Houndstooth Coffee — Restaurant in Austin

Houndstooth Coffee is a quaint little coffee shop. Although there were people sitting and drinking coffee, there was no wait when I visited. I ordered a cappuccino "for here", and found a table to read my book (and later, write this review). In a few minutes, my drink was ready, and the barista came over to my section of the counter to deliver my drink instead of announcing it and leaving it next to the machine, which was a nice touch. I didn't order any alcoholic beverages (12PM on a Sunday), so I won't be discussing that part of their business.

At the counter, there is no obvious menu. Call it "hipster" or "homey" or whatever you want, but it makes you feel good when a business trusts you to know enough about coffee to order correctly. For the uninitiated coffee drinkers, there are some paper menus near the entrance. That being said, there is a small board near the register with some coffee specials, such as coffee drinkings with sparking water and specially sourced, limited availability roasts.

My cappuccino was excellent-one of the best I had in Austin. The "proper" size, not sour, and with some classic latte art for those that care about those things. The mug was also adorable, with a little Texas on it. The wifi was fine, and my table had an outlet. There are a bunch of 2-seat tables, one table for 8, and then 2 couches facing each other. Given that that 8-seat table likely gets taken, this isn't a place I would go to hang out with more than 3 or 4 people. There was also outdoor seating available, but with no real awning other than the one connected to the building. I wouldn't want to sit there in the Texas Summer. If you do, though, there is water available at the counter.

I ended up getting a second cappuccino during this visit. Each one cost ~$4.60 at the time I wrote this, which is, well, high. However, I was not disappointed, and you will not be either. I probably won't come here often as it is a bit far from me, but if you live in the area this is likely one of, if not the best, coffee shops in the area.

Oh, and it is next to Tacodeli too. Which is also excellent (although I have not been to this location). I could spend all day in this strip mall...

Of all of the coffee places I've tried in Austin, Houndstooth has some of the most delicious brews. Their bright, inviting decor, welcoming staff, and spotless environment all make for a great little coffee shop to add the list. However, there are three big reasons I can't give this five stars:

Loud to the point of distraction. I am the type to take my work to a coffee shop on the weekend to get out of the house, sip coffee, and people watch a bit. Unfortunately, I can only get To-Go from this location because the contemporary design (hard surfaces) with no acoustic paneling or anything to absorb the sound combined with the crowds of people means that I would probably have to invest in some noise-canceling headphones to tolerate it.

Lack of Flow. The design of the interior lacks intuitive flow - from the point of sale to where you pick up your drinks, it's a complete and utter cluster. No one knows where to stand, you're bumping into other people waiting, tripping over people sitting, wandering through sitting areas to try to make room for the line of people still trying to order. There's only one entrance/exit, so you're stuck until your drink comes up and the room is filled up with chairs and tables to the point that there is zero room for people who are just waiting for their To-Go drink.

Parking & Location. The parking situation is hectic for those that can't walk here locally. With Taco Deli and Uchiko being next door, it can get rather crazy trying to get in and out of here with a vehicle, and being on a main road doesn't make...

Okay so - As I say with all of the coffee places I go to, I really wanted to like this place with all of the rave reviews on Yelp.

We ordered one black drip, and one Mocha.

The Drinks: Both of the coffees were really great. The beans of the actual coffee were really nicely picked - beautiful roasted flavor with a little bit of smoke. It was on the pricey side for coffee, but its a definite treat. The baristas definitely take this as their art.

The Service: The service was a little weird. When we walked in there was a bunch of people at tables with laptops. It was pretty quiet. There were 4 baristas behind the counter. We weren't really sure where to go to place our orders because there was no one at the register. When we walked to the register, we needed a minute to figure out what to order. Then when we were ready, we were looking for someone to talk to and then the girl behind the actual machines took our order. Then the other baristas didn't step towards the register to actually ring us up. So we just stood there while they didn't bother to help...