Best Coffee Shops in East Austin
Where to find your next Instagrammable cup of Joe?
Austin is a city brimming full of students, entrepreneurs, freelancers and digital nomads each looking for a coffee shop with a good cup of coffee and high speed internet to get some work done. For those also wanting a hip atmosphere to work – or simply pretend to work while secretly just people watching – head east. No area of the city is cooler than East Austin, which is why, unsurprisingly, it is the area where the majority of cool coffee shops serve the hippest cups of joe.
Flat Track Coffee
1619 E. Cesar Chavez
What is cooler than vintage motorcycles? Vintage motorcycles AND good coffee, which is the backbone of East Cesar Chavez’s newest coffee shop. Unlike many tatted-up “too-cool-for-school” eastside baristas, the staff here are always friendly (and they smile!) while serving from a small menu of craft coffee and espresso drinks. The small coffee roaster/ coffee shop does not just love motorcycles and dirt bikes. It also shares a space with Cycleast, a neighborhood bike shop that specializes in repairs, restorations and specialized bicycles. Seating is limited, but if you can find a seat, there is no cooler place in Austin for bike-lovers to hangout for the afternoon.
Cafe Nena’i
1700 Montopolis Dr.
This mother-daughter run Latin American bakery cafe near Montopolis Drive and East Riverside Drive is the go-to place for a pastry case full of South American pastries. The food menu pulls from all corners of South America especially Paraguay, Venezuela and Argentina. From a savory beef, raisin, egg and pepper Empanada to a sweet Alfajor cookie sandwich with cafe con leche and coconut flakes, this coffee shop meets all your morning cravings. They also serve a great cup of coffee. If the Cafectio – a shot of espresso with sugar – isn’t doing the trick, try the Colada, which is multiple Cafecitos in one glass.
Cuvee Coffee
2000 E 6th St
This super hip local coffee roaster opened a coffee shop on East 6th Street that serves a small menu of pour over, espresso and nitro cold brew coffee. For a different type of pick-me-up, they serve draft beer as well. The patio is dog friendly, the music is always hip and there is more than enough room inside to sit down with a group of friends. If it seems like more people are actually talking to one another or reading one of those things called books, and it’s because the coffee shop does not have WiFi. Plan accordingly.
Sa-Tén Coffee and Eats
916 Springdale
This Japanese-inspired cafe is known for toasts, sandwiches and protein plates, but it is worth a trip just for the drink menu. The cafe on Springdale Road serves matcha lattes, iced Vietnamese coffee, Ohayo (a brown sugar cappuccino) and charcoal lattes. With indoor and outdoor seating, it is a great place to study, get some work done or grab one of the cafe’ board games and catch up with a friend.
Flitch Coffee
641 Tillery Street
Hidden behind the Hatch Workshop courtyard sits the perfect, chill spot to sip a cup of coffee on a nice day. Flitch Coffee operates out of a Spartan trailer giving it a no-frills atmosphere. It is almost like they are not even trying to impress us, which of course is the COOLEST. The dog-friendly coffee shop serves coffee from several boutique roaters like Evocation Coffee Roasters, Kickapoo Coffee Roasters and Onyx Lab Coffee Roasters. Try an Iced Maple Latte and Pueblo Viejo breakfast taco while you sit under a shaded tree and wonder why you are not as cool as Flitch Coffee.
Cenizo Coffee
7701 Colton-Bluff Springs Rd.
This coffee trailer right by the Union not only offers delicious coffee, but Cenizo is owned and operated by two Easton Park residents, Harrison Cook and Nancy Aguirre! Through their partnerships with hyper-local Austin suppliers, they bring a unique selection of specialty coffee, tea, and delicious pastries. Plus, they can cater events and have a brand-new mobile espresso cart to bring their hand-crafted coffee experience directly to you.
