Parking is enforcement is aggressive in the front parking lot: even at 5:59pm (enforced till 6pm on this day) on Monday, saw parking police aggressively checking for any car that hasn't paid parking fees! Drinks and staffs are alright however seating arrangement isn't comfy. Cons - There are few tall seats in the front side. However, those are buried in the ground so they are immovable, inconvenient. - usual downtown parking restrictions apply; 1 hour validation parking at Seaholm garage, entrance of the parking garage is a little far; after Trader Joe's Environment friendliness - No BYO Cup discount - doesn't have separate trash and recycle bins Pros - Good location next to lady bird lake - wifi (details below) and restroom TLDR; Staffs and drinks are great but weird half tall furnitures attached to walls are inconvenient WiFi SSID: MeritPublic password: merit2025 restroom code: 512* PayATX Parking Zone in the front 39251 read more

Merit does it again -- the matcha hulk, aka matcha with their house made Ube cold foam. Every time, delicious and satisfying. read more

Merit Coffee - Matcha Latte with Ube cold foam - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Hey Merit! I knew Merit because my previous job took me to San Antonio a bunch of times and was told that's the place for good coffee. Mind you I went there to grab some beans to bring back so I never actually had a drink there. So, when my co-workers and I came through with some out of town guests and they needed a caffeine re-up. So, there I was in line with a bunch of javaphiles and I was the lone dissenter. When it was my turn to order instead of asking for non-coffee options saw that the Strawberry Matcha was featured, which made it easy for me to pick. I like strawberries, I like matcha. Let's give it a shot. I got it iced because I'm also not a fan of hot drinks either. I didn't have to wait that long for my drink to arrive and the strawberry flavor was decent, not overly syrupy or cloying. It was however, very brief. I've been accused of having a 'long throat' so drinks go down very quickly but the one here was exceedingly brief. While it was enjoyable, I'd probably get a soft drink or something instead. read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Merit Coffee can do no wrong. This one's conveniently located near the Central Library and the downtown Trader Joe's. I was in near the end of the workday so it was cool to see a mix of business people and people socializing. I quickly secured the booth closest to the back window and had a perfect time journaling. I ordered a large strawberry matcha latte, which I haven't tried from them yet. I *attempt* to make these at home myself but somehow I just don't get it like professional baristas do... read more

Merit Coffee - strawberry matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Rating: 4.4/5 Came on a Saturday afternoon, and there was no line. Our drink came out shortly after we ordered. We got one matcha drink to share, so we definitely need to come back to try their coffee. Iced Cherry Blossom Matcha ($8.85) + Extra Half Syrup ($0.35): We got the larger size so we could share. The cup was pretty big--about the size of a Starbucks Venti. My husband asked them to make it on the sweeter side, so I think they added an extra half pump of syrup. The drink was tasty and sweet. The milk base is oat milk, so we didn't have to pay extra for a dairy alternative, which is a huge plus for us. It's not a matcha-forward drink, and the cherry blossom foam tasted more like strawberry--but it was good nevertheless. read more

Merit Coffee - Iced Cherry Blossom Matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

The staff was super sweet and answered all of our questions about their coffees. Great service! They have both washed (more nutty) and natural (more berry) cold brew. They unfortunately only have full caffeinated cold brew. I got the frozen cold brew which was pretty sweet but amazingly delicious and fully of nutty flavor and a tasty herbal tea. read more

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Absolutely love Merit! Their coffee has been a staple for me over the past few years. I'm loyal to their iced vanilla latte but also very much enjoy their specialty drinks as well. I'm not big on matcha but my friends who love matcha are very partial to merit's strawberry matcha as they include strawberry milk along with a strawberry puree. Nothing but good things to say about merit at any of their locations around the city! read more

Merit Coffee - Vanilla latte and strawberry matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Always fantastic coffee. Truly some of the best in town. I recommend merit to anybody visiting.

