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Cafe Nena'i

4.5 (228 reviews)
Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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CAFE NENA'I ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Intimate
Casual
Quiet
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Nena'i

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Marianne L.

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.

Ham and Cheese Crossaint with Orange Fresco
Nicole L.

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

Kelsey D.

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.

Cafe Nenai food offerings
Christina H.

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.

Beef Empanada and a Cortadito with sugar

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

The C with oat milk AWESOME
Chris M.

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.

cafe con leche

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

Mixto Arepa? Really? For $5.95?
Mel M.

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.

Seating area - indoors
Ayca U.

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!

Cortadito
Jennifer L.

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

Meredith M.

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!

Empanada de carne, black honey cake, and Guaraná

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2 years ago

Amazing food, coffee, and service. She knows what she is doing! Got everything really quick as well.

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2 years ago

Their coffee is so delicious and they have amazing empanadas!! The ham and cheese one is my favorite. The staff are so kind and speedy!!

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3 years ago

I felt like I was transformed to South America with the food, and ambiance. Nice retreat from the norm and a delicious meal and coffee.

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9 years ago

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Checked out your menu online, as i am flying from portland to austin thursday a.m. on the arepas,…

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We do have wifi and it's reliable :)

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Casa Colombia - Bandeja Paisa Tipica Antioquena 3PD

Casa Colombia

4.0(538 reviews)
2.4 miEast Austin
$$
Minority-owned & operated
Casual dining

Ambiance: 4/5: cute restaurant, with outdoor seating. We were sat as soon as we got there…read more Restaurant is next to a main road so sitting outside can be kind of noisy sometimes. Service: 4/5: our waiter did a good job at checking on the table and taking our order on time. Nothing bad to point out. Food: 4/5: The food was better than what I expected. I ordered the stuffed chicken plate and I would order it again if I went back. The salsa that comes with the chips is a bit hot but so tasty. Definitely poured that on everything. Unfortunately, we didnt order drinks so couldn't rate my experience with that. Overall good experience

I thoroughly enjoyed my business trips to South America, particularly eating my way through…read moreColombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and beyond. It's challenging to replicate the same experience locally, as these restaurants lack access to the fresh, local ingredients that define their unique cuisine. Casa Colombia does a good job replicating a true Colombian dining experience. Their menu is extensive with some very interesting offerings. Scanning the dining room, I noticed that their portions are huge. We started with a shrimp cocktail, an empanada, and their version of a rum - mango martini. The small option for the shrimp cocktail was bountiful and easily shared. The housemade cocktail sauce was a perfect accompaniment. The empanada was a tad dry, but their spicy salsa sauce was a great addition. Our "martini" was sweet but very satisfying on a warm afternoon. We did want to try their ceviche, but they are using tilapia as their fish. Quality Seafood is not too far away, and I'm sure that they could offer a better-tasting white fish than plain ole tilapia. We split one of their house specials, the Bandeja Paisa Tipica. This is a traditional Colombian dish, and it is a meat lover's dream served on an oversized platter. Our platter arrived with a chorizo link, beef sirloin, rice, red beans with pork, a huge fried chicharrón, an arepa, a sweet plantain, a slice of avocado (well, there's the only healthy portion), and a fried egg on top. We struggled to eat about 70% of this feast. It's going to take a few visits to the gym to work off this lunch. Dis & Dat: Parking is a breeze as they have their own parking lot. They do offer a happy hour that begins at 3 PM. A definite 4-plus star experience.

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Casa Colombia - Adorable wall decor

Adorable wall decor

Casa Colombia - Tequenos and Maracuya juice

Tequenos and Maracuya juice

Casa Colombia

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Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop - cookies!

Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop

4.0(173 reviews)
2.1 miEast Austin
$$

Was in East Austin and saw that there was no line at Rockman Bakery so decided to pop in. I have…read morebeen wanting to try it for a while but there is always a long line so had to take advantage of this opportunity. When I walked in, I immediately noticed the display of pastries that all looked amazing. There were so many options to choose from. I was only planning to try one or two and ended up coming out with 5 pastries because I could not make up my mind. You wait in line and order at the counter. The staff was friendly and responded to my questions about the pastries and helped me to make a decision. Some of the pastries I tried were the pecan bar, guava cheesecake danish, everything bagel croissant, seasonal kouign amann an a craquelin. I took my items to-go and everything was packed nicely for the journey home. When I got home, everything tasted fresh and had unique and creative flavor combinations. I was so excited about my haul that I had to take a bite of each one. Overall, I can see what the hype is all about. Rockman Bakery has an amazing selection of creative, fresh pastries. I can't wait to try some of their beverages as well.

I was day tripping from San Antonio and heard very great things about this place…read more The hype was definitely lived up to and their bagels are so chewy yet fluffy and soft like a pillow. I had a French onion dip smear and it was so delicious. Every other pastry was so great and very fulfilling. The staff were super friendly and were so efficient with pumping out orders. I had the tiramisu latte and was 10/10 best tiramisu latte around. Inside is good space with plenty seat but parking is limited. Nice and cozy though.

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Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop - Strawberry cheese croissant

Strawberry cheese croissant

Rockman Coffee and Bakeshop - Strawberry Cheesecake Croissant. One of our weekend specials.

Strawberry Cheesecake Croissant. One of our weekend specials.

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Cafe Nena'i - coffee - Updated May 2026

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