had to guess, then wet dog is the best comparison. That’s what is smells like anyway and since taste and smell go hand in hand… you better order a single and tell them you want it in ceramic! The food was great though. I got two breakfast tacos– corn tortilla. They serve you new potatoes which is really cool, and the eggs were really good too. You have to sit on wood benches too– nothing cushy so it’s not a really cool place to hang out. Bleh

My favorite AJ to date. My daughter runs around in there like a chimpanzee and they bring her free cookies. Then she mozies out to the playground outside to run herself ragged before naptime. All the while I’m drinking a delicious café au lait trying to wake up for the day while holding my tiny tiny baby. It is altogether an excellent experience.

So, I go to Target to check out their optical outlet and they are closed for a break.
So, I walked across the parking lot to Austin Java and ordered a Vietnamese coffee and a Toasted Sesame Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich has that little healthy Heart sign by it; but, since it tasted so indulgent with the peanuts and all I doubt it is very figure friendly. For anyone who has not had Vietnamese coffee try it — it is strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk. I am not even a coffee drinker but when I am somewhere that serves it I always order it.
I prefer the Barton Springs location atmosphere with all of its wooden decks and wood structure as apposed to this locations steel and windows. But if I happen to be shopping in South Park Meadows I would definitely dine here again.

Finally, a locally owned coffee shop in my neck of the woods! I went to Austin Java on a Saturday afternoon the week it opened because I was craving a cup o’ joe while out shopping.
Having never been to the other locations in town, I didn’t know Austin Java had a very extensive breakfast and café menu. You have no idea how excited I was to find that I could find gingerbread pancakes so close to my house! Of course, their coffee is also excellent. I ordered the bottomless cup and tried just about every variety they had available that day, and they were all very good.
On top of that, the atmosphere was very comfy and the free wifi is super convenient. So much so, in fact, that my husband and I went there again the following day for brunch and stayed to do some work and surf the net. The breakfast fare was excellent and, as I found out today (yes, I went back again!), the spinach salad is very yummy, too. I think I’ve found my weekend chill out spot.

I was wondering when this coffee shop will open. Well, it happen and we didn’t realize until we were in the area doing some shopping. I am excite there is coffee shop like this in the area where I live at. The staff was very friendly both times we were there. We felt in love with the Texan Pecan coffee. The breakfast was really good, plus the free wi-​fi is excellent. I will continue to visit Austin Java since it is like being at home on the weekend which I spend most of the time on the computer and drinking coffee. What a way to do it while at coffee shop and while reading the NY Times online.
This restaurant is located at Southpark Meadows.