I used to love going to the 1886 Cafe for breakfast and would bring friends and family as a special treat. I was willing to travel a bit to go there. I was so disappointed in the breakfast I had this past weekend! The service and the menu has changed, and the quality of the food was very disappointing, yet the price was quite high. I definitely will not be going there for breakfast again...I think I would have enjoyed Dennys more. read more

1886 Cafe is located inside the Driskill hotel. It can get quite busy on the weekend but they offer great breakfast and brunch items. The ordering process you go through a line inside. Once at the barista counter you will order your drinks and your food then later they will bring them out to you. The drinks and foods were really delicious. I got one of their speciality drink the crème bruele latter which was really delicious. I got their lady bird omelette which features egg whites, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, goat cheese, onions, with multigrain toast and potatoes. Food was really delicious and at a decent price. I was really happy with the service we got. This will definitely be a spot on our brunch list. With it being inside the Driskill you get beautiful decor to look at with a classic old time feel. read more

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Food, service and atmosphere was awesome! Very cool historic building. Loved the TX shaped waffle!

Visited Austin, Texas for the weekend and stopped for breakfast at 1886 Cafe and Bakery, located in a historic hotel. The establishment has a charming blend of New Orleans and French influences that immediately set the tone for a delightful dining experience. I had the Parisian croissant, which was perfectly flaky and buttery, and we couldn't leave without trying the famous 1886 chocolate cake--a true indulgence. Exceptional service and a memorable atmosphere make this spot a must-visit when in Austin! read more

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Nut allergy friendly - labeled (NF) - waffles and other items have cross contamination concerns. Trust the labels. Ignore the construction from 6th Street entrance - this is a fancy nice counter service restaurant with a pricey but substantial brunch offering! I went with a group and we had no issues getting a table in the lobby. We were even visited by the executive chef to ask how our meal was. You have to self serve your own water, but the ambiance of being in the Driskell was a unique experience that makes for a great date or hangout. Texas Migas: My meal! The tortilla strips really came out crispy with a nice half avocado sliced up. Only two pieces of flour tortilla were not enough (I think three would have been perfect) but the jalapeno, onion, radish, and eggs came together very well. Bagel & Lox: Served with some chive oil in the cream cheese and suggest to put together one half of the bagel at a time, or else it would end up massive. An offering that stands up to the test of time. Both styles of Egg Benedict: The Paris Texas style was more unique and took the cake. They were similar but the croissant really elevated a traditional breakfast. The prices are high with gratuity included, but the portions are pretty good. read more

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I had a beautiful breakfast with my team! From the ceilings to the floors, the Driskill is so regal and majestic and that it extends right into 1886 Cafe! I see why there are so many stories of ghosts and hauntings, because this breakfast is to die for! They don't take reservations, and there were 9 people in my party but we were able to be seated immediately with enough space for us to all sit near! Our waitress was great with taken all of our orders and our food came out so quickly! I had the oatmeal which came with fruit toppings, brown sugar, raisins , an orange juice and hot tea with honey. I also ordered traditional eggs Benedict which came with country style potatoes. The eggs bene were cooked perfectly, the hollandaise sauce was rich and the potatoes paired so well! I literally cannot wait to go back and try some other breakfast options! We had a large van so there was really no where near for me to park, so consider ride sharing or walking if you are downtown. read more

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Great spot for breakfast! We loved the pastries, coffee, and meal options. Plenty of gluten free choices too. The location has so much history and is absolutely gorgeous. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Cinnamon Roll - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The Fat Man's wife loves brunch. So, we found a neat little café around the corner from our hotel. 1886 Café and Bakery serves baked goods plus daytime American fare in a Victorian tearoom-style setting in the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas. My wife tried the Austin American Breakfast. This came with two eggs in any style (ordered scrambled), a choice of bacon, sausage, ham (bacon ordered), country potatoes, and multigrain toast. Her eggs were fluffy but lacked seasoning. The yellow and purple potatoes were seasoned well but could use a crunch from the grill, as they were exceptionally soft. The sweet potato, though, was lovely and cooked well. The bacon was thin but crunchy and had a good flavor. The toast had a good amount of butter, crunch, and chew. I had the Croque Madame made with shaved ham, gruyère cheese, sourdough bread, sunny-side egg, pepper jack mornay, crispy fingerling potatoes, and jalapeño chimichurri. The potatoes were cooked and seasoned perfectly, and the chimichurri was fresh and had a good heat level. The egg was overcooked, but it had a creaminess to it. The bread was lightly toasted and offered a good chew, while the ham was sliced thin with a nice saltiness. The cheese melted perfectly and gave a nice gooey texture to the bite. The pepper jack mornay was good but lacked a heat punch that the dish needed. I also tried Breakfast in a Cup with Jameson, orange Juice, butterscotch syrup, and spicy maple bacon. The bacon has an excellent spicy flavor; it was crunchy and good to chew, but it lacked sweetness. The orange juice was refreshing, and the butterscotch came through on a sweet note at the end. It had some Tajin on the rim. 1886 offers a good-sized menu of sandwiches, signature entrees, and brunch items. They also have a full bar. The Fat Man says that 1886 Café and Bakery is Fat Man Approved with 1 chin. read more

