OH jo's I like you, I love you, I want some more of you. .....billy ray cyrus anyone? Anyone? Anyways. Went to Jo's and had the veggie sandwich. This was no ordinary veggie sandwich... This was a perfectly layered zuccini, peppers, avacado, pesto and more sandwich. it was a mountainous delight that tingled the taste buds of even the pickiest vegetarian. On the other side of the pond, my friend had a chicken sandwich thing that she said she stops by to get, with out fail, once a week. Alongside the food was a wonderful atmosphere to people watch when sitting outside on a cloudy day like today. Another plus, the staff was super friendly. I had accidently pulled out some change in euros and mentioned to my friend I still had some left over from the trip to Spain I just got back from. The girl behind the counter got all excited and said she was going there in a few weeks. It turned out I stayed very near where she was staying, so we were all excited about Spain together--how cute. Claps and giggles for jo's. read more

Can I live here please? I love everything about this place. It's funky meets contemporary with a hint of sophistication. The coffee is brewed to perfection, I wish I could master that art with my own pot at home. The sandwiches have been very satisfactory-turkey and brie, grilled cheese, but the pulled pork is my fave. I recently discovered that they serve breakfast, I don't even like to get up early but will do so just to sample one of their omlets... read more

I haven't liked Jo's since they were located inside of Book People and that was only because of the novelty of being able to pick up a cup of coffee while browsing books. When Jo's moved to South Congress, it seemed to me like more of a place where you could get yourself laid rather than a place where you could get yourself a good cup of coffee. Jo's downtown is like that, but times 5. It's all about the scene and showing that you're made of money and less about the quality of the offerings. Let's start with the coffee, it's ok, not good and certainly not great, but expensive. You can get much smoother coffee for much less money at pretty much any one of Austin's lovely coffee shops (or for that matter, convenience stores). Again, the food here is too expensive for what you get and the quality isn't that good. If I'm paying $7.00 for a burger, I expect it to be mouthwatering or large or I expect fries with that. With Jo's, you get the large and nothing else. I'd much rather have a burger and fries from Brentwood Tavern because you get the same size, plus fries, plus mouthwateringly delicious for the same price. Or conversely, just go to Casino El Camino - twice the burger and triple the flavor for your $7.00. The staff here is very nice, but I saw a waitress absolutely freak out (edge of tears freak out) one time because the owner or some guy related to the owner came in. Total shift in mindset. Why are the staff afraid of their bosses? You also cannot find a place to sit if you come here for lunch downtown on a weekday which is very very frustrating if you just want to sit and eat real quick so you can get back to work and you come in to find that all the tables and the bar are full of trustafarians camped out all day long with their babies. If you want to pay a lot of money for a cool place to sit so that people will ogle you, come on down to Jo's. If you want a decent lunch for a nice price where people won't stare and you can masticate in peace, skip 2nd Street altogether and go pretty much anywhere else downtown. read more

Big fan and supporter of the Lamberts/La Condesa/Jo's Coffee family of restaurants in town and love supporting local businesses with such great roots. However, I was disappointed to find how expensive Joe's on 2nd turned out. Sure, Lambert's and La Condesa are a bit pricey, but I expected something a bit more pocket-book friendly out of Jo's given its casual coffee-shop vibe. Love the location, and the food was pretty good. I just didn't enjoy paying $8-10 for a sandwich that didn't include any kind of accompaniment. Is it that costly to throw in some chips or fries? I had a bit of sticker shock when our bill totaled over $30.00 for 2 sandwiches, 1 Lone Star/1 Amstel Light, cucumber salad and fries. Love the local establishment, but love paying $30 and getting more than 1 beer even more! Don't think I will be back unless prices change. read more

