We came here with the family for lunch. There is so much space especially when the weather is nice. There is a great playground and room for kids to run around. The cafe is excellent with many different options to satisfy everyone's cravings. And they have beer and wine so you can sip and supervise your kids guilt-free! They have live music on the patio as well. The pizzas are excellent and a good size. The sides are delicious and a big portion for how cheap they are. If you can't find what you want at the cafe, it's attached to a grocery store so you really can't go wrong! This is an excellent place to just hang out with just the family or a large group of people. read more

Huge fan of anything Central Market!! But their cafe is one of my favorite spots to grab more of a quiet/calm dinner over a bustling restaurant. I really enjoy the vegetable sandwich on rosemary bread. It's huge! A little heavy on the olive oil but it gives it a nice flavor - just needed lots of napkins haha. Sweet potato fries are great as well. I've also enjoyed their tortilla soup. On Friday nights, there always seems to be live music which is such a fun ambiance! Highly recommend for a little out of the ordinary date night (lots of dancing!). $7 glasses of wine too! The Pinot Grigio was dry and refreshing. read more

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If you want to see a beautiful HEB with the feel of a farmers mkt produce section this is your place. They have everything xs 100. Their seafood, meat market, and produce set the tone. But it's way more to that. They have beer and wine section that is full of variety. A bakery with a French style that you can't hold back from. There is too much to mention. This place is the total package. read more

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What makes this place 5 stars for now is the value. $25 feels really good for the total for the meals in the photo. Service was fast and friendly. I'll be back one of the nights when they have live music. The salad dressing was really tasty and so were the 2 dolmas that came with the salad. read more

Central Market Cafe - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

My first and last time at this cafe. I'd seen the viral video of the California chicken club circulating and thought I'd give it a try on a fine Saturday afternoon. I go in around 2:30 to find out only the Houston stores sell it despite seeing it from a Dallas based influencer. The woman at the counter lets me know that they do have a similar sandwich which is their basic turkey club. Fine whatever I order that with a side of French fries. she asks me for my name and number and tells me I'll get a text when it's ready. I'm sitting in the very busy lobby for 30 minutes when I thought is this normal?? I go walk to the order area and see my order sitting there. No text no name called nothing. I'm already frustrated because I had fries which who knows how long they sat there. I get home to RE FRY my French fries and see they added tomato in my sub which I asked for no tomato. I'm looking at my ticket. No mention of the tomato and what I can see of my phone number is WRONG. Maybe just do the simple task of reciting the order and phone number back so this isn't someone's first experience. read more

Central Market Cafe - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Consistently hit and miss and not as good as North Lamar. North Lamar had a really good recent Hawaiian islands specials and South totally phoned it in. While North had everyday specials that never left the special menu like a chicken teriyaki sandwich and salmon noodle salad, South Lamar had their own limited by comparison 3 specials and ran out of tilapia and tacos and more for the same event. Plus side: unlike North Lamar they use real dishes, not plastic. However, most tables aren't bussed so maybe it would be better if they moved to plastic. One day I'll come in and have the perfect Asian Noodle Bowl. The next day, the noodles are overcooked and the vegetables are almost burnt. It's my favorite dish at the cafe and really sad when it's bad. Migas are one of the very worst. Low-grade green verde sauce and soggy with unmelted cheese on top. Do not do it! Anything is better! This same dish was so good before covid! I don't know what happened! Turkey avocado sandwich is huge and falls apart. It's also usually made backward to where your avocado falls out with the bacon. It's almost like the staff isn't trained on making sandwiches. I couldn't eat mine and had to throw it out each time. It's too big to take a bite out of and falls apart because it's made backward. Tortilla soup is always cold. I like to get it at the cafe since a million hands have touched the same deli version. Just don't do it! Unless you like cold soup!! Sweet potato fries are soggy one day, burnt the next. I try to get the Mediterranean salad mostly which is hard to screw up, so one star for that. I think I'll stick to buying stuff from the deli and bakery. The kitchen staff really don't care in general, and it shows. I think sweeping retraining is in order. And many others besides me, have made similar statements. It would be so nice if there was a place down south to get a somewhat healthy lunch or breakfast. It's sad because CM has such great products, I think it's just poor management and a need for fry cooks who know what they're doing. read more

Central Market Cafe - Mediterranean Salad - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

They don't always have what I'm in the mood for, but I'm never disappointed by what they're offering.