Aug 2025 - Food was fine. They could not make an espresso martini, but had all the right stuff to make it. So I settled for the Bloody Mary. The bacon was good, the Bloody Mary mix was flat and I couldn't tell if they even added vodka. They removed the Parisian Eggs Benedict, but had the croissant- so could have tried to make it...so that was disappointing. Got the traditional eggs Benedict was really good. The potatoes were good. The ketchup was watery and didn't rise to the level of the potatoes. Black coffee was good. You order at the counter and serve yourself water. No server, not a bad thing, but good to know if that's a preference. read more

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Standard food and kind of pricy. Nothing over the top extra ordinary to write home to friends and family about. Service was kind of slow waiting for the food. Coffee you get at the counter right before you pay for your meal that gets delivered to you at your table if you dine in. Ambiance is very nice and grandeur but that's because it is a lobby cafe/restaurant of a hotel. Would I come back? Probably not. read more

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Lots of breakfast here over or stay at the Driscoll. The pastries definitely shone the brightest with the cinnamon roll being surprisingly delicious. The chocolate cake was by far the best I've ever had and well worth the purchase. read more

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Very cute place with historic vibes! My friends and I came to try their croissants and they did not disappoint. My favorite one was the chocolate croissant. Not only does it look very beautiful, but because they have chocolate on the outside, you get a good amount of chocolate in every bite unlike how in other chocolate croissants it's usually just a skinny block of chocolate in the middle and you're just mostly eating the dough. Their almond was alright, and their turkey and swiss was also just alright. Overall their croissant dough was good, flaky and buttery but it wasn't anything special. It is a bit on the pricier end. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This a great place to go if youre downtown and craving a delicious pastry. The croissants are delicious! I recommend it!

Food and ambiance were nice, however I was not expected to be charged 18% gratuity automatically. It was not even party of 5 or more. read more

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Very cool historic restaurant, great for brunch with the usual options - eggs, sweet delicacies, avocado toast etc. I liked the butter croissant, it was light and fluffy although not as warm asI would have liked. French toast was interesting especially with the matcha cream but tooo sweet. The indoor seating was a bit cramped but you can also sit in the hotel area outside where there's plenty of room and it's a lot more airy. read more

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Service was very poor and disorganized. Over an hour after ordering, the food still did not come out. Went to ask staff about the order and staff could not provide an update or reasonable wait time before the food would be served. read more

The food was beautiful presented, but the tomato was a little off. It's very expensive, but beautiful place to get some breakfast. There is not table service read more

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OMG. This café and bakery is located in the Driskill hotel, where we stayed for three nights. After eating breakfast there on our first day we couldn't wait to go back again - which we did for the next two days as well. They do not have waitress service, but instead you stand at the counter and place your order. They give you a large wooden spoon to keep at your table, so the kitchen knows where to deliver your food. They have a nice assortment of pastries, including different croissants, muffins, and a cinnamon bun that looked absolutely delicious. We ordered the avocado toast, bagels and lox and waffles over the course of the three days and each one was delicious. And their specialty coffees were made to perfection . If you haven't tried this place, go check it out. I'm sure you will have the same positive experience that we had and you too won't be able to wait to return. Thank you 1886 for our delicious breakfast each and every day!!! read more

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We went here on a Saturday morning at 9 am and this place is packed! The line was out the door and was in the lobby. Luckily, the line goes by so fast. It's in the Dri Skill Hotel. This is not a typical sit down restaurant. You'll need to order your food and decide where you want to sit - outside, lobby, or patio. Since it was super cold, we decided to sit in the lobby. At first when we tried the toast, I was not a fan... it's better to eat the toast with the cream and it's chef'a kiss ‍ read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Cinnamon Roll French Toast - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is such a vibe!! If you're looking for a more than causal brunch/breakfast come to this cafe located inside the Driscoll hotel. Unfortunately they do not take reservations or have a phone so you kinda just have to pop up. The concept is great! You order at the counter and pay before you dine, then you find seats (I suggest finding seats prior to ordering) Lots of seating inside, Service was excellent! Our food came out so quickly and it was delicious-definitely worth every penny. The perk is that after you're done you don't need to wait for the bill and such! I will definitely be back! read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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What a lovely afternoon tea. The service was delightful and the ambiance added to the overall experience. The only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the quality of food. One ticket is $90. The food just did not match the price of the ticket. It was definitely on the more expensive side. Overall my wife, friend, and I had a glorious time and the tea was amazing! read more

