Cafe is a nice place to eat with specials of the day and a nice sized menu and cool live music. For being such a progressive store, the cafe has limited options for gluten friendly items. They don't offer any gluten free buns and you have to be careful because some items are fried like the onions on the chicken sandwich but they are not specified on the menu as being fried. I respect this is not gluten free faculty but a gluten friendly menu would be expected at a progressive store such as Central Market. The menu has no designation of what contains gluten and what doesn't and that is surprising to me. The staff is super nice and very pleasant to be around. read more

I am forced by proximity to review both the excellent coffee/gellato counter and the crappy cafe. Short version: For food (not coffee or desert) there's a soup/salad bar back by the bread/ice cream section. It's on the expensive side but it's very good and *way* better than the cafe. Or you can buy trail mix in the bulk section that should tide you over until you get to a real restaurant. Long version: I love Central Market and I love it now more than I can't goto Amazon Prime Whole Foods Alexa Location Trademark 2017. But the Cafe ... Pros: * Good drinks and I like the layout. * Convenient, good service. * Clean, beautiful seating area. * Good coffee, smoothies, and gellato Cons: * For food, you could heat up one of those frozen dinners from 50 feet away and it would taste way better. I've been here at least 10x and its all just adequate. * Loud loud loud beeping from all the pagers that tell you when your food is ready. "DEET DEET" x3. * The adjacent bathrooms need some help, not just in terms of cleanliness but just being teleported from a dull, gray 1980s Russian bath house where even swamp monsters would get bummed out. read more

For a cafe in a grocery store (albeit a very nice one), pretty shocked at the plating of the food. Very appetizing. Huge drink selection, particularly if you like tea, they have some good ones. I got the buffalo chicken wrap with sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries were good, albeit not special. My wrap was disappointing really. Chicken strips cut up, not very saucy either. All my hot sauce (not even thick) was piled at the end of my wrap and so I had very bland food until the last few bites where it was blazing. Not quite the experience I was looking for. It cost me $7 without the drink, and the card reader was broken too so had to have a friend spot me cash... Might come back to try something else, but overall it was meh. read more

I absolutely love this place. Not only such a nice grocery store but such an excellent place to eat hidden inside! They have live music on the weekends, pay at the counter with no waiter/waitress hassles, and decent prices. They have multiple cuisines, as well as specials that are constantly being switched out for new ones. I got the Asian salmon salad and loved it with my glass of vino verde on the side! Only bad thing was I could barely decide from all the delicious options! read more

Central Market - Asian salmon salad - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had a burger and my husband had one of their "specialty" pizzas. It was around noon when I went and there was no line at all and two registers open. No wait time. Food came quickly and I like that there are two drink stations so you don't get all caught up any where. My burger was delicious and a variety of condiments were available which is always great. The fries are also great. My husband had a pizza with three meats which usually means lots of grade but it wasn't greasy at all and was very crispy. I would definitely recommend this place for a quick but delicious bite when the quick part is kind of hard to come by in Austin. read more

Central Market - Specialty Pizza - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I have gotten food here countless times and have never really had an issue, but today was a huge disappointment. I ordered a chicken Caesar salad as a wrap (so easy). When my order was ready, the salad was just a salad, not in a wrap. They very quickly and nicely "fixed" it for me. We'll get back to the wrap in a minute, as I'm paying for my order I look back in the open kitchen and one of the cooks was pulling food out of a fryer basket with his bare hands and eating it, and then continuing to make orders. He did not put gloves on or wash his hands. As someone who works in the service industry this is very disturbing. Who knows what germs he's passing along to guests by doing this? And he did it 3, yes 3 times while I watched him. Gross! When I finally got my wrap it was in a bag and I didn't even think to check it. I then filed a complaint with the information desk and they assured me it will get to the GM. So I get home, hungry and disgusted, not really even wanting to eat the food at this point (luckily the ungloved cook is not the one who made my food) and the wrap is thrown together, one half has mostly croutons and not a single piece of chicken and the other has a few pieces but for $14 this is far from acceptable. There also isn't any dressing on the wrap. I don't think I'll ever eat here again. read more