I had a chicken sandwich which tasted amazing but it was a little over cooked but still good. The guy that took my order was friendly and the cafe area (seating area) was kept clean for the most part. I like eating the foods from here (they arnt greasy), they have a selection of foods but too much and not expensive and it's quiet enough to be able to hear the person you are talking to and not be too distracted with all around you. read more

Stopped in on the way to Regal for a movie. Hadn't been in years; used to go weekly when I worked in the area. The menu is seriously pared down. The wooden chairs are uncomfortable. They have booths now, but the empties were not cleaned, so I couldn't try those out. The seating is expanded from my visit back in the day; they now have an area for live music. The hustle and bustle of diners eating, and the surrounding grocery is still very loud. I had the pork torta with sweet potato fries. I'd never tried it, and from the description, it seemed like it would be in the Cuban realm, which is my favorite sandwich most of the time. I had a fountain drink; $15 for the meal, which is really not bad. Sadly, the torta was dry. It comes with red onions, and I think a sauce? I couldn't taste any sauce; the meat was a huge portion, but dry and flavorless. The sweet potato fries were crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, perfectly cooked, but bland. I used salt and pepper liberally, which I normally don't need to do eating out. In COVID times, the pared down menu now has no real silverware. Instead, it's a machine holding plastic utensils. You press a button and your utensil appears. I couldn't figure this out, and I broke the cheap handle trying to retrieve the fork. Oops. I also couldn't find ketchup or condiments of any kind at the soda area. I'm not sure what was up; it's a grocery store, you'd think condiments would be available. Sadly, despite the live music area and booths, the food is pared down and not as flavorful. I didn't finish the torta; staff kindly disposed of it for me. If you work here, better options around. If you don't, don't make a special trip anymore, and I'm sad to say that. read more

Solid 3 stars. It's hard to mess up a bowl of tortilla soup and a side Caesar salad. Counter service. Moves quickly. Moderately priced.

A wide variety of affordable dinner options - great for last-minute meals on eves when there's no time to cook!

Great Ambiance, Food is great, Self-service. Location with outdoor sitting is wonderful. Friendly clientele. Free WiFi. Excellent coffee and gelato. Music by THe Latin Dukes. read more

Haven't been here an a while , so we decided to stop in on a cold Friday. First off, the menu has been pared down tremendously. Gone are the pastas, as well as the Cobb Salad. I ordered the burger with sweet potato fries, my wife ordered the tortilla soup and a side salad. The burger was cooked well, but was unseasoned and did not have much taste, and was kind of dry. My fries were good, and there was enough to fill me up. The tortilla soup lacked......everything except broth-- it had minimal chicken or vegetables, mainly just broth and chips. The side salad was very average. Based on other places in the area, I won't go out of my way to stop in to eat. It used to be so much better that I used to bring out of town guests here. read more

My wife and I went here at 430 today I had the tilapia she had the turkey bacon panini. Her sandwich was cold and it should of been hot, the bacon was cold. The talapia was burned on one side and it was 2 pieces of fish on a bed of salad. Also I gave them my cell phone to notify us but after a lengthy no text we checked and found our food sitting in the pick up area. When asked how long our order was sitting there we were told just a few minutes yet the sandwich was cold. Finally after eating shopping checking out and driving home we received a text message that our food was ready!! Food was not very good cold sandwich and not notifying us our order was ready. We won't be back to this restaurant, I'm sure HEB can do better. read more

Terrible kitchen. Asked for a "well done" burger, got a nearly raw pink center one. Fries were almost inedible due to sogginess. How hard is it to cook a patty properly or drop fries in hot oil so they don't soak up all the oil... They said they'll replace it but got the same pink patty. No QC at all, will not eat at the cafe again. (This was our second bad experience, hence the review) read more

Central Market Cafe - oil sogged fries - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Absolutely awful. Cashier took phone number to text when food was ready. No text ever came. Female employee was calling out customer names in a barely audible voice Finally after 30 minute's went to counter. Order was sitting there, ice cold. I ate it since I probably won't get another chance to eat today But I will never set foot in this place again. This is the second time this has happened to me If you are looking for a good place to eat, this isn't it ! The read more

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Quick service. Good nightly entertainment. I recommend it Easy to rest before shopping.Cuban Pork Torta. Salmon Burger. read more

Forget the other reviews 'cuz this Chef INSISTS that the food here is great tasting and excellent value!! Pizzas are $12, satisfying and delicious. Burgers, sandwiches and salads are freshly prepared and generous. I've been in Austin since November and treat myself to dinner here once a week. It's counter service w/self serve name brand single serving packaged condiments (Cholula , Grey Poupon Mustard, GOOD quality grated Parmesan, fresh lemon wedges, etc.). Staff is always helpful and friendly. read more

