Russell's Bakery & Coffee @ Hancock

My family and I had a great experience at Russell's on Hancock. We went around 11:30 am on a Saturday for brunch. We were able to find a park, although the lot is small. Everything from the bakery looked fantastic, but my girlfriend and I settled on splitting a cinnamon roll and a BLT. Both were a 10/10. We also ordered a cold brew and an iced vanilla latte. This place was excellent, and I've already been back again since my first visit. I would definitely recommend it. The staff there are also very friendly.

Good all over place to meet, work alone, bring kids. It's got the old Central Market vibe. Just a nice place to show up at wth some outside seating and magnificent cinnamon rolls and tomato soup. Everything else is wonderful. I just come for my two personal favorites. Instant happiness.

Yum! I stopped in this morning to pick up breakfast for our office. Both the sweet & savory croissants, muffins & danish are absolutely delish! Super friendly, efficient service today too. Highly recommend!

Ideal place for quiet conversation, studying or working. Nice selection of baked goods and self serve coffee always ready. I enjoyed the variety of big tables as well as the small tables. The pastry I had was not as fresh and tender as I’d hoped. Got the feeling it was not made there plus it had a gooey resin I was not comfortable with.

I love Russell's. Every pastry I have tried here has been delicious! Lots of seating and nearby parking. My only complaint is the lack of outlets, so be sure your laptop is charged up if you want to work here!

Friendly and attentive staff and great coffee. I had an Oreo frappe with a couple shots of espresso added to it. It was delightful.

I can’t speak to any of the other locations as this is the one I frequent, but this one rocks. The staff are always kind and easy going and they get my order correct every time. I’ve had multiple food items and all are pretty killer. This place offers very reasonable prices for excellent quality. I know it’s going to be a better day if I get to stop by here in the mornings or at lunch. Thanks y’all!

What an adorable little bakery! They absolutely love military service members too! I went it just to grab a sandwich and salad and was honored to have been thanked repeatedly and given a discount. I went in on a different day and was surprised with a paid off tab by a kind and sweet silent military supporter. I absolutely love this bakery!! Their baked goods and treats are the best and their coffee is so smooth!! I ordered a tuna salad on wheat with a house salad with their homemade pesto vinaigrette!!!! If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. The sandwiches come fully loaded with a lot of toppings, plenty of tuna and a hearty serving of salad. They aren’t stingy with the veggies either! They keep you coming back for more with the literally icing on their cupcakes!!!! Decadent with intricate designs. The location is just Shy of 1.5 miles from Camp Mabry so you could walk there for exercise if you wanted! Plenty of parking and once inside, plenty of seating. It gets busy to so expect to wait a bit for your delicious delicate food! Smell the fragrance of the sweetness of the homemade wheat bread and baked goods once you have them in front of you. This is an experience as you rarely get homemade everything when you go out to eat! And lastly, savor every bite! I comment from Houston so this is truly a treat for me.

The best coffee in Texas. Great service and excellent pastry The amazing bread is so good and the ambiance is amazing

This Bakery has pretty good cinnamon rolls, they are close to Upper Crust Bakery but not enough cinnamon! The almond croissant was hard! I'll slice it at home and butter it! The loaf breads are very nice! Pumpkin spice was a favorite. The ambiance is not there! They could spend some of their income to fix this bakery up and i think they would have more people stopping in! I would suggest a great cleaning, new finish on the concrete Floor, paint the walls (they are green ugggg) new chairs, those iron chairs are too hard and heavy and maybe paint the tables. Put new tile floor in the one bathroom and get rid of every piece of art in that bathroom!!! It's terribly dirty!!! That front counter is awful with that fake grass on the front! Really people invest some money in your bakery! You have to put money in to get more out of it. Russell the owner needs to take better care of this restaurant!!! The atmosphere is awful!

Russel's is my favorite coffee shop in Austin! all locations have incredible service, great coffee, and good food! They have plenty of gluten free options which is surprisingly hard to find (I recommend the lemon poppyseed bread) and I really enjoy their coffee (my go-to is a strawberry mocha). It's a great place to study, catch up with friends, or read. There are only two drawbacks - at this location there's only one outlet, so I tend to not spend too long studying here for that reason & mainly come to read/catch up with friends. Also, they don't take cash which is super inconvenient- I hope they change that soon!

