Palomino Coffee — Restaurant in Austin

This place is awesome, I’ve gone here three days in a row to work on finals and here is what I have to say:

Matcha Latte : one of the better spots for matcha, it is very muted here so you definitely like it more towards the end. They also don’t go too hard on syrups so it’s never too sweet (sometimes you can barely taste the syrup at all). I like the hot version of this one more than iced here. I really enjoyed it with the vanilla syrup, but my boyfriend is a bigger fan of the lavender.

Blueberry Latte: I was very surprised about this one. You get hints of blueberry so it’s not overpowering and again, at first you aren’t sure but as you keep drinking it gets better. I really enjoyed this one iced.

-Cardamom Mocha: I’ve had this one in Mexico so I was pleasantly surprised by how strong the flavor for this is, especially when you compare it to how muted most drinks are. They also have just the latte which I have yet to try. I had it iced and it was really good, I do think this is one that would taste better warm. Like most mochas, it might be a little grainy towards the end but I didn’t have a problem with it.

Earl Grey Special: I can’t remember the exact name of this drink but it’s one of their seasonal lattes. My boyfriend had it warm and it’s definitely a stronger flavor, not too sweet.

pistachio donut: I will forever dream about this. I think it was seasonal so it wasn’t there anymore on my third trip but I wish so badly it was.

pecan cinnamon roll: amazing

coffee cake: tasted great, it was dry to me but boyfriend said it was perfect. It’s also vegan so that may be a bonus.

cost: I’ve been to a lot of Austin coffee shops and this place is actually pretty fair. I’d say it’s in the middle (about $8 for a 16oz) I’ve seen coffees that are around $13 which is when it gets too excessive in my opinion.

Service: everyone here is super nice and there is free wifi

vibe: I love the decor, it reminds me of Spain. I think this is a lesser known cafe for now because it’s usually pretty relaxed throughout the day which makes it a very nice study spot. I’ve also never had a problem...

Ok let’s be real most of people who first come here come for the aesthetics. Decorated in southwest style with a ton of plants (all for sale) this is easily one of the most aesthetically pleasing coffee shops in Austin. You are surrounded by beautiful gorgeous plants and the furniture inside is all curves and the communal tables are nice. They have plenty of shared tables to sit and study - if you’re hoping for your own table to study at probably wouldn’t recommend this place. They also have a nice bar area to sit at. They do have Wifi and it is strong. Outlet wise they do have some scattered throughout (I counted about 5 that people can use throughout). It’s also nice they have a covered outside patio area though you will mainly be looking at a parking lot and new construction. Super dog friendly - there is a sign that says service dogs only inside but there were definitely a lot of non service dogs inside.

Drink wise I got the cardamom mocha and I love it because it is not incredibly sweet and has a nice depth of chocolate flavor. If you like a Starbucks level of sweetness of mocha you likely may not like it, so don’t expect a super sweet drink. My husband got the seasonal snake bite which consists of vanilla citrus ginger syrup drink - definitely more vanilla and citrus but couldn’t appreciate the ginger as much. I do appreciate that if you ask it for here it comes in real mugs/real plates.

Food wise they source pastries/tacos/kolaches from various different stores. It is nice they have a microwave to heat up the kolaches/tacos. I got the mushroom danish pastry which I am fairly certain is from Sour Duck and it was delicious.

Service wise there was a little something left to be desired. I found the girl working the cashier uppity and cold, but maybe it was because it was early in the morning. Did kind of detract experience slightly.

Free parking lot in front so parking super easy.

Overall I would come again to enjoy...

Palomino coffee is trying to set itself apart in a city with so many amazing coffee spots! Here is an honest rating about its various aspects - Taste of latte - 5 stars, they brew Flatrack and it’s hands down amazing, ambience and space - 5 stars, love the decor, plants and the whole Santa Fe vibe with the record players and coffee bean sacks and the roasting machinery, cost - 4 stars and staff - about a 3.5 - not very welcoming, maybe they were having a bad day, a little grumpy. More in-depth, I love that they serve Flatrack beans which are generally a little on the expensive side - about $22-24. I’m a fan of Barrett’s coffee and I don’t think anyone can beat them when it comes to beans and value for money. The latte was amazing and very well done, absolutely no complains there but a $.50 each for takeout paper cups? That’s didn’t jive with me especially when we weren’t even told about it during checkout - odd. The ambience is calm and quiet with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating as well as good music playing - loved the record player. They do sell soaps and other items as well along with drinks, beans and pastries. It is worth visiting if you love exploring new coffee spots in and around Austin but not sure I will come back...