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Very dissapointing that the quality of food has declined so much in the last five years. Decided to give them another shot, since it has been around six months since I last visited. The eggs for my migas were soggy and room temperature with unmelted crusty looking cheese on top. I also ordered a side of sausage patties, and they were juicier than a medium rare burger off the grill. I squeezed the sausage with my fork at one point and managed to get a decent puddle liquid out. Something about how it was cooked or prepared must have included either a lot of steam or water, or they used incredibly fatty meat which did not render itself out at all. read more

Central Market - Sausage patties were one gray color and suspiciously wet. - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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As much as I like Central Market I won't be coming back to the south Austin store. They have got to find a way to get the birds out and keep them out. It's disgusting and unhealthy, bird flu from poop anyone? There is copious bird droppings on the pipes, so don't let their reply fool you if the say it was a one time thing. Check out my photo. Bird crap, party for one. They even blocked out a table that is covered in poop. It can't be rocket science What a bunch of bird brains!! IMHO My pork Ruben was greasy, barely any black beans, the pork was bland, and the greatest sin of all, the bread was not toasted. read more

Central Market - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

Grocery shopping here is chaos but there are lots of options if you have the patience to invest 1/2 a day. I usually only come here for unique items and quickly skirt the aisles. Don't be afraid to ask for help. The layout in this place is illogical. On a brighter note they have a good salad bar which is hard to find these days. Hot and cold foods to eat here or take home. Don't mean to dog this place but you just pay a mark up on food to wander around and look at people, I guess. I don't really "shop" for staples - I buy. read more

Although one of my favorite people was willing to see the George Clooney movie with me, she drew the line at visiting Buffet Palace across the street afterwards. Oh well, win some, lose some. So we split the difference and went around the corner to the south Central Market Cafe for a bite. (Okay, we actually drove around the corner--hey, it was chilly.) I think the quality and portion quantity of this CM Cafe has tempered somewhat since its inception, but it's still a good deal at a decent price. We did the Mongolian chicken special, a shrimp stir fry, and an order of lettuce wraps. Aside from the proteins, the entrees seemed identical, but since I'm a fan of ginger, they both worked for me. The shrimp was maybe a tad undercooked in our opinion, but not worth a lawsuit. The wraps were a pleasant surprise, Asian-inspired chunks of chicken and veggies within perfect leaves of lettuce, proof that the best things of Central Market are easily accessibile to the Cafe. With one hibiscus tea, the total was just under $21. I like the fact they bring your order to your table here, but I think the North Lamar CM Cafe has an edge on ambiance and seating choices--upstairs/downstairs, inside/outside, noisy/quiet, public/private--which may or may not be a factor for you. The north cafe also seems more family-friendly with their playscape and the bands just sound better. C'est la vie. I think the coolest thing about the south Central Market Cafe is the really huge big black menu board on the counter wall; I may be tripping, but it always seems to be slightly different everytime I come here: How do they change the items list? Is it really somebody's job to make huge big black menu boards? Why does this particular subject fascinate me at all? read more

i love Central Market ,Review it well heck why not? I go daily ,I walk or drive or scoot.No matter what I go in for I always come out with twice as much . The Breakfast is wonderful ,lunch is great there is nothing bad about Central market . I always feel like i am at home ,when I go there ,I know where ever thing is .i talk to everyone and welcome them as if it was my own personal store .it really is . The freshest bread,fruits veggies , and the rest well it al goes in my cart. read more

Why I like/dislike CM Cafe...in bullet form! +decent breakfast tacos -I could make these at home +salsa bar -weak coffee +plenty of space to spread out and get some studying in -curmudgeonly old dude that yelled at me for closing the blinds +copious eye candy in the morning +great home fried potatoes -smells funny +friendly staff +large portions at great prices -did I mention the bad coffee? Look...not all reviews can be witty, clever, or well written. Sometimes, you jst gotta get the job done. (that's what she said...often) read more

