Merit Coffee Co.

A really great place. Friendly staff, delicious and unique drinks, and a fantastic place to sit down and get some work done on your computer. I have had some of the greatest coffee drinks ever here. Their cereal milk cold brew (pictured) is absolutely amazing and I've been wracking my head trying to recreate it! And just their regular cold brew by itself is so good. Also, their strawberry matcha is the greatest I've ever had. It was such a hit at the time, they decided to add it to the menu permanently! They have a great rotation of seasonal drinks that are always one-of-a-kind. The staff is really friendly too, and I've had some great conversations with them about coffee! Definitely come by and grab something with your friends or get some work done!

Matcha is little blend. They can increase the concentration about 3x. Moon pie cold foam was good. It's little pricey in general. The coffee has little bit of sour taste which matches with the chocolate flavor really well. I personally liked it

Excellent coffee. I came here on a recommendation from a local. I got a vanilla late half sweet, and a breakfast taco from "Tacodeli". The roast has a lovely caramel smoothness to it, I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Austin.

The iced caramel latte was PERFECT. My new favorite coffee shop in Austin! This location is chiller than the Seaholm location but still pretty busy.

Such an adorable place! Super aesthetic, great for teleworking, hanging out, studying! I got a croissant and a vanilla latte. The art work is quality 🤍✨ Highly recommend this place!

Good coffee. Nothing special, but it's good. I got a basic cappuccino. Service was prompt. Seating could be more comfortable; unlike most other coffee shops, this isn't a place I would want to sit around at for an extended period of time.

I had a fantastic experience at this Merit coffee shop! The coffee was rich and flavorful, the staff was incredibly friendly, and the cozy ambiance made it the perfect spot for a relaxing morning. I'll definitely be coming back for more. I highly recommend their pour-over. Five stars!

This coffeehouse has a super chill vibe to it. The employees are focused & warm. The Macha tea is good. It's got a cute current Austin vibe, & it's not pretentious.

Merit Coffee has a great work environment. It is packed with people working on their laptops. There are outlets, good wifi, and a nice ambience. The parking lot is tight with super small spaces at this Triangle location. I got the iced matcha latte with lavender syrup, which I really liked. I have heard that their matcha lattes are excellent here, so I definitely recommend checking it out.

Super cute coffee shop! The interior designers did a great job at making a very nicely designed space. Merit is integrated right at the corner of the triangle so there is plenty of parking and even a garage down the road. Although the parking right outside the shop is some of the tiniest parking spots I've ever seen. I came around 1pm on a Friday which inside was bustling. Lots of studying and working. That being said there wasn't a whole lot of availability in terms of seating. We were able to snag a bench along the wall with these reeeally tiny tables which are fine for a cup of coffee, but not for a 10 pound engineering laptop, but not the end of the world. Whoever was running AUX was doing an amazing job. I didn't even bother putting in headphones because the throwbacks were lit. I ordered a hot decaf latte and the taste was really good! The service was also quick despite a full house of patrons and the servers were super nice. Will definitely come back!

Traditionally I would go with a basic latte but I saw something different and wanted to give it a try. It had fruity pebbles and some milk. It was good and worth trying if you liked fruity pebbles growing up. The place was packed but plenty of seats and has wifi which we saw a lot of people doing. Service was quick and fast, plenty of baked goods and tacos from taco deli but wasn't hungry. Seemed liked the place to go after workouts as many were there in their yoga attire. Will go back .

This was my first time at Merit Coffee, and smart on their part to be an integral part of the Triangle. I came by in the middle of the day, after having breakfast at home (but not coffee lol), and saw it was bustling. Noticed a lot of younger faces and I assume they were UT kids coming in for coffee and weekend studying. I got a simple oat milk latte with vanilla flavoring, and it was sweet enough for me. It did feel like a lot though, and I was unable to finish the whole cup (probabaly because of my full breakfast a few hours before). There is plenty of seating inside and lots of merch for sale. Their cappuccino is offered in a smaller 8oz size and definitely tastes like it was made in Italy (i.e. needs lots of sugar to sweeten it up ;) ).

