The Wet Whistle

The vegan sausage taco was delicious and the coffee was really good. Wish they had more parking, though

They are really stepping up their game. I had the most amazing spicy pimento cheese and cucumber Sandwich. They’re offering a special with an iced green tea and chips or chips and salsa for only around a dollar more. In and out in five minutes!

Im giving this place 3 stars because I love the concept and the people working here, however unless you want a beer or kombucha there isnt much else in the store. I went today looking for something to make for dinner and found absolutely nothing, they didnt even have eggs in stock. No veggies or anything that ive seen there before. Perhaps they arent doing so well, I dunno.

For those driving past it on MLK, the place is definitely more of a neighborhood convenience store than a coffee shop or bar. Place is certainly not bad, but from the outside they seem to market themselves more as a coffee shop which confused some of us.
Inside there are 2 – 3 seats at the counter to drink coffee, read, chat w the person working there, but not a place to sit down and do serious work or reading. They have a cooler which has a few wraps and sandwiches for the go and they serve a good cold-​brew coffee.

Love the selection of grab-​and-​go vegan lunch options! At most places, I have to build my own salad or wait for a vegan lunch to be made. But this place has plenty of options from local restaurants/​companies that are ready to go. Vegan mac n cheese, «chick’n» salad, wraps, and greek platters are just some of the options available. Love the selection of beer, wine, and other treats too.

One of the best chai teas in town. Good snackies & beer selection, too. Limited but nice selection of staples from local providers. Friendly folks.

This was exactly what I needed when I ran out of milk. It’s cute and convenient and the guy working there was really nice. It’s a little pricey, but it saved me from having to drive out to the grocery store. The items seem high quality and it would be a great place to grab some beer if I had friends coming over. They focus on beverages, as the name implies. This is a charming neighborhood spot that brings some class to the east side.

Adorable.
Tiny space. Filled with all things good. Delicious beer, local treats, quick meals that are just splendid for all those grab-​n-​go moments.
They host cool things. Live music. Flea Markets.
They give free coffee before noon if you spend more than $ 5.
It should be five stars, I want to give it five stars.
But…
You pay for all the cuteness.
The same goods here and a solid bit cheaper at many other local establishments.
So while I dearly want to give this quaint hipster epicenter 5 stars, my wallet is insisting I only give four.

In an area where good beer and great food is scarce I commend the Wet Whistle for being the first. I live a bit further East and I wish I had something like this in my neighborhood. I love looking over the local produce and beer selection and getting some Counter Culture Mac n Cheeze. The help is always friendly and there’s always parking.

Great local food & drink selection & nice, friendly people working here! Also there’s a craft fair/​market day here on Sundays where local vendors set up & you can shop for handmade or vintage stuff :)

Great vegan/​vegetarian options here. The guys behind the counter have always been pleasant and helpful. It’s not a big grocery store like Central Market but it’s got good basics. It’s not cheap but not the most expensive either. I’m glad it’s in the neighbor and enjoy supporting it!

More of a corner bottle store than a grocery store. Regardless, it’s cute and it serves a purpose.

We live a couple blocks from here and we are so thrilled to have a place like this in our hood. Yes, the place is small but they have done an amazing job with the footprint. And the décor is creative and includes upcycled fixtures from now-​defunct Austin venues. Great beer selection and some good local foods– baked goods, sandwiches, hummus and more.
For the folks complaining that it isn’t a true «grocery»: get a clue. It’s not HEB. It is a throwback to the old neighborhood corner stores and it is more like a convenience store but with GOOD items instead of the junk food and budweiser. Will I do all my grocery shopping there? No. But I like that I can walk up the street and get some good beer or wine or prepared food. And the owners are friendly and like to engage with the customers which is also a welcome change from your standard grocery or convenience store. It’s a neighborhood business and as neighbors we are very happy they are here.