Lovely experience! Its a beautiful and cute location. They have gluten free breads which is important. The staff were helpful too.

Stopped into Russell's Bakery & Coffee since it was my day off and I was in that neighborhood. I always remember the wonderful pastries we used to buy when we moved to Austin in the early 2000s. Today, I was hoping to relive that memory, but instead I was highly disappointed. I understand that ownership may have changed, but I patronized this restaurant because of the business name. My coffee tasted burnt as though it had been sitting in the pot and continuing to brew. AND the stale cinnamon almond croissant had hair on it sealed to the croissant with a simple syrup. I'm disgusted and won't be eating there again. I'll take the perfectly wrapped slice of Harvest Bread to work tomorrow and just leave it on the table for any takers.

Love this place def a Jem of Austin, the croissants are so fresh and perfect! The service is 10/10 and I loved the vibe.

I moved a few months ago to the area and have enjoyed having Russell's as my local cafe. Service is friendly, coffee and food is great-to-good-enough, and there's plenty of sunny, cozy space to relax. I'd give five stars if the hot veggie croissant wasn't always sold out and/or more vegetarian options, the chairs were more comfortable, and fading and worn exterior and interior decor was refreshed a bit.

Stepping into Russell's is like stepping back into an Austin time capsule. Not much seems to have changed here in decades, and that's what's nice about it: you get a glimpse into what "old Austin" used to be. We ordered coffees and pastries and found a seat at one of the cute tables there. The space is large and accommodating. The iced coffees were OK, as was the latte. Pastries, well, we've had better. The operative word here really is "OK." The chocolate eclair was OK. The apricot scone was OK. The banana chocolate chip muffin was pretty good, and while we loved the filling in the spinach-feta croissant, the dough was soggy and limp. The folks working are really nice, and we're glad to have come here once to try it, but it's unlikely we'll be back again. This place must be beloved to the neighborhood, though, as our precious Quack's is to Hyde Park. We wish them many more years of good business.

Stopped to get myself a peanut butter cookie as a treat. It was not sweet. Really disappointing -- I threw it away. I don't eat much sugar so it's not as if I have sensory fatigue. $1.75 for a bad cookie. Shame.

Employees have always been great but the food and coffee quality is some of the worst I've had in Austin. And recently they just bought Coffee Shark which has been my daily coffee shop for years. This means no more greater goods coffee and I'm sure their menu will be replaced with dry, lifeless Russell's pastries.

Delicious, homey and wide assortment of baked goods and other items. I was impressed with how big the loaves are! My tomato bisque soup was very flavorful and filled with tomatoes that weren't so blended it was like water, but actually had substance. The Greek salad had all my favorites and was a perfect complement to the soup. I liked the little crostinis to dunk and felt very full afterwards. The only thing that was rather different than a normal puff pastry was theirs. Rather than light and fluffy, it was dense and more cake-like which was surprising. The filling was also rather dense and didn't taste creamy like I would have expected. However, if you ignore the name and realize it's a dense cake with a heavy filling, then you'll be fine.:)

Staff are great, food is on point. Coffee is pretty darn good. The only bag is parking can be tough but if you're out for a great ride or walk this is a great break from the day.

I had a really nice cinnamon roll and cup of coffee here. Austin elite eat here as they gaze out over the unwashed masses.

This is my absolute favorite spot for a dirty chai. I've gotten iced and hot and both are equally amazing. Their pumpkin bread is delicious too! This trip I branched out and got a cold brew with flavored foam, which was okay but not amazing. A little disappointing, since their chai is my favorite in town. The pumpkin muffin was good but not as moist as the pumpkin bread. Of the two, I'd recommend the bread. I definitely have my favorites when I come here and I try to branch out once in a while, but it's hard when the other stuff I've tried doesn't compare with my go-tos. But to recap, their pastries are great (especially the breads) and get the dirty chai.