I recently moved back to Austin, so I've been on a mission to find my favorite cup of coffee. Merit was tucked away in a cute plaza, lots of parking & was fairly full for a Friday morning. They have a bunch of early morning options, even vegan, & everything seemed fresh & tasty. I ordered my usual, iced latte with hazelnut added. (this place gets extra points for having hazelnut). Also, was able to try their breakfast tacos that are made by TacoDeli nearby, (double whammy since I wanted to try TacoDeli too). I got a papas, egg and cheese taco. The barista was very nice and had super cute tattoos that I complimented her on, I love little interactions like that in my morning errands. I learned you might need to get here early if you want to study/wfh, and this was also a local place to take your friends for a morning cup. Vibes were great. My coffee was sweet! delicious! Even chocolatey notes! My taco was super cheesy when opening the wrap, and tasted sooooo fresh. The eggs were cooked perfectly and seasoned well with the entire taco. I ate the whole thing in seconds with their yummy verde sauce. If you need an easy run-in to pick up coffee before work, or bring a date in the morning for some caffeinated convos, this is a multifaceted coffee shop all over the city. I've tried a lot of coffee around the city, but this one stands in my top three!

Thank you to the kind barista who remade my coffee. Service & coffee are equally excellent.

I LOVE MERIT! By far MY FAVORITE coffee shop in Austin. I can only speak for the Merit in the Triangle but I feel like it would be very consistent all throughout. Merit is located in the Triangle by Natural Grocers. The parking situation can get a little tricky since there is not a lot of parking but so many stores. Their coffee shop is a little smaller so it can get pretty packed. There are limited tables and ports. But, they do have outdoor seating and a long couch to sit on without a table. But, every time I come I get lucky and get a table. I have had their latte maybe once from all the times I have been and I remember it being really delicious. I got a latte with whole milk and caramel syrup. But their TRUE show-stopper is their matcha. I have never had more delicious matcha IN MY LIFE. Their strawberry matcha in particular is my favorite. Everyone must try it at least once. IT WAS SO GOOD. Every time I get the same thing and it always hits the spot.

I first re-discovered merit on one of my days off, it was cold and I wanted a hot chocolate and I just popped in. I live nearby and shop at Natural Grocers The place was packed. I asked if they could make the hot chocolate dairy free and to my delight they said yes! So I got it with oat milk. A few minutes later it was hot and ready. I went outside since there were no tables inside but didn't mind since I had a cup of warm deliciousness. I came back a few weeks later and got a s'mores latte and it was very good as well, it had a spice that I couldn't quite put my tongue on. The drinks are delicious, service friendly and vibes on point. Parking and space is tight though.

This shop was located at the corner of the plaza which I almost missed and angrily went in to Natural Grocers to get coffee. Glad I saw it. We ordered their specials which was a Fall drink that resembled pumpkin spice with notes of maple and a nice, subtle peppermint mocha. The lattes were perfect temperatures and was the perfect balance of sweet and creamy. Must come back soon! So good!

Ugh, great coffee and great service! I ordered an Iced Vanilla Cappuccino. I was worried that ordering a latte would be too much milk, so the barista accommodated and said he could make a cappuccino iced for me instead. Super thankful he did - the coffee had a strong espresso flavor with just the right amount of vanilla and milk. The place is brightly lit too. It's a good spot for a quick study session if you want to get out of your house.

This location is great but it can get busy on the weekends. I came on a Saturday morning to change up my study environment. Little did I know, all of the tables were taken inside and the line for coffee reached the door! I ended up staying in line and found a table once a couple decided to leave. The overall coffee shop is well lit, and very nice if you're able to get a table. I ordered the Golden Mylk Latte with almond milk and it was delicious! You get a great spice from the turmeric and ginger and a comforting feeling from the milk. There's also a parking lot outside, but know it can get pretty packed on weekends. Overall, a good spot to get coffee and work, but try to avoid the weekend morning rush!

Such a cute coffee shop situated in the corner of this shopping plaza. I've always loved Merit Coffee since first being introduced to their coffee in San Antonio when operated under Local Coffee. This shop has plenty of seating and they're open till a fairly late hour for those of us who have creative outbursts later in the day. They offer food here so you can get some grub in your tummy. I'm a big fan of their cold brews and highly recommend it. This shop has plenty of natural lighting and is bright inside. Perfect to motivate you for a productive work day or to simply catch up with friends.