Merit has great tasting , freshly roasted coffee. That's the most important for me. The Downtown location has really friendly staff, as do all the locations I've visited in Austin. They make a good cortado the right way, equal parts espresso and steamed milk. The whole bean coffee is always fresh and great to take home. read more

I visited Merit Coffee to get some caffeine and work done. I can't say much about the parking situation since I walked over from my hotel and didn't really pay attention to any parking lots. The shop was busy when I arrived. It's not a huge space, but they've made the most of it. There's seating outside, too. Almost all the tables were taken, but one opened up shortly after. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I was in the mood for cold brew. Theirs was very smooth and refreshing and hit the spot. I ended up staying for about an hour and got some work done. Thankfully, the wifi was strong! read more

Merit Coffee - Cold brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went on Saturday morning around 1045. Wow it was prime time with a line 30ish people deep out the door. It was rainy and cold so outdoor seating not an option. Small cafe inside that seats about 20-30 folks. The bagel was fresh and tasty. It was lightly dusted with butter and had a little rock salt on it. The americano I ordered was good and met expectations. Nice cafe and relaxing. read more

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Street parking available, or a parking garage around the corner. Vibe is smooth for a quick coffee/bite or to stay for a long period of time. Can get packed with tables indoors, but there's an option for outdoor space if ya don't mind the heat right now. read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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the cutest little cafe near the lawn area of trader joe's. i loved the cozy atmosphere of the cafe. it had plenty of seating for studying or just chatting with friends. i tried the strawberry matcha and it was delicious and looked gorgeous. however, it was pricey and definitely not a price i would be spending on a drink often. the service was very friendly and fast. read more

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They definitely have the best kouign aman in town. The matcha lattes here are also quite good. There are quite a few seats but it's not a large place. read more

We stumbled upon this coffee shop after brunch and it was fantastic! We told the barista what we liked as far as sweetness and taste and they gave us what the recommended. It was all delicious read more

It's right next to Trader Joe's. The place is quite small but cozy. The drinks come fast so there wasn't a long wait. The strawberry match is okay to me, little bit water down the flavor. I'll prefer less ice next time. But overall it's pretty good. Pet friendly. read more

Merit Coffee - Strawberry match - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Nice people, okay coffee Basically, it depends on what you're looking for. The staff is great, and eager to please. The ambience is good too, and there is WiFi But....the coffee (espresso) is almost always tepid, which I frankly don't get. Anyhow, like I said, the peeps are great... read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Merit Coffee came highly recommended by friends who lived in Austin, TX. The line was long but went by pretty fast. There were also merch to look at so that kept me entertained. + Ube cold foam cold brew 3/5: Meh, hindsight is 20/20 but I should've stuck with a regular latte. I've had my fair share of flavored cold brew in the past and this was the most underwhelming one. There was barely any ube flavor or sweetness coming from the foam. As for the cold brew, the flavor is extremely bright and fruity so that's a bit off from my usual preference of rich and balanced. read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

So glad I finally got to try Merit! Came here on a Sunday afternoon with a friend. The line was long but moved quickly. Seating is limited but we were able to grab two stools by the window. I got an iced latte with white chocolate syrup and oat milk. Absolutely loved it! Definitely my new favorite drink, the syrup blended well with the coffee but wasn't overpowering. Excited to come back and try more from merit. read more

Merit Coffee - Iced Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Living walking distance from here, this place is one of my favorite coffee shops in Austin! My absolute favorite thing to get here is their Strawberry Matcha Latte which happens to also be a seasonal drink so you can only get it during certain times of the year. This spot also comes with a menu of different breakfast tacos which are all pretty tasty, we've gotten to try pretty much all of them. Another favorite drink is their Cereal Milk Latte which is also a special menu drink that you can find during certain parts of the year. The staff are always friendly, they have pretty cool merchandise to browse while you're in line. This place seems to always be packed when we visit and every table inside is always filled. However, they do have outdoor seating as well! It's definitely a favorite for people to bring their laptops and get some work in while sipping on their drinks and munching on their food. They've got great pastries, we tried the poptart and it was amazing! There's also tons of street and garage parking close by. It's in a plaza with Trader Joe's which is perfect if you want to make a stop to get groceries as well. Only complaint I would have is that this menu is pretty pricey for a coffee shop but let's be real, all coffee shops are getting more expensive now :') read more

I came in here because Rachel Lately named it one of her fav coffee spots. It was an easy treat right after the adulting grocery weekend duties. You can easily park in Trader Joe's and get validated parking. I asked the barista what she recommended. She gave me a few recommendations and I ended up going with the salted caramel cold foam. Just the words sound amazingly delicious. It was a short wait. It was a cute small spot so it can get full quickly. But once my coffee was ready, every single sip was soooo good! The perfect blend of coffee and sweet. Even on a cool day, this is a delicious drink. So yeah, def go try it out!! read more