It is with great hesitation I write this review. I wanted to avoid it, actually. I was hoping to find a manager, maybe a comment card, anything before posting it publicly. However, those channels were not readily available. I crave salads. Why? Idk, maybe it's because I basically cut out fried food and the thought of a burger and fries, no matter how fancy and well crafted, doesn't really appeal to me anymore. I'm not talking about a bag of salad lettuce and some cherry tomatoes (my version of a salad at home), but a delicious salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, peppers, and carefully crafted viniagrettes. In my salad search, my favorite by far is the Mediterranean salad with salmon from Central Market Cafe. However, I have never been to the south location, and typically go to the north lamar location and bring it back to my office (closer to where I work). I've also had a turkey sandwich, chicken tortilla soup, and the beef schwarma wrap, and all have been good. However, I'm always craving that Mediterranean salad. So tonight after working out, my boyfriend and I stopped here for dinner. After a bit of cold service from the cashier, we sat ourselves and had a hard time doing so as plenty of the empty tables had not yet been cleared off, ranging from leftover food particles to plates and trays. We found a table, and I went to the restroom. It was so disgusting, which is the main reason I wanted to complain about this privately. Three stalls, one occupied, one completely clogged, and one covered in blood. Furthermore, there were wet paper towels and water everywhere. LOL AM I AT HEB PLUS ON RIVERSIDE?? I decided to wait til I got home, and even opted to skip washing my hands in there because I saw that they had a hand sanitzer outside the restroom. I think my hands would be subject to more bacteria by washing my hands in here than by not washing them at all. I was looking to see if they had a sign that even fast food restaurants have, like "If you find this bathroom is not to your standards, please alert one of our team members, etc," however, no such sign was anywhere to be found. No employees beside the cashier either. I'm not even high maintenance, but that was awful. Whatever, I move on and go back to our table. I had the mediterranean (shocking) and he had the chicken caesar salad. My salad was great, as always, and my boyfriend's chicken was cold..definitely not prepared fresh. I checked our receipt to see if there was a website or phone number, you know to explain the crackhouse of a bathroom. There wasn't. Other than the cleanliness of the place, it was an alright meal. What would have been a three star review has to be a one star for that alone. However, I was so grossed out by the place that I think I will forego the south location altogether for quite some time, or just get it to go because then I won't have to see the place. Ignorance is bliss, afterall. I'm sorry, but uncleaned blood in an already disgusting bathroom is not cool. Whatever girl did that was gross, and that would be awful to clean, but it has to be done. read more

Central Market - Salmon Mediterranean salad - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I think CM Cafe is great for what it is - a good place to hang out, get relatively cheap healthy food, have a fancy beer, watch a band, or watch the kids run around on the playground. It's not a terrific restaurant, but there is something for everyone here. Unfortunately I feel they are let down by food quality. Here's what strikes me about this place: the menu is always awesome but the food never measures up. The menu is healthy cafe food - fresh vegetables, wraps and sandwiches, and occasional ethnic spins on various proteins. It's exactly what I want to order! But then once I receive my meal, I'm always somewhat disappointed it wasn't tastier or better. The ingredients are there - but where is the flavor? CM Cafe is a place where you have to know what to order - not everything is good. I have learned through trial and error, so allow me to recommend my favorites: chicken tortilla soup ($5) is both delicious and cheap; Asian chicken salad ($9) excellent and large enough to share; and the Cobb pizza ($10). Other than that, I'm not vouching for anything - you are on your own. Cheapskate tips: *Ask for free rolls when you receive your food. They will give you a tasty whole wheat roll with your meal (excellent for dipping into tortilla soup!) *It is bad form to order a glass of water and then fill it up with soda, but nobody would notice if you did. Random observations: 1. It is gross and unappealing how they make a plate of their daily specials and then set it out near the line for hours and hours. Who wants to look at old food? Why would I order that? 2. The soda fountain is great! They always have several varieties of high-end sodas like Mexican Cola, Birch Beer, or sometimes orange creamsicle. 3. Customer service is excellent - they gave away my plate to someone else, but they fixed the mistake and then comped my next visit. Much appreciated!! read more

Nasty. Flies. Rancid oil-soaked French Fries. Out of my favorite beers. Dirty tables. Mean counter person working the register. Crazy hard to read wall menu, and a sharp attitude about asking to see a printed out paper version. Pretty certain my dining companion got food poisoning. The caramel gelato was super delicious and served by the nicest person, so she gets the second star. read more

My God the food here is inconsistent. It's so frustrating, because I want to like this place, but every time I have a good meal it is followed by a bad one. The problem - overcooking. My parents tend to get the burgers a lot, and half of the time they are delicious and juicy, the other half the meat is dry and flavorless. Their pastas tend to be soft rather than firm and way over-sauced. And their fried fish sometimes arrives rock-hard and burnt. A little more attention in the kitchen and this place could improve significantly. read more

