Garden District Coffee House

Three and a half stars. New ownership seems good – friendly baristas. Great little tuna melt sandwich and good coffee. The place cleaned up a bit but last time I was in there was an awkward area blocked off by a sectioned bookcase and it seemed like they were trying to squeeze an office or something into the already small seating area inside. If there were more than a few folks in there it would get cramped and loud I think. Sitting outside is the way to go, pretty surroundings being The Great Outdoors Garden Center.

I’ve never gotten any coffee here; the environment always turns me onto some hibiscus tea, which is completely lovely to drink on the back patio in the late spring when it’s starting to get a little hot. I think you get one free refill but don’t quote me on it. Anyway, it’s fun to watch people buying plants, men loading plants into trucks, all the liveliness of a nursery. I remember the birdwatching to be pretty swell too.
I can’t remember if they accept golocal or give any student discounts. I’m thinking is’ no golocal and only a st ed’s discount… but don’t quote me on that either.

I heard that this place closed, true?

This place has great coffee, very nice down to earth people, great food, & a comfortable atmosphere.

The coffee was a little on the acidic side for my tastes, but that may have been a one time happening. I ordered an iced latte after waiting for the baristas to finish their conversation, waited some more for the drink while they were talking then was handed a completely brown drink (ie no milk) I stared at it for a moment pondering how to point out that a main component of a latte is milk, but not wanting to be rude about it. I then politely say «can I please have some milk?» to which the reply was, «oh, did you order a latte». Hmm, yes, yes I did. At this point there wasn’t really room in the cup for milk as it was just an iced coffee not espresso on ice, She dumps out a little of the coffee and added some milk and voile I get an iced coffee for the price of an iced latte. I’ll try this place again, but with a little hesitation.

I’ve only had a drink or cookie from here but my friend took me for dinner recently. Fantastic spinach salad — feta, sprouts, cucumbers — great dressing. Her homemade empanadas looked amazing. Very impressive when combined with the secluded patio in the garden.

I love this place. The patio looks out over the Great Outdoors garden center, so it’s pretty and fragrant. It’s dog friendly, so we can enjoy the scenery with our puppy. The mocha au lait is SO yummy and so are the breakfast tacos. I’ve never had lunch food, but I’ve been back for tacos and coffee more times than I care to admit.

Really impressive espresso. I got a veggie sandwich, which was excellent. It had great hummus on it and the avocado was fresh.
They have some discount plans, possibly based on if you pay with cash. Credit card fees tend to hurt small businesses, and I think that it is evident here.
The atmosphere has the feel of a low budget operation… really old furniture. The atmosphere reminds me of a public school. I guess that’s supposed to be «cool» in soco, but the prices for food and drink seem a little high for my tastes. If you are in the neighborhood and you want to buy local, I still think that it’s worth a stop.

Okay, so I’m walking distance from this place and I also happen to frequent and love the Great Outdoors, so this review might be biased. There are really two Garden Districts. The first is the inside «coffee house» that feels in some ways very much like your typical college town coffee house with its mismatched chairs and eclectic décor and clientele. What sets it apart are the fact that it’s on South Congress (south of Oltorf to be exact) and that they are usually streaming WWOZ, one of the best radio stations in the world and hailing from New Orleans. Ahh, the name Garden District starts to make sense… Being south of Oltorf, they seem to attract a slightly a different crowd than, say, Jo’s does and having a New Orleans theme they attract those of us down here who also miss our beloved Crescent City.
The second Garden District is the small-​ish but nice outdoor patio that looks out over the Great Outdoors nursery – quite a peaceful and mesmerizing view. Not only for those of us who gaze insatiably at the new arrivals of Texas-​hardy plants, but for anyone who wants to forget their troubles for a bit in the tranquil ancient oaks.
The menu is varied and eclecticly suits the neighborhood and the WiFi works well. They get 4 stars instead of 5 due to the fact that my double espresso shot is different almost every time. No biggie, they use Ruta Maya coffee and it always tastes good anyway.

Warm and homey like you might expect from a coffeehouse nestled into the side of a nursery, it doesn’t take long to discover the obvious, namely, that Garden District Coffee House has regulars, and brother, they’re all around you. If you were a coffee bean or a barista or even a regular consumer of the java, I suppose this might wax a little like an episode of This Is Your Life. But in the hear and now for the rest of us, it is one might dream, a concoction ripe with ample seating, and handful of tables, and folks content just to linger.
For my time I had the not particularly unusual task ahead of working a little before shopping for some plants that I couldn’t kill once I got them home, and the combo of these two spots seemed prime to make that happen. So while the dessert lover puttered about looking at green stuff, I camped out inside and got a few things handled. It’s a quiet, mostly contemplative space, and the back patio leaning out onto the nursery had a gentle breeze going this morning. In all, a terrific way to kill a couple of hours. I can see why it’d be a favorite for regulars. I’ll be back.

This was my favorite coffee shop in all of Austin so far!
It overlooks the beautiful organic landscaping center, which in itself is gorgeous scenery.
Inside, it is relaxed, friendly, and airy, like a fun, light, bright house.
The boca burger they made was delicious, and really well made. It came *with* a cup of coffee, which made me happy, and was a great deal.
They had great free WiFi, and I absolutely loved this place, in a city full of good coffee shops.

What a great find! I’ve taught a class at St. Ed’s for more than 2 years now, and just discovered this place (Thanks to Luz).
Had the turkey sandwich on french bread (pretty good) and some peach tea while I chatted with a friend out on the patio, which overlooks the The Great Outdoors Nursery. I’m definitely coming back every Monday.

