Avenue B Grocery

I had the loveliest interaction with the owner and employee on staff. There are a LOT of options to choose from and a lot to read on the board with little pieces of paper with specials on them but the guys helped me a lot, even let me have a taste of the soup (SO good, I ordered double, and that’s saying a lot since it’s the middle of June in Texas).
The turkey sandwich was good, but I didn’t order anything remarkable. I was feeling pretty plain Jane today.
I’m surprised to find the bad experience with the employee in a previous review. After I left I remember feeling they have gone above and beyond customer-​service-​wise. I’ll definitely be back!

Hands down the best sandwich joint in Austin! I love the old, historic building, the people who work there are always nice and helpful… and the sandwiches are awesome! On a pretty day, it is the perfect spot for sitting outside at a picnic table… any day it’s perfect for an amazing sandwich! The «Queen Bee» is my favorite! This time, I added carrots, tomato, onion, spinach & garlic mayo… Delish!!! All of the sandwiches look great — it’s just so hard to stray from a great thing, though! ;-)

Upon arriving I saw an old, classic convenient store! This place was unique and I was so excited to try it.
A younger girl took my order, she was quite friendly. I ordered my boyfriends sandwich first and mentioned it was my first time there and she said her favorite was the «Queen B» — I said, «I’ll take it!» but as soon as I looked up at the menu to check it out I saw it had three different cheeses, I don’t like cheese. So, I told her No cheese, and add oil and vinegar.
She says okay, and goes back to make the sandwiches.
Soon after, an older man walks in the back to help her as there are a couple of people behind me waiting to have their orders taken.
This guy is a JERK. He looked at the order and made nothing but RUDE, SNARKY comments THE ENTIRE TIME while making the sandwiches… right in front of me and the other customers. I felt SO uncomfortable. I was on the verge of going off on this guy and/​or walking out. He deserved both. However, I kept my cool and ignored it since I was hungry and in a hurry.
Here are a few comments he made:
— «This is the strangest order I’ve ever seen?»
— «Who orders like this?»
— «What happened to people centering themselves, this is not a sandwich of a centered person!»
— «THIS IS NOT A QUEEN BEE! (name of sandwich) Who the hell doesn’t like cheese !! We would have been done making this by now if people weren’t so damn complicated»
— «They should have just gone to Jimmy Johns»
— «This is why I don’t have a family, I’m charging cheap sandwiches to complicated people and can’t afford one»
Let me remind you, I think, «no cheese» and «add oil & vinegar» is a simple request…
I could have just let him put the cheese on and ADD an extra food cost for this guy but I didn’t! I thought it would be easier to not add cheese?
I wanted so bad to like this place and support a local establishment… but I can’t, I just can’t. I read one of the other negative reviews about the owner and his establishment and he said it right:
Life is too short to accept that kind of treatment from this jerk.
If you want to see an old convenient store, hear an older man making rude comments, and eat an «okay» sandwich then this place is for you!

I love this little time-​capsule of a joint.
Yesterday, they had posole on the menu. So, I’m thinking — is this going to be gross stringy fatty-​pork posole or not? Well, it was FABULOUS! Nice little lean cubes of meat floating in a well-​seasoned poblano and hominy broth — pork cut small enough so you could get a little porky goodness in every bite. Ecstasy in a bowl! Spicy and delish.
Also had a ½ pimento cheese on toasted sour dough, they have some of the best pimento cheese in town IMO.
Well done, Avenue B!
PS — it was less than $ 7!

Dropped by for some food in a flash. I like this little joint and it always has weird stuff in addition to food for sale. This is perfect for the locals and especially the college students. Prices are reasonable and you can get a balanced meal here to eat outside or take home. I guess this is my 5^th visit and I have always enjoyed the simple dishes. They had just made some tuna fish and it was really good. Hilarious guy in the back and the most charming and friendly young lady to take your order and check you out in the front. This is a great place to chill at lunch outside. Well done folks!

What a neat throw back in time. I’ve lived in Austin for 20 years and had never heard of this place until yesterday when I took a wrong turn and saw this place.
I came back today for a plain old turkey on wheat and it was great. Simple but great. A 100+ year old (non-​government) operation is a rarity in this town. So cool!

Downloaded Unilocal just to be able to say how much I love this place. Found on a whim with a friend; I had to retrace my steps to find it again. Let alone the atmosphere and history here (I would be so proud to run an establishment like this) the service and food are AMAZING. I don’t know which will influence me more to come back!

Super great spot in Hyde Park. Very friendly and the sandwich and Portuguese stew were great. I’m going to try to make this a Saturday tradition.

Perhaps the greatest piece of Americana in Austin. This is «buy local» on steroids. Handmade sandwiches with loving care. A virtual museum. Support it!

Apple and brie sandwich was divine. Cool little space, cute benches outside, and very friendly staff.

One of my favorite sandwich shops in town. Super low key and chill. They have a town on sodas to go with a great variety of fresh, hand-​made sandwiches. I always get the habanero mayo on mine. There’s usually a nice young lady that works there who is really friendly as well.

This place is incredibly cute, I love that they have kept the old store front. We came here for lunch one Saturday and thankfully missed the lunch rush. I had the apple & brie and my boyfriend had the italian. Both were really good, with great fresh ingredients. This place is adorable, check it out!

