This spot is so cute! And the empanadas and coffee are delicious! The empanadas are so yummy; I especially enjoyed the pollo empanada. The jamon y queso empanada was a close second. I also liked the decor inside because the storefront is very unassuming. Service was welcoming, quick, and friendly. read more

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Austin does not lack local coffee shops, so it's my mission to search them out instead of relying on the corporate caffeine machine when I need a mid-day pick me up. Cafe Nena'i is a cute little woman owned coffee shop on the East side. Parking was easy and there was no wait. I found the music to be set a pleasant level, but since the owner is petite and has a plastic screen between her and the customer, it can be challenging to hear her. My cafe was delicious, but could had been hotter. The Torte de Manderin was as dense and a tad dry, but the citrus flavor came through and went nicely with my drink. It's a small place, but there are a couple of tables outside to linger at. read more

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Good coffee with off street parking, but it is tiny, and the music is too loud making conversation a little hard

Food and Service were fantastic! All Made fresh with love! Ambience and Latin music only enhanced overall Experience! read more

Cafe Nena'i - Ham and Cheese Crossaint with Orange Fresco - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

We're here almost every day grabbing our cortadito and americano, and it's easily our favorite coffee spot. The coffee is always good. Strong, smooth, and just done right. The vibe is cozy and super welcoming. One of those places where you walk in and immediately feel comfortable, like it's familiar even if it's your first time. Elena, one of the co-owners, is usually there and she's the best. Super nice, really knows her coffee, and if you chat with her she can even teach you some Spanish. You can tell she genuinely cares about the place and the people who come in. Also don't leave without trying the ham and cheese empanadas. They're a must and go perfectly with the coffee. Cafe Nena'i is one of those spots we never get tired of coming back to. read more

Cafe Nena'i - Americano - Small - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cute little cafe that's perfect for getting tasty, rich coffee on the go. They offer more hot caffeinated drinks than they do cold. They also have a selection of fresh juices and lite bites. read more

I was excited to stumble upon this cute little cafe on Montopolis, and will definitely be back. Their coffee machine was broken during our visit so unfortunately we were unable to try their coffee, but we did order empanadas. We tried the pollo, jamon y queso, and espinacha y queso empanadas. Our order came out a bit wrong - we received two chicken empanadas instead of the ham & cheese - but they were still delicious. Although small, the seating area in the cafe is cute and cozy. The lady who helped us was kind. I would visit again just for another empanada, and can't wait to return to try their coffee too. read more

Cafe Nena'i - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Stopped by Cafe Nena'i for breakfast. We grabbed Empanada de Carne, Empanada de Jamon Y Queso, Ham & Cheese Croissant and a few pastries. Literally everything we ate was great! Whatever dough they're using is so buttery, rich, flaky, etc. Will certainly be back! read more

My favorite café in Austin (on this side of the city) is fantastic. The empanadas are incredible, and the alfajores are simply delicious--chef's kiss! The atmosphere is both inviting and relaxed. I used to visit this place often when I lived in Austin. I highly recommend it if you're visiting the city! My usual orders: -carne empanada -jamon y queso -alfajor -iced cafe con leche ;) The staff are amazing! Super friendly and always have a smile on their face. read more

I wouldn't go hear again, and I didn't purchase anything. The woman running the counter was rude to me when I asked a question about the availability of vegetarian savory options; not a crazy question, a lot of people are vegetarians. The music was so loud that I could hardly hear her. Why? It's a bakery, the music doesn't need to be so loud. Shop is clean, but pastries don't look properly baked (pale and sad looking). I'm an avid home baker, and I'm disappointed with most of the bakeries here so take this review for what it is. I wouldn't spend money here for three reasons: rude service (you're selling pastries, what is your problem?), music so loud I can't even ask a question, sad looking pastries. read more

Cafe Nenai is a quaint coffee shop created and owned by a latina mother and daughter pair situated in the heart of Montopolis. The cafe is tiny with a few seats and drink tables. I would describe Cafe Nenai as the perfect little gem to catch up and drink coffee with a friend, but not ideal for lunch or a work from anywhere situation. Cafe Nenai offers light bites, both savory and sweet. What really makes Cafe Nenai stand out is their combination of offering classics, such as the Ham & Cheese Melt, but also showcasing their culture with empanadas and arepas. I will never say "no" to a good empanada, especially one that is baked instead of fried! Without any hesitation, I had to try all three empanada options: Carne, Pollo, and Jamon y Queso. The Carne is a classic and was easily my favorite. The Pollo was a bit dry. read more

Cafe Nena'i - Cafe Nenai food offerings - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time staying in this area of the city. Fantastic empanadas. Flaky crust and all of the fillings are spot on. Michael read more

