The Dojo of DoJo's

I’ve never been to the Dominican Republic. But when I picture it in my lack-of-real-life-experiences American mind, I picture gorillas, bananas and coffee. I don’t actually know if any of those are accurate exports except for coffee, so I’ll talk about that.

Coffee beans from the Dominican Republic carry a certain flavor; they are bold but subtly, sweet and have very low acidity, as compared to some high-acidic European coffee beans. Depending on your personal palette, you may prefer high acidity: I don’t.

Dominican Joe’s off of South Congress gets their coffee beans on direct trade from farmers in Columbia and has them roasted locally in Austin. What’s more is Dominican Joe’s pays fair-trade prices to the bean growers and donates to the area’s local underprivileged schools, Makarios and DoulosDiscovery School. And they don’t stop overseas; Dominican Joe’s also donates a portion of their profits to Austin non-profits.

All the buzz about their charitable reputation from loyal customers on yelp.com enticed me to check out DoJo’s, as it is affectionately nicknamed.

DoJo's Art

I descended the staircase (yes, they have a staircase) and my eyes peeled around the room absorbing the jungle atmosphere. Big, leafy potted trees were abound and the tall colorful walls were covered in local art. 

A moment of panic spread through my body as I looked for a place to sit; DoJo’s is as popular as it’s made out to be online. My anxiety subsided when I spotted open tables outside.

The patio is surrounded by flora. If it weren’t for the police sirens and Austin skyline you would really feel as though you were sitting at private table in the Caribbean.  I caught myself half hoping a scantily-clad cabana boy would burst through the bushes wielding a daiquiri and a bottle of tanning oil.

He'll do.
photo courtesy of romancebandits.com

Sigh. A girl can dream.

My misguided delusions behind me, I approached the counter and ordered a flan latte. After waiting for what seemed like hours (but was really about 20 minutes too long) I took my first gulp.  I can’t say that I was wildly impressed by the coffee. It was flavorful to be sure, and it definitely warranted me finishing my cup; although I wouldn’t slurp the remnants. It tasted more like a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks than a carefully crafted Mexican masterpiece.

I was impressed with the sweet, burnt undertone that emulated that of the caramelized topping found on flan, but overall was disappointed with the execution. I expected more vanilla and less spice.

Nevertheless, I appreciated it for its awakening powers, it would be a long night.

This may be the first coffee shop I’ve explored where I like the décor more than the coffee. I will however, be returning to DoJo’s; I loved the music and the atmosphere. It’s one of those places where you can go to study but still socialize without feeling judgmental eyes boring into the back of your head.

Check out Dominican Joe’s (maybe don’t order the flan latte) and get lost in coffee paradise.

Dominican Joe Coffee Shop

515 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704

(512) 448-3919

Hours:

Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 11 pm

Sat-Sun 7 am - 11 pm