I usually love CM Cafe, but unfortunately the South Lamar location had too many setbacks. They still have a good menu with selections from the market and seasonal specials, which is a plus. The first issue happened before we ordered. My wife and I picked out two dishes, one from the weekly specials and one on the regular menu. The weekly special was called out no less than three times in line, but when we got the register to place our order we were told they were sold-out, in a disgruntled matter (as if she had been telling people that all day). They could have simply removed the special from the front of the line, and taken down the papers all the way along the route and it wouldn't have been an issue. I order something from the regular menu which was similar. After ordering, we grabbed a seat and waiting for our meal. and waited. and waited. It took 35 minutes for our food to make it out. Every other CM Cafe I've been to had food out in no longer than 15 minutes, no matter how long the line or busy the restaurant. It's disappointing having to wait that long at a "quick service" location to get your food. When our food did eventually get out, it was cold and not good. This is another drastic change from the other CM Cafe's. I've never had a bad dish there, but both our dishes were below average, tasteless and cold. The Market at South Lamar is really good, so I'd say next time you're looking for food here, just get something from the Market itself and grab a seat. If you're looking for a good CM Cafe, head up to North Lamar. You won't regret it. read more

The breakfast, the fries, and the pizza here are awesome. I am a biscuits and gravy connoisseur and lemme tell ya, these could win some awards. I order a half order of biscuits and gravy and two eggs over medium and then dump the eggs on top. It is cray. The French toast is also baller. Lunch and dinner menu is good and this could be considered a good place for a group as the food and drink offerings are diverse and you can easily order separate at the counter and eat all together as a group. I am always a big fan of a place where you can buy alcohol at grocery store prices and eat delicious restaurant food, kinda like byob style. HEB is awesome and so is central market, this cafe is no exception. Plus the live music is great! read more

Central Market - Half order of biscuits and gravy with two eggs over medium- amazing! - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

I like the Central Market in South Austin a bit better. To me it has a few different items than the other Austin location. However, I love the produce, desserts and chocolate section. read more

I have mixed feelings about Central Market Cafe. It's kid-friendly which is great for me, and they often have really good live music which makes for a fun overall experience. The food is a mixed bag; some dishes are great, others not so much. The french fries are icky and the burgers are mediocre. But the salmon burger is awesome, and the salads are usually quite good. It's not been a great choice if you have food allergies and need to avoid things like dairy, soy, or gluten. The servers have become somewhat more knowledgeable about the contents of the food, but it's still hit or miss. It will continue to be a weeknight go-to spot for me and the fam, but I'm not as excited about it as I wish I was. read more

I am not sure why the Central Market Cafe is sitting at 3 stars ... I personally think it is better than 3 stars. But hey - I understand we are all entitled to our opinion ... so here is mine.... Central Market is across the street from my job, which is awesome! I always have the option of something decently healthy .... right?! Right. That does not always happen but anyway. It is totally green hatch chili season and I have discovered my love of these over the past year or so. This means that Central Market and Central Market cafe have green hatch chili everything! In the cafe before the line they have all the specialty items sitting out and I decided to go for the green hatch chili pizza! It looked pretty good. I got the pizza with a drink and it was a little pricey i thought ... $14. When it was done and I went up to get it from the counter and I was pleasantly surprised how awesome and yummy it looked! Way better than the one I saw sitting out at the front of the line. I then got to my table and sat down .... took my pictures for yelp - duh! ... and then took my first bite ..... it was soooooo good!! I could only eat 3 pieces and there were 8 and it was probably a 10-12 inch pizza, so I had left overs, which made me feel better about spending the 14 bucks on it. Anyway over the past 4 years I will sporadically go into the cafe for dinner or lunch and have had nothing but pleasant experiences. I love it when I run into live music in the cafe too! I believe the live music is Thursday-Saturday. For a grocery store cafe this Central Market cafe is doing well in my opinion. read more

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There's not a lot I can add to the prior reviews. Except that the food is good, the prices are fair, and (here's one thing too many diners, alas, seem to be ignorant about) it's one of the few places you can eat (other than a real coffee shop) AND hang out (i.e., read, do your homework, work on your computer). Sure, there are LOTS of restaurants with Wi-Fi these days. But hogging a table in a server's four- or five-table section during the lunch rush is tantamount to stealing. In full-service restaurants, you need to leave as soon as you're done eating, or else be prepared to make up for your camping trip with a hefty tip. (Oh, and if you think 20 percent is "hefty," you really shouldn't be eating out.) But none of this matters at The Central Market Cafe. Take a book. Uncork the bottle of wine you just bought and ask for a plastic cup. Or, hell, take your groceries over to a table and start eating. And if there's a band playing, enjoy the music. This is truly a unique eating experience at Austin's best grocery store. read more