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Love this cafe! The vibe is very much walking into an old hotel but eating inside the lobby of the hotel. Their is additional seating inside the cafe as well. You order before finding your seat. The Bloody Mary was well done and it was the best bagel & lox I have had in some time. I loved all the fixings! I tried to my friends Croquet sandwich and the flavors were POPPIN! Would definitely come back my next time in Austin! read more

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Been here on multiple business lunches and it's a great spot located in the historical Driskoll hotel. The steak and eggs were phenomenal, though it is pricy as expected, or their omelettes or other classic breakfast items for something more reasonable and still delicious. They are an order at the coffee bar and seat your self establishment, which is great for a brunch style place. Never had a bad experience and it's in an awesome historical Austin location. read more

Food: my latte was really good. It wasn't watered down with milk and you could taste the espresso coming through. I loved the banana muffin. They warmed it up for me and it was really good. The coffee cake crumble on the top was delicious. Service: I enjoyed being able to order at the counter and have my order called out when I was ready, then choose a place to sit. The people at the counter were very nice. Ambiance: this cafe is in such a cool building. It's such a nice spot to enjoy a coffee Value: I took 1 star off because it cost me just under $14 for a muffin and a coffee. I felt this was pretty steep for a simple breakfast. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Interior - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Walking around downtown Austin, we stumbled upon this cafe/bakery. We ordered at the counter and found there were no tables available and went out into the lobby area to find some seating. The pastries look delicious and HUGE. We got a butter crossaint, pumpkin coffee cake, kids texas waffle and Omlette. The chairs in the lounge are super comfortable. We had a wooden spoon with a number and our server found us right away! I also got a chai latte with almond milk. They are so fast with the orders by the time I made my way to the cashier to put in our food order and pay, my latte was ready at the counter. The food is delicious, totally recommend this place for locals and visitors alike. The food is comforting and well made. Checkout the giant oatmeal cookie! We were surprised to find out later that the lounge was part of a haunted hotel?! Who knew! read more

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I really wanted to like 1886 Cafe & Bakery based on the reviews but there were so many things that were not good about it that it's hard to overlook it and just focus on the food. First, I hate parking in that area and paying for parking in a garage. Secondly, the line at brunch time is insane. You stand in line forever and then try to find a seat. We ended up sitting out in the lobby which wasn't ideal other than it was definitely a lot quieter out there. Heaven forbid you forget to order something and have to stand in that awful line all over again only to come back to find somebody took your chair and now you have the joy of finding another one to drag over to your table. Loved the historical vibe. I had an iced vanilla latte which was very good and the Croque Madame that was good but I've had better elsewhere. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Croque Madame - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is inside the Driskill hotel. The seating is limited in the restaurant space, so you can sit outside and the chairs are more comfortable. You order at the counter, grab your drinks and find some seating space. I order the capuccino with almond milk and to my surprise they had 3 options of gluten free muffins. I ordered the chocolate one and asked them to warm it up. The muffin was delicious. The dough was light and fluffy to the point that would break easily. It had that Rick dark chocolate flavor and it wasn't too sweet. Perfect to go with some coffee. I also ordered the American breakfast and was surprised with their presentation. The colorful potatoes made it extra nice and were crunchy on the outside, but still soft on the inside side. read more

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While the food was good there are other things to discuss. You order at the counter then sit with a number. Our group had to be cognizant of the time so one person inquired how long the quiche usually takes. A lady with a ponytail gave a very smug response about how she doesn't know... there's no set time... it could've just been delivered much better. The other issue is they automatically add 18% gratuity. There is no sign that tells you this. They don't give you a receipt unless you ask. That's a poor practice. read more

Stopped in to hang out before we had to head to the airport. This place was super busy but the line moved pretty quick. The food was good and the manager was the best. He came by checking on multiple tables and one of our meals wasn't ideal and he took care of it right away. Overall, good experience. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I remember this restaurant when it was run by volunteers who were led by Sue Brandt McBee. I haven't been in years. Modern ordering system and very high quality food here. I enjoyed the Lady Bird omelette made with egg whites and spinach. The staff were attentive and helpful as well. I loved the chunky toast and the condiments were delicious. read more

One of our favorite breakfast spots in Austin is the 1886 Cafe & Bakery at The Driskill hotel. They make all of their baked goods in-house so you can see the bakers in action. The croissants and scones are scrumptious and the cinnamon rolls are enormous. We opted for a proper sit-down breakfast of a southwest omelette and bagels and lox. read more

