Sodade Coffeehouse

I like coffee, I like tea. I like Sodade, and it likes me.
Seriously, this is a great place to get coffee, a mocha, or a nice cup of Zhi tea. The service is good, there is good seating, never a wait, and it’s a great location to stop by after visiting Tacodeli on the corner.
If I could change anything, I’d make them quit putting those delicious white chocolate macadamia cookies right there by the register for just 75 cents. I’m already getting a mocha, I don’t need a cookie too but they’re soooo delicious.

I’m kind of scared to write about this coffee house, because I liked it so much, that by writing a positive review, I feel like I’m giving away a secret and inviting lots of people to come and destroy my ability to enjoy the quietness and quaintness that makes Sodade such a great study spot!
I came here today, yearning for new surroundings for my studies, not sure what to expect. What a gem of a coffeehouse! It’s really small, which I like because it was rather quiet even with people there. They play soft music, the bathrooms are clean and cute (but damn the stupid anarchist who vandalized the mirror in the lady’s room. Hipsters ruin everything.)
I don’t drink coffee, so I can’t remark on that, but they were brewing a new pot while I was there and it smelled AMAZING! I had a coconut tea and it smelled and tasted delicious! While I was there, a couple came in raving about their chai tea as well. I also saw a dude sitting with a sandwhich that looked so delicious, I fantasized about swiping it from him like the mcburglar.
The barista was this cute lil asian woman and she was very friendly and seemed to recognize a lot of the customers who came in by face. A+ for service.
Main complaint: not enough tables and chairs. When I first arrived, there were no tables open so I sat on the couch until a chair opened up. Also, I’m not big into the modern furniture in coffee houses, especially if I’m going to stay there for a while to study. As my bff says, «chairs are supposed to ‘cradle the arse’,» and these crappy white pieces of plastic weren’t doing it for me.
Still, the sweet smells and calming music makes for a great study experience. I will be back here.

Great coffee, very yummy, and good presentation.
Atmosphere was good and comfortable.
I had gone to Taco Deli for lunch, felt a craving for some coffee and found this place just 2 doors down.
Glad I stopped by, will return.

Very sad to see this place close down. Definitely my favorite coffee in the Mopac — Parmer area.
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Update note: my main complaint about this place in the past was that their drink quality wasn’t consistent but I realized I’ve been going here for the last 3 months or so and haven’t had a bad drink at all in that time.
Pros:
— Nice atmosphere, good service
— Good coffee and tea. Iced Vietnamese, which is better than many real Vietnamese shops I’ve been to (like 888).
— Clientele: seems consistently Austinite folks in their 30s; no young kids or teenagers seem to come here. Also, right next door to the amazing Taco Deli.
— Food. Egg Salad is outstanding, as is the fruit cups they sell here. I’m sure the Yogurt cups is also amazing and much bigger and cheaper than Starbucks with less added sugar.
— Customer service. Varies, but frequently excellent.
Cons:
— Not very green. They seem to want to sell the plastic cups first and don’t advertise that they recycle or try to. (Starbucks is obviously no better.)
— Mochas are a bit dull. Skip them.

My geology professor made this morning’s lecture optional, but we had to show up for the 7:45 lab. I’m now awake, dressed and out of the house at 9:00 with nary another class until noon. I need coffee. I need food. I need both like a hipster needs a SXSW wristband. NOW.
Out of 5 or so options in the area, I’ve chosen Sodade solely for its proximity to Taco Deli. I’m sure I’m not the only one who awarded at least half a star for this little perk alone.
So I grab my tacos and walk in to Sodade. I meekly ask if it’s ok if I eat them in there while drinking their coffee, and the barista not only told me it was ok, but thanked me for asking first. Let me get this straight. I can have a taco with beans, bacon and avocado AND get decent coffee, wifi and a power outlet? SOLD!
It is sparsely decorated in here, not ultra-​comfy and I think the prices are a bit higher than average, but the cold-​brew is herculean and works fast. Not to mention, it’s pretty tasty. In no time, I’m perked up and so focused on work (or writing this review), that I don’t even mind the Ikea chairs and excess of empty space. The pastries look delicious, but I’m way too into my tacos to care. The wifi is strong, unlike several of the locales in my list of study spots, the power outlets are plentiful, and the barista is one of the nicest I’ve met. I feel very welcome here.
Study spot? Not perfect. Better place to kill 2 hours than the ACC café or Starbucks? Without a doubt. The location and product will be sure to have me back soon.

Sodade has great coffee. It really is amazing.
As someone that goes for coffee as much for the people watching and lounging around aspects, it could be better though. Susi’s right, I think the furniture did all come from IKEA, as a matter of fact the couch look really familiar. Note I said ‘couch’. Singluar.
Excuse me for a second while I become one of «those people»: I’m used to coffee shops that are about 80% to 90% couches and old comfy chairs and only about 10%-20% tables and hard wood chairs. Ok, sorry, enough complaining about how it’s not like where I came from. I really do try to limit that.
I’d also like to see a selection of better sweets. Not a better selection as in «more» just better. I’ve tried several of the pastries and none has really been very good. However, I was spurred to write this review today because I just had a couple of VERY GOOD chocolate cookies from Sodade, so perhaps things are changing on this front.
Yeah, it’s a lot of bitchin’ for a four star review isn’t it. How come? I’ll say it again:
Sodade has great coffee. It really is amazing.

