Lola Reviews: Austin Java

A few days ago, when I didn't have to go in to work until the afternoon, Lola and I swung by the office and picked up Lola's Daddy for lunch at Austin Java.

Austin Java, like Trudy's, is one of those Austin institutions that has somehow got itself an amazing reputation, but actually is not nearly as cool as people from out of town think it is.  Don't get me wrong, Austin Java is certainly fun.  It's a really nifty independent coffee-shop-plus-food destination.  It's just that if you live here, there are plenty of nifty independent coffee-shop-plus-food destinations around.

(Note: if I lived in Coppell, the home of Princess Poo-Face, I'd be dancing for joy to have something like Austin Java around.  It's just that I'm spoiled by living in Austin.  Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry for Coppell (which is where the link will take you) is, as of this writing, one of the worst Wikipedia entries I've ever seen.  Certainly, it seems to be generally factually correct, and the information on median income and racial diversity will give you a fair understanding of the city.  However, the grammar is atrocious, and the amount of time spent dwelling on professional sports facilities, the new high school, and the lack of public transit rather sickens me.)

Back to Austin Java.  The coffee is organic and fair trade.  The food is good, and it's veggie-friendly and (just) vegan-tolerable.  The lunch special is a good deal, if you're really really hungry and want all that food.  I had a veggie burger, and damn, it was awesome.  The burger part was awesome and yummy, but the bun -- good lord! -- I have never had such meltingly succulent, tantalizingly sweet, amazing honey-whole-wheat goodness.  

All right, I suppose the food is pretty good.

But if you want something to knock your socks off, then dude, fucking get off your ass and get the pesto pasta.  It's better than the Furminator.  Lola's Daddy got some as part of his lunch special, and I sort of devoured it.  It's like a little slice of heaven, a luscious little penne-basil virgin just waiting for you to deflower it.

The central location, which is the original one, is at 12th and Lamar.  It's a funky little house with a front porch and back patio.  Doggies are not allowed on the back patio -- I meant to ask why, but I forgot.  Possibly it's covered in such a way that makes it technically not an outdoor space for dogs.  However, the front patio is pretty big, so as long as you're not there in the middle of a rush, you should be fine.

Here is Lola with Lola's Daddy, hanging out at our table.

Here is me and Lola.

And of course, The Best Picture Of The Day.