Merit Coffee - Salted Caramel Cold Foam - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Amazing customer service!!! I had ordered hot and they made iced. They were very happy and super nice about remaking it. And coffee was good too!! read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pretty decent place to grab an espresso drink. I walked over the bridge to check this place out after reading all the glowing Yelp reviews, but it's just an average coffee shop. I placed my order at the counter with a very aloof employee (where's that Texas hospitality I keep hearing about?) who wasn't very friendly. I felt like she hated me from the moment I walked in, LOL. I even left her a tip on my already-overpriced cappuccino but even that didn't make her happy. Whatever. I waited for my name to be called and the barista was quite fast considering the line of people already waiting. I grabbed my to-go cup and grabbed one of the small tables outside since it was a nice day. My cappuccino was good, but nothing spectacular. The espresso beans were roasted well, and it was a quality cup. I didn't enjoy the more fruity notes though, as I prefer a cereal-y and darker, richer quality to my espresso. That's just a personal preference, though, so if you like fruitier notes, you'll love this place more than I did. The latte art was a nice touch, but it looked pretty pitiful -- if you care about that sort of thing. Minus a star for the attitude and minus another for having an "off-brand" sweetener instead of real Splenda. read more

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They make a great iced caramel latte with oat milk (my order, haha) but I found the service and ambiance to be average. It was packed for a Saturday morning at 9:30am, and I am assuming it is dog friendly because I saw as many dogs as humans, lol! Even with the crowds, drinks were ready within a reasonable time frame. I was eventually able to pay with Google Wallet (of course the employees assumed I was using Apple Pay...not all of us have iPhones you know...), even though the barista did ask if I had my physical card with me...erhm, if ya'll have tap/NFC payment enabled, you will wait patiently until my phone reads, thankyouverymuch! Especially if I'm paying $7 for a small iced latte---yikes! read more

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a staple downtown coffeeshop, i recently tried their strawberry matcha and really like it. Its quite expensive but at this point rite of passage in Austin... They have indoor and outdoor seating and free wifi. read more

Merit Coffee - Inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

We made a quick stop in to Merit Coffee for an iced latte for me and a pour over coffee for Nate. The shop is pretty tiny and there was no open seating so we took our drinks to go. The front area for ordering and waiting is a little cramped, but it didn't take too long to get our coffee. The rest of the space is bright and airy with lots of people studying and working. My iced oat latte was a normal price and pretty tasty, but my favorite part about this coffee shop was their merch - I loved all of it and was very tempted to buy the Texas "Trailblazer" glass mug. I'm sort of kicking myself for not getting it! They also had t-shirts, tumblers, other mugs, hats, etc. read more

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I wanted a good hot chocolate and my friends wanted coffee so we stopped here on a whim and I'm glad we did. I requested to make my hot chocolate with milk and it was so good. It was sweet enough but not overly sweet. I will definitely be back the next time I am in Austin. read more

Merit Coffee - Hot chocolate - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cute coffeeshop but overpriced. $7+ for a matcha latte with oat milk is eh. Nice staff and good latte though :) Good amount of seating inside with wifi. read more

Merit Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Like their coffee and pastries. Their pop tart is exactly how you wish the manufactured pop tart would taste like. Filled with jam and topped with a delicious coat of frosting. Strawberry matcha was okay. A bit sugary abc overly jammy read more

THE BIG: Located in the Seaholm district in downtown Austin. Small coffee shop however plenty of working space. Street parking and parking garages available. THE BLACK AND WHITE: Merit is quintessential to San Antonio but they set up a downtown shop here in Austin. Definitely a place to check out. They have a partnership with tacodeli in delivering their tacos as well as bakery Lorraine on their egg cups. I typically grab a small coffee or a small matcha latte and grab a table to start some weekend work. Great way to find an alternative place to get out and grab some good coffee THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall for a small matcha latte, you're looking at $5.75. Then for a small coffee, your normal $3.75. If you're around the area, a good way to get some work done at a coffee shop. read more

