Mava Java Coffee — Restaurant in Llano

There's coffee shops that serve coffee and bland Pinterest-esque aesthetics that leave you feeling unsatisfied and restless. Then there are coffee shops that have depth, meaning, and, most of all, authenticity.

This coffee house has just that. Despite the dozens of coffee shops I've visited from Europe to India to Texas, this coffee shop is one of the rare few I know I will long to return to. A surprising find in Texas, Mava Java sits in the surprisingly conscious town of Llano, Texas: an unassuming town that will refresh the soul of anyone weary of the cold, grey corporporate aesthetics that seem to presently grip the global peak of the bell curve.

Mava Java rejects this notion of assimilation and rather provides its patrons with a unique experience that clearly comes from a spectacular team of neurodivergence, youth, and passion. Not even London produced that in my travels. I would liken this space to a coffee shop in Florence that we, after 6 years, cannot stop thinking about: Libreria L'Ornitorinco.

In a perpetual search for the new, innovative, and meaningful experiences, it is businesses like Mava Java that push against the notion of profit at the expense of culture and provide the glimmer of hope that remind me of the wizard who said "I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay."

Keep doing what you're doing. You're giving people the third space that will give the world dividends we cannot...

It’s a cute little shop with friendly staff. Unfortunately, for the price I paid, I was hoping for an exceptional espresso. I firmly believe that the quality of coffee I received would not last in a more competitive coffee town/city.

I ordered both a straight shot of espresso and a cappuccino.

The espresso here was over-extracted and had an unpleasant mouthfeel. Instead of being velvety, it was a bit coarse. I suspect the temp they pull their shots at is a bit high too.

The cappuccino was dry (foam heavy) as opposed to be level (take this with a grain of salt as I much prefer the more modern micro-foam cappuccinos and less so the traditional cappuccinos) and the latte art was sloppy. I call out the latte art because this is usually a sign of a new barista or one that isn’t used to handling the volume of their shop.

Maybe I caught them on a bad day, but when a shop’s prices are consistently high so are my standards. Unfortunately, I can’t review them based on intention. I can only go off of my experience. Perhaps if my assumption about the staff is correct, and they’re new to coffee or this shop’s equipment, that’s the reason for the low quality on my visit.

Final thoughts: Don’t go out of your way to make a special trip to this shop. However, if you’re in the neighborhood, have some extra money to burn and like to...

Every time I visit I always have the best customer service experience. The husband and wife team are very friendly, and just a pleasure to talk to in the mornings.

The coffee wasn't as strong as I like my coffee. I am that person who asks for four shots of espresso in a small latte so I'm a bit extreme. The second time I went there the owner told me that they modified the strength of their espresso and it was stronger which made me very happy. I am obsessed with the rich flavor of a good shot of espresso. The new depth of flavor will definitely bring me back.

I also like the fact that they have a very diverse menu when it comes to drinks. It's nice to see more than vanilla and caramel macchiato at a cafe. The only thing I could wish for would be more sugar-free options like stevia or monk fruit.

UPDATE: They were considerate and added stevia as an option within weeks of me asking. I'm a happy...