Over the past year, this is where I go at lunch to recharge. Central Market provides a place to have a healthy lunch and catch up on any personal business I have. Whether I sit inside or out there is always plenty of open seating and the crowd that's around seems to always have a positive vibe. The cleaning staff is constantly assuring my area is clear and clean even offering to clean up while I'm working. On days I don't stop for food I enjoy walking around the store looking at the beautiful floral department and all of the unique foods they carry. Who would have thought a grocery store could be a workday escape? Thanks, HEB Central Market for keeping our community happy! read more

You know its a cafe at a grocery store all be it my favorite grocery and well above average deli food.Its stil sorta yeah just ok. I love the "kolaches" they sell in the mornings and they have good coffee so you cant knock them for that. I've just never had anything from the Cafe that made me so wow. I've had lots of stuff that was by all means a great quick lunch. I think the best thing I've had here is a Cuban panini that I'm not sure is still on the menu. I'll give them credit for using great mustard and making a good legit Cuban. I'm not sure you can really have a 4 store grocery deli, especially when you are trying to create some sort of gourmet grocery deli vibe that just doesn't quite work. read more

You can rarely find a deli in a grocery store whose food is this good and consistent. Also, always amazed at how much you get for the low prices they charge. On my last visit, I had a cup of chicken tortilla soup and a chef's salad. Wow to both! The soup can with a full cup of toppings including diced avocado, chip strips, and cheese. And the salad was packed with toppings as well. There was so much food that couldn't finish it! Other favs there include their salmon, veggie sandwich, and grilled chicken. And their fries are pretty special too! Great for lunch or dinner and everything comes out fast! For once, I didn't snap a picture, and I just enjoyed my meal! read more

Cheeseburger was sub par and bread was hard and dry. Fries were way below average. Very disappointing meal. Used to be much better quality of food. Love this place so hope it's just a one-off. read more

Updated review on holiday meals: The year 2020 really sucked. But I will say that the Central Market's delicious food kept me happy. Every time I go to the Central Market, I feel like a kid hunting for the weirdest and most delicious snacks that you can find in Texas. I truly believe the Central Market/HEB staffs work their butt off to get the best items to their customers. Yes, they are pricey! But I would save money elsewhere to eat Central Market food. For example, I almost cried when I saw Peter Luger steak sauce at Central Market. For those who don't know, Peter Luger is the no.1 famous steakhouse in NYC and their steak sauce is my favorite. I couldn't find it anywhere in Austin until recently, and I thought about ordering 6 bottles as gifts for Jason C. I had to give up the idea since the shipping fee from Brooklyn was $49.95... hmmm.... $100 for 6 bottles of steak sauce? No thanks. 1) Central Market's seafood department is the best in Austin. There's no comparison. 2) Meat department is also incredible. We love their ready to cook marinaded meats, too, and always buy pounds of Kalbi (Korean style marinated short rib). Chicken wings are also the best here. 3) Holiday food. OMG! Please try out their honey ham, turkey cranberry meatballs, and cranberry sauce. We were sad that we had to celebrate holidays without friends and families, but at least our food was delicious! I would buy them all year round if they offered to sell. 4) I love their premade dinner meals. (I really hope that they will bring back SHRIMP GOAN CURRY because it was DELICIOUS). 5) The Bakery section. I love their baked goods. These are the best grocery baked bread/cake/desserts that you will find. They also have a decent Asian food section. I was surprised to learn that they offered a variety of Korean groceries and even had a Korean food fest in October. I will always buy their frozen Korean seafood Pajeon (scallion pancakes). They are better than Trader Joe's Pajeon. I wish there was a closer one in my neighborhood, but thank you Central Market for keeping me happy this year. Keep up the amazing work! read more

I love central market cafe, it's affordable and the quality of the food is great! I am a little disappointed because recently they stopped carrying tortillas in the kitchen and will no longer make wraps. They used to be able to make any one of the sandwiches into a wrap and it was great! But definitely will not be coming here as much because that was my go to choice on the menu. It's kind of frustrating considering there are tortillas in the store itself and I don't quite understand the logic, but oh well. Besides that, I would say the service is pretty good and they get the food out quick. Depending on what time you go to the cafe they will sometimes have live music on the weekends and it's a hoot! Definitely a good vibe when people are up dancing and there's a live band providing entertainment. Please bring back the wraps!!! read more

Very clean and helpful staff.The fresh fish market is the best in town.They always have what I'm looking for in fresh produce

It was early in the morning and I couldn't be bothered waiting at Kerby Lane. So I had some holiday food I was picking up and I decided to try the Central Market Café. I never had their food before. I had their soups but I know that is not the same thing. I had their American breakfast and it was decent. They also had a variety of coffee to choose from which was a hard choice to choose from. Definitely worth a visit if you can't be bothered driving somewhere else for food. read more