Honestly, only OK. I have never been "wow-ed". The food is OK, but nothing that I ever had has stood out in any meaningful way- which when it is priced a bit over regular cafe food, you expect something a little tastier. Burgers, grilled cheese, fries, salads... all just OK. Not bad enough to send back, not good enough for it to stand out. Where this place really loses points is its staff. I have never once interacted with a pleasant or friendly person that worked there. Everyone has always been irritated, curt, and pushy to make me order faster. Questions are consistently responded to with annoyance, and any special request (even as simple as "dressing on the side, please" is treated as if it is an exceptional burden. Really, I understand they are trying to be hipster baristas, but get over yourself, you're in a service industry, there will be questions. The inside/outside is nice. The decor is along the line of being a hip, cool coffee shop/diner vibe. It's nice, but the tables are not always cleaned with regularity. Birds outside (and sometimes inside) are also a problem and can be annoying to patrons. Austin Java is conveniently on the next block, and in my opinion, a better option. read more

I love their coffee. Don't get me wrong...the coffee at Jo's is always great. But...the food is okay. It's not bad but it's not good. I came for breakfast and ordered an omelet. My omelet turned out to be 90% egg and 10% toppings. Okay well maybe it was just my omelet...NOPE. Looked over at the beau's and his was 90% egg too. After you eat all the topping areas of the omelet, you are just left with this massive egg thing and it feels like such a waste. Get there earlier in the mornings on weekends because the line gets long very quickly. They have tons of indoor and outdoor seating. It's quite dim indoors...weird lighting. I think I'l be sticking with their coffee products in the future since the food was such a bust. read more

Jo's on South Congress is a summertime staple of mine, because as everyone knows their coffee drinks are the shiznit. I didn't realize until tonight that their downtown location has a lunch and dinner menu. Would they be able to cook as well as they can brew? Or would the food be an afterthought to round out their offerings? Turns out Jo's has a mean griddle. I got a burger and fries, and they were much better than I anticipated. At about $10, a bit pricey for a place where you order at the counter. I'll be back for more. read more

I love this place! It has great food and good prices! The environment is fun and easy. I could come in dressed straight from work, or in yoga pants and no one would notice. I have had several different menu items, including the vegetarian chili-incredible and quite spicy! I would only order a cup though, the bowl is HUGE and there is no way you can eat all of that. Onion rings-DELICIOUS. Also, split these with someone because again, an order is huge. They are crispy, but not overcooked, well seasoned to be more than just a batter. LOVE THESE! Three Cheeses Grilled Cheese-Fantastic and a great hangover cure. Highly recommend Also, I only had a bite of it, but the Jo's Famous Burger is INCREDIBLE and is what I will be ordering the next time I am there. read more

One of the best hamburgers in the downtown area. If you like the burgeoning 2nd street scene, you get to partake yumminess and the scene all at once. I can't tell you much else about the menu or coffee selection, but I hear it's all good. read more

Not a bad little coffee spot. However, I do recommend not getting the drinks iced. They use that little fountain style ice that melts really fast, plus they fill the cup up 100% with ice so you don't exactly get alot of drink. The hot drinks are great though. Service was pretty bad, and I am usually pretty forgiving. I went in on a Sunday afternoon during a bike ride and was one of only about 3 people in or outside the place. I still ended up waiting some 15 minutes total to get a drink. Once they noticed me at the counter it still took 10 minutes for 2 iced lattes. Went back and got a hot latte and had a similar problem. Still a cool spot to sit and people watch and its LOCAL! read more

got the hibiscus iced tea and a breakfast vegan taco and both were really good! the patio is dog friendly too

I saw a commercial recently in which a regular dude was walking down the street and this goat runs up and just racks the guy. That's how I felt the first time I ate here. I had been to Jo's on Congress plenty of times but only had coffee. Since I had never been disappointed in the java, I figured I'd stop by this location and quick up a quick lunch. Little did I realize that I'd be forking over a days wages for it. Hungry as the hippo, I ordered the roast chicken sandwich and an iced coffee (no chips, fries, or side orders of any kind) and forked over +$12 for my "quick lunch." As far as the quality and taste of the food was concerned, I couldn't complain. The sandwich was well made and the coffee was delicious (no surprise there), but for $12 bucks I had hoped to see some gold leaf in my lettuce or something. But now that I'm over the initial sticker shock, I'll be back by on the occasional afternoon out, hopefully with a rich friend in tow. PS: Jo, turn the radio down just a notch. read more