This bakery / coffee bar has been my saving grace for years. I work around the corner and have been lucky to see it grow and expand. The staff is something you only hear about from old austin. The guys and bake staff have been here for years with very few people leaving or coming in. I wanna say I have seen some of them for 15 years or so. Which is crazy it's like a unicorn in a sea of horses. That one gem amongst thousands of Rocks. If you have a chance to check out their goods. Highly Highly recommend doing so. Pro tip Their ice mocha is amazing Food wise the breakfast croissant (spinach and mozzarella) is delish. Bake side the warmed up cinnamon rolls yumm

What an adorable little bakery! They absolutely love military service members too! I went it just to grab a sandwich and salad and was honored to have been thanked repeatedly and given a discount. I went in on a different day and was surprised with a paid off tab by a kind and sweet silent military supporter. I absolutely love this bakery!! Their baked goods and treats are the best and their coffee is so smooth!! I ordered a tuna salad on wheat with a house salad with their homemade pesto vinaigrette!!!! If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. The sandwiches come fully loaded with a lot of toppings, plenty of tuna and a hearty serving of salad. They aren't stingy with the veggies either! They keep you coming back for more with the literally icing on their cupcakes!!!! Decadent with intricate designs. The location is just Shy of 1.5 miles from Camp Mabry so you could walk there for exercise if you wanted! Plenty of parking and once inside, plenty of seating. It gets busy to so expect to wait a bit for your delicious delicate food! Smell the fragrance of the sweetness of the homemade wheat bread and baked goods once you have them in front of you. This is an experience as you rarely get homemade everything when you go out to eat! And lastly, savor every bite! I comment from Houston so this is truly a treat for me.

i know the cafe was about to close so i gave them grace for not warming up my hardened pastry, but the almond croissants had no filling ?? just encrusted with almonds and topped with sugar, im really appalled at the lack of almond croissants in austin and then when i do get it, it's so sad :/

Baked items do not taste "made from scratch". I asked for an extremely hot coffee and no one can seem to make it. I always get warm at best. Oh and to make matters worse......they just purchased my favorite coffee and lunch place Coffee Shark, and changed the menu to theirs!!!! . Hope they are keeping the staff that can make coffee!

For years I have enjoyed the gluten free and dairy free baked goods from Russell's at various coffee shops and corner stores, but I had never ventured out to the source itself--and I am SO glad I finally did! The shop is bright and open with many tables to sit yourself at. There are also a few outdoor tables. The counter service is great, the man working it being very kind and knowledgable. I didn't get a drink or anything more than a slice of their renown lemon poppy seed bread (GF/DF), but saw many happy customers enjoying drinks and more bites. A great place to work or meet with people. All in all, I definitely plan to be back!

Went for late morning breakfast with four friends at the Russell's on Hancock. I believe it has some large tables that the Northcross location does not have. The service was very accommodating, setting aside two ham and cheese croissants for us to eat after our initial start with coffees. We also tried some Gluten Free Banana Bread and GF Lemon Poppy Seed Bread. Very tasty. W stayed two hours and enjoyed the visit as well as ambiance, service and flavorful beverages and baked goods.

What an amazing place! Writing this review while enjoying there delicious cinnamon roll and coffee, we stopped by today around 11:00, a lady(short hair) helped us out, she was welcoming, sweet and happy to see customers. We got blueberry muffin, 3butter crossaint, cinnamon roll and turkey and provolone croissant, it was $15 before tips. Everything is so reasonably priced, especially hard times like now, really appreciate it This is not a fancy place, it's one of those places where you can go often, as it's affordable but yet not compromised on the quality, pick up some goodies and enjoy it for breakfast or in evenings with your family and friends with coffee/tea. Cinnamon roll: I usually don't like cinnamon rolls as they're too sweet for my taste, but here they don't have that white sugar glaze so I wanted to try and glad I did, it's mildly sweet, beautiful cinnamon flavor, crispy edges, light, soft, perfectly layered. Turkey and provolone croissant : they keep them warm, but they happily heat it up in a toaster oven for you, it's huge, my son and husband shared it and my son absolutely loved it. Blueberry muffin: not much blueberries but light, mildly sweet, soft and flavorful. Butter Croissant: yet to try They have cookies, cakes, chocolate truffles, breads, coffee, espressos and many more. If you haven't been to this place yet, strongly recommend it.