I love this place — day and night!
Fair trade coffee, local products, local art, and extremely caring baristas.
Oh, and free wi-​fi, of course. It’s a smaller place, which makes it more comfortable for me.
It’s right next to Taco Deli and Mangia pizza. I love grabbing a cup of coffee after my taco excursions. It’s extremely convenient and the drinks are delicately prepared.
The past few times I’ve been here I’ve seen misc. organizations, Language Clubs, Book Clubs come in. It’s a great place to meet and catch up with your friends.

I went here on a suggestion. Basically since I moved away from Central Austin and being within walking distance of Thunderbird Coffee I have been going insane my personal drip coffee maker is good but when i want something to cure me of horrendous brain funk and get me through a night of food prep… sometimes I need expresso.
So my 2 cents about this place. A small local business which it looks like is entirely run by the owner, family and maybe one other employee. Very modern small tables and open space. I think I knocked it because it’s not really a place I would like to spend my afternoon. I guess it lacks a certain ambiance that entails cushing up on couch and reading a book on a rainy day.
Nice little sweet things to eat. YERBA MATE! Vietnamese Coffee done right for real they make you wait while it drips. Quiet sometimes lacking in air conditioning early in the morning. Expresso is nicely acidic but lacks that super deep darkness that I love… the buttery kind of effect. Overall it’s the only place up North I have found that does a decent cup.

It’s like 11 at night, but I am finally going to force myself to sit down and write this review. I am WAY overdue.
I must say that Sodade is by far my favorite coffee house in Austin. If you’ve never been before, I’d strongly suggest starting off with a vanilla latte. The lattes here are very different from your local corporate coffee chain latte. They are dark, woody, and robust… a welcome change from S***bucks candy-​lattes.
«But I love sweet drinks…» Never fear! Try the Vietnamese iced coffee! I just had it for the first time a week or so ago after seeing on the menu for months. The knowledgeable staff introduced me to it, and explained exactly what it is. Although I’m not always a big fan of sweet drinks, the Vietnamese coffee was very tasty and refreshing.
Oh and the teas… they have a pretty large selection of them, and I strongly suggest the Ginger Peach Oolong one on ice. Oh, and they have boba tea… oh, and the hot cocoa is really good… oh, and the honey latte… oh, and the smoothies… and the sandwiches.
Ok, everything is just freaking fantastic. Really.
As Brad C. mentioned, Sodade recently changed up their pastry selection, and boy am I impressed. Now you can chose from several different Mexican and American pastries like lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, a few that I cannot pronounce, and my personal favorite… the ojos. I was only mildly frightened to learn that ojo is Spanish for eye… forgivable since they’re so darn tasty! They’re like this light cake-​y pastry wrapped in a flaky, lightly-​sugared crust… OMGYES.
My only complaint is that the free Wi-​Fi tends to be sluggish most of the time… oh well, you can’t win them all.
And now I’ve stayed up long enough to write this review that I’m going to have to drop by on my way to work and grab a drink… now what to get?

Sodade is a fantastic north austin coffee shop … Genaro, the owner, is super cool and nice and he makes fantastic espresso drinks. i’m a big fan of a simple double espresso … and i usually sit on the comfortable couch, enjoy a good book, and chase my espresso with a cup of coffee which is also quite good. a few months ago they changed up their sweet-​options for the better as well … now they offer a few pastries that are reasonably priced and reasonably healthy (less sugar than the previous pastries). my favorite is probably the lemon bar …
head to Taco Deli (a few doors down) and after you get your taco fix head down to say hi to Genaro and his crew — great combination.

I really like this colorful and simply decorated coffee shop. They make good coffee, and its family owned so im definitely a supporter!
i like getting an iced vanilla latte. they make it not too sweet, just the way i like it. their viet coffee is also good. great service, nice ambiance, and wireless! i also love that they sell local goods like honey, tea, etc.
great place to do work or just sit on the couch and read the magazines they have on the table.

I have made Sodade my default North Austin coffee haunt. The atmosphere is very calm and the music selection is normally perfect for working or chatting.
The coffee is good, reasonably priced, and the service is helpful and without any trace of pretentiousness. I really dig the aesthetic as well, it always seems very clean and bright.
There is a higher than normal amount of snobby patrons, but I think thats a North of 183 thing, not Sodade’s fault, and thus is loose a star for this.