Stopped in for a quick coffee while in the area. The Vanilla Latte was Ah-mazing! Best latte I've had in a while. I've even found myself craving it since my visit. The employees were also working hard and super kind. I didn't even wait 5 minutes from ordering to receiving my drink.

A long line isn't always indicative that the goods will be good...but the wait was worth it! Merit Coffee is clearly a popular spot that locals love to begin their day with. The aesthetic is cute and there's plenty of seating as well. My lavender latte was delicious though a bit small for the price.

The latte here had a stale taste of milk, I asked for a refresher cup and it still tasted the same. Not one of my fav coffee shops in Austin unfortunately

Plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. Great tasting coffee, friendly and quick service. There are many power strips all over the place so it is easy to get into work / study mode. The indoors are very nice, modern and stylish and does not feel crowded at all.

I love my coffee, I love the people that work there, I love running into my friends like I did today. I will say - sometimes it is hard to find a place to sit and work but the pro side is someone is always willing to share a table and make a friend... so cheers.

Stopped into Merit coffee yesterday. If you're really enjoying one of their holiday blend that I had ordered a bag of online, I wanted to stop in a brick and mortar. I was hoping to try the Mexican vanilla latte, but there was no Mexican vanilla. So I settled on a vanilla latte. I don't normally order flavored or sweetened drinks, but it was pretty darn good. The barista was very friendly, and the space is very inviting. There are several places to sit inside and several outside. It looks like a great workspace. If I ever get used to going out in the world and being around humans after Covid I'll go there and work for a few hours. And I'll definitely return for more of the tasty coffee. Love that this place is from San Antonio!

Came to try this place out after hearing so many good things about it. Someone told me it was their favorite place for buying coffee beans so I figured ordering some coffee would do me just as well. I got my usual: an Iced vanilla oat latte and it was so good! My sister also got the same thing but in a matcha latte and she said she liked hers as well. I also really like the vibe and atmosphere of the coffeeshop. We came here during the weekend so it was a little hard to find parking but other than that, everything was great!

No matter which location you go to you are guaranteed to have a very consistent coffee. The baristas were super nice as always and the coffee was perfectly dialed in,

~ what I got ~ honey lavender latte ~ thoughts ~ first time visiting merit coffee! ample of outdoor and indoor seating with enough outlets to charge your electronic devices! perfect location to get work done!

It's an okay place. Came here mainly for work so I didn't care much as long as they have outlets + reliable wifi + a place to sit and I'm golden. It's pretty packed on a weekday afternoon, packed like you probably can't find spacious seating with a table but might have to place your bottom on a random chair and utilize a tiny table/chair thing as your drink holder. I ordered a matcha latte which was just okay, 6/10 nothing spectacular. It is really meh but I like the atmosphere, most people are working or studying so I am motivated to do my work too. If you don't plan to work, I wouldn't recommend coming here though.

Great lattes, especially cold brew (they have two flavors). Desks are a bit tiny, I've had glasses fall off and break a couple of times. Pastries are excellent.

cute coffee spot with great lighting and a lot of seating options! Staff is friendly as well.

I'm a big fan of this place but it was a small gesture that happened today that prompted me to come on review. Overall, the coffee and food are high-quality here. Their bakery treats are flakey and fresh. My favorite is the pop tart. They also offer Mother Culture yogurt here which I highly recommend if you haven't tried it. Overall, I would say food tends to the side of treats as opposed to meals. (Then again, I'm currently enjoying a pb, granola, and jelly sandwich as my lunch). The gesture that brought me to this review was when I asked the barista if they had decaf espresso. In lots of places, I get a little bit of a judgmental look when I ask about decaf. (First off, I'm breastfeeding so I need to watch my caffeine consumption. Second off, there are plenty of people who avoid caffeine as it exacerbates anxiety or some physical health problems. Third off, chill out. Ok, rant over.) When I asked here, though, the kind soul behind the counter smiled widely and said "we sure do!" When I told him about how I usually get some shade over the question, he responded with "As long as you enjoy the drink, we're happy, regardless of how you prefer it." It's something so small but felt really kind and welcoming.

