Lake Austin is home to some of my fondest “firsts:” Hula Hut is one of the first “Keep Austin Weird” style restaurants I ever went to as a child; Able’s on the Lake is the spot I sipped my first margarita with my parent’s approval; and Mozart’s Coffee Roasters is where I first got pepper-sprayed.
Okay, I can explain that last one.
Actually there’s not much to explain. My friends and I naturally wanted to test out the newly purchased pepper spray so we fired it over the water; the spray caught the wind and the rest is history.
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| This stuff hurts. For real. Photo courtesy of handgunsonsale.com |
But Mozart’s Coffee Roasters means more to me than happy accidents. Mozart’s is a beautiful place to sip coffee morning or night, spring or fall.
As I write this blog I am bundled up in my favorite sweatshirt, sitting on the top tier wooden deck, drinking Mozart’s Mocha Special and savoring every last chocolate infused drop.
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| Mozart's multi-level decks |
I look up from my computer to see the lake’s harbor lights dancing across the cool, black waters.
There could be a hundred people packed into this coffee shop (as there often is) and I wouldn’t take note of a single one of them.
Coffee aromas drift through the warm air, but none bother the flavors in my perfectly crafted drink.
This is my coffee.
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters is a must-see for every Austinite and their out-of-town friends. We all have those unexpected visitors pop-in our lives asking you to be “shown Austin;” and this place was built for that.
With three outside patio decks overlooking Lake Austin and a romantically lit interior, Mozart’s breeds comfortability. The coffee shop is designed to be reminiscent of a European café, a look that is accurately achieved. Wood floors, walls of windows and a cathedral ceiling transport patrons to a café tucked away unassumingly in a crowded Italian plaza.
But enough about the ambiance, let’s get to the coffee.
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| Bottomless coffee du jour. |
I asked the barista to serve me “Mozart’s in a cup-“ so he ordered me the special and I eagerly awaited my drink. I leaned against the tall wooden counter and watched the barista grind my beans in front of me, and pack them so tightly that when he flipped the spoon over not a grain slipped.
I looked around the room and took in the environment. I began all at once to smell the rich coffee beans being freshly roasted just feet away from me. I’ve never been to South America, but I imagine this is what it smells like.
Thankfully my coffee was ready in minutes; quickly enough for me to avoid the temptation of their pasty case (an attraction my wallet and thighs have fallen prey to one too many times.)
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| Careful. Just looking too long adds 10 lbs. |
I sat down and began to drink my coffee. Often mochas taste gritty; as if the syrup is really just sugary off-brand grocery store chocolate sauce mixed in with milk, not this mocha. This mocha is a smooth blend of what tastes like milk and dark chocolates. Just the right amount of coffee bitterness assimilated with the velvety richness of high-quality chocolate.
Usually I finish my lattes and espressos and café au laits and entire menu items at coffee shops within minutes, but this mocha is too good not to enjoy for well over an hour. My taste buds cling to the evenly blended flavors and I pray that my straw never makes that disheartening “slurp” sound.
It may be the lake I am staring at playing tricks on me, but I swear that my coffee tastes as thick as the depths of the waters before me.
As I suck the very last drop of Mozarts’ specialty through my straw, I am reminded of the reality slowly coming in to focus. It’s getting late and I have some finance homework to complete. So for now, I say goodnight to my sweet coffee and my calm lake and my personal paradise, and trudge out of this hideaway Italian café onto Lake Austin boulevard toward home.
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| Mozart's coffee grinder |
Coffee Drinkers:
Mozart’s Bottomless Coffee. Sip on any of their five daily brews all night for just $2.99. Your essay on American politics in the 1850s due tomorrow doesn’t stand a chance.
Non-coffee drinkers:
Mozart’s Mocha Specialty. You get all the sweetness of non-coffee drinks with all the perks of caffeine!
Mozart’s Coffee Roasters
3826 Lake Austin Blvd
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-2900
Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am – 12 am
Fri 7 am – 1 am
Sat 8 am – 1 am
Sun 8 am – 12 am
