THUNDERCAAAAAATS.
video courtesy of youtube.com
No, I did not visit a ThunderCats themed coffee shop.
But that would have been AWESOME.
I did however find myself at a similarly named Eastside coffee spot: Thunderbird Coffee.
(NOTE: there are no Thundercats memorabilia to be found inside Thunderbird, despite its name)
(NOTE: there are no Thundercats memorabilia to be found inside Thunderbird, despite its name)
Everything about Thunderbird Coffee is Eastside. Parking is found on the winding streets of a charmed, vintage neighborhood. The front patio borders Manor Road with a wire mesh fence draped in Christmas lights. A long string of light bulbs envelops the patio in twinkling light. Sitting at Thunderbird is like sitting on the back porch of your best friend's house. Patrons play indie music from personal speakers and discuss novels as they sip on their espressos and ice cold tap beers.
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| Thunderbird Coffee's front patio photo courtesy of tx-coffee.com |
Yes, I said beers.
Thunderbird Coffee sells beer, bottled and tap, in addition to their locally roasted Cuvee coffee. That name may sound familiar; many coffee shops in the area get their coffee directly from this local roaster, known for its personal relationship with their farmers and growers. If a coffee shop touts its fair-trade philosophies and local-focus, its more than likely they get their beans from Cuvee Coffee.
The inside is again, standard Eastside: dim lighting, mismatched seating, nondescript, bare walls and soft alt-rock beats thumping.
The lone barista complimented the coffee house nicely in a checkered button-down, skinny jeans and a lopsided black beanie.
I gave the him the standard spiel, "Hi, I'm writing a coffee blog about coffee shops here in Austin. Can you give me what [insert coffee shop name here] does best? What's your signature drink? blah, blah, blah"
Right away he asked me what coffee shops I had been to; and at that moment I knew I was being tested. He wanted to know what kind of coffee drinker I was, so I didn't dare to name drop Starbucks (I'll save that for another blog).
About three things I was absolutely positive:
1. Thunderbird was for serious coffee drinkers only: habitual Starbucks-goers need not apply.
2. With the above kind of haughtiness, Thunderbird must have good coffee.
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| a perfect cappuccino |
My first sip was bitter. My second sip was bitter. And my third? Bitter. But a good bitter.
I've mentioned in an earlier post how all too often the natural bitter taste of the coffee is overshadowed by sugary sweeteners and syrups. Now don't get me wrong, I love my sugar and my sugary lattes, as evidenced by previous posts, but sometimes it's nice to sit back and smell the coffee, real coffee.
There's a tang to this cappuccino that I quite enjoy. The espresso is clean, you can taste the roasted beans and the milk- that's it. The subtly sweet undertone lingers on my tongue long after I have finished swallowing. Its the kind of drink you order when you don't the coffee flavor (or buzz) to end.
I've got to hand it to Thunderbird. Not many coffee shops will put their lone espresso up to bat with the bases loaded; most pump up their drinks with hazelnut and sugar as a sort of safety.
Its a bold move, but Thunderbird has definitely hit a home run.
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| good to the last drop |
Coffee Drinkers: Get the Cappuccino. But prepared to stay awake for 4-6 hours after consuming.
Non-Coffee Drinkers: The Honey Nut Latte was delicious. A great cinnamon flavor, without too much spice.
Location
2200 Manor Road
Austin, TX
Fri: 7 a.m. – 12 midnight
Sat: 8 a.m. – 12 midnight
Sun: 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
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