Merit Coffee — Restaurant in Austin

Merit Coffee, a spot that I should frequent more often. It has this nostalgic feel to it, as the setup and placing of this spot reminds me a bit of those small (somewhat secretive) coffee places in NYC, and even has an old New England vibe to it, with how it's put together. Quaint, warm and welcoming, Merit Coffee is placed right on S. Lamar, across from Shake Shack and walking distance from one of the Alamo Drafthouse movie theaters. Their chai latte (with oatmilk), and raspberry-cheese danish is satisfyingly delicious, hits the spot for either brunch, or on a chill Texas afternoon, and is well complimented by a friendly staff, and a lovely mixed atmosphere of college students, and white and blue collar folks alike. There's the popular indoor seating area (that fills up quick) with t-shirts, hats, bags and other Merit Coffee items to purchase. And the familiar outdoor seating area that puts you at ease with a lovely ambience of sunlight peeking through the trees, and the ever-so popular Austin traffic, that reminds you just how much Austin is rapidly growing and changing (for the better I hope). All-in-all, a wonderful spot that is great to come out for coffee/tea and pastries, to chill and catch up on some studying, work, and/or news. Hangout with family and friends, relax by yourself, or even bring a date out here (which I've done a few times in the past, and they loved it). Five stars! Highly...

Me and a friend were the first people in at opening. We were early so we even waited to walk in. The staff was absolutely rude for no reason. Wouldn’t allow us to sit inside and was cold outside. The next two persons walk in after we were sitting outside and they are able to sit at tables. I thought “maybe inside is reservations only”. I checked and this place doesn’t have reservations. Coffee wasn’t bad but I would never go back. Little man behind the counter should be fired. I stood by the door waiting on my friend to pay for his and was told very rudely “I will bring your coffee outside”. I get not wanting loads of people crowding due to covid but at that time we were the only ones in the shop. I went back in for a packet of sugar, I said “thank you”... he just looked at me without reply. Cute little shop, easy location to swing into in the mornings, and plenty of seating inside/out but I can’t overlook being talked to like I’m trash. I never leave reviews but this one was the worst experience I’ve had in Austin. I even had to reset my Google password to write it. That’s should show you it was bad enough for me to have to go through the extra trouble to...

I don't often find myself at coffee shops, mainly since I get it free at my apartment, but that should change as I was satisfied with my recent visit at Merit Coffee.

When you walk in, you'll immediately see that it's a cozy homey environment with the beautiful aroma of coffee in the air. As you take a look at the menu, you see that they have a wide variety to choose from depending on your mood. You could go sweet or savory, lattes or lemonades. And to that I say: why not both? I got:

Iced Matcha Latte: a good, herbal and balanced way to start your morning Blackberry Lemonade: if you weren't awake before, you will now. This was really sweet! Poptart: takes you back to childhood memories, but it's higher quality and is more rich in its jelly filling Jalapeño Kolache: this ain't your typical kolache. The sausage is higher quality and more chewy with the breading being a croissant!

Overall, you can't go wrong with any of the above. They still had a lot more options not seen here, so I would come back again. Since I had a great time, I...