I really wanted to give it 4 stars but that undefinable IT factor forced me to go with a 3. I got a BLT which was pretty tasty, but I found the counter help to be slow and uninterested in expediting the orders (maybe thats the new yorker in me, but I have an hour for lunch -not for waiting in line to order it). Also, and I know this is no fault of Jo's, there was a lady parked at the counter in the middle of 5 stools, with her laptop and an iced drink, and she was sprawled. The area easily could have accomodated some of the people hovering for a place to sit but she made it damn near impossible. Maybe Jo's needs to do a little crowd control once in a while. read more

We went to downtown Joe's while in Austin for ACL. You order at the counter and take your little number to a table and your food is brought out. What drew us to this place was that it was the only place in Austin where we could find normal, non-tortilla wrapped eggs! I got a vegetable egg-white omelette and a coffee. Both were Yum-o. Lots of outdoor seating, reasonable prices, and free wi-fi complete the experience! read more

We were visiting Austin and tried this place for some late breakfast on a Saturday morning. After we ordered we realized we had to scrounge around for a table. Luckily someone was getting up and we were able to jump in there before anyone else could snatch it up. We then had to wait a decent amount of time for someone to come and clean off the mess left by the last occupants. Then came the 40 minute wait until our food arrived at our table. That is a long time to wait for breakfast. Especially for just an order of french toast and yogurt. The french toast was decent, but definitely not worth a 40 minute wait. My wife was pretty disappointed with her overpriced yogurt. read more

I like stopping at Jo's when I'm riding my bike around downtown. There are bike racks a few feet from the door, and I can get one of the best Americanos in town for less than three bucks. The people watching on the 2nd street patio is really great. Or you can sit inside and watch football on the giant screen. There are also a lot of interesting shops to look at nearby. It's the perfect neighborhood to stop and chill out for a little while on your way home from a long ride. read more

This is a coffee shop with a chef, yes a real chef, in their kitchen. I can pretty much stop now, but i'll continue for those who need more. I've always thought they were a little expensive for a 'coffee shop,' but I wouldn't ever say they were overpriced after considering the quality of both food and coffee. The patio is a great people watching area, and a great oasis from a day in the 2nd St. district. Inside you are going to find a great staff, Kevin managing the floor, and Chuck killing the grill. Try the chef special or an Iced Turbo. On hang-over Sundays, it's okay to get both while you are there watching Tru Blood, or whateverthehell they are showing. read more

I like this place, I really, really like this place. Though my first taste of Jo's came in the form of a "Belgian Bomber" I've soon come to rely on them for some of the tastiest, and most generous, brunch offerings around. Though I don't stray far from my migas comfort zone, Joe never fails to deliver a heaping plate of fluffy eggs, whole wheat tortillas, and just right black beans. I wear my stretch pants and I STILL can't finish what's in front of me. Now, it can get crowded and sometimes you can wait a while for your food, but what else is new. Also, it's probably best to walk your booty over rather than drive, but you need the exercise anyways. Or maybe you don't, but it will certainly make you feel better after you've inhaled four pounds of breakfast food. At least that's how it works for me. Again, nothing outrageously unique or one of a kind, but they solidly deliver delicious food each and every time. That's the kind of reliability I can take to the bank. The delicious food bank in my belly. read more

I love this place. I spent a week in Austin and this was my go to hang out and daily breakfast joint. The staff is wonderful. They knew my name after just two days there. They remembered that I drink decaf. They remembered the way I like my oatmeal. The staff is one of the many reasons to head to this spot while in downtown Austin. The food is also excellent. Nothing too fancy, just the right amount and delicious. The coffee there is also just right. I will be back the next time I visit! read more

Oh, how I miss working downtown. Oh, how I miss the vegetarian BBQ sandwich. It does get awfully busy at lunchtime, so I agree with arriving early or late, or planning for takeout. read more