I regret joining the recent reviewers who have recorded the downward slide of what was once a great place. We've been going to the "cafe" since it opened years ago, stuck with it after COVID, and now find it a ghost of what it once was. You could put the surviving menu on a bumper sticker, there seems to be no more lunch specials on a regular basis, and the quality of even a basic, such as a burger, has declined to unacceptable. Previously, this was one of the best places in the area to get a breakfast taco, but that's all gone now -- no mushrooms, no spinach, no avocado, etc. Why on earth can't these ingredients be available when they abound on the other side of their market? I can only conclude that HEB management doesn't register or care about the decline, which is why I probably will never go back. read more

TLDR: Not awful, but can't hold a candle to the Central Market Cafe on North Lamar. Counter service here was very good, but everything at this location is a little lacking. The wine menu is rather limited, especially in regards to whites. The menu's slightly smaller than expected. And why were a third of the soda machine slots out of order?? Table bussing/cleaning was running behind, leaving less seating choices at the prime lunch hour. (I believe you're supposed to bus your own space but apparently a lot of folks didn't!) Those same seating choices are also pretty limited and LOUD, both from the bands and the clientele - lots of kids! All of that can be overlooked, but the food is seriously bland. The pizza in particular has its cheese-sauce ratio seriously out of whack (too much gloopy cheese, barely any sauce), and while the crust is OK, it's not enough to save it. This place scores a 2 out of 5 on the 'CTJ Scale', as noted below. 5 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Jesus good. Would be OK passing away after finishing a plate here. 4 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Mary good. Would be OK being seen eating here by Mother Mary. 3 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus' Dad. 2 out of 5 stars: Come-to-the-Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn't have my last supper here. 1 out of 5 stars: Come-to-Nobody good. I wouldn't have my penultimate supper here, either. read more

Disappointed in this omelette. Eggs should not be brown. It's amazing how many places in Austin burn eggs on the regular. Also, pickled jalapeños?? I'm sure there are fresh jalapeños 100 yards away in the produce section. The bacon is amazing. read more

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I still drop by here now and again to pick up something during off hours. The food is still too bland for me, but a special hot sauce can make me a happy camper. What really works is the drinks they have and I will sometimes get one that is not booze or wine and shop around Central Market. When they are grilling outside, I will get whatever it is. I have no willpower. Not too long ago they had Al Pastor tacos which were pretty good. Worth a stop for sure. read more

A zillion times better than Whole Foods salad section. I can find avocado salsa, bacon slices, flavored pork and beef dishes, and that's all I need for a happy meal. The food is fresh and flavorful. The chicken or other meats don't taste bland . They mix flavors pretty well. I think they put their heart in what they do and it reflects well in their food. Thankful to have this nearby and also so economical. read more

If I could give negative stars, this place would have -5+ I just got home after making the enormous mistake of ordering the Yellow Curry Noodle Bowl from the Central Market Cafe. My first clue it was going to be a bad scene was when the inside of my carry out bag was covered in yellow grease - despite the container being sealed and my short 7 minute car ride home. Upon opening the carry out container, I was shocked to see a LARGE POOL of grease and nasty gelatinous noodles slopping around inside. I attempted to eat it, but I have given up and thrown it out. I would like to thank the "chef" who felt creative enough this evening to throw one random, large, moldy mushroom in the dish despite it not being listed anywhere in the description. So much for taking the cashier's recommendation on my dinner tonight. I'm now eating the last english muffin that was waiting in my fridge. I am furious I wasted $10 of my money on this sh*t. NEVER. AGAIN. read more

Central Market Cafe - From far away, it ALMOST looks edible. In reality, it was disgusting. - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food at the café is really just ok. I had a pizza today and it wasn't fully cooked and the grease was as thick as the cheese. My daughter got the Cobb salad and she thought it was good except for the chicken. I tried it and it tasted like it was frozen chicken strips. Not what I expected from Central Market Cafe. The chips trio were pretty good. The queso and guac was great but the salsa was just ehhhh. I'd only grab a snack from here if I absolutely had to - I wouldn't eat a meal here again. It's not worth it. read more