Hands down one of the best cafes I have been to. I ordered an item and the owner suggested an item only served on the weekends that was close to what I ordered. I took her suggestion and it was awesome! I got a cold brew with oat milk and caramel. It was delicious! The coffee had a deep, rich flavor. It was extremely affordable! The cafe is beautiful! So relaxing and plenty of places to relax! I will definitely be going back! read more

Small quiet location. Food is incredibly presented and heated to perfection per order! Quickly made and served at the counter. read more

Cafe Nena'i - Beef Empanada and a Cortadito with sugar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

I stopped by and got a beef empanada, which is the most recommended menu item here. It was okay but did not seem to be anything special. I wouldn't by any means avoid this cafe, but I would hesitate to make a special stop. read more

I am crazy for Cortadito! And I am cray cray for Cafe Nena'i!! Cafe Nena'i has been my regular go-to for the past few months, and I can't say enough about how great it's been. I went for the Cuban Coffee - never had it before - but now I can officially say I am addicted! I love coffee, but I really love good coffee, so I'm always looking for that unique cup of joe. I've read and heard a lot about cuban coffee and after scouring Yelp I ran into Cafe Nena'i and they looked really appealing. A nice instagram too, lots of positive compliments about their coffee and pastries, I finally made the trip down by Montopolis to check them out. You have to order on the website, their doors are closed for COVID precautions. I started w/ the Cordata but asked for half sweet. It's kinda like a cappuccino with sugar mixed in. Wow - I was floored! It was so strong yet so smooth, I've never had such an awesome cup of coffee! It hits me after the first sip and I'm ready to go. My next trip I wanted to try something new - so went for the Cortadito which is the cuban coffee with milk and sugar whipped in. I ask for Oatmilk option and went with the regular sugar portion, and WOW! I can't tell you how awesome this was! No joke, it was so good I had to order another one - she just laughed at me. My typical order now is 2 Cortaditos with Oat Milk, half sugar, and that is just perfect! Hits the spot and what a smooth kick! I've tried a few of their pastries too. I did the spinach and cheese empanada, the tangerine cake, guava tart, pastafrola, and alfajor. Everything tastes so great here, exceptional quality, the deserts are not too sweet. The tangerine cake and alfajor surprised me - never had these before and they were so delightful. The customer service here is always so friendly and nice. During these times they have the dining area inside closed off, but you can sit outside, and you order through the q-code on your phone, and she comes right out with your stuff in a jiffy - always with a smile and a nice hello. My new favorite place and some of the best darn coffee I've ever had. read more

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Flew in for business and had to go somewhere to pass the time before our hotel room was going to be available and they were out of wifi. The woman behind the counter seemed to be just outwardly angry/negative for whatever reason but atleast told us they had no wifi incase we wanted to cancel our order. Cortado was alright and the empenada with spinach and cheese was decent! read more

Was picking up my wife at the airport in the morning after a week-long trip and I suggested trying out Cafe Nena'i for breakfast. After our trip to Florida late last year, where we sampled arguably the best empanadas and alfajores from Empanada Harry's, we've been on a lookout for good South American offerings. Located in an unassuming neighborhood in Montopolis, Cafe Nena'i is housed in an equally nondescript building. When we walked in, we noticed limited seating but tidy. We placed our order of Mixto Arepa ($5.95), Carne Empanada ($5.95), Guava and Cheese Factura ($4.95), Alfajor ($4.25), small Cafe Americano ($3.00), and a small Cafe con Leche ($3.95). The arepa was disappointing! It's nothing like I was expecting...with meat and cheese sandwiched in between cooked corn dough...it looked like something I made at home when I was younger using ham and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of white bread and pressed in a panini press. This is their arepa? Their empanada was better but fell short of our expectations. About the only thing we liked was their factura. Light breakfast for 2 came out to just over $30! Value's not there either. A generous 3 stars. Our search continues. read more

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the ambiance and decor is lovely, indoor and outdoor seating, friendly service and delicious coffee! locally owned. read more

Cafe Nena'i - cafe con leche - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Coffee and carne were really good! Service is friendly and ambiance is cozy Gets busy around 10 am, we went on a Sunday morning, and the owner does her best to accommodate the line of customers building up as swiftly as she can. If we happen to be in the area, we will visit again for sure! read more

Cafe Nena'i - Seating area - indoors - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The empanadas were really good, the chicken/pollo was a little dry. I'd give 5 stars if it wasn't so overpriced but I'm sure it's helping this local cafe afloat. Got the cortadito with oat milk and half sugar! Highly recommend this to start off your morning read more

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Cafe Nena'i is one of favourite local venues and I was well pleased that I finally found their app to order takeout so I took advantage of my new find today and ordered, empanada de jamón y queso (ham & cheese), empanada de carne (meat) with chimichurri on the side, black honey cake, and Guaraná. It was indeed my pleasure to support Gladys and Elena. I shall return! https://my-site-108321-109773.square.site/ read more