This is a nice little coffee shop in the downtown area with parking available in front and in a nearby garage, but there's also a robust residential area nearby so depending on where you live, it may be within walking distance. They offer various pastries (and a few gluten free/friendly options) although I've only ever tried to coffee here. My last coffee was perfection but most recently I ordered my usual go-to coffee drink, a lavender latte, and could barely drink it. I've been here once before and the coffee was absolutely delicious, but my coffee was insanely sweet this last time - almost unbearably so. I ended up having to cut it with more coffee to help balance out the flavors. I think perhaps a bit too much of the syrup was added, because I LOVE sweets and did not love the drink. That said, it was a birthday freebie, so I really can't be too upset, although it makes me hesitant to return and re-order that particular drink here. Speaking of rewards, they do offer a robust rewards program BUT the rewards expire on a pretty frequent basis (within 3 months), so it's probably not worth it (outside of birthday rewards) unless you're a regular or live close enough to stop in on a semi-regular basis. I believe you earn 1 point per purchase and 5 points for signing up for the newsletter. The location is quite nice with plenty of indoor seating available and I've never not seen dogs when I've been here, so it is pet friendly and they also offer free dog treats! Employees are always so lovely and friendly, so really my only complaint is how sweet my latte was this time. Otherwise, I think this is a great coffee shop and I definitely recommend. The standard lattes they make are great, but maybe avoid the flavored options! read more

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Aaaugh!! I want to like Merit Coffee so bad, but sadly there are just too many things that dock off points for me. I don't want to be too much of a Negative Nancy, so let's start with the good first! First the Seaholm District will always be a pleasant experience, so you'll have the option of taking your coffee outside and watch the hundreds of dogs that walk by through the grassy field. Second, Merit's decor is OUTSTANDING. It really hits that rustic, hipster, "kind of obnoxious but secretly everyone wants that feeling" vibe. And third, when the drinks hit, they hiiiit. Personally, I really enjoy their Caramel Latte (I think I order with oat milk?). Also, the baristas are very friendly and helpful! So what's the issue then? 1. Price. This seems to be an issue with Austin coffee shops in general, but why in god's name am I paying nearly $10 for a flavored latte with substitute milk?? C'mon now, that's just insane. 2. Their experimental seasonal drinks are usually misses. It makes me wonder if someone actually tried them. Berry Cobbler Matcha? Sure try it, but it'll just taste like pie, not matcha. I distinctly remember one time in the summer - I asked about a seasonal coffee (I think it was lemon flavored or some other bizarre fruit flavor). The barista in the front was doing her best sales impression, but the one in the back was furiously shaking her head, HAHAHA. The one exception is their Harvest Maple Latte. I think that's what it's called. That drink slaps. 3. I'm also not a fan of their rewards point system. Their points expire after some time, so unless you're visiting on the daily, good luck getting any meaningful reward. 3/5 for now. But given that I'm so close by, I'll still be visiting from time-to-time and am more than willing to change my score in the future! read more

Merit Coffee - Berry cobbler matcha. Great presentation! Subpar taste. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Cute trendy coffee shop located in Downtown Austin. Monday around noon the store was packed with all tables/chairs filled with people eating, drinking coffees, studying, reading, etc - very cool vibe. I ordered a featured caramel coffee, large, which was around $8. Super delicious (pretty sugary but I like that) but it is for sure on the pricier side. I'd come here again if I wanted to ready/study and hangout for a few hours while drinking the coffee, because the atmosphere makes the price a bit more worth it. Service was also super friendly and fast, great experience! read more

A local fave! Parking and seating can be tight but the banana pudding matcha is insane! 10/10 must try.

I was out on a long walk around the pedestrian bridge and was looking for a cute spot to grab coffee! Merit coffee was a great find - super cute and great drinks. People were here to work or meet up with a friend, the vibes were very relaxed and we had no problem finding a spot for 2 on a weekday evening. read more

Merit Coffee - London fog, cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great coffee, warm ambiance, always clean restrooms, and positive vibes from the staff!

One of my fav coffee shops with outdoor seating downtown. The coffee is good and I really like the London Fog. If you are into tea, its soo good. read more

Do not waste ur money. We got the pistachio matcha and rosemary brown sugar latte. Both drinks taste like sugary milk. Staff was unfriendly. Very disappointed. read more

I used to come here to work remotely all the time. Haven't been in awhile... tried the new cereal milk cold brew. It was very cute but a little sweet for my taste. This is a good spot to work from if you can grab a table... it does tend to get/stay packed up. There's plenty of outside seating too, but Texas is a little too hot in the summertime for that. read more

Merit Coffee - Cereal milk cold brew - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

Love the coffee. Great location and pretty inside with a nice shaded sidewalk patio. It's always a little crowded inside, the door sort of spits you right into line and it's a little overwhelming with tables sort of packed in. We often walk here for cup in the morning and also get beans for home use. There's something for everyone and I'm excited to try the egg cups they just added! read more

Merit Coffee - Pastry case - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Austin, Texas

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