MLK

I was looking for a specific mead (Viking Blod) and they had it. The guy at the cash register didn't seem to understand English very well and was marginally helpful. But at least he asked me to write it down and called a guy who pointed him in the right direction. While waiting, I browsed the store and noticed they have a vast selection of beer and wine. Eventually, the cashier was able to find the 4 bottles I wanted. All is well in the world.

Beer, here? YES! How on earth have I been driving by this store for 4 years and never once stopped?! Living on the east side of Austin, it's a crapshoot in our area for good beer, but the MLK Food Store has it!!! We first decided to stop in because we were looking for a specific beer from Oregon and the brewery website called out MLK Food Store, and we've been loyal ever since! Yes, it's small inside, but they have an AMAZING, ever-changing selection of unique craft beer. They do have a small selection in the very back of other domestics as well, and a fairly decent selection of wine too! The staff is always so friendly, and is happy to help you, and chat with you! They also have some great snack choices! You really need to give this place a try, and don't let the outside exterior fool you!

You come here for beer. You can tell because that's about 98% of what's available here. Maybe a lighter, 5 Hour Energy, or a fidget spinner at the counter (remember those?) You have to appreciate a local Austin business that is able to remain sustainable in a gentrified sector of East Austin and it's able to do so by selling great craft beer with a smile, especially rare bottles and cans that are quite hard to come by. They've got a tough racket being that Twin Liquors and a Total Wine are within a 2-mile radius of them. But you're paying for the convenience and supporting a local business. Sure, maybe it's not the cheapest option around but I'd rather keep their lights on over a big box store.

This small convenience store does its job in providing quick items such as milk, bread, beer. However, the 2nd or 3rd visit in (I live next door so I was hoping to love this business), I bought stamps. The owner insisted that the USPS Forever stamps he was selling me were 75 cents/stamp (this is absolutely inflated). When he tried to charge me $15.00 for a single booklet, I called him out. He refused to budge and was adamant that "this is the market price for these stamps." I will not be going back to support a store that relies on upcharging it's customers to make an extra buck or two.

Excellent beer selection, super friendly owner. This shop is awesome!! Basically they have way fancier beer selection than you would think looking at the outside. They have tons and tons of beer everywhere. All sorts of different kinds. And they are right on the bus stop which is super convenient. And they sometimes do tastings from wineries and breweries!

One of the best beer stores in Austin for tough to finds. Some of the beers can get dusty, so watch out for expiration dates, but the new stuff in the fridge and the high abv bombers which are better aged are always a good buy here. Beer is the name of the game here and prices are fair considering the selection. Not so many singles, and I don't think you can break off from 6 packs, but other than that a great find in a random area on MLK. Cigarettes, lottery and some drinks and food, but nothing too perishable - think chips and soda at most. Definitely gonna be my new first stop and goto when I need to refill my fridge.

They have a huge and cool selection of beer here and the sour gummy candy I prefer to pair it with :) The staff is always super nice. I'm really happy to have this place nearby. It's so convenient, unpretentious, and well curated.

First, the map shows the wrong location. MLK Store is at the corner of Clifford Ave. and MLK. You can't miss it! It is covered in signs saying "Milk, Bread, Soda, Ice, Lone Star". Also you can get malt liquor, lottos, and wire money to your friends and family. Now, if you are thinking this store is below your taste is beverages, think again! They even have a few microbrews and organic beers. The people working there are nice and don't judge me for being white on the East Side. The have a BIG jar of pickles on the counter and they told me that it only takes 2 weeks to sell all of them (they empty the old pickle juice if you were wondering - we asked).

Looks can be deceiving. Great selection craft beer, wine, and stuff you forgot at the grocery store.

Don't let the exterior fool you -- this is one of the best craft beer stores in Austin. They make a point to have the latest releases, especially from local breweries, as soon as possible. Hops and Grain had a special limited release last month, and the MLK food store had it stocked pretty much next day. And everyone there is very nice and helpful. Definitely recommend!

One of the best places in Austin, perhaps In all of Texas to afford rare, exclusive craft beers at prices most can't refuse. Their selection is abundant and the staff are friendly and knowledgable about every kind of beer, cider, and/or wine in the store. If you're looking for the most latest and most sought out alcoholic beverage, you got to check out MLK Food Store. Guaranteed to go back. -Jonathan Garcia

Fantastic beer store that's been under my nose this whole time... Rushed over to purchased a 4-pack of KBS for $19.99. Very cheap and reasonable price point for an otherwise rare and highly sought after beer. Other places on the east side (not to name any names...) were charging ONE bottle of KBS for $10. Ridiculous. Very friendly folks, and from quick glance, their beer selection is quite impressive for a smaller store front. They recently got into the Twitter game to post their latest offerings. Will be back because 1) they got the good stuff and 2) they're not trying to rip you off.

My fav beer store in Austin! Also, the only good one on the east side. The owner/ordering person looooves beer & gets pretty excited ab new releases. Their instagram is good to follow if you like to grab special releases from craft breweries. Gets all the fun seasonals from local breweries (as well as out of state stuff). Lots of cider options, too.

Looking for Lone Pint's Yellow Rose? Check these guys first! Few places get the highly sought-after Mosiac IPA but these guys seem to get it regularly, you just have to ask for it because most of the time they keep it behind the bar. Last time I went they were only selling 1 per customer but that's understandable. Not into Yellow Rose? MLK Food Store has a wide variety of other craftbeers as well. You'll find something you like! Living in the Kyle/Buda area, I don't make it out this way often but if I'm on the hunt for the latest craft flavors, they're definitely on my list of beer places.