The best gluten and dairy free lemon poppyseed bread ever!! I also love the hot tea selection. The space is nice for catching up with friends or just enjoying time on your own to read or study. I love the local art on display as well!

The food was mediocre and there were flies everywhere. They also had really really gross fly traps by the window. I won't be coming back.

Definitely one of my go-tos in North Central Austin. Quite an amazing selection of pastries.... Colorful and on theme for the holidays. They also make the perfect gift, and can be a nice little addition to any Christmas party you may be going to. Sometimes I even stopped in and picked up pastries for my kids birthday parties. Russell's bakery never disappoints!

Always a favorite for my family when in town. Customer service is always great, just disappointed in not accepting cash. The pumpkin muffins are the best, by far. They are most, fresh, and always perfect! We also tried the apple fritter, it was above average but can't compete against the muffin. Coffee is good and will be back when in town again.

I was invited by a friend to meet for coffee. Not much appeal as far as the way it looks However they make up for it with the coffee, service and delicious pastries I have a cappuccino and they actually made a cappuccino, not a latte with a splash of foam The scones are so so so yummy.

It's been awhile since I've visited this old chestnut. I am thrilled to report that it is as good as ever and their prices are quite reasonable. I enjoyed a lunch special of a scoop of well seasoned tuna salad with a creamy tomato bisque (served with flakey croutons and hand grated parmesan cheese) and a slice of GF pumpkin bread for dessert. Unfortunately the pumpkin bread was a let down. It tasted freezer burnt and lacked proper spice.

Refuel here. My guy and I play tennis nearby this bakery once or twice a week. We stop by Russell Bakery to eat a late breakfast and grab a coffee afterwards to refuel and energize our day with a shot of caffeine. First the bad news (but stay tuned, there is good news): If you've read any of my other reviews, you know atmosphere is very important to me. You will not find it here because their inside dining area is closed. They have limited seating outside in front of and to the side of the building. It is way too hot in the morning to sit out front and the side tables are usually taken. Now, the good news: The coffee is delicious. We've had drip coffee, cappuccino, and lattes here and all are full-bodied in flavor and well prepared. The croissants are our "go to" food. Both sweet and savory are large and delicious. The muffins are always excellent too. Lastly, the staff are pleasant, polite, and efficient. I am very appreciative of good service. We'll keep coming back. Give this little bakery a try. You'll be glad you did.

The GF breads are so good! They have 3 options & they all taste amazing! Their coffee is pretty good too, just a little too bitter for me, so add more sweetener if needed. ;)

For the record - Russell Millner and his now ex wife "Gemma", sold this bakery several years ago. Yelp needs to update it's content because it's misleading and false. Now.....just wow, what a disappointment. K & S TIGON VENTURES LLC took over from the past owner, and this place has gone completely down hill ever since. I understand that everyone is suffering with low supplies and labor shortages, but the stale, hard, flavorless pastries from Friday really shouldn't get sold on Sunday's - certainly not at full price. Please try harder Russell's. You used to be one of my favorite places in the city...

DO NOT ORDER A SPECIAL CAKE from RUSSELL'S !!! if I could give it zero stars I would! My daughter's 50th birthday was the end of September and she was having a special party, so I wanted to provide a special cake. Being new to ordering custo cakes in Austin, I asked friends and was referred to this bakery. My husband and I went there and spent over an hour speaking with the owner about different cakes, sizes etc. He even went to the back to talk to the bakers about whether they could do what we had decided on. We ordered a 10"round cake with a 6" on top. Each cake had 3 layers so we wanted the bigger one to be 2 chocolate layers with an italian cream cake layer in the middle and the reverse for the smaller top cake. we went over the order several times to be sure he understood. Then talking about decorating it, we were told they didn't have what we wanted and we should get it ourselves! Then came the price - $133! we were shocked. Having no choice at that point since the party was in 2 days we went ahead with the order. The event planner picked up the cake so we didn't see it until it was served. Then came the real surprise - it was NOT what we ordered! It was all chocolate to start with - where were the Italian cream layers? Next, it was so dry that virtually no one ate it - nearly as much went back to the kitchen as was served! We were embarras and angry about the money we had wasted! on Monday morning I called the bakery and had to leave a message for the owner. I didn't receive a response until after I called two more times. He said we got what we ordered and would not even consider a refund even though this was not true! Sorry for the lengthy review, but I feel the public needs to know that Russell's doesn't care about giving their customers what they ordered or making up for their mistakes in some way to the unhappy customer. Save yourself a lot of headaches and DO NOT PATRONIZE THIS BUSINESS!!!