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Cafe Nena'i is a gem that should be preserved at all costs. Serving up South American baked goods and sweetened espresso drinks, Cafe Nena'i offers some delectable and unique items that you should certainly try. My husband and I moved back to Austin from Atlanta recently, and we'd come to love a small bakery there that served up some similar items to Cafe Nena'i's, but the Cuban versions. So when I saw this spot was only a 5 minute drive from our new place, I was excited to see if it could fill the hole in my heart. And I am so happy to say that it has. The other morning I popped in to pick up some treats and a cafecito. I spent a little time talking with one of the owners (the mom of the mother/daughter ownership duo), and she was incredibly sweet and wonderful to talk to. The space is modern and clean, and they have some seating both inside and outside. I ended up ordering an alfajor, a factura, and a spinach and cheese empanada from the baked goods, and a cafecito to sip on as I waited for her to prep my order. The cafecito was perfectly sweetened and smooth, as I hoped. If you're not familiar with these types of coffees, it's just a sweetened espresso shot, meant to be enjoyed relatively quickly. Not quite as fast as a tequila shot, but not as slow as sipping whiskey. Find that happy place. The baked goods were delicious, and the guava filling on the factura and alfajor were everything I could've hoped for. If you've never had a guava pastry, you're truly missing out. Come try some. 10/10 The spinach and cheese empanada was my husband's, but I stole a bite--no shame. The spinach was freshly chopped and cooked, not overly mushy or sad-looking as some spinach fillings can get. Cheese was delicious and provided a nice sharpness. Dough had great texture (flaky, sturdy, but not tough), and we were thankful the empanadas were of the baked variety--not as greasy as fried ones tend to be. All in all, I loved visiting, chatting with the owner, and trying out some of their many South American treats. We look forward to coming back often and making our way through the rest of the menu! read more

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The pastries were interesting and delightfully different. The service was good. The cafe is small, but intimate. Definitely could be a cute first date idea. A few options of coffee, tea, pastries and meat empanadas. The guava cream cheese pastry was light and flavorful. The loaf bread slice was made with mandarins which made it zesty. I also tried the guava tart which reminded my mom of a classy pop tart. This small business, woman-owned cafe is definitely worth visiting in order to sample a piece of Paraguay. read more

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It's too expensive to give them the nod. And also, forcing people to order on-line when they're sitting right there staring you in the face- that's a questionable business practice. Minus one-star just on principle. But the food is very good though. The empanadas were decent, but what really sang was the alfajor and that black honey cake. Very nicely done. Fix the other issues and then maybe we'll talk about getting you that other star. read more

An amazing place that brings Paraguay to you. Ambiance is amazing. Their coffee is truly homemade. AND THE EMPANADAS ARE A MUST!! I can't wait to make this place part of my weekly routine. read more

Cafe Nena'i - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

The atmosphere at this cafe was lovely! I love how everything on the menu adds a unique twist to your typical coffee order, and the employees there were really nice. As someone who doesn't drink a lot of coffee, the Cortadito was the perfect size for me, and it tasted delicious! I wouldn't recommend it for people who like less sweet drinks, but I enjoyed it. The Cafe con Leche had a unique nutty flavor to it. It is definitely a better choice if you're looking for something less sweet. Lastly, the Carne Empanada was the star of the show for me. I would highly recommend getting it with the chimichurri sauce - it's delicious! read more

Cafe Nena'i - Cortadito and Cafe con Leche - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love both the empanadas de carne and empanadas de pollo. The alfajores are delicious. I get than delivered so I can't speak to service or ambience. I do recommend them. read more

The cortadito was amazing! And the empanada de jamon y queso was really good and filled. The alfajor was ok, I've had better. read more

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This I a delightful little cafe with modern yet comfy furnishings. I ordered a cafe con leche, Empanada de Espinaca Y Queso, and a Chipa. Delicious. The owner also filed our hearts with her kind words and smiles. I look forward to returning and bringing my wife! read more

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! I took a weekend trip to Austin & wanted to support a local coffee shop.. after searching endlessly I came across this gem. Even though it was a distance from where I was staying, I would 1000% go back again. I ordered un cordatito & pastafrola & both were great. My sister ordered just an empanada and it tasted pretty great too We are happy to support a Latina owned business and have told our family and friends all about it back here in Dallas. We hope to be back soon! read more

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Customer service needs a lot of work! The lady told me not to take pictures of the menu and had so many restrictions. In this day in age, that's crazy! Free publicity on Instagram and Yelp (insert platform here). I asked why and she said because people copy their menu. Whaaaat?!?! Lol I drove 40 minutes to try them out and the reception was cold as ice. That's too bad! Oh and their arepas are harder than Four Brothers and doesn't taste as good. Fair price but not worth it. If there is one thing I enjoyed is their Alfajor dessert. read more

