Athena L.
Yelp
As a reviewer the components that dictate whether I not I return and my overall rating is consistency. Consistency tells you a lot, so my take on Caphein coffee is that it is drastically overhyped. While, a unique concept to Austin, it is not new to the coffee world. Before jumping in I will like to add that sweetened condensed milk is a very common ingredient in Vietnamese coffee so all drinks have a lot of dairy. If you don't like dairy, it can make all the difference. That said let's discuss.
The Coco Ube: This drink is made with Vietnamese coffee + coconut milk + whole milk + ube cream, which I believe is made with condensed milk as I discussed with the barista. This drink, I swapped for almond milk and asked for light ice. That said, overall it was an okay drink. The ube cream is enticing, but forewarn if you are not much of a milk person, the ube cream is highly concentrated with condensed milk.
Egg Cream coffee: This drink is a Vietnamese coffee + egg foam (commonly made of sweetened condensed milk and egg yolk) + cocoa powder. I ordered this one standard, and it tasted no different than a standard Vietnamese coffee I would order at a Vietnamese restaurant.
Mascarpone Latte: This drink is a Double espresso + whole milk + vanilla syrup + mascarpone cream + it comes with two lady finger cookies. I also ordered this one standard. I do think from the three drinks, this one has been the best one. It is also the only one I would probably come back for, if I come back.
Now all that said, what I don't like is that you cannot modify ice content. One time I went, they let me do light ice (please see screenshot of receipt), second trip they offered no ice, third trip they said they don't do changes in ice so drinks taste the same. Do you see the lack of consistency? My problem is I like my coffee to be iced, but I always prefer light ice because heavy ice, in my opinion, can negatively impact the taste of coffee, and I think thats the case here. (If you do not believe my opinion, from the perspective of heat transfer and science this is actually true since it can cause coffee to become flat.)
In regard to ambiance, it's definitely not study friendly nor does it have much else to offer. It's a walk in, walk out, kind of place.
All that said, I have rated this place as a 3 because I think the most worthwhile drink is the Mascarpone, but only for a first time try. Besides that, I personally would rather support local businesses with an excellent customer service team, which full disclosure I feel Caphein does not offer.