"Especially the espresso" kept ringing in my head, encouraging me to hit that switch and make the trip back in time to El Triangle. Was the trip worth taking? In a word-No. espresso was burned beyond recognition. I gagged and was forced to sip down the bubbley water so conveniently addressing what was the worst bit of bitterness I've woken to since stripping myself away from Starbucks. dare I say, with puns intended, this spot deserves the demerit. Steer clear if you're within 3.33 miles of any other hot drink caffe. I was the only one in there at 7:15 on a Saturday morning and the twin baristas seemed a bit overwhelmed Curious indeed. Ambience can and often is faked. I wanted vibe got nothing. Not even a twinge or a twinkling of a vibe. Tell me more and leave me a reason to try this again.

Wonderful cafe with super friendly staff and a ton of modifiable drink options for vegans! My favorite drink has always been their matcha latte, so I didn't hesitate to order their strawberry matcha when I saw it under their special menu. Overall, the establishment is super clean and cute. With plenty of electrical outlets and stable Wi-Fi, I'd say it's one of the best places to study only if you can find a seat!

Not only has the tea always been a disappointment the baristas aren't any better. Always have an attitude and think they know what's best for you. Never have I written this bad a review but consistently had a bad experience and specifically at this location that is close to my apartment. Regret spending my money every single time. Employees could learn a lot about Customer service and making their patrons happy & comfortable. Never trying to make this place work again. This location has tainted all the others for me. Lastly, I really think in 2022 people should understand names in Spanish and not treat People of Color in specific ways. Haven't we learned from the racial reckonings of 2020, we should figure out ways to make Latinx/o people feel welcome, especially in a state like Texas

One of the best matcha lattes I've ever had! Such a pleasant atmosphere with plenty of space.

Good coffee!!! Nice and strong and dark, like how I like my men. Staff was nice and place was super cute!

Normally come here for the matcha green tea latte or chai latte. Sometimes, I'll get the espresso which comes with a tiny glass of water. They also have macaroons and a few types of pastries if you want something sweet. The matcha green tea latte is a pretty good matcha. In the past, they would a matcha whisk to create the match paste but recently they have this paste pre-mixed into a concentrate which is just as good. The chai is definitly one the better ones in the area. yes there's a food tr All their drinks are great and made with care. Service is always friendly. This is not a fast-food-type coffee place, so expect a little wait. They are also really busy on the weekends.

So good! And the baristas really know their stuff. They're always helpful and quick. So delicious.

Merit still is a lovely cafe with great coffee. The vibe is modern, but every time I go, the vibe is like a college reading room - no one is here to talk. Capacity has been reduced for COVID and the seating is clearly marked out. Most of the spaces are for 1-2 around a small table. I thought the music was a little loud (at least for my visit) - even through my noise cancelling headphones I could still hear the music pretty clearly. I didn't want to bother the staff about it, so I just cranked up my own tunes. They're encouraging customers to cap visits to 1 hour, so please be mindful if choosing your next study spot!

I found Merit while visiting Austin and looking for good coffee. Was so impressed I came back a second time before going home. They roast their own coffee, which I always enjoy. I ordered espressos and drip coffee and thought both were really good. My favorite part was the outdoor seating area. They have good tree coverage and lots of seating available. I had a book with me and just sat and enjoyed the day. Will definitely return on my next visit.

Really cute coffee shop aesthetic!! This shop definitely screams Austin :)) Great place to study, tons of outlets and reliably fast wifi, pretty covid cautious, and really good coffee, what more could you want. I got the chai tea latte. It was pretty good, definitely jolted me awake to actually study. Only downside I would say is that the price. Definitely not an everyday kind of thing for college students.

This moved up the list to among the top of my coffee shops in Austin. Love the decor, love the coffee and love the space to work in or to read. The bright and modern vibes definitely uplift your spirit after a year in covid. Anyways, they got a lot of good coffee and have pour overs that rotate (and served in the brewing carafe!). I really was digging the latte with some mexican vanilla - probably among the best lattes I've enjoyed in Austin. Definitely need to ask them what flavor of coffee they use for their espresso. I've also bought a bag of coffee to take home and the lucem is exactly as described: chocolately but also has the almond taste that is very pronounced, which I find rare in coffee. So probably most of the descriptions are what actually accurate compared to other shops. Can't confirm for sure, but definitely want to find out!

Merit Coffee has some tasty coffee. It's roasted to perfection and has a very nice atmosphere. It's a great meet up place and a good location for work/school work. It has outlets for charging devices and is spacious enough to enjoy the flavorful coffee and pastries.

