Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop — Restaurant in Austin

I recently had the opportunity to try the barbacoa tacos at Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop, a place with a long-standing history in the Austin community. Unfortunately, my experience left a lot to be desired.

First, the barbacoa itself was a letdown. The meat lacked the tenderness and flavor I had expected from a place with such a rich family tradition. It was dry and lacked the rich, juicy texture that is characteristic of well-prepared barbacoa. It seemed like it had been sitting out for a while before being served. When I returned back with my take out I was told they outsource that meat and "It is what is, no refunds." It's important to note that Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop has a policy of not refunding or replacing orders that are deemed unsatisfactory. This means that if you receive a bad order or encounter any issues with your meal, you will not have the option for a refund or a replacement. This policy can be frustrating for customers who expect a certain level of quality and service, especially considering the long-standing history of Joe Avila's family serving the Austin community. It's essential to keep this policy in mind when deciding whether or not to dine at this establishment.

Moreover, the tortillas used for the tacos were a disappointment. They were dry and tasted stale, which greatly affected the overall experience. A good taco relies heavily on its tortilla, and in this case, it fell short.

Additionally, it's worth mentioning that Joe's Bakery and Coffee Shop applies a 3% take-out fee to all orders. This fee is attributed to the increasing cost of paper goods required for take-out orders. While I understand the need to cover expenses, it's important for customers to be aware of this additional charge when placing their orders.

Furthermore, the service was lackluster. The staff seemed disinterested and inattentive, which further dampened the overall experience. It's a shame that a place with such a longstanding reputation fails to maintain the same level of quality in both its food and service. And let me echo was is said time and time again, management is rude and the lack of empathy really demonstrates how they feel about their customers. There is a sense of arogance and a disregard for customer concerns is apparent that greed is consuming the business model this establisment was built on.

Given the history associated with this establishment and their commitment to the Austin community, I had high hopes for an exceptional dining experience but with all these bad reviews, I don’t see how they were awarded a 2023 James Beard Award.

I hope they can make improvements to bring back the quality that their family has been known for over the years! Take your chance if your chose to visit this establishment but Your...

I recently visited Austin, TX, because I heard it was one of the premiere foodie towns in America. It certainly did not disappoint. I knew when I was gonna visit Texas that I had to put an A-list Mexican restaurant on my hitlist, and after much research, the name that kept popping up was Joe's Bakery. Homemade Mexican food and Texas' famous breakfast tacos. I had to come here.

My choice was confirmed when a local who was standing outside of the building saw me taking pictures and came up to talk to me. He said that he had been coming here for 60 years and that I was gonna really enjoy myself. He really said 60 years. After looking at the restaurant's About Us page, his story was plausible. That's one heck of a loyal customer.

Luckily, this place opened up its dining room right before I got to the city. It had been closed for a long time due to the pandemic. Good thing tacos are the easiest to-go item on the planet. So I went inside, got a seat, and started talking to my server about what's good.

I got the Joey Rocha Plate (Two eggs any style served with pork carne guisada, potatoes, beans, sausage, or bacon and two tortillas). At my server's suggestion, I had the eggs covered with rancheros sauce. Best decision I've ever made. That sauce and the sauce from the pork tied the entire plate together and made not a five star, but a six star dish that brought me back to my childhood. Definitely get this, I've decided for you.

Also, instead of sausage or bacon, ask for one of each, so you can get more variety going on. Also also, their bacon is super thick cut, lightly breaded, and fried like that. It makes a bacon that I've never had before, and I was very satisfied.

I also got my hands on Migas Con Todo Plate (Two scrambled eggs with corn chips, onion, tomatoes & jalapenos topped with cheese, served with beans and two tortillas). I'm not the expert here, by any means, but I'm not sure that many places will use straight up corn chips in their migas. It made this dish SO crispy. Perfect migas. Some people might not be interested in putting corn chips in a tortilla for a migas taco, but you must. Trust me.

Overall, this place was perfect. There was nothing wrong with my experience here. The rustic, unique TexMex decor, the incredibly friendly servers who made spot on suggestions, and the food that I realize that I'll never have ever again unless I come back to Texas. So...

My husband has been getting his breakfast tacos here for years and finally brought me for breakfast! As soon as we entered, it was so nostalgic and reminded me of my valley days. It has that old school, authentic Mexican hole in the wall vibe. The walls are covered with memorabilia and photos of famous people that have stopped by. We even spotted two of the servers on some pictures that must’ve been over 10 years ago. You can tell they are loyal to this restaurant and love what they do!

It was pretty busy around 10am on a Tuesday morning, but we spotted a booth that was available. Our server was busy but attended us as quickly as he could. We ordered a coffee to drink and it was such a good roast. Our server made sure it stayed refilled throughout our stay.

For breakfast, my husband ordered the Joe’s special and I ordered the barbacoa plate. The prices are pretty expensive for breakfast but the quality of food was worth it. The flour tortillas are homemade and they were buttery and thin, just the way I like them. They were so good we had to order two more. They are smaller than I’m used to so we each had 3 total. My barbacoa was flavorful and not fatty at all. I did order some onion and cilantro on the side which I’m used to eating my barbacoa with but it did come at an upcharge. My eggs were cooked to perfection and the refried beans were delicious. I’m not a big fan of the way they cook their potatoes as they are round spears so my hubby ate those.

My husband liked his carne guisada and the bacon was a little too fried for my liking but he sure ate it all. We ate it all up and left nothing on the plate. That’s how good it all was!

On our way out, we stopped by at their bakery and saw their options. They offer a variety of traditional sweet bread. We decided to skip out this time as we were so full.

We will definitely be back for sure! I will say their breakfast tacos are priced so well ($2.75 each) that i will probably order those next time. Overall, I highly recommend stopping by for your next breakfast and...