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Mom and daughter coffee shop with Paraguayan pastries. Elena is the biggest sweetheart and always remembers you. Love their cortaduta, spinach empanada, and alfajor! read more

A cute little coffee shop on the south side of Austin. Loved the vibes and the music. The barista was so nice and provided great hospitality. I ordered an iced mocha and a spinach empanada and it was so so good! The iced mocha is definitely going to get my day started that's for sure! The coffee shop was giving an antique like aesthetic. It had old mirrors and old paintings which I loved! If you are ever on the south side of Austin, definitely recommend this coffee shop!! So so good!! read more

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Got a mixto caliente and it was so good!!!! The ambience was beautiful, felt like home for me. Service was amazing as well, she let me know the sandwich took a bit to heat up. Can't wait to come back and try some coffee and the pastries read more

Cafe Nena'i - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Solid empanadas but nothing mind blowing at these high prices. Best was the traditional beef. The arepa was very good too. You can skip the guava pasty though. Also, serving Argentinian food especially empanadas without chimmichurri is a huge no-no. Coffee was not good. Burned espresso & clearly not top quality beans, though i am a self admitted coffee snob. read more

Mixed experience, the guava pastries are delicious, highly recommend. However, the empanadas were dry and not that good. Also, they were "all out" of chimichurri sauce at 10:30am. Really!?!? How can you sell empanadas without having that on hand, especially so early in the day. Also, they messed up our to go order and left out an item. Not that impressed overall. read more

Ordered every single pastry and the tangerine cake for a coworkers birthday and the entire team was super impressed. Everything was classic Argentinian and our Cuban team members were absolutely in love with the pastries filled with Guava. People were taking pictures and sending video to family in Argentina to show off the baked goods that were found right here in Austin. Everything was delicious. The cafe is cute and the owner is friendly. Check this place out. read more

Delicious Cafe Con Leche! I added vanilla! Cute little spot with Latin American inspired menu! I also ordered the ham and cheese empanada and it was very good! Highly recommend this spot if you are in the southeast Austin area! read more

Cafe Nena'i - Cafe Con Leche w/ vanilla - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Food Five Stars Coffee Five Stars Niceness of the People Five Stars Response to the Problems of Coronavirus One Star !!!! :.( Visit these ladies after the pandemic is over and get some great Paraguayan snacks. * * * First the good stuff, because the good stuff is more enduring. This is a Paraguayan snack shop. Paraguayans eat well. Most of us will not marry a Paraguayan housewife or a Paraguayan chef. So this is your only chance to get the good stuff. Coffee is exceptional. Very bitter. Very strong. They offer milky versions because Americans drink a lot of lattes. And a cortadito is a completely authentic beverage. But in Paraguay you are up in the mountains next to some truly truly fine coffee beans. Just drink your coffee straight and see what good coffee drinking is all about. The mother and daughter are no slouches in the baking department either. They do a torta mandarina which is a completely extraordinary orange cake. There are many many ways to make good orange cakes. The Cafe Nenai way is cut the sugar to the minimum, flavor heavily heavily heavily with orange zest and adjust the baking so the texture stays light and stable with thirty tons of orange peel in there. The cake is well textured, feels good in the mouth and has more orange taste than eating a really ripe orange. Massive thumbs up here. * * * So why am I a complaining customer? Actually getting your food from Cafe Nena'i under the new pandemic regime is way way way way more difficult than it ought to be. They want contactless pickup. So do I. I hate dying as a result of doing a Yelp review. Dying of coronavirus can ruin your whole day. So they have a rule. Text in your orders only. No live contact from the parking lot. No other methods work. Catch: 1) There is nothing about this on the website. So you can't find out from home what you need to do so you can do it. 2) In theory you ought to be able to telephone in - since talking by voice is not that different from texting. When you telephone in, they find out if they can take your order, put the phone down and ignore it, neither taking your order nor telling you how to order. When you go to the store live - there is a great big sign on the window telling you TO CALL THE PHONE NUMBER YOU JUST CALLED AND ORDER ON THAT LINE. Yes, the phone number, where they didn't know if they could take orders and they stop talking to you. There is also a text option on the sign in front of the store. A SECOND phone call to the number on the sign on the window gives you a human being that tells you to ignore the sign on the window and text in your order. When you use the text-in number, you get a very very cumbersome third party distance ordering platform. But it does work and you do get your food. Never have I gone through so much aggravation to order a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. That said the coffee and cake were pretty good after all the hassles and drama. * * * My recommendation is that you wait until the coronavirus crisis is over, and you can just go to the store and do business normally. If you absolutely positively can't wait, Ignore the website and ignore half of the sign on the window. Here is the texting number for texting in your order. 512-387-0962. When they put the bag with your food out in front, Tell the lady who opens the door to put that number on her website. read more