Nice atmosphere, decent parking. Coffee smells delicious. I made the mistake of trying the pina colada latte . But I would go back and get my usual next time, I'm sure it'd be much better!

Yeah, um, NO. This place sucks big time. We came here last weekend morning and here's the scene: a line snaking around by the register, maybe ten people deep or so. There is ONE person making the coffees and she's chatting up the security guard who was clearly in there to flirt with--viz, distract--her the whole time (and still had not left by the time that we left, 30 minutes later) and ONE person at the register who is also in charge of fetching food and cold drinks. But, then, what we can only presume was the manager ("manager"), who looks like he just got from a tough night at the Phish concert, waltzes in. And what does this feller do when he sees the line of customers waiting, clearly annoyed at the lack of service and the glacial pace of things? Does he immediately take charge, jump in, and help the situation?? Mais non, dear readers! He starts chatting up and goofing around with the front register barista, and then disappears into the back, only to reemerge once the rush has all been helped and disposed. When we sat down, the table was dirty and the cushions had stains all over them. Wow, we know that service has gone down in recent years, but this scene was really NEXT LEVEL. The drinks here are fine--iced coffee and latte, no complaints. The food, all of it, is beyond nasty. The plain croissant tasted like cardboard and had the consistency of air. The blueberry lemon muffin stumbled off an Aramark van last week. The almond croissant was at least edible, and our kiddo's sprinkled donut was the only thing that we would even put in the category of "OK." It always seemed like there was a reason that we had never come here even though we live a mile away and our repellent instincts were right: what a sorry excuse for a coffeeshop.

One of my favorite coffee shops in Austin! Love the vibe of the coffee shop and they make amazing oat milk lattes!

Great hours with very good coffee. Leaps above your average quick coffee shop. A little too popular at times. The lines get long occasionally. But for good reason.

Hello new favorite oat milk latte *heart eyes*. I came here on a Friday afternoon for a quick pick me up. I order oat milk lattes everywhere as a good baseline to compare different coffee shops across Austin. This is definitely my new favorite! Excited to come back and work from here, it looked like they had a lot of space and outlets for working.

They make an excellent, truly excellent cappuccino. Austin is a serious coffee city and this is a qualified contender.

The coffee is quite good, but the seating situation is appallingly bad. They have several 3- or 4-person tables that always have one person sitting at them, who stay anchored there for hours on end. If you aren't lucky or early enough to snag one of those, you are left sitting on a wobbly shared bench with no table to put your drink on, or an outside table with high-decibel road noise and pollution. This is all in sharp contrast to the South Lamar Merit which has about twelve of the 2-person tables inside.

I dropped in to get some work done yesterday and had a great experience! The interior was very bright and modern -- I love the fresh minimalistic vibes. There was plenty of seating well spaced apart and I managed to get a nice table in the back. I do with that there were outlets though! I had an iced mexican vanilla latte with oatmilk and it was delicious -- not too sweet, with a nice bold flavor. I'll definitely be back to try the other drinks and enjoy the beautiful space!

Iced vanilla latte with oat milk is the basic go-to here for me and it's great. Everything else... not so much. I ordered an iced matcha with oat milk and a peanut butter bar. Felt as if the matcha was made in a rush, and the bar wasn't anything extraordinary. As this location is close to UT, don't expect an open table when you walk inside unless you're lucky. I enjoy the ample amount of outlets which is rare at any coffee shop. If you decide to come, go during the week.

The best lavender latte ever. Super kind staff and great service highly recommend. Plenty of parking and it's in easy to find location. Always excited to find new little cafes I haven't seen before in my neighborhood.

TLDR: really great coffee in a cool area Grabbed an iced latte here last weekend, and was really impressed. The coffee itself was really good, some of the best I've had in Austin. The only real complaint is that the wait for the coffee was a bit long, but the wait itself was well worth it for what I got. Overall, 4.5/5

They have finally added some decent tiny tables usable by one person with a laptop. However there are still no medium sized tables like you see at the South Lamar location.

Amazing coffee! Merit coffee is one of those GREAT coffee shops in many ways! Lovely interior with a little gift shop area and coffee beans. A good menu of different food items like pastries & breakfast tacos from TacoDeli. You can tell they hire quality baristas by watching their technique. I ordered a cappuccino and it was probably the best one I've had in awhile! Totally recommend!