How is my wife supposed to function without Diet Coke? Actually, there were no diet fountain drinks of any sort available in the cafe. Did somebody forget to order the mix again or is it Coke's fault? It seems every time we visit some soda has an out of order sign. I don't get it. Dinner service was slow at best compared to previous visits. We didn't have to search around for a table as many were readily available. The band was setting up as we waited for our food and folks were settling in on the outside patio for some welcomed mild temperatures as the sun began to disappear. My prosciutto and asparagus panini was fairly tasty. The crisp asparagus with melted mozzarella and pesto was decent. The Parmesan fries would have been good without the Kraft quality powdered cheese on top. How about some shaved Parmesan and a quick trip thru the pizza oven? For the $11 price tag; I expected more. Jenny's tortilla soup was also disappointing. Ordered without cheese, the grease actually slid down the side of the bowl as my wife ate it. It did have the usual fried tortilla strips which my wife removed out of every bite she encountered. How is tortilla soup greasy? I'm actually known among my circle of friends for awesome t. soup so I am completely baffled. My son's order of mashed taters were beyond bland. I'm sure they were acceptable for a baby; but I think they were from the lunch service. I can't believe it but I'm gonna knock a star off. I've never been this disappointed in any meal that I've gotten from this place until tonight. I don't get it. Whats gone wrong at CMC? read more

Been a Central Market customer for over six years and every time I visit it's a consistent experience. Sadly though it's consistently bad if I eat at their restaurant. Today's pizza was so soggy, it nearly fell through the cardboard box it came in. Burgers are often dry and tasteless, both of which are puzzling. How can pizza get messed up? There's instructions on many in the freezer section. Also, of all places to mess up beef, how can this happen in Texas!? Produce is fine and employees are friendly just don't eat here. read more

Always have a great special of the day. My kid loves the French toast. Great atmosphere and food

So I was disappointed by Central Market Cafe again. Lets start with the fact that I got there 8 minutes before 11 am and was in line. They only had one person working the register even though 2 people were standing around the register. There was a family with 3 kids in front of me that couldn't make up there mind. I didn't want to be rude, so I sat there patiently waiting. Well by the time they finished it was a few minutes after 11 am. CM refused to provide me breakfast. They service wasn't really friendly or helpful. I ordered lunch instead. I decided I would try a Slow Roasted Lamb Gyro. It should be better than what I can get Downtown? CM has access to so many great ingredients. NOPE it sucked. It came out in a Tortilla, the lamb was not thinly sliced, and the sauce was blah.... Only positive was the coffee from this experience. Coffee was on point. This is about the 4th time in the last 6 times I have ate lunch or dinner here and been disappointed. Every time I go I have high hopes, but I will only get breakfast, salad, or tortilla soup going forward. Tired of be disappointed. read more

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I have been going to this cafe for breakfast 2-3 times a week for a long time. Up to this point I would get an omelette with mozzarella, bacon, sausage, and tomatoes with two slices of wheat toast. It came with a small green salad (not much, just a few tomatoes and some greens). It cost $7.58, and was fantastic. Today, with the new menu, the same order (with the exception of the cheese, which I switched to Swiss, as they no longer offer mozzarella) cost $8.12. Oh, it also only came with one slice of toast, no greens, and the omelette was about 3/4 the size it was earlier in the week. It might picky or overly critical, but this is a 7% increase in cost for 30-40% less than what I've been getting for the past several years. I hate to say it, but it looks like I just got my last breakfast at Central Market. read more

Cafe is a nice place to eat with specials of the day and a nice sized menu and cool live music. For being such a progressive store, the cafe has limited options for gluten friendly items. They don't offer any gluten free buns and you have to be careful because some items are fried like the onions on the chicken sandwich but they are not specified on the menu as being fried. I respect this is not gluten free faculty but a gluten friendly menu would be expected at a progressive store such as Central Market. The menu has no designation of what contains gluten and what doesn't and that is surprising to me. The staff is super nice and very pleasant to be around. read more

I am forced by proximity to review both the excellent coffee/gellato counter and the crappy cafe. Short version: For food (not coffee or desert) there's a soup/salad bar back by the bread/ice cream section. It's on the expensive side but it's very good and *way* better than the cafe. Or you can buy trail mix in the bulk section that should tide you over until you get to a real restaurant. Long version: I love Central Market and I love it now more than I can't goto Amazon Prime Whole Foods Alexa Location Trademark 2017. But the Cafe ... Pros: * Good drinks and I like the layout. * Convenient, good service. * Clean, beautiful seating area. * Good coffee, smoothies, and gellato Cons: * For food, you could heat up one of those frozen dinners from 50 feet away and it would taste way better. I've been here at least 10x and its all just adequate. * Loud loud loud beeping from all the pagers that tell you when your food is ready. "DEET DEET" x3. * The adjacent bathrooms need some help, not just in terms of cleanliness but just being teleported from a dull, gray 1980s Russian bath house where even swamp monsters would get bummed out. read more