Central Market Cafe — Restaurant in Austin

I spend quite a lot of time there, mainly because I go to a couple meetups that gather there. It's a good space for meeting people, because they have plenty of seating for large groups, and because you have access to both the cafe and the grocery store.

The cafe has excellent veggie burgers. They're savory and satisfying, and they come with a choice of sides which includes some pretty decent french fries. They also have some interesting specials available, and if I'm super hungry, I can always supplement my meal with one of the free rolls that come with the meals.

I have a few complaints. The place gets pretty crowded, and the crowds are not always handled super well. I feel like I spend as much time waiting for employees to notice they're blocking traffic while chatting as I do for strollers. Also, it feels like they can't decide if they want customers to bus tables themselves (which I'm perfectly happy to do), or have employees do it, and they wind up with a poor compromise where one employee is struggling to keep up with the entire place, while customers are left with a few spots which are ambiguously appropriate for leaving trays and dishes.

All in all, I recommend it, more as a meeting place than...

I've been surprised by Central Market Cafe because it's not only a quick eatery for shoppers but a cafe with a life in its own right. I often linger here for a few afternoon hours—which I can do for the mere price of a cup of coffee—and I've seen all imaginable sorts of gatherings, sometimes all day once: quiet couples sharing a lunch; medical workers in their scrubs from one of the surrounding offices be Seton halo; kids' birthday parties; grown-up birthday dinners; retired folks enjoying the surprisingly affordable food; and yes, shoppers.

There's a menu to peruse in line—at lunch there are burgers, sandwiches, and Southwestern influenced dishes. They'll give you a beeper that, five or ten minutes later, will insistently beep to tell you your lunch is ready. You go get it yourself, and you sit at a table for two or twelve in a dining hall of bustling activity and unpretentious simplicity. The food is always good.

When the outside area becomes fit for human habitation—which it does for a few weeks twice a year—there's a nice outside deck that extends the dining...

I’ve been an avid supporter of CM since the North Lamar store opened around 35 years ago. My only real issue is the lack of adequate restroom facilities. I’ve only identified two men’s rooms, each quite small, with one urinal & one stall. The grocery staff also use those two rooms. I would estimate that 8 or 9 times out of 10 when I seek the facilities, they are taken up by the staff or closed altogether for cleaning. I had coffee in the café with a friend last Thursday. As we stood up, we both declared our intention to stop at the men’s room. I predicted that they would be unavailable . The first was closed for cleaning & the second was occupied by staff, with a waiting line. I am surprised that these facilities...