Music Cafe

by Phyllis K.

God gave me eyes.  Most of the time, I am very thankful for them, especially when driving.  But on certain occasions, I think Oedipus had the right idea with stabbing his out.  My visit to Music Cafe was such an occasion.  I don't mind a brightly painted house.  And I don't mind looking at a white stone wall, but when juxtaposed, it creates a nauseating feeling in my tum.  But the horror didn't stop there.  The patio area was covered in some faux-pebble astroturf, and instead of flower gardens, there were piles of sand with fake light-up palm trees, not swaying in the breeze.  Throw in some grapevine Christmas lights, and I've just vomited in your lap.  It's a darn shame I'm hunched over and puking, because now I can't see the amazing oak tree that towers above, and provides shade for the entire outdoor area.  It's so pretty!  And everything around it isn't!  Great, now I'm crying at the injustice in the world.  And I haven't even started on the interiors!But we'll skip that and say instead that the music blows.  I can't imagine why I would smoke a hookah and get blitzed to Sarah McLachlan (sp?) at 11pm!!!  Even my dog wasn't down with the music.  He just kept looking up at me and judging me for bringing him there.But there are some areas where credit is due.  The hookahs are 10 bucks and they  have a decent tobacco selection.  Also, if you happen to be torn between watching the game and studying, you can accomplish both inside.  They have a huge flatscreen, right by the bar, so you can swill on coffee and feel like your studying, cause you're in a coffee shop, but not actually have to do a lick of work!Music Cafe, I'll be back for the tree and the hookah, but I'm bringing an ipod and polarized lenses.

by Dej M.

This place hosted our Shower Strike wrap party last Thursday (what's that all about? Here you go: http://wellawareworld....).  Don't worry, I didn't participate in the strike because I like my showers. But I did volunteer and get money for us!Music Cafe was super accommodating.  We had a dunking booth and they allowed us to block off one entryway for it, then drain the water out later when the event was over.  Thanks guys!After reading Glen F's review though... I checked out my receipt, and sure enough my sangria was charged at regular price, even though it was obvious I was working with the group (and technically *everyone* should've gotten HH prices during the event).  There's something to be said about honoring your promise, which will attract more customers to your business while you're supporting a good cause.  So... hmm.  I was going to up it to 5 stars, but based on principle I guess we're back at 3. What a quaint space. The front lawn is spacious and can accommodate large groups interested in…

by Brian W.

Good pub, it has excellent selection of alcohol and a great patio.

by Shawn J.

Well, I hate to be the downer... but I decided to try this place today, taking a friend who was visiting from out of town. The good: The person working was genuinely friendly. Good location, and easy parking. My complaints: The espresso tasted like a grocery store frappuccino. The music was really bad, even by coffee shop standards. The station they were playing featured only acoustic covers. Men at Work and Aimee Mann, mellowed out and whipped into a submission of blandness. I know this might not seem like much to some, but it was incredibly loud. And bad.  The wi-fi is password protected. I might try this place again in a few months after they settle in. I think it would behoove them greatly to hire a couple experienced baristas.

by Ian S.

Went over on a recent Saturday. All in all it was OK, but the experience was hurt by the music, which was awful and incredibly loud, and some small service issues.The scene is a little schizo. The patio is nice, despite some somewhat tacky lighting. With the hookahs, the live oaks, and the lovely South Lamar, its a little hard to tell when they are trying to evoke. The inside has a bar, a few tables, and a very large TV. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad either. I believe there is wireless, but am not 100% sure.  The music selection is awful, which is made worse by the volume. I get that they are on Lamar and the music help drown out the traffic, but there has to be a lower volume that accomplishes that. We moved tables twice, but it is hard to get away from it, because the speakers are everywhere.The service was polite and speedy, but refused to make a pot of decaf, since it was night. That seems a little counter-intuitive, since that is when most people want to drink decaf. Given that they were going to be open for at least another 1.5, that seemed a little slack. There were very polite about it and did come up with a solution: decaf americanos.The american was very tasty and my friend's iced coffee was good. I would go back, but honestly I wouldn't order till I checked the volume to see if it was tolerable.

by Nick M.

After many months of eagerly watching this place get put together, I was happy to see they've finally opened.Their patio is awesomely huge, and the interior is uber swank.For now, it seems like they have:Coffee/tea/baked goods...Pizza/Salads/Sammiches and baked goods...Wine and beer...All I had was the Chai, but I'm eager to come back for some grub soon. Helpful folks behind the counter, and a super relaxed environment with free wifi! Will be back soon.

by jill p.Michael K.Emily P.Glen F.Riki M.Dej M.