WTF. Bought a loaf of banana bread. Got home and noticed it costed $20. Not kidding. It didn't have a price tag in the store and was too distracted to notice the price at the register. Simple ingredients. You can make it for about a dollar at home. It's very unethical to sell bread for $20 and not put a price tag on it. What's wrong with you people? Times are tough with the pandemic.

This is an adorable neighborhood bakery, so fun to people watch and see life unfold. The regular items are a lot better than the gluten-free selection but I'm glad they cater to gf requirements.

I needed a great tasting, cake with fun decorating for my daughter's 50th birthday last weekend. I had heard good things about Russell's so my husband and I went there Thursday to order a cake. We worked with Fred, who I've since learned is the owner. After discussing several options, we decided on a two-tiered chocolate cream cake. The cakes come with 3 layers. I said I wanted the top tier two regular Italian cream cake with a chocolate layer in the middle and chocolate cream cheese frosting between the layers. For the larger bottom tier, I wanted 2 chocolate cream cake layers with a regular Italian cream cake layer in the middle and the chocolate cream cheese icing between the layers and then as frosting for the entire cake. Fred went back to talk to the bakers 2 times to make sure they could do it the way I wanted it and was assured they could. The cake came to about $135 plus tax, which we felt was expensive but decided to trust them that it would be perfect. They didn't have the "50 & Fabulous decoration or the long thin candles, which are pretty standard, so we had to go shop for those on our own. A friend picked up the cake for us and took it to the party venue so we didn't see it until it was brought out. It looked ok, but was nothing more special than cakes we have gotten from HEB. When the server brought out the cake slices, it was NOT what I had ordered! All the layers were chocolate, and it was very heavy - not at all like the Italian cream cakes I was used to. Apparently no many guests were impressed either, because most of the plates went back with nearly the entire servings on them. Unfortunately, I feel like we wasted a lot of money on a cake we wanted to be very special! I can't honestly recommend this bakery!

Used to stop here on my way to work a few years ago and always enjoyed their coffee, tea and gluten free muffins and cookies. It's always nice to find bakeries with gluten free options. The staff was also very kind everytime I went in.

I wanted to surprise a friend with something amazing for her tastebuds. I was told Russell's Bakery was a great place for pastries and sweets treats. Today I visited and was greeted with fast and courteous customer service. Bravo and Thank You to the pastry chef and staff at Russell's Bakery. I'll be back for more...

This place needs a complete revamp. Has a great location and so much potential but just missing the mark

Please note.. not a review of their products as I haven't had a chance to try. Stopped by Saturday, 2/27 at 315p to pick up a few cookies for a friend who had a rough day. Walked in and waited patiently at the counter. Woman cleaning cases looked at me and kept work. A minute or two later she said "we're closed".. I had checked hours on Yelp and mentioned that to her. I was polite and said "no problem". As I was walking out the door someone else behind the counter said "we're closed". I kind of felt a bit defensive so I mentioned the hours again on Yelp and noted the door was open so that's why I had entered. They both just looked at me. As I was leaving another man walked in the door (hello doors unlocked) so at least I didn't feel like a complete idiot. Completely understand a business can change their hours especially now with Covid, or maybe Yelp listing has just always been wrong, but a little gentle politeness would have had me back another time. Based on this pretty sure will just go to Quacks, or Fat Cats, or any one of the other great places I have tried successfully.

Wish we lived closer; we used to live a short drive, but now it's about 7 miles away. The sandwiches and salads are worth the drive, though. BUT, you'd better be there a bit earlier than their 4:00 "take-out time;" we got there about 7-8 minutes before posted closing time, just to pick up some sandwiches to-go. But we were told at the counter that they were already cleaning the kitchen and couldn't make any more food. WTF? My partner is a chef, and to him it's outrageous that someone would turn away paying customers who just wanted a couple of sandwiches. I'm glad my supermarket doesn't turn me away at the door for that last-minute, "I'm out of milk/bread/whatever."