I'm a big fan of Jo's. Big fan. First of all, this coffee shop has plenty of space. In addition to a long bar, there are tons of tables and booths inside. Outside has a lovely patio area with plenty of shade and even more tables. Jo's really wants you to hang out for a little bit so you don't miss out on their delicious food. I came to Jo's to get some work done, have an iced coffee and enjoy some breakfast tacos. In the mornings, Jo's does grab and go tacos until they run out. Once the morning calms down a little, the kitchen will make you breakfast tacos if its slow and you ask really nicely. I had a chorizo and egg taco as well as a potato and egg taco. They are fairly sizable and come served with a small side of flavorful, just spicy enough salsa. The tacos are everything you want your Texas breakfast tacos to be. The tortillas are slightly grilled, the fillings are flavorful and the eggs are perfectly scrambled. As delicious as they are, I couldn't even finish two because they were so filling. I really liked the staff here. I found them accommodating, complimentary and responsive. I was here around 9:30am on a Friday, sat at the bar and there wasn't much of a crowd inside so that may have helped. I couldn't get my computer to connect to their wifi and the employees didn't know why so that cut my trip to Jo's a little short. Other than a small technical problem, I had a great experience here. Oh, and the coffee is good too! read more

I gotta say.. this place is just fantastic! Has a great atmosphere, cool decorations (I love the paintings of the audiotape collections.. puts a grin on my face everytime), surprisingly good food (I've had the sandwiches and so far so good), and good coffee. This place is really work friendly which is a big plus for me... I come to work from here during the day for a few hours a day on the weekdays... and they have workstation like arrangements and free wifi... just make sure to get here before lunch because it gets crowded. read more

I stopped by here for a late breakfast and was introduced to a Tex-Mex staple of which I was previously unfamiliar. Migas. Not amigas. Not La Migra. Migas. Apparently the Tex-Mex version of this dish is derived from a Spanish egg and day-old-bread dish that looks like a convenient way to turn left overs into something palatable. The Tex-Mex Migas substitute bread with tortilla strips or chips, and are accompanied by beans (black in this case), and can be eating taco style inside a fresh flour tortilla. Migas is a perfectly adequate breakfast, but it was made significantly better with a side of bacon and a cappuccino. Seating in this location is ample. Most of the other patrons have their faces stuffed into an Apple Macbook or a copy of the Austin Statesman. The level of service here was alternately high and low depending on with whom you were speaking. Some of the waitstaff were somewhat dismissive, and others were helpful and friendly. read more

The food is great. This place is packed during lunch for a reason. The veggie BBQ sandwich is so close to pork that it oinks. The others, chicken burger, tuna melt, roast chicken sandwich, are quality, just a bit heavy on the bread. The salads are delicious too. The Greek salad, sprinkled with the right amount of feta. The roasted chicken salad covered by the tasty ginger miso dressing. The banana bread, baked in-house, is addicting. The breakfast rocks too, even though they won't serve it past 11. My favorites are the pancakes and the egg white omelette. Only 3 stars because the wireless access sucks. It has done so for the past 6 months even after complaints. A bunch of popular sites (flickr, etc.) won't load. Plus a very weak signal on the patio, forget about working outside. Come on guys, get it right. read more

I've been to Jo's Downtown four or five times now and have always been impressed with the food and coffee. I really enjoy the grilled cheese, roasted eggplant ciabatta, and veggie burger. Good fries, too. This location is much more "comfortable" than the South Congress hut because there is plenty of indoor and shaded outdoor seating, and your food order is brought over to you. They always play such great music, too! read more

Summary: Boring. Veggie burger: Bun was somewhat sweet, which was interesting. Burger itself was fairly bland and black bean-y. Shredded lettuce, ripe tomato slice. I added a liberal amount of hot sauce to flavor the whole thing up. Fries: Not crispy, not soggy. Good bit of sea salt helped the flavor. Price: Just over $10. read more

On my third visit to Austin I made it a point to get to Jo's for coffee and food. It was Sunday morning after Halloween night so I needed a little recovery food. My BLT was great and my boyfriends pulled pork sandwich was also good. I was surprised that I had to order chips separately but when they came and I realized they were homemade and delicious I was fine with it. The fries are Awesome! Just how I like em. I had a ginger kombucha tea (in a bottle) which I do NOT recommend unless you like carbonated ginger beverages. I saw a group of girls order what looked like some special iced tea drink (looked like an Arnold Palmer) and when I went to the counter to ask if they had a special cold drink I was served unsweet iced tea. I went back to ask if there might have been something different but the guy said no. When I took a final look at the menu on the way out I saw a some cold drink specialties. I didnt bother going back to the counter and just chalked it up to another loss on the drink choice that day. I would probably go back for the food and atmosphere. Not the friendliness of the staff. read more