this place is ultra laid back and my friend and i (both from nyc) really dug it.  i had driven past it several times and noticed the grand looking patio area underneath that great big tree in front of the rustic looking cement bricked building... i couldn't figure out why it was always so empty.  we tried it out for ourselves on a quiet saturday afternoon and had a wonderful time!  $2 sangrias all afternoon for happy hour (cheap bottled beer as well), an elaborate $10 cheese tray great music playing outside from the speakers propped up high in the branches of the before-mentioned tree.  it was one of the first sunny days after a few days of rain, so the mosquitoes were a drag, but the cool folks working inside actually walked out a bottle of bug spray for us and let us keep it at our table!  inside they have wireless internet, clean bathrooms and lots of comfy seating.  they seem to have a decent menu for pizzas/snacks and  their happy hour specials are dope.  plus, the staff is super friendly!i am not sure what the deal is with this place being so quiet and poorly attended but locals need to get in there and give it a try!  sure, maybe it's just another low key coffee/beer/wine bar with great music playing in the background in austin, but isn't that a GOOD thing?  will definitely go back again!The Music Cafe is a schizophrenic, hodgepodge mess of contradictory moods.  It wants to be a coffee shop, swank wine bar, sports bar, hookah palace, and gourmet pizza spot.  The combination of all these elements is like a bad polka-dot pattern.  There is nothing soothing or relaxing. The music played at the Music Cafe is just bad.  And the service is very sports bar, "hey dude hurry up and order" in style.  If you still insist on going, grab your wine and sit outside, so you can avoid this disaster, and you can relax to the sounds of Lamar traffic.I really like the patio area here.....we went last night for a friend's label promo and had a few drinks and enjoyed the live music playing outside. I love the huge trees and the lights that change colors :) i'm very easily entertained. I tried the sangria, and it was good, not too dry or too sweet...just right. i would definitely come back here to hang out....maybe once the mosquitoes have all frozen and DIED!The Music Cafe employs a jerk.His duty he loves to shirk.  Though sangria costs 2,  "It's 2 more to you",and then he walks off with a smirk.But seriously, this guy was an a**hat. I went to Music Cafe for the first and last time for a charity event, which was nice. The fliers sitting right there on the bar clearly said "drink specials all night: sangria $2". He charged me $4 and I paid it before my brain got in gear. Then I pointed out the error; he said "that's happy hour"; when I pointed out (politely) that it VERY CLEARLY SAYS "ALL NIGHT" he said -- and this is an exact quote -- "well, it's $4 anyway." And then -- no exaggeration -- he walked away in a huff.Frazzled bar douche, I hope you read this someday and realize that you cost Music Cafe my future business and earned a crappy review for a place that is actually sorta nice. But I'm not going to mention any of the things I liked about it because you and the rest of the staff seemed shocked at the fact that you had to serve a handful of people who came to a special event. Sorry you were overwhelmed by actually having more than one person in line at a time. However, you should NOT have gone Nuclear Jackass on me, especially since I was being polite. You're ridiculous.Music Cafe: dead to me.I really like the ambiance here. They have a very nice wine list. I don't see why they need TVs--if anything, it draws your eye away from the crowd and does not fit in with the atmosphere. The last time I went, they were out of the two wines I first ordered before resorting to their house-wine list. I still had a nice glass of wine, but felt like I was very limited in my choices. The bartender was not helpful at all in recommending a wine. He clearly knows very little about wine, which is a shame since it is a wine bar. He was also very disorganized. He began to offer assistance to customers who were behind me in line. The first time I went was a much better experience. I tend to talk to people at other tables if I have a question about the area and the people who come here seem pretty nice and amicable. I enjoy coming to Music Cafe to enjoy a glass of wine and do some work on my laptop.This place hosted our Shower Strike wrap party last Thursday (what's that all about? Here you go: http://wellawareworld....).  Don't worry, I didn't participate in the strike because I like my showers. But I did volunteer and get money for us!Music Cafe was super accommodating.  We had a dunking booth and they allowed us to block off one entryway for it, then drain the water out later when the event was over.  Thanks guys!After reading Glen F's review though... I checked out my receipt, and sure enough my sangria was charged at regular price, even though it was obvious I was working with the group (and technically *everyone* should've gotten HH prices during the event).  There's something to be said about honoring your promise, which will attract more customers to your business while you're supporting a good cause.  So... hmm.  I was going to up it to 5 stars, but based on principle I guess we're back at 3. What a quaint space. The front lawn is spacious and can accommodate large groups interested in…

by Betty G.

Had the iced mocha latte.  It was chilly heaven on a brutally hot day.  The service was very friendly and approachable.  My server, a big guy, who had just recently got hit by a car and was limping, smiled the entire time we were there.I loved the interior.  I thought it was fun, casual and comfortable.  Some of these new establishments can be a bit too precious about their furnishings, but at Music Cafe, this is not the case.  I didn't know you could take your dogs - I would certainly have taken mine.  Perhaps next time I will.  Cuz I'll be back.

by Emily P.

I really like the patio area here.....we went last night for a friend's label promo and had a few drinks and enjoyed the live music playing outside. I love the huge trees and the lights that change colors :) i'm very easily entertained. I tried the sangria, and it was good, not too dry or too sweet...just right. i would definitely come back here to hang out....maybe once the mosquitoes have all frozen and DIED!

by Corey W.

Went there during the day for a lunch meeting, so no review on the wine or night-time activities.The tables are all really small, so we could only fit one laptop and had to be careful not to knock over drinks. The way the place is arranged means that you only have one chair (a rather large one at that) per table, and then leather booth seating. The issue with that is that the leather booths go back for about 4 feet before there is a back, so it's not the most comfortable for sitting up and discussing things. Definitely more lounge-like. They don't really have any food that I would consider worth eating. Everything is pre-made. Nothing is made there. I was under the impression (from their website) that they made Paninis and stuff (it has since been changed), but that's not the case. What they advertised having was certainly exaggerated, though - they had muffins, pizza's, and a few other random things in the display case. Not a whole lot. Definitely more coffee shop than cafe. The coffee is good, but it isn't anything special.On the upside, it was pretty laidback on a Monday at noon and they played pretty good music. I probably won't go there again, at least for the day time stuff.