This review is of the coffee shop part of the cafe. I use to love going there for an Americano before work, because their espresso was very smooth and they always have soy milk out for everyone (unlike Starbucks, who charges extra for it). My only complaint, and the reason I'm writing this review (because I'm hoping they'll see it), is that lately the espresso tastes burnt. I know, it seems picky of me, but it's just disappointing to lose something that made your day a little more bearable. I still go there because the staff is nice and they are really fast. If you only have a few minutes to spare before work, this is the place to go. I've timed it, and it takes about 4.5 minutes from walking in the door to walking out with my Americano. Overall, I am grateful to Central Market for providing generally good coffee drinks, but I think if they can work out the kinks in the espresso, they'll have the best Americano in town. read more

Great pricing and ambiance for good food. Would love to have more vegetarian and raw options. read more

My mom always used to tell me to never go grocery shopping while hungry. The times I've skipped over that advice I've always wound up buying a bunch of items that I thought would be neat to try at the time because even frozen pasta looks good when you're hungry. Then after a couple of days and a few good meals I think, "What is that doing in my freezer? What was I thinking?" Because Central Market is such an awesome store, I would recommend that you spend eight bucks on lunch before shopping if you're hungry. If not, don't blame me if you buy up the whole seafood aisle and wind up with three types of brie. The money you spend on lunch will be far less than the spending spree you might find yourself in while ignoring my mom's simple words of wisdom. As for the cafe itself, I like the Westgate location much better than the north location. I've ate here several times, and really liked the grilled chicken sandwich. I almost liked their pizza. If you've read my pizza reviews, you know that's a big deal. I'm even going to go back and try a different type, because the last one actually had promise. I'll give the full update afterward. Until then, pay attention to moms everywhere and eat BEFORE you shop. read more

We used to come here often back when I knew a few people who worked in the actual store. It was also convienent when I worked in the area and I could always call in to skip to the head of the line. Nowadays, I probably swing by once a week or every other week to partake in some of their goodies. My go-to staple would have to be the Mushroom Swiss Burger. I must admit, more often than not- their burgers become a conundrum. For instance, sometimes the bun is just-right sized, others (like last night) the bun seems like it was made for a slider with a giant patty wedged between them. The meat of the burger is fantastic- and it ain't yo MacD's type meat either. It is a large 1/2lb patty with whatever you want on it. If you're not a carb person and want to nix the bun, go right ahead- it will fill you up. You'll have to find a way to resist the fries, though. Those are pretty irresistible. There are a few other lunch/dinner items on the menu I'll sometimes partake in, but for the most part I'll stick to the burger. HOWEVER. If there is a dinner special that catches my fancy- I'll definitely strike. They usually have them on display at the front. My absolute favorite that I will go after no matter what (take it to go for later if I'm just there to shop and I'm not hungry, that kind of good) is some kind of pork loin or chop dish with some kind of jalepeno peach sauce and spinach and potatoes. Whatever it is, I think it needs to be a regular occuring menu item. As far as atmosphere goes, it is very casual, but sometimes can be too loud, especially with screaming children. Unlike the CM up north that has a playground, this one only has large fruit out front to stand next to. They are very kid friendly, otherwise and I see families in there all the time. If you like it quiet, try sometime later in the evening on a week day. Also, I will save this for another time, but the breakfast = super awesome fantabulous! Eat it! read more

I had a grilled chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries last night, and both were very good. The sweet potato fries are really soft on the inside and nicely crusty on the outside. The chicken sandwich was tasty with all the toppings being very fresh. The bread was nothing special and could have been better, but overall it was pretty good. 4/5 I've also had the pork vindaloo and that was really delicious and was a very good portion size that I could barely finish. 4/5 I tried the margherita pizza as well and that wasn't as good as I was expecting. A bit bland, but still decent. 3/5 The outside patio is nice and has lots of seating, but beware of the birds attempting to shit on your food. read more

