Best Beans

Austin brews up high ranking on list of best cities for coffee

Austinites have tons of options when they go looking for coffee.

A new ranking indicates we’re not only keeping Austin weird but keeping it caffeinated. A study from personal finance website WalletHubs puts Austin at No. 8 among the best coffee cities in the U.S.

Based on 12 key factors, Austin earned a score of 62.61 out of 100. The ranking criteria include the share of adult coffee drinkers, the number of coffee shops and cafés per capita, the average price of a cappuccino, and the average price of a pack of coffee. The WalletHub study looked at data for the country’s 100 most populated cities.

Portland, Oregon, claims the top spot with a score of 71.09.

Erick P.C. Chang, an associate business professor at Arkansas State University, tells WalletHub that the appeal of coffee stems in part from the ability to consume a beverage that may have little to no sugar or calories. But this drink has many jobs.

“Coffee has become a staple of American culture, helping people stay energized for the workday, and bond with friends or dates,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says.

Austin lands as high as No. 5 in one of the ranking categories — the number of coffee and tea manufacturers per capita.

If coffee drinkers want to cut through the noise to add something new and local to their daily repertoire, they might start with Desnudo Coffee, which won Best Coffee Shop at the 2025 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards. The young company operates three coffee trailers and works directly with small coffee farms in sourcing ingredients. Austinites can make their way down the list of other nominees here.

Austin is the only Texas city to appear in the ranking’s top 10. Here’s how other Texas cities fare in the study, including their national rankings and overall scores:

No. 22 — Houston, 55.70
No. 29 — Dallas, 53.80
No. 40 — Fort Worth, 49.99
No. 43 — Plano, 48.77
No. 44 — San Antonio, 48.75
No. 54 — Garland, 46.13
No. 66 — Arlington, 43.66
No. 67 — Irving, 43.48
No. 80 — El Paso, 39.33
No. 92 — Corpus Christi, 35.28
No. 96 — Lubbock, 32.08
No. 100 — Laredo, 23.94

In the ranking, Dallas and Houston tie for first place for the number of doughnut shops per capita, and Garland ranks first for the lowest average price of cappuccino.

Chang says that “you can overpay for coffee by going to some fancy places or even when you are in particular cities. However, a simple espresso or a good cappuccino in the morning does not need to be expensive, as there may be lots of small coffee shops that can serve you good coffee at reasonable prices.”

coffee lists bests tastemakers

Out to Pasture

New hotel and restaurant open at historic Austin 'pastures'

Photo by Casey Dunn

Henry's gives a chic, updated look to an old property.

Mattie's at Green Pastures, a Southern restaurant on a historic property with famous peacocks, already felt like a retreat from the more urban parts of Austin. Now the property at 811 W. Live Oak St. has reached its hospitality potential with the addition of the Inn at Green Pastures, with 63 new guest rooms, a private pool, a lounge, a bar, and even a whole new restaurant called Henry's. Room reservations will open Friday, December 12.

The Green Pastures property in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood used to cover 50 rural acres, but now it's down to seven — still a healthy size considering its always-changing surroundings. The pièce de résistance is a 120-year-old Victorian farmhouse that was built by local minister and physician Dr. Eugene W. Herndon and later purchased by lawyer Henry Faulk, who moved his family in and ran the surrounding land as a farm.

By 1946, the owner's daughter Mary Faulk Koock and her husband, Chester Koock, turned the home into a restaurant — the first racially integrated restaurant in Austin, according to Green Pastures — and more family members stewarded the property until it was sold by a local investment group of more than 100 members in 2015. The restaurant became Mattie's in 2017.

The biggest news for Austinites is the new restaurant, which will be open day-to-night for morning coffee service, snacks, full meals, and cocktails. For now, it's just open from 4-11 pm, and will open in its full capacity starting December 12.

Foodies can still get the famous mini-biscuits from Mattie's, plus hot smoked salmon on a bagel, a hotdog with relish, a burger using beef from Grassfield Farm in Hondo (about 50 miles west of San Antonio), and grilled redfish with German potato salad. These dishes will be served in the restaurant as well as to guests in their rooms. Small plates like charcuterie boards and oysters will be available at the pool.

Henry's at Green Pastures hotdog Not everything at Green Pastures is fancy.Photo by Jessica Stephens

Cocktails aren't relegated to the nighttime hours. Guests can order a breakfast martini with gin, red berry liqueur, lemon and strawberry jam; then they can come back at lunch or dinner for a Hugo Spritz or a signature cocktail. Draft cocktails like an Artemis Cup, Back Porch Tea, and Espresso Martini keep things simple and can be served without alcohol.

For travelers and staycationers, the guest rooms and nine suites in the newly constructed, three-story hotel offer a "quiet, restorative retreat," according to a press release. Both room styles show off high ceilings and windows that maximize that height, plus hardwood floors, marble sinks, anddeep bathtubs. The suites are all named after wildlife that might be found on the property, and the building is shaped like an "L" to work around existing live oaks. Even parking is out of the way, hidden underground.

Inn at Green Pastures guest rooms The guest rooms keep things simple and serene.Photo by Casey Dunn

The new structure was designed by the highly regarded local architecture firm Clayton Korte. Its many recognizable projects include other historically sensitive builds, like major renovations just announced in November at Austin's Paramount and State Theatres. On the interior, local design studio Noah Marion is responsible for leather goods around the property including catchall tray, decor, games, apparel, and more that will all be for sale to guests.

Completing the resort feel, a luxury spa is planned for a 2028 opening.

Finally, the property will also be available for events, including weddings, with access to its gardens, event hall at Mattie's, and Green Pastures ballroom. A cottage also provides a space to get ready for the events to come.

Inn at Green Pastures The new addition looks nothing like the Victorian farmhouse it accompanies.Photo by Casey Dunn

“The Inn at Green Pastures is our way of offering guests a deeper connection to this special place,” said Jeff Trigger, chairman of the investor board and president of La Corsha Hospitality Group, in a press release. “Whether you're here for a wedding, a quiet getaway or drinks at Henry’s, we want every stay to feel personal, elevated and rooted in the beauty of Austin.”

Rooms at the Inn at Green Pastures start at $395.

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Best Beans

Austin brews up high ranking on list of best cities for coffee

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