I’ve been hanging out at this place quite a bit lately. I’m in graduate school and this semester is proving to be incredibly intense, so I’ve found myself hiding out in the library at St. Ed’s a lot and it’s getting old. I’ve recently ventured out to break up the monotony, and have found the Garden District Coffee House to be a good place to hang out, drink coffee and read some chapters out of my 6,000 lb. Business Law book.
It’s a very comfortable little café, with a nice patio overlooking a really sweet garden shop. They have pretty good coffee, smoothies, and a small menu consisting of pastries, breakfast tacos and sandwiches. There’s free WiFi, but not a ton of seating inside, so if it’s a chilly day and no one is sitting on the patio it can get a bit crowded. On a nice day, the patio is the place to be, and when my brain feels like it’s about to explode, I can take a break and wander around the garden shop. They have a nice assortment of plants and pots, and I find myself wanting to drop tons of money whenever I visit.
The service is (mostly) friendly and fast, without the hipster attitude you find at a lot of cafes around town. I haven’t been wowed by them yet, but I notice that they are quite chatty with the regulars.
This café is a great place for anyone looking for a comfortable, laid back place to relax, get some work done, or study. Oh, and remember to check out the lovely nursery out back!

My wife and I decided to hit the coffee joints on SOCO and ended up at Garden District. Cute little place; it’s part of a nursery called the The Great Outdoors. Very beautiful and relaxing patio which looks onto the nursery.
We sat inside for most part. The atmosphere inside is laid back and comfy. The owners very friendly and welcoming. We tried their breakfast tacos and they were delicious. I saw others ordering sandwiches and they looked pretty good as well. Will try them when we come back here.
This place has free WIFI, comfortable wicker chairs. A good place to hang out or get some work done. It did get a little smoky inside though as we neared lunch time (they seemed to get a lot of crowd during that time) and thus we ended up on the patio.
I would certainly love to come back here and try out all their other sandwiches and smoothies.

I stopped in here yesterday after browsing at The Great Outdoors and «Yay! I am a fan». I can’t wait to explore more of their sandwiches: they all sound so good! and the smoothies too! and the sweet Cuban coffee drinks!
I wished I had a friend with me so I could share a couple of the items I wanted to try… I decided on the Veggie sandwich because I was wanting something healthy and the Hummus Avocado combo sounded fantastic! My sandwich was layered with a hummus spread, avocado, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions and cucumbers. Yummy!
Minus a star for adding chips and salsa to my sandwich (which I did not eat) and jacking up the price of my sandwich…
Full 5 stars for a New Orleans type café ambiance in South Austin that allows my butt sniffer!

Great location down south. It’s nested into the Great Outdoors, so the porch is lovely and gives the feeling that you’re sitting in a garden.
The coffee is good, they have Toddy-​style iced coffee and some sweet Cuban drinks (don’t order if you don’t like sweet coffee).
The food is delicious and reasonably priced for the portion size. (A little expensive but the sandwiches are large and served with chips and salsa).
My favorites are the cuban sandwich and the beef empanadas, definitley give them a try!

Arriving from the muggy heat, I was greeted by the cool air, brightly painted walls and wonderful smells. On the menu was Cuban-​style espressos, but I opted for a decaf latte, which was really tasty. Unsure of the availability and reliability of any wifi internet, I decided this place would be worth hanging out in regardless. Much to my surprise, the wifi was working and is fairly fast. I will have to return to try the yummy smelling snadwiches and empanadas, on a cooler day when the patio will be more welcoming.
Tip: if you are a St. Ed’s student, you can use your card here.

Fab patio, great coffee, cool atmosphere. A wonderful spot in South Austin. My gosh there seem to be a ton of good coffee spots down there! I think if there was a war on local coffee shops in Austin, let’s say South vs. North, clearly south would win.
Also good sandwiches, great to share for a snack and their iced tea is really good too. I don’t even get tea usually but snuck some of the hubby’s and it was really tasty! I think they made their own salsa too.
Dog friendly patio. Always a plus.

I liked this place a lot. That said, the parking is tricky, keep an eye out for the Great Outdoors sign. Lack of a clear entrance cost them my fifth star. The café is right next to the nursery parking lot. I think you are supposed to park there. Never figured it out exactly, just banged a right off Congress and parked.
Muffaletta sandwich on special. Pretty rangy for an Austin café, but very good! And the staff are great. Kitchen staff came out and took orders from the line to move people along at lunch. Really feels like a place where everyone is welcome.
The atmosphere and people (employees and customers alike) are great and it really does have a New Orleans backporch feeling. Even if it is right on South Congress!

Shop for plants or get some food? Easy decision for me and my black thumb, but for the outdoorswoman or man, a tough call.
Garden District Coffee House is a by-​product of South Congress’s Great Outdoors Garden Center. This bustling herb emporium has added a quaint café, a perfect midday shopping stop for a hot latte or a fresh, grill-​pressed sandwich. Garden District has an accommodating staff, moderate prices and a comfortable patio. Be warned! The bubbling fountains and fresh air can easily lull you into a half-​dozing, starey-​eyed state of sleepy confusion.
Overall, the sandwiches and pastries were just okay. Chips and salsa served with every meal. Coffee from Ruta Maya. Great atmosphere, tough parking.
Gratified at Garden District.