By far the best burger in Austin! Also great fries and amazing basil mayo. I do wish that they would have different sauces such as honey mustard or bbg though! But Friendly staff (other than one odd girl yelling at customers and making weird singing like noises to herself). One girl with short brown wavy hair is probably the friendliest and most personable gal I have ever met in the service industry! Location is cute and a nice outdoor area. Ohh and they have good coffee!! ......Birds suck but that isnt something they can help. read more

Jo's Coffee is a great option for whenever you're in the downtown area. Though there are some better coffees in the area for the same price point (for example, the Belgian bomber that I got today tasted pretty watery compared to other cold brew-based drinks at nearby shops), it's still a fun place to stop in! read more

The statement "What's Jo's?" was met with a great hullabaloo of dismay amongst my lunch going peers one day, so off we went. I ordered the tuna melt, and my first thought was "this better be the best damn tuna melt I've ever had for $9." It was. To be more specific, it was heaping portions of perfectly seasoned tuna salad served on freshly toasted white rounds (with the crusts cut off- awesome!), covered with two types of cheese and various other accouterments. It also came with a delicious side salad, which definitely raised the quality-to-price ratio in my favor. I also had an iced coffee (just fine) and a taste of my friend's aptly named Turbo, which was a chocolatey, hazelnutty, iced espresso drink that I highly recommend if you've got the calories and sleep cycles to spare. read more

I frequent this place entirely too much. Just about everything is good on the menu. The staff is friendly and attentive. The location is just about perfect and you can sit outdoors on days when the weather is nice. I recommend the burger - one of the best burgers in town! Also the smoked turkey sandwich - but add bacon and avocado. Delicious! And the breakfast tacos are delicious - but ask them to make them fresh for you. Little known fact: they deliver within the neighborhood during the day on weekdays and weekends. read more

Got the turbo and it was pretty good! It was poured from a pitcher that had just been sitting there behind the counter which I'm not sure how long it was sitting there for, but it was good. Took a while to order, but it was pretty busy. read more

Dropped in for brunch. Breakfast stops at noon so it was the lunch menu. Nice vibe in the restaurant and outside. Food. Not so great. I really wanted to like it because it's a cool place. Iced latte was so weak I couldn't taste the coffee. Vege burger was weird. Nice spice in the Patty but stodgy and the bun was bad, too thick, sweet and not tasty. My friend got regular burger and it suffered from the same. Plus the meat was "dry as a chalk board". Wife not impressed with tuna melt . Friends wife liked the egg sandwich. And everyone enjoyed the Iced turbo. read more

I have been wanting to try this place for a while. I have walked past people eating on the sidewalk and longed for their fries. The hubby and I went in today. The lady behind the counter was very friendly. I ordered the griddled eggplant sandwich and the hubby ordered the pulled pork. Both were recommended by her. We shared a basket of fries. The Good: The fries were quite tasty. If I were to eat here again, I would just order the fries. The pulled pork sandwich was somewhat tasty, but needed more spice. The bun was too doughy and seemed under baked. The Bad: Our table was dirty and was never cleaned the entire time we were there even though it was obviously dirty from the people before. None of the tables were being cleaned and the place felt dirty. My eggplant sandwich was completely lackluster. My ciabatta bread was also very doughy and paled in comparison to Whole Food's delicious ciabatta. It seems like Jo's does not bake their bread long enough. The sauteed mushrooms I paid an extra $1.50 for were missing. It was very difficult to get anyone to help me. I do not know if they were just severely understaffed today, but I was not at all impressed. I highly doubt we will be back. Nothing stood out from this place with the exception of their fries. read more