On the corner of MLK and Chicon, leading into the gateway of what people know as «deep East Austin», there is now a convenience store that rivals many of the other Austin stop-and-go’s, though on a smaller scale. The Wet Whistle is tiny, but they are packing a punch in a pure bang-​for-​buck fashion.
The alcohol selection is limited, but not bad. They had a Riesling that I very much enjoyed at a fine restaurant a while back. In the beer closet, you will find some truly local brews, including the new Rogness. That is the last product placement I will make in this review.
Also in the colder parts of the Whistle (cool way to abbreviate the local grocer – «The Whistle») are extremely local convenience foods. My hope is that this joint is making profit, selling so many various goods from all around town. Offerings include empanadas, sweets, sandwiches, breads, and even curries. For exact brands, drop on in. See what I did there to attract you?
Nothing is more gentrified than a local grocer, offering local goods, in your local neighborhood in the «hood.» For now, these folks are bringing quality to the rougher parts of town, and for this I commend The Wet Whistle. Godspeed, and may they make it big!

It’s a gift to the up and coming east Austin neighborhood wrapped neatly in a bright shiny bow and plunked down on the corner of MLK and Chicon.
I found a friendly young man behind the large counter who was eager to tell me about the gluten free options and lovely soups by Flint of Austin Soups. He did not need to mention the beer because, whooaaah, there’s beer here people. Lots of it and many good varieties. Hubby would approve.

I’m a bit surprised that the reviews here have been so positive. Two stars does seem harsh, but I’m going with the descriptions offered by Unilocal,and I can’t quite say that this place is «A-​OK.»
Because the Wet Whistle calls itself a «grocery», I was expecting a lot more than I got. The interior is incredibly small, dark, and cluttered. The counter was huge, but there was absolutely no space on it that wasn’t taken up by, well. .. stuff. Most of it wasn’t stuff you could buy, either. It was books, cups, plants, even some pickles that, when we asked, the cashier told us had been a gift to her from a friend and weren’t for sale. One guy was wedged up to the counter with a coffee, but there wasn’t room for anyone else. On the front of the counter was a wire basket of baguettes, which we quickly realized were just for decoration, despite being 100% real bread. There was also a shopping cart in here, blocking the beer coolers. I cannot imagine anyone needing a basket here, much less a cart.
The grab-​and-​go food selection was nice, with local wraps, hummus, etc., but the packaged foods section was very small and very weird. It seemed like a random smattering of ingredients without much thought behind what people might actually seek out in this type of corner store. The beer selection was also good, but the prices are high. We paid about $ 11 for a six-​pack that HEB sells for $ 8.99.
My biggest complaints are the cluttered feel and the limited selection. It looked like they could have cleared a lot more space for inventory, which might also have kept the interior from feeling so squirrely and cave-​like. I was expecting something like a bright, open little café, which would work a lot better here.

We stopped by for a quick drink and I was won over by the fact they had coco café (
), my new obsession.
They have snacks as well as beverages; it’s a bit random but that’s part of the fun. Homemade iced tea, gluten free goodies, vegan crap, fresh vegetables, local coffee, beer, etc. I suspect you never know what you are going to get and that’s part of the charm. You wouldn’t go here just to get eggs for example, but because you were feeling thirsty or snacky and wanted something interesting.
Try it. You like.

Great beer selection, some local produce, coffee, bread, Yellow Jacket Social Club sandwiches, and plenty of good vibes make this my favorite new addition to my neighborhood.
The people working are quite friendly, there’s always a killer record on, and Scrabble tiles scattered across the counter.
It’s small, and not a grocery store by any means, but it’s great for that quick trip to pick up a sixer or a quick bite if you’re in the neighborhood.

I watched the progress on this place for months and I have to say I’m disappointed with the outcome. The neighborhood could really use a quality convenience store. But The Wet Whistle tries to be too many things at once and as a result just comes off awkward. The counter is way too big thusly killing a lot of space in an already small space. It has a bleak smattering of cool sundries and beer. If it becomes more focused and shifts from trying to be a place where people hangout it could be really great. Also, the name… The Wet Whistle? Wet Your Whistle is one thing but The Wet Whistle just sounds kinda gross.

Hmm let’s see.
Gluten free foods, vegan foods, local fresh veggies, local hummus, wine, beer, and bicycle tubes.
What’s missing? Nothing, It’s dip in and out nook for folks on the go. Hipsters, ‘of age’ students, and neighborhood alum are all welcome.
We just happened to be there while Red Rabbit had sample going on and my goodness the vegan sweets are still calling me.
Jenn had just made super cold frescas with fresh basil. We were quite impressed.
i’ll be stopping in quite a bit and I don’t even drink.
wheeeeeee!