1886 Cafe & Bakery

A Girl on Google Maps a month ago

While exploring downtown Austin, I stumbled upon 1886 Bakery & Cafe, and as someone who has always loved historic buildings, I was immediately excited to step inside. I introduced myself as a high-level Google Local Guide with more than 326 million views on Google Maps and spoke with Eamon, the manager. I’ll be honest—the initial interaction caught me a little off guard. It seemed like I had arrived during an especially busy time, and he didn’t seem particularly eager to seat me. He did explain that they were very busy, and I completely understand. Sometimes timing is everything, and I certainly don’t believe he intended to offend me. After a little persuading, he found me a small table, which was perfectly fine. I was happy just to have the opportunity to explore the space, take some photos, and experience another piece of Austin history during my short visit. I ordered the Texas Waffle, which apparently is appropriately sized for Texas! 😂 Unfortunately, mine was much too wet and seemed as though it may have been taken off the waffle maker a little too early. I simply couldn’t eat it. The two eggs over hard were perfect, and the fresh-squeezed orange juice was wonderful. And then

Byz 2 months ago

Wonderful place with amazing service. Kevin is the best! He helped me and my mom so much. He answered all of our questions and helped us to pick the best dishes The food was served quickly. Just one thing, they have not updated their online menu. We’ll definitely come back again!

Alison Wolf 4 months ago

I have walked by this place so many times over the years and it always looked good. We finally went and were pretty disappointed. The service was terrible, the menu was limited and the food tasted even worse. Their salad had nothing but lettuce and dressing and cost $20! The ceaser salad tasted like anchovies and nothing else and the quiche was just odd. The only saving grace was the waffle and the latte. If you stop here, just get coffee and a pastry.

Andrés R. M. 4 months ago

Highly recommended! 1886 Café & Bakery ended up being my favorite stop in my TEXAS road trip. Located inside a beautiful historic hotel, the setting alone is worth the visit. Elegant, warm, and full of character. We actually started with a rough experience (around 5/10) due to some service misunderstandings, but after speaking with the manager, everything completely shifted. The team stepped up, service became outstanding, and the whole experience turned into a 9/10. The biggest surprise was the food: simple presentation, but incredible flavor, easily some of the best I had in Texas. Highly recommend. Don’t miss it if you’re in Austin!

Sofia’s Photos 4 months ago

Visiting from Seattle, I’m honestly a bit spoiled when it comes to coffee, so my expectations were… high. But this place surprised me in the best way. The chai latte was genuinely good, not flat, not overly sugary, but a really nice balance of sweet and spice, with actual depth to it. What stayed with me the most though is the space itself. It feels like stepping into an old European café with a bit of American historic charm. High ceilings with warm wood panels, arched openings, classic tile floors, and that beautiful stained glass detail at the entrance. Even the wallpaper feels intentional, like a vintage landscape sketch wrapping the room. It’s elegant but not stiff, more like a place where time slows down a little. You come for the drink, but you stay because the space makes you want to sit there longer than you planned.