Stopped into Jo's this weekend to grab me some breakfast tacos. Left feeling agitated and annoyed. Porquoi? OK, so breakfast tacos, typically ready made, so my expectation is I'll be in and out of there in minutes. Wrong. I get in line, and start watching the craziness that is going on behind the counter. I mean, it's nuts. I think 5-6 different people and all moving at the speed of jello. Really thick jello. I managed to make eye contact with one of the counter servers and give her this pleading look. Please help me! I stood and listened as she told the 5th person, we don't serve lunch until noon. Now I know there's a more efficient way to manage that (like only have breakfast menus out...yes, that would work). Finally I get served. The cashier can see how pained I am feeling and tells me, sorry, we're training new people. This just dumbfounds me. You're training people on a busy Saturday morning?! Sorry, but that's a fail. I'll go back maybe one day and see if I can make more sense of this place. read more

Love love love love! I love Jo's! This is my Sunday night hangout, as Jo's shows my favorite TV show, Dexter, on Sunday nights. As a result, I eat dinner here every Sunday as well. The food is tasty and comforting, the service is spot on every time, and the staff are all amazing. Seriously, I just don't know how it could get any better. The eggplant sandwich makes all of my dreams come true. And the hot chocolate goes down like water. Overall, this is a great place to relax, get some work done, hang out and play board games, watch tv with friends, or just stop in for a quick cup of coffee on your way elsewhere. I'm a big fan. read more

Jo's is a fun little downtown joint that has a nice Austin flair. I've tried salads, sandwhiches, and yes, the coffee. I'm always pleased with whatever I order, but I highly recommend the tuna melt and the burger. The salads are also very tasty and fresh. Coffee at the window is always a treat on a busy morning, and it's a fun area to walk and window shop while sipping. The only drawback is that it is sometimes slow, so I wouldn't go there if I was in a hurry. But why visit a swanky, fun coffee shop if you are in a hurry? read more

I've eaten at Jo's for both lunch (good hamburger) and breakfast (an omelette) and I would recommend Jo's as a moderately priced place to grab a bite to eat. Another thing that I liked about eating at Jo's for breakfast was the I was able to scoot right in on a sunday morning, find a table, and get something to eat. Be sure and get there before noon if you want breakfast as they switch to the lunch menu after that. Every other breakfast place in austin on weekends always has about an hour wait to get a seat. There just aren't enough good breakfast places in Austin. read more

Jo's is sort of like an older step-child of Austin Java. It is not as hip, but it offers a bit more class. It feels a touch more local, since there are only 2 locations. The location is convenient, setting up shop on the downtown strip of 2nd. Just do not expect to find parking after 8AM or so; Jo's is within a stone's throw of all the business complexes. Prices are a bit steep, but the fare is better than most. Service is also quick and attentive. You order at the counter, so that drops your cost a touch. Good breakfast and cool vibe to enjoy it in. They even do housemade granola. The yogurt and fruit bowl is ridiculously large. If you want to gorge on health food, this will be your cup of tea. It yielded 5 cups of fruit! I took home 3 cups, and I already stuffed myself silly with all of the sweet produce and curdled dairy product. The yogurt is nice because it is slightly tangy, not grossly sweet. Negatives: too many melons and squishy blueberries. The French toast was disappointing. It is not really crisp or moist. It sits somewhere in between... the texture resembles sourdough bread. Which is exactly what the battered bread was made out of. The batter and the griddling did nothing! NOTHING! The bran berry muffin was ok. Perfect light sweetness, but far too dry. The croissant was average. This bakery/breakfast/lunch/snack joint is a nice change from your typical coffee and breakfast taco. Whatever your occasion, Jo's has something to offer. There are some cool baked goods, sandwiches, drinks, and you can enjoy all of these in dim light. read more

The only thing better than sipping coffee in Austin, is sipping it at JO's. This busy little coffee hut has some of the freshest, strongest coffee in town. The patio is right off Congress, but doesn't have fantastic seating. Most of the time all the seats are taken. Jo's is also pet-friendly. I've seen dogs, birds, even iguanas out there! I love Americano drinks and they are superb here. Even their daily blend is good. If you are hungry in the morning, don't go for a bagel because you have to wait for the toaster, but their strudels and little cakes are yummy. read more