Summer Moon Coffee Impresses Locals with Unique Flavors
The Wintermoon Coffee, with Moon Milk, was in a cup that featured Summer Moon’s signature logo.
Immediately outside the entrance, there is a small seating area where customers can enjoy their drinks in an outdoor environment.
The outside of the coffee shop features a very simple and small sign, as it is part of the larger Avery Ranch shopping complex.
The main seating area was small and lit up with dimmed yellow lights, creating a secluded environment for socializing.
The menu features hot and cold drinks and snacks, including breakfast tacos and sandwiches.
The blackboard menus were easily visible from the seating area and customers could receive their drinks from a long bar counter.
The upstairs seating area was cozy and more intimate than downstairs, but much smaller.
Soothing dimmed lights shined through the hardwood ceiling creating a relaxed ambience that settled around me as I entered Summer Moon Coffee. Founded in 2002 in Austin, Summer Moon Coffee was opened as a simple family-owned coffee bar. Soon, however, the company expanded rapidly and started coffee roasting over wood. As one of the only coffee shops that roasts their own coffee in this unique method, Summer Moon Coffee increased in popularity dramatically. Now, they have 18 locations all across Texas and are still expanding. One of their most popular locations is the Avery Ranch location, which is the one that I visited.
Aesthetic menus on blackboards were immediately visible and chill rock music pumped through the speakers. Every table in the shop was full of customers studying or conversing with friends. Upstairs was a cozy seating area and outside there were a couple of tables, which were all full. It was two in the afternoon on a Sunday, so it made sense for the coffee shop to be filled to the brim with students studying and catching up on last minute homework before Monday. A small merchandise shop was also in the corner, with t-shirts and branded hydroflasks. Overall, Summer Moon Coffee gave off very comfortable and intimate vibes, but was quite loud, making the environment ideal for socializing rather than studying. Another disappointing aspect of my experience was the fact that we couldn’t find anywhere to sit, indicating that there definitely needs to be some sort of expansion with more tables.
After failing to find a seat, I ordered a couple coffees and a sandwich with my sister. The baristas were very fast at actually making coffees, but were slow in curating my order. All of the baristas were behind the bar getting organized while I stood ready to order. After a minute or so, they came up to the counter so I could finally place my order. This slow pace could also have been because of the insane number of people ordering coffee and the fact that they are still hiring, but nonetheless, they could’ve been a little quicker in attending to their customers.
I was quite disappointed by the time I received my coffee, because not only did we not have anywhere to sit, but also it took so much time to order. However, after just one sip of the Wintermoon signature coffee, everything changed. The stunning coffee blend immediately shocked my palette. The strong wood-fired coffee beans created a beautiful bitter flavor that tangled with the sweet sugar making a perfect coffee roasted taste. It had a remarkable flavor, which would only be likable if the customer liked the general taste of coffee. Summer Moon took coffee to the next level with their signature Moon Milk blend that they add to their coffees.
Like the Wintermoon, the Frozen Vanilla Chai Latte also had a distinct flavor. There was a unique combination of spices that made the latte taste so addicting. The baristas also added whipped cream on the top, which increased the general appeal and look of the drink. Overall, the latte was a serious contender as the best drink there for me, but the Wintermoon overshadowed the latte.
Finally, I had the Frozen Hot Chocolate, which tasted more like a frappuccino from Starbucks. Unfortunately, the frozen icy part of the drink overshadowed the actual chocolate, giving it a watered down chocolate flavor, which was definitely not on par with the other two drinks. It wasn’t necessarily a horrible taste or anything; in fact, it was pretty good. However, Summer Moon could’ve done so much more with this drink.
In addition to the three drinks, I also tried a Chicken Mozzarella Sandwich from the ‘Eats’ section of their menu. The sandwich was made by Bonjour Texas, not the actual coffee shop. It tasted very average, with too much baguette bread. The chicken and mozzarella flavors were eclipsed by the taste of the thick artisan baguette. If you choose to visit Summer Moon, I would recommend coming primarily for the drinks as the sandwich didn’t stand out nearly as much as the drinks did. For the three drinks, one sandwich, and tip, we paid around $25. It was more on the expensive side compared to other local coffee shops, but definitely not too costly to get a coffee every once in a while.
Altogether, Summer Moon Coffee shined with its drinks, but fared very poorly in the environment and convenience due to the crazy number of people crowding up the shop. However, it’s important to note that other locations are not as popular, thus making it a calmer environment to actually study rather than socializing. The Wintermoon absolutely amazed me with its intricate raw coffee flavor and the other drinks similarly added to the general experience at the shop itself. Although the atmosphere wasn’t exactly what I expected and what I needed to study in, Summer Moon stood out, crafting an aesthetic feel using visual and auditory elements. I would give Summer Moon Coffee a four out of five because despite the substandard physical setting and service, the drinks were unique and provided an impressive final experience.
Summer Moon Coffee
14900 Avery Ranch Blvd Suite B400, Austin, TX 78717
P (512) 467-4683
Monday – Friday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Saturday – Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
This is my third year on student press and my fifth year of taking journalism. I love to write, read, eat, sleep, and procrastinate. :) I’m in DECA,...
