Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

Busy but tables turn over fast enough that it's easy to get one if you'd like. The food is quirky and so tasty. And to have cocktails, takes this place to another level!

This is a half-service type restaurant. You order at the counter and they bring your food out. No checking up on you.
The food was good. The chips and queso were delicious. The Buffalo chicken biscuit was tasty but too drenched in the Buffalo sauce. I couldn’t eat the bottom piece of the biscuit because it was so soggy. Retrospectively I wish I’d ordered it plain.

Pastrami loaded queso was excellent (although the presentation wasn't great
Better half breakfast sandwich with bacon and guac was great but gets more expensive than it looks on the menu when adding to it.

Food wait was about 35 min when they estimated an hour.

There's a parking lot behind the building but the entire area was crowded on a Sunday afternoon.

9/10

Not that this place needs another raving review but I can't help myself! We landed early in Austin and went straight to breakfast downtown. Better Half was so cute and the line moved very quickly for a Saturday morning. It was definitely crowded but we didn't have any issues getting a picnic table in the sun (we're from Boston and not used to warm weather in January). We looked on our phones to pick our food choices from the menu ahead of getting to the counter (recommended to avoid panicking). We got the spiced churros with dulce de leche dipping sauce, the blue corn blueberry pancakes with lemon curd and the waffle iron hash browns. I also got a cinnamon cardamom latte and my husband got a beer (from the sister brewery they own next door). The churros were fantastic, the pancakes were also delicious and not too sweet. The hash browns were very very good - I thought they were a little thin/tough but my husband vehemently disagrees and thinks it was a perfect dish. The latte was superb, beer was delicious. We so enjoyed ourselves, I even bought a long sleeve shirt to bring a little memory home with me. Highly recommend this place if you're a local or a tourist visiting Austin, it's great!

Awesome breakfast pastrami sandwich, smoky tender brisket on a scratch made biscuit with runny egg and pimento cheese, can't be beat. Waited about an hour for food but the outside space is chill and comfortable, and food was worth the wait.

Love the drinks and the baked goods . Friendly staff and decent amount of complementary guest parking for Austin.

Only advice is to stop calling the cheesecake “burnt cheesecake”, it really is the complete opposite …shame to even call it as such …when it is truly a delicious rich and filling Basque Cheesecake with a homemade cherry/ berry compote … kudos to the chef on great pastries.

This better half breakfast sandwich was worth every add on and every penny. How about that double breakfast sausage?
The presentation (which I was too hungry too wait to share) shows they are truly about a personal touch.

I also tried the orange dreamsicle latte with oat milk that was perfect.

I do like the laptop free zone so you don’t have to fight for seats with people that are making it their office space.

BUT the bathroom was way toooo dark!!!!! I walked in the ladies bathroom thinking it would lighten up but it was super dark. Two stalls and you couldn’t really see like you need to while taking care of business.

I wouldn’t recommend this place for anything beyond an intimate happy hour. The drinks are fine, nothing super special but not bad. The beyond beef burger was a great happy hour deal and the cauliflower tots were excellent. I was surprised how many families there were with young children which wasn’t a problem at all but certainly changed the vibe of the place. I probably won’t make it a point to return but wouldn’t be bummed if I ended up there with a group. Parking was surprisingly easy for a downtown location, which is a huge plus.

We enjoyed our brunch! Cappuccino was delicious and the cauliflower tots were great! I thought the chicken biscuit was a bit too much buffalo sauce for my taste. I didn't know that's what they meant when they said "make it spicy for $1." I would just get the regular one next time because the biscuit was great and I wanted more of that honey butter they had on it! We also had some donuts to share and they were so warm and yummy. Would definitely come here again! Felt very safe sitting outside in their tent!

Better Half is my favorite place in Austin! I have been going here for both food and coffee for years. My husband and I even hosted our wedding weekend welcome party for family and out of town guests here, and they were so easy and wonderful to work with. Great environment, super friendly staff, and the absolute best cup of coffee and veggie burger in the city, hands down. (Always order the queso too)