Kick Butt Coffee 2 kicks Starbucks.
August 3, 2009 by Julia
Filed under Austin (central), Austin (downtown), restaurants, cafes, coffee shops
I know that a lot of people dog on Starbucks, but I don’t mind for the most part. I like that it is opened late, serves up a chai latte which calms me down at the end of a long day with the kids and is a place that I can meet my friends for a “Girls Night Out” so for that, I don’t care that Starbucks is the evil empire of caffeine. That said though, it is too bad that Kick Butt Coffee is not closer to my house. I would pick this place over Starbucks any day. How could you not love a locally owned coffee place (espresso lounge as they call themselves) that pays homage to the yellow tracksuit kung fu master himself? Bruce Lee fans, anyone?
We stopped into the newest Kick Butt Coffee at the Triangle that just opened this July. We went after brunch to get my caffeine fix. I ordered a regular mint mocha. Yum. I know you hardcore coffee drinkers out there are cringing, but if you take away the sweet goodness, the coffee itself was pretty darn good. You just won’t catch me drinking it black. It did not have that bitter funk that sometimes Starbucks coffee gets.
This place is not just a coffeehouse. They have a real bona-fide menu, and a good bit of it is child-friendly if you have the little rugrats with you. They even have a bar. Caffeine addicts can get their fix while others can grab a glass of vino. For those who want a little something-something in the coffee, they have that too.
The Triangle location is in a retail space that is more oblong than square so it puts all the seating into the back of the place. The seating to me is half and half, part restaurant and part coffeehouse. The kids had a field day climbing up on the small stage for live performances. I would probably not bring the kids here in the evenings, but during daylight hours, it is perfectly kid-friendly. The events calendar is posted on their website.
There’s even a swimming pool out the back door of the place. Seriously, does any Starbucks in town have a pool? Kick butt.
If your barista is Anna, be nice to her. She is a sweet person. (Anna was a former student of mine, and it was a delight to run into her again.)
Kick Butt Coffee 2 at The Triangle
45th & Lamar
virtual tour of Kick Butt Coffee (Triangle) before its grand opening
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