Texas French Bread, located at 2900 Rio Grande, offers quality coffee, fresh-baked bread and pastries and a large lunch menu. Photo by Julie Bissinger
I finally found a great French bistro in Austin. Texas French Bread doesn’t really fit the mold of a coffee shop, but that doesn’t stop the bakery from serving up a great cup of Joe.
Located at 2900 Rio Grande, just outside the West Campus neighborhood, Texas French Bread is a convenient lunch alternative for University of Texas students. Texas French Bread caters to a mixed crowd, including twenty-somethings, families with young children and older generations. The country decor and open space make the bistro a more sophisticated lunch option.
The spacious interior and country decor at Texas French Bread attract a wide range of patrons. Photo by Julie Bissinger
Because Texas French Bread is a bakery, there is a limited selection of espresso drinks and drip coffees. This didn’t take away from the quality or flavor, though. I ordered a regular latte. The latte had an extremely frothy surface coupled with a smooth taste. After adding one packet of sugar, the latte tasted perfect. Texas French Bread uses locally roasted beans from Anderson’s Coffee & Teas, according to the bakery’s website. Fresh-squeezed juices and hot teas are also available.
Texas French Bread doesn't offer an extensive coffee menu, but the coffee's quality doesn't suffer (Pictured: latte). Photo by Julie Bissinger
To go along with my latte, I ordered an egg white omelet off of the breakfast menu. Shredded roasted chicken, tomatoes and cheese filled the omelet. A sliced avocado was placed on top. Made with fresh, locally grown ingredients, the omelet tasted the part.
I ordered an egg white omelet made with chicken, cheese, tomatoes and avocado. Photo by Julie Bissinger
The bistro also offers a wide variety of sandwiches, salads and soups on the lunch menu. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday from 6:00p.m. to 10:00p.m. For dinner, patrons can choose from pasta dishes, seafood, lamb chops and salads.
Having the sweet tooth that I do, I could not leave without trying a pastry. I ordered a piece of the sour cream coffee cake. I could tell the bakers made the cake from scratch. The moist texture, cinnamon flavor and subtle crunch from the nuts made the cake taste incredible.
Texas French Bread bakes a variety of made-from-scratch pastries, cakes and breads throughout the day (Pictured: sour cream coffee cake). Photo by Julie Bissinger
The service was friendly and relatively quick. I went around lunchtime, so the place was kind of crowded. I recommend going to Texas French Bread if you have more than an hour to spare for brunch, lunch or dinner.
I actually live in West Campus, and I hate that I have not been able to go to this place. I really like that it serves as a quick coffee and pastry stop, but also serves dinner when you want it. Just the pictures alone make me want to pay a visit here.
Yeah this place actually has some hype. I’ve heard that this is a little expensive but a quick fun place to be if you’re not into being alone.