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So you decide you are willing to pay 80 bucks for breakfast and cocktails. I would think there are certain expectations that should be met when charging a 18 percent Gratuity for two people. I would expect the tables to be wiped. I would expect there not to be food on the floor. I would expect the staff to be super friendly. I would expect that the hand sanitizer stations to not be empty. These are expectations I would have for McDonald's ...... Why does this place fail to meet these basic expectations? Now on to the food it was good. It was a bit hard to enjoy in this environment. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - The serving station - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I like the vibe and decorations but its not even 25 mins I sat there, my daughter was still eating and I was about to order more food the waitress put the bill on my table and the restaurant was not even busy and I looked around I see only one table was given bill which was an Indian guy. I felt like racist. The women who sat beside us was long there before we came and she was already eating food before we even have our seat. read more

Waffles the size of Texas in the shape of Texas?! Yes, please! Stopped by for brunch with a small group (4 of us in total) for breakfast on a Sunday morning. It's an 'order-at-the-counter' type joint and there definitely was a line, but I'm glad it didn't scare us away because it moved pretty fast and the food we received was more than worth the wait! After placing our orders, we easily found a table and sat ourselves.After about 10-15 mins, we were all served and enjoying our breakfast. I obviously got the Texas shaped waffle (when in Texas, right?) and it was AH-MAZING. It was resting on some jam with chopped pecans and there was fresh fruit on top. It wasn't overly sweet and I didn't end up putting a drop of maple syrup on it, though it was served with it. I also ordered a side of bacon and scrambled eggs - cuz I need my salty with my sweet - and both were cooked to perfection. Everyone at my table asked for a piece of bacon. I'm nice and I shared, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't screaming inside! HA! Everyone else loved their food. There was an omelette of some sort and a Benedict (my friends ordered separately so I didn't catch exactly what they got). Everyone cleaned their plates! Even the coffee was bomb! I can't recommend this spot enough. The food was delicious and, even though it was more of a casual service type place, it actually didn't feel that way. Check it out! And definitely don't be turned off by the line. It's worth the short wait. Trust me. read more

Great service and selections! My gf was very satisfied with her chicken and waffles and i loved the eggs Benedict read more

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Breakfast for champions here! I love their eggs Benedict and their Paris breakfast special edition! Savory and delightful eggs oozing of joy that compliments well with the sweet potatoes mix and croissant if one opts for the Paris breakfast entree! Hot sauce is local and compliments well if one is a hot sauce lover like me! Efficient food line to order up at and there's a waiter that serves the food when ready. Gratuity is already charged upon order. Classic decor dining and it's easily passed by as a classic building. One wouldn't know it offers delicious breakfast and dining unless you go in for a conference or staying as the building is turned into a hotel! Great way to start the day when strolling through Texas Austin downtown! read more

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First off this building is beautiful. We chose to sit outside it was a nice morning. Staff was very nice. Coffee was wonderful white chocolate lavender latte. Food was very good. I loved the informal seating because it didn't look like it would be that way because of how fancy it looks. Never felt rushed and it was relaxing. Everyone around me seemed so relaxed and happy enjoying wonderful food on such a nice day. Love it and would go again. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Benedict with brie on a croissant mix of potatoes egg poached perfectly. - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Alas, while my last review was very positive, this one isn't. A rude waitress who didn't want to understand that 2 people of different skin colors could possibly be together, another waiter completely uninterested in picking up food that was all over the floor in the main lobby and was socially awkward, a waitress taking a customer credit card and never bringing his drink or his credit card back until he complained, an automatic 18% gratuity at a place where you order at the counter and all they have to do is bring you the food once (since most drinks don't have refills, including coffee) and no hand sanitizer in any station when we arrived and when we left an hour later... The food was good, but the service and cleanliness is frankly unacceptable at such a high end hotel where the cheapest room is over $500 a night. read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Food: yum! We ate way too much. The chicken and waffles were delish! Get the hot sauce on the side! Drink: they have cocktails, coffee and more! Service: you order at the counter and then they bring out your food to your table. Everyone was friendly and helpful even very early in the morning. We stopped by on our way to the airport and everything was great! Atmosphere: interesting vibe. It is in the hotel we stayed at but I would recommend for anyone in the area! read more

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Decidedly ok. This cafe has good enough food, though I really don't understand the long lines. Perhaps it's in a popular location? If you've ever been to a restaurant with cafeteria style dining, this is the same. You wait in line, order at the counter, and your food is brought to your table. Be advised that there is only one cashier, though the high customer volume reveals a need for an additional one. What surprised me was the automatic gratuity added to my bill, though the only "service" I received was the delivery of my plate to the table. I selected a bagel & lox, which was quite good. It did not quite live up to the $20+ that I ended up paying for it after tax & fees. I'm all for paying top dollar for a quality meal, but I'm not sure this met the mark. If you're in the area, you won't regret stopping by, but I suspect there are better options in the area. Let me know about your experience! read more

1886 Cafe & Bakery - Bagel & Lox - American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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