The food at the Central Market Cafe can be quite good with a lot of variety. I spent the better part of a year avoiding meats and they had a lot of great veggie-based options. For my money they have one of the best Mozzarella and Tomato sandwiches in town! Reasonably fast and friendly service also make it a good option, although seating can get a little tricky at times, noting that on some evening they have live music and the demand for tables gets a little out of hand. They do sell wine at the cafe at a very low markup, but if you'd prefer you can buy any bottle in Central Market and drink it there which can really cut on the bill for a meal out, although the surroundings are a little lacking to really enjoy much else other than a quick good meal and some live music. read more

I ordered the chicken vindaloo wrap. It's 2pm on a Thursday. Not busy by any means. My buzzer goes off 15 min after I order and I'm presented with a room temp dish. Disappointing. read more

Recently CM has upgraded their menu. They've added some old Favorites back to the menu, and some new things too! Its convenient/easy, and the cashiers/order takers and people that bring your food to the table are all pretty cool. read more

SUCH a disappointment after falling in love with the grocery store. The impatient hipster kid who took my order without ONCE making eye contact was a good intro for the rest of the staff, who made me feel like anything I asked was an imposition. Codfish special: This was a piece of baked cod (little flavor, mushy breadcrumb topping did little to help) on a bed of what they claimed was ratatouille. The slabs of eggplant were so tough and undercooked, my wife actually mistook one for meat until she cut into it. Not much nice to say here. Steak salad: How can you mess up a salad? Well, you start by not bothering to cut the leafy vegetables...just pile the big old flappy leaves in there and let the fistful of feta weigh it down. The flank steak, which might have been tasty at one time, was stone cold. I don't mind cold meat in a salad I buy out of a refrigerator case, but if I'm paying $11 in a cafeteria setting (no wait staff, bus your own tables), I think they could at least warm the steak for me. Chopped chicken salad: Nearly the same salad; replace "steak" with "cold chicken nuggets". Pineapple and ham pizza: First, shame on me for allowing my son to order this crime against pizzanity. Pineapple does not belong on pizza. Ever. That said, all the ingredients were really good. Nice mozzarella, good (not too salty!) ham...no complaints. But the toppings were just flung willy-nilly in piles around the pizza, so that it was mush in places (pineapple juice) and sparse in others. No real flavor beyond the ham and pineapple. Pretty sure I have made better with leftovers from the fridge and Trader Joe's pizza dough. The idea of having the playground right outside to allow the kids a place to play seemed really nice, but it was crap too. The windblown tables outside were strewn with dirty dishes, napkins, and old cups...much like a poorly maintained picnic area. There were bird droppings on the tables. There were hordes of flies and bees. Birds were picking through (and presumably pooping on) piles of dirty dishes. There was at least one panhandler working the crowd. I understand that yes, we're eating outside...nature, circle of life, etc. But I have eaten in a lot of restaurants with outdoor seating (beer gardens, garden restaurants, rooftop diners, wineries, etc.) but none looked or felt as crappy as this. No exaggeration: I have been to campsites that made for better dining than this. For such an inspired idea (Have customers eat outside! Let the kids play! Have live music!) this is just unbelievably bad execution. tl;dr: Overpriced, mediocre food served in dirty surroundings by unhelpful people. read more

Resting on it's laurels, CM cafe used to be a go-to for a fresh, casual and convenient meal. The last several times I ate there, however, I was disappointed. Tonight we were met with a host of issues at CM cafe that will make me seek a meal elsewhere in the future. The bread my husband was served with his pasta was entirely stale. Being that CM is one of the finer grocery stores and bakeries in Austin, you would think that the bread they serve their cafe patrons would be fresh out of the oven, at least fresh that day. My husband keeps saying "it should have been made into croutons" but that makes this stale bread served to guests sound redeemable. Apparently CM Cafe has no access to the gluten free buns available in the attached store, and I had to have my buffalo burger without a bun. I would not have minded that, but the burger was unappetizingly burnt on the edges yet completely undercooked in the middle. Not good. They forgot the dressing for my salad, and the chicken in my husband's pasta. Customer service was curt and leaning toward being unwelcoming. read more

