Jo's Coffee on South Congress

Jo’s Coffee, in Austin, TX, is a bit of an institution.  It has quite a following at its two locations (which, by the way, have a very different vibe).  The one on Second Street feels a bit more upscale, but not still casual enough for the average pedestrian in shorts and flip flops.

The Jo’s on South Congress is basically a shack with open air seating.  Jo’s sells beer as well as coffee, and the outdoor seating seems to be very popular with folks who want to have a beer and a smoke, even more than the folks who just want coffee.  My latte was good, and so was the Mocha Latte.  But the ambiance of the place was left wanting, and I retreated to the Hotel San Jose courtyard to read the newspaper without any smoke blowing my way.  Jo’s has free wifi as well, but I didn’t get a chance to test it out.

I think the best thing recommending both Jo’s coffee locations is that they’re located near a lot of interesting stores you can walk to – and if you’re like me, you need caffeine to shop.  South Congress, and 2nd Street, are two of the more interesting outdoor shopping streets in Austin (with South Congress being a bit more “hip” and 2nd Street a bit more “upscale”), and both have a collection of really yummy restaurants to complement the coffee shops.

Yelp reviews here…