Terrible place . They bake all the banana bread, pumpkin bread and cakes and then freeze the whole thing just to pull out during the week. Danish is dry.

This place is a Locals Favorite for Sure! Coffee, Espresso and Americanos. Breakfast Croissants, Quiche and All Delicious Delicates! Birthday and Possibly Wedding Cakes. Try the Raisin Bran Carrot Square! It is Absolutely Amazing and Fresh!! Very Friendly Staff. Very Helpful as well. Next time we are in town we'll find a way to stop here again during our stay.

Came here with my friend and she announced them having really good latte. She's picky so I trust her. I love how they have artwork displayed along the wall, I enjoy being surrounded by beautiful things. A couple in front of me ordered a gigantic red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, it was a work of art! May want to order from here for my next birthday... We will be back! Wish there were places where I could charge my phone or laptop so we can stay there all day.

Russell's makes the best pumpkin muffins I've ever had. I've tried some of their other baked goods and all are superb, and the coffee is also spot-on. Back to the muffins-they are jumbo sized, and the pumpkin flavor is perfectly enhanced with cinnamon and other spices. The best is that they seem to be topped with large granule baking sugar because there is a hint of crunch and sweetness. I've gone here once to work, and the bakery was a quiet atmosphere with friendly patrons. Decent parking available, too. But my gosh, that pumpkin muffin. I'm grateful Russell's sells these at other coffee shops, too-I buy them pretty much whenever I see them. Best ever.

Extremely delicious! The chai lattes were great, the fancy cupcakes were delicious, and the peanut butter brownie was fantastic! I would come back here whenever I am in the area. 10/10 would recommend!

Russell's exterior may look unassuming, but don't let that stop you! There's definitely bakery goodness on the inside. Ordered a spinach and cheese croissant, which they heated up for me. I was surprised with how big it is and filled me right up. There was plenty of spinach and cheese filling. The croissant part was buttery, and more denser than traditional croissants. Also, picked up two cinnamon rolls from their day-old shelf (a total hidden gem) - also huge and yummy. For the price (around $7 with tip), I think the food quality and quantity matched. Service was friendly and quick, they were patient with me since it was my first time there. There's a handful of parking spots in front of the bakery, so it might be a challenge during busy times. Regarding their COVID precautions, masks are required, bakery capacity is limited, everything is take-out, there's a screen between you and the cashier, and indoor dining is closed (but you sit at their outdoor tables). Definitely would come back to Russell's!

Yummy food and coffee. Seems like a regular spot for retirees or ladies who lunch. If that's not your jive, take-away and enjoy at your leisure at home or work. My visit may have been poorly tainted by an angry Karen pulling into the parking lot. Staff is nice, though, and the baked goods smell fresh and good. My iced tea and roasted chicken salad was yummy.

I feel like a traitor for not loving this Austin institution but I wonder if it's popularity is based more on longevity than products. I must say I've had Russell's breads at other coffee shops and they're really good. We came here bc it seemed silly that we have been there yet. The staff were really nice. The coffee was middle of the road. I got a banana chocolate chip muffin that I would give a 5.5/6. We also got a blueberry muffin that had a scone like consistency, aka: dry. The final thing was an oatmeal raisin cookie which I would say was also was alright. The baked goods in the window looked so tempting but since I didn't love anything else I did not purchase anything else. I don't anticipate a return.

Russell's was recommended to me and I'm glad that I went. I wish that I had been able to hang out and then grab a pastry or cookie. I was in a hurry and picked up lunch to go. They have a small seating area with several tables. It looks like it would be a fun place to meet a friend or two for coffee and pastries. I ordered a chicken salad sandwich that turned out to not be a favorite of mine. It's more savory than sweet so not to my taste but the bread was good and the service very nice. I'd definitely give it another try and order something else. They seem to be a popular lunch spot because a line formed while I was waiting for my order.

I really like this bakery-the croissants and scones are very tasty and the coffee is decent. I also really appreciate that everyone wears masks and they care about keeping the community safe. My only feedback-I wish they had savory baked items as well!