How many spots are in this guide?

We've featured 10 venues in "Best Coffee Shops in Austin."

Best Coffee Shops in Austin

From a 15,000-review downtown institution to five-star neighborhood roasters most visitors never hear about.

Last updated August 8, 2026

Austin's coffee scene splits into two categories: a handful of big, well-known downtown spots with thousands of reviews, and a long tail of small neighborhood roasters with perfect or near-perfect ratings from a smaller, devoted crowd. This list has both — ordered by rating, with review count called out so you know which.

1. Caroline

Breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner in modern surroundings with cocktails, craft beer, and wine.

4.8 stars, 15,163 reviews — the most-reviewed coffee spot in Austin by a huge margin. On Congress Ave downtown, serving breakfast through dinner with cocktails, craft beer, and wine alongside the coffee — more of a full cafe than a quick-stop shop.

2. Black Cat Coffee

Black Cat Coffee is a budget-friendly coffee shop in South Congress.

5.0 stars, 111 reviews. On Live Oak St.

3. Terrible Love

Terrible Love is a budget-friendly coffee shop in Hyde Park.

4.9 stars, 417 reviews.

4. Praxis Coffee Roasters

Praxis Coffee Roasters is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

4.9 stars, 249 reviews. On Menchaca Rd.

5. The Sweet Grind

The Sweet Grind is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

4.9 stars, 87 reviews. On Willow Springs Rd.

6. Brother Friend Coffee South

Brother Friend Coffee South is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

5.0 stars, 64 reviews.

7. Odd Roots Coffee

Odd Roots Coffee is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

4.9 stars, 108 reviews. On Old Lockhart Rd.

8. Switchback Coffee and Beer

Switchback Coffee and Beer is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

5.0 stars, 53 reviews — coffee by day, beer by night, per the name.

9. Polyphonic Coffee

Polyphonic Coffee is a budget-friendly coffee shop.

4.9 stars, 116 reviews. On Menchaca Rd.

10. Violette Bakehouse

Violette Bakehouse is a coffee shop.

4.9 stars, 292 reviews — a bakery-cafe hybrid rather than a pure coffee shop, but it earned its spot on rating alone.

How to read this list: Caroline is the safe, established pick with a track record thousands of reviews deep. Everything else is smaller and newer to the review system — five stars on 60-100 reviews is a real signal, but it's a different kind of signal than 15,000 reviews at 4.8. Both are worth trusting.

FAQ

What's the top pick in "Best Coffee Shops in Austin"?: Caroline is our top pick.
How many spots are in this guide?: We've featured 10 venues in "Best Coffee Shops in Austin."