I’ve been meaning to come here since June when I heard about it. I’m kicking myself because it’s awesome and I could’ve been coming here all the time. They have great specials but I got a turkey sandwich on sourdough with avocado, picklrs, lettuce tomatoes and bacon. Yuuuuuum!

Best sandwhich I have ever had. I had the King Ross. TONS OF FLAVOR. I hate crust but I ate the entire thing because it was that good. Amazing amazing. I want to go back tomorrow.

Everyone knows already that the sandwiches are fantastic here. I just wanted everyone to know that their soups are out of this world. I’ve loved every single soup i’ve ever ordered here… like i’d really freak out.
I so wholly trust their soup magic, that i’ll just blindly order whatever the Soup of the Day is. I have yet to be disappointed in the slightest. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
THERE IS A SOUP WIZARD THERE.

Avenue B harks back to a simpler time. There are no gimmicks, just good old fashioned sandwiches and sodas sweetened with real sugar. The sandwiches cost slightly more than other places ($ 7), but are loaded with meat and carefully assembled. I recommend trying the daily special.
The owner is a friendly guy who will be quick to shake your hand and regale you with stories of how the neighborhood has changed over the years. The patio is lovely with both a front and back area and they will happily deliver your sandwich outside to you. Avenue B oozes with charm. A must visit for any Austinite.

I’m a little ambivalent about Avenue B. It’s such a cool building (an essentially unrenovated 1950s general store) with a pleasant picnic area outside that’s shady and nice even in the blazing heat. The sandwiches and sides are dirt cheap and filling, and they sell those awesome wooden glider thingies that you can’t find anywhere for $ 1.87. I had fun with it all the way home. The staff have always been nice, friendly, and reasonably prompt.
So why only three stars? Because some of the sandwiches are utter, epic failures. To boot, they sometimes only marginally resemble the description on the oh-​so-​quaint chalkboard. Today, the special was a veggie reuben. Listed ingredients were three cheeses and kraut on choice of dark or light rye (standard reuben stuff) plus avocado. They ask if all that’s okay, and I say, «sign me up.»
Then I get a sandwich with a ton of avocado, only a smidgen of kraut (some New York deli owner is already horrified), melted cheese and TOMATO AND MAYO. Yuck. Gross. Who the f*ck ever heard of putting tomato and mayo on a reuben? Russian dressing is standard on every reuben anywhere, ever, and everyone knows it, and, giant tomato slices? Really? Who taught you how to make this sandwich? The lunch lady at school? A stoned person? Twas vile, and I couldn’t even finish it.
So, good prices, great (probably homemade) pickles, and tasty deviled eggs – awesome though these thing are – don’t insulate Avenue B against some spectacularly miscalculated menu choices. I’ll be back, because it’s close and usually pretty good, but I’ll have to order much more carefully next time.

Ross the boss runs an authentic shop here. It’s got Austin history and culture, and his homemade food is fantastic.
First timer, but it was well worth it. I just tried the special which included some of his well respected pimento cheese– I was beyond satisfied. Tried my friends «king» sandwich, and it too delivered proper. Quinoa salad, deviled eggs, potato salad– all delicious, but that quinoa though. Do it.
Outside of the amazing food, the shop is fun to look around in and feels old school. Ross is a true home chef so that makes it even more fun. The entire experience of walking into this small shop and getting a bomb sandwich from a true local is what makes this worth your while.

I was reviewing a soda pop shop I love — and I only love it because it reminds me of this place. So I had to review this place. I love the old soda signs and the outdoor seating area.
The garlic habanero mayo is a must if you like spicy situations. I always got a different sandwich filling based on my mood, but always on potato bread with garlic habanero mayo. The mathematical balance and symmetry of the sandwich, the moist mayo assisting your journey in swallowing the bite, the carbonated polish off. Just an experience unlike any other. It’s been symmetrical no matter what random choices I’d pick to fill it with. They just have the best intuitive understanding of making a proper sandwich. It blows my mind and I can’t really find this experience anywhere else.
I wasn’t really a sandwich person until Avenue B came into my life. It’s magickal whether you come here alone or with a friend or two, whether it’s a bit busy or just you.

A great pimento cheese sandwich is available here, made from scratch.

Great little store! The friendliest service always with a smile and delish sandwiches.
It’s cute and quaint and a different vibe from the a typical restaurant visit.
Definately worth a visit!

So I’ve ordered the habanero mayo everytime I’ve eaten here. I think it has only been on my sandwich once though. Be wary if you actually want habanero mayo

I had the greatest pimiento cheese sandwich ever ever ever ever EVER from this place for lunch. Okay, they could’ve cut the crusts off, but let’s be honest, they’re not my mommy nor is this some kind of fancy afternoon tea. The pimiento cheese spread stuck together fairly well without being too drippy or gooey. I think I tasted gouda in there. I got it with the garlic habanero mayonnaise on sourdough and… yum.
They have devilled eggs, too. Love love love love love. They’re filled with fluffy, light perfection inside. I saw them making a whole table in the back and I just wanted to devour the whole table.
The store is adorable. They’ve got a variety of tasty teas and juices to wash your sandwich down with, along with all other kinds of necessities if you need ‘em.
The staff was surprisingly friendly when I dropped in for lunch. They’ve got some picnic tables if you want to eat it there, or they’ll put it all in a baggie if you’d like to take it with you.
My order was exactly $ 9.99 and they let me use a card – perhaps they’re becoming a bit more chill about that as well.