This place is phenomenal! I think it gets five stars specifically because it has an incredible beer selection that is not picked over. Many of the other great places in town seem to have a more religious following that will line up for releases, and snag up all the good stuff immediately. At MLK Food Store, there are always so many interesting bombers and six packs that you can either spend way too much money to try everything, or a super long time making a reasonal selection of a couple of beers. About $$, it does seem to be reasonably priced here - more expensive than a grocery store for comparable six packs, but not as outlandishly priced as other specialty food/beer places.

It took me a while to realize that "food store" means "beer store." Once you've got that figured out, then MLK won't disappoint.

My favorite neighborhood bodega. Anything you want... They will bring it in. Just ask!

Not what you would expect when you look outside and see bars on the windows and a very old looking sign. It is an alcoholics dream when you walk in and see single cans of beer sitting in an ice cold chest, any brand of cigarette and all the lottery/scratch off tickets you could ever want. However if you look behind the buy-a-can, you will find they have an awesome selection of beers and wines. They carry some up-to-date, hard to find brands and a few good ciders-HOORAY for cider lovers. It is sort of a mini Specs, so it would be a great place to stop when you're going over to a friends house and you would like to bring them something different or nice to drink. And for those who live close by it is a great place to stop and pick up a few things that you might have forgotten at the grocery store like milk, bread, or even sandwiches. As usual I am taking away one star because of accessibility. There is a concrete made ramp to get in, not great but it is there, however; the old-school door is superheavy for those of us who need assistance getting through the door. Getting around the aisles is doable as any mini mart would be. Otherwise I would give this place five stars for what it is. Don't judge this book by its cover, go in - you might be surprised!

Very unassuming looking spot and a tad out of the way, but a great beer selection and they carry some of the harder to find stuff which is a plus for craft beer lovers. When I stopped in to pick up a couple bottles the other week, The owner thanked me generously for visiting and said they were making efforts to carry even more great beers. Very friendly people which is great to see and I'm happy to support them whenever possible. It doesn't hurt that their prices were some of the most reasonable anywhere in town for the stuff that I bought that day too.

Great beer/wine selection. However, the owner fancies himself some sort of sommelier and always barrages me with recommendations even though he knows I'm a simple Lone Star kinda guy. Also, the ice trough with all the single beers needs to be cleaned!!! Stopped buying singles cause they're always slimy and moldy.

Great craft beer selection for such a nice little store. They do have natty light and four loco if that's your preference, but I saw a hard to find 120 min Dogfishhead amongst other exciting choices!

The beer selection is amazing here. The area is a little sketchy so I recommend going in daytime but it's worth it. I'm from Seattle and love craft beer. I was very impressed by the selection here. I do wish they had it organized better but it's worth searching. I'll stop here anytime I'm in Austin.

Total hole in the wall, but wow what a great selection! Stopped by here on my way home one evening; yes, they sell food, but mostly just go for the beer. Great prices, huge selection. Plenty of delicious stouts, IPA's, you name it.

MLK Food store is right down the street from where I live and is a great spot, mostly for their selection of craft beer that is constantly being updated. I especially like that they have a facebook group where they will post when they have new or limited edition beers available. Their food selection is a little lackluster as far as convenience stores go but it is to be expected given that their focus seems to be on their beer and wine sales. Their wines are marked up only just slightly from what you would find at a supermarket or wine store so it's really worth it for the convenience!

Exterior of the store is quite deceiving. Extraordinary beer selection with a very knowledgeable owner. We're staying several blocks away and are so glad we tripped over this place.

Really amazing selection of imported and domestic beer, and they just expanded their selection about a month ago. Completely unassuming, but seriously probably one of the best places in town to buy beer. Wine selection is okay, but here it's really about the beer.

Owners are so nice. HUGE variety of DELICIOUS beer. I'm serious. It's like beer heaven. It's a little more expensive than if you got the beer from a grocery store, but it's not too bad. Large wine selection too. Don't be fooled by the outside exterior. This place has quality alcohol and the regular convenient store snacks.

Have lived near this store for 3 years and never a problem until last Friday very early afternoon. The store cashier (I believe he's the owner - he's always there) allowed a man to come in and make racial slurs, then he made a bombing threat of a particular culture. The man who walked in proceeded to say that he would bomb the kid [who happens to be my son, 13 yrs old], that was standing at the counter buying chips and a drink. The cashier continued to laugh and smirk about what the man said. My son hurried up and paid for his items, left the store, got home quickly and called me. I did come back to the store to speak with the cashier and his response was "....your kid is my "buddy", he's a good customer. The other guy was just talking, I didn't hear exactly what he said". He wouldn't let me talk at first, until I demanded he let me speak. He seemed very defensive before I could even let him know what my concern was, which to me, seemed like he knew exactly what happened. Let me clear, in saying that I'm not concerned that much with what the man said as far as our culture, but the bomb threat went too far. I was very disappointed that the cashier was basically condoning this behavior and threat in front of a child and made no effort to admit his fault, nor do I feel comfortable that any child who goes to this store will be safe. Very disgusted and disappointed that many kids in our area frequent this store and he probably wouldn't stand up or protect any of the kids if this happened again. **We are not shopping at this store anymore** Miss the older gentleman that cared enough to give my son free fresh fruit when he came in from time to time.......