THIS AUSTIN COFFEE TRUCK UNITES TOURISTS AND LOCALS ALIKE
Welcome to the Scene Report, a column in which Eater captures the vibe of a notable Austin restaurant at a specific moment in time. You can read other scene reports here, here, here, and here.
Desnudo Coffee has clearly struck a chord with the coffee die-hards in Austin. The micro-roastery and coffee truck on Webberville Road comes from co-owners and brothers Sergio and Juan Trujillo, who work with small farms in Colombia. This way, they can give business directly to the farmers and buy coffee beans that aren’t available anywhere else. Since it opened in 2022, it’s become a morning gathering spot for all sorts.
The first time I went to Desnudo over the summer, I was incredulous that people were waiting in this long line for coffee. But soon, I understood. Here’s the scene at Desnudo at 8:45 a.m. on a Thursday in mid-September.
The vibe: Despite the lack of pending morning caffeine, it’s almost impossible to be in a bad mood at Desnudo. The truck is located in a nice little food truck park that includes Veracruz and others, and has many seating options (a patio, benches, high-top tables). Note that if you want tacos, it’s best to order before getting in line for Desnudo to minimize wait times.
The vibes are high. Desnudo’s loud-but-not-too-loud speakers were playing peppy, groovy tunes from Australian electro-pop band Parcels. Co-owner Juan Trujillo, possibly the friendliest person on the planet, was making his way through the line offering samples of cold brew and chitchat (if he is working the register, prepare to get a nickname in the Spanish diminutive — mine was Erincita). The crowd here definitely skews younger, and while a good chunk of the people are clearly tourists who Googled “best coffee in Austin” and now huddle around their phones figuring out the day’s plans. The rest are locals from all walks of life: the tech bros, the parents, the weirdos. The cashier will ask how your day is going and genuinely mean it. Everyone seems happy to be there. It might have been 85 degrees, but the sun was shining on another beautiful day in Austin.
The line: Earlier is better at Desnudo, as the line to get a morning caffeine jolt can get quite long, especially on the weekends (I’ve seen it wrap around the entire food truck park on Fridays). You’ll wait in line to order from one or two cashiers, and then wait for your drink, but no one seems bothered by the wait. Either due to luck or because Desnudo just opened a second truck downtown, I was in and out in under half an hour on this trip.
What to order: While Desnudo has all the standard coffee drinks, people come here for the specials — which may be a little more expensive, but are definitely worth it. The brown sugar-miso latte ($6.45) is hugely popular. I am generally not one for sugary bullshit in my coffee drinks, but the little hint of umami makes the drink a winner. People also like the matcha ($5.75) and the summertime Lili Peach drink — coffee with fermented peaches and honey with peach cream, although it is now off the menu and will be replaced by a fall drink soon. Purists should also ask Juan which cold brew to try, as the carefully sourced beans produce unique coffee.
The only food Desnudo offers is chocolate chip cookies, made with brown butter, toffee, pecans, and chocolate. In the same way that the brothers ethically source coffee beans, they make their own chocolate. Get two.
Why go: Desnudo is the place to go if you want a true pick-me-up in the morning. You feel good about supporting the product and the people, the coffee is incredible, and you will leave with a smile on your face.
2024-10-01T15:40:44Z