This is a cute place, but felt really really quiet. I posted some photos and the place looks post-​apocalyptic. There were actually people in the place, but I made sure I did not take photos of them because, well, they have a right to privacy. The cappucino was just fine. The little heart with the squiggly carved into the frothy milk was super cute. The couches were comfortable. The space decorated cute enough. The art was very blah. Like cheap hotel art (i really hope the artist doesn’t read this because i hate to offend, but just my op-​ed.) My only big problem with this place was that I went feeling a little hungry. They could have sold me on a burrito, or some other savory treat, but there was none to be had. There’s a Tacodeli in the same center, but it closes at 3pm. No booze, which is a let down for me since sometimes i’d rather drink a glass of wine versus a cup of coffee. I don’t always feel this way, i just want the choice.
So my opinion boiled down to a simple sentiment: eh.

Sodade is a nice little coffeehouse located near the tacodeli. This place doesn’t have a lot of character, but is nice, comfortable, and has good wifi.
I can’t say that I frequent coffeehouses, but on this particular day I had a bunch of work to do and wanted to get out of the house. I ordered a chai tea and a lemon square, both were quite tasty.
I vegged on their Ikea couch for a good 4 hours and there were no complaints. The place is very quiet, which makes it good for studying and reading.

Went here to read/​study and was comfortable and quiet. The interior is white and open and feels calming. It’s small (two couches and maybe 4 sets of tables/​chairs) but because of the décor doesn’t feel cramped. also, they had the door wide open, and even in the rain, it was awesome. Not very busy (Saturday afternoon) so we basically had the place to ourselves.
I got a chai lattee which was perfect — I like them creamy and not too spicy. Also had a nibble on a lemon square that was divine. they had fresh-​baked cookies out on the counter I was dying to try but I managed to resist.
Wifi was consistent and fast. The one guy working was friendly enough and didnt seem to mind that we camped out on the couch all day long. Bathroom was clean, lots of parking, and good snacks/​food next door. All in all, a solid place.

When your Americano costs more than one at Starbucks it’s time to reevaluate your menu prices.
Sadly, this was the worst Americano I’ve ever had (Bennu Coffee being the best). It was way too bitter and overpriced. They don’t keep the creamer with the rest of the condiments and I had to ask for it more than a few times. Won’t be returning here.
P. S. What’s up with running out of ice coffee in the middle of the afternoon when it’s the 47^th consecutive triple digit day?

I’m not a huge fan of the modern décor or the low couches, but Sodade does sling a mean cup of coffee. I can only speak for the espresso drinks, which are some of the best in town.
I’m pretty sure Sodade uses the same roaster and beans as Café Medici, and the results are similarly delicious.
The milk in milk-​based drinks has always been well-​steamed with the right temperature and texture. I appreciate the little «Latte Art» leaf on the top, just like at Medici.
Great coffee in North Austin. With Taco Deli next door, Sodade makes a great start to a weekend.

The beverages at Sodade are drive-​across-​town good. We live in SE Austin and I may not want to make the drive every day, but when I feel like treating myself, this is where I would go for a special cup.
If you are a chai drinker, you will especially die for their chai. OMG, I only thought it was good elsewhere. I’ve had to switch to plain ol’ lattes at Starbuck’s because now I know what REAL chai tastes like.
And it’s c-​r-​a-​z-​y good.
Also, some people have made comments about the small tables and I’ve had a completely different experience. I was hesitant to take a visiting client from Dallas here for a presentation because I knew I’d need room to spread out a lot of tile samples (I’m an interior designer). We were fortunate to find a big couch empty with a spacious coffee table and plenty of surrounding seating. Maybe it was a fluke, or maybe Sodade is a little slice of heaven, where all your wishes and dreams are fulfilled.
I’m voting for the latter.
P. S. regarding the slight digs about Ikea furniture, there are also some designer pieces in the space, so cut a little slack. (See
)

Ok, I just had to revisit this review. This is the best coffee I have had in the city, hands down. It’s very rich and strong. And I mean STRONG. (If you’re used to drinking the sweet lattes at Starbucks you might be a little shocked.) All of the flavored drinks are very subtle, so the coffee isn’t overpowered. For sweeter drinks they have Vietnamese iced coffee (made with condensed milk), smoothies, or bubble tea. I’ve had almost all of the different smoothies and bubble teas and all of them have been good.
The décor looks like it’s exclusively from IKEA. It’s not surprising, then, that the majority of the people in here are here to work or read. It’s normally pretty quiet but you also don’t get dirty looks if you’re chatting with someone at a normal volume.
The best thing about this place is the staff. Everyone who works here is extremely friendly and they recognize their regulars. We’re lucky to have such a great local coffee shop in this area.
Bonus: they have frequent buyer cards now!

The quality of the drinks is outstanding, talk about a well-​crafted latte!
What’s keeping this place away from that 5^th star in my book is the all of the seats are uncomfortably close to each other. I can’t help but be eavesdropping and in the middle of other people’s conversations. Even the 2 tables outside are very close to each other.
So if you are just grabbing your drinks to-​go, this is a great place. For reading or trying to carry a conversation with others, the setting just doesn’t feel okay.