This review is for the cafe only, not the store or gelato counter. Although both of those are awesome. I personally love the cafe, but I am upset that they took the Chicken Fried Steak off and made it only a special on Monday. I generally get the CFS or Chicken Cesar Salad. I have also had the chicken sandwich. First off the Chicken Fried Steak is really good, the meat is super tender while maintaining a light, non-greasy breading which is the most important part of a CFS. This comes with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. The mashed potatoes are homemade with a touch of garlic, pretty good. The second side, the green beans, steal the show. Granted this is because I am not a big fan of green beans (or anything else green for that matter) but they are super fresh every time. Then the chicken Cesar salad, I love the in-house Cesar dressing and the large toasted croutons. None of the ingredients seem pre-made. It is a hearty portion, with plenty of grilled chicken and cheese and most importantly dressing. Generally when I eat a Cesar I end up with some boring lettuce at the bottom (refer back to dislike of green items). And finally the chicken sandwich, which I believe uses the same chicken as the salad, These sandwiches are deceptively filling, well worth the purchase. As a bonus I will tell you the best thing to do here... GO TO BREAKFAST. Best Sausage Biscuits and Gravy ever, I am not a morning person but I will get up and take the girlfriend her every few weeks. It is amazing. I really cannot say anything other than that. Also, the Waffles are really good and fluffy. Truthfully, breakfast is the best thing they do. Spend a Sunday morning here and you will not regret it. read more

I am quite surprised they don't have more gluten free options being affiliated with Central Market. The options they have are very good, but it certainly seems like they might try harder to have more GF friendly options. Breakfast, get the oatmeal. Lunch, the Cobb salad and the Tortilla Soup are both very good. My kids like the hamburger without the bun. The bacon shallot dressing is very tasty. They have quick service and ample seating. This is a order at the front restaurant with no table service. The service staff are very helpful and though not everyone understands gluten free, they will help find another service member that is. read more

A-OK just about sums it up. Very few vegan and vegetarian choices, which is different from the CM Cafe menu just a few years ago. The veggie burger is not bad, smoky and mushroomy flavored. I didn't ask if it was made in-house because I didn't want to know the truth. My lunch partner got a chicken salad, and though the chicken looked on the shiny and rubbery side, it got neither a thumbs-up nor a dissing. All in all, A-OK. read more

Pretty good pizza crust and generous amount of toppings. I was not "brave" enough to try something special but pizza and salad bowl was just right. All fountain drinks as well variety of teas were available. Clean and relaxing environment. read more

Central Market Cafe continues to be one of the few choices along the east/west Ben White corridor for a consistent, quality family meal. I can feed my family of four for $20-30, breakfast/lunch/dinner, and usually have a box or two of leftovers because of the large portion sizes. We enjoy the variety of sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pizzas, pastas and the daily specials, and I really dig on their migas as well. Add in plenty of parking and seating and ready access to the coffee/gelatto bar and grocery store (if you want to supplement your meal with a treat from the bakery, a bottle of ginger ale or beer, etc., or even just grab a couple things from the store while waiting for your meal). My only gripe is that the servers don't bring silverware when they deliver your food, making a trek across the large dining room mandatory after you've received your food. Also, the fact that it's in a grocery store saps a little of the 'romance', but hey, it is a pretty enough room and you probably wouldn't come here for a first date anyway. For basic family fare, CM continues to be a good choice. read more

We were considering Central Market to purchase some catered sides for a party this weekend, so went by to try some things. We decided to eat first. Every single thing we got lacked any basic seasoning (i.e. salt) at all - from the prepared Israeli couscous to the kid's mac and cheese. I got a lamb gyro. When I took the first bite, I knew something was wrong. It had that "this lamb is too old" taste. On top of that, it was nearly all gristle. I took that back, and was offered a replacement dish. I erred on the side of caution and got a burger, medium. I was given a second buzzer. No less than 1-2 minutes after sitting down, it buzzes - I instantly thought "this is not good, there is no way they could've made a burger that fast". The replacement burger was the dreaded crumbly grey of overly well done, like it had been sitting on the grill ready for the next person to order one. I took it back, and the same person behind the counter kept saying "this is so weird", like it'd never happened before. I left without eating, and Central Market lost a 50-person catering order. read more

Really great if you're in a pinch. For a $9 salad, it definitely could have benefitted with some more greens. Great selection. read more

Central Market - Delicious Mediterranean salad! - New American Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Pricy. I've never had bad food there but there are plenty of places to eat around there that don't cost so much. One cool thing is you can do or buy about anything in that Megalomart , including catch a movie, and you can hit the cheese selection at the Central Market. Yeah...it's expensive too. But amazing. read more