About Medici Roasting
Medici Roasting is an Austin, Texas specialty coffee roaster and café operator founded in 2006, opening its first location in the Clarksville neighborhood and self-described as Austin's original specialty coffee shop. The company roasts all coffee in-house at its East Austin Springdale facility and operates multiple locations across the city including Austin-Bergstrom Airport.
About
Medici Roasting opened its first café in September 2006 in Austin's Clarksville neighborhood — a charming converted house on West Lynn that regulars have long called the neighborhood's living room. The company describes itself as Austin's original specialty coffee shop, a distinction it earned by arriving early to the specialty movement and building something that felt less like a trend and more like a neighborhood institution from day one. Before Medici moved in, the West Lynn space had housed an accounting office, a beauty salon, and a boutique; the coffee shop transformed it into something the surrounding blocks genuinely claimed as their own.
From that single converted house, Medici has grown into one of Austin's most recognizable multi-location coffee operations. The Guadalupe location followed in 2008, serving the University of Texas and West Campus along the stretch known as the Drag. East Austin's Springdale Road location houses the roasting facility alongside a modern café. South Lamar, The Domain, and a spot at Gate 7 of Austin-Bergstrom Airport round out a footprint that spans the city from student neighborhoods to airport terminals.
Medici describes its approach to coffee as holistic — framing the craft as something requiring learning, aspiration, and genuine dedication. All roasting happens in-house at Springdale, keeping production and hospitality under the same Austin-made banner. Customer impressions have compared the coffee favorably to top national roasters, with single-origin pourovers drawing particular attention for their clarity and character.
Nearly two decades in, Medici functions as more than a coffee company. It serves neighborhood regulars, students, east Austin locals, retail visitors, and travelers passing through the airport. The founders' own story is even tied to the Guadalupe location, where Michael and Alison were introduced by mutual friends before Medici occupied the space. That kind of detail — personal, place-specific, and unhurried — still defines what Medici is in Austin's coffee culture.
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Coffee & Beans Review
Medici Roasting is a confirmed in-house specialty roaster with all production centered at its Springdale facility in East Austin. The company frames coffee as a craft requiring continuous learning and dedication, and that ethos comes through in how customers experience the cup. While detailed sourcing information is not widely publicized, the specialty positioning is genuine — reviewers have specifically cited single-origin pourover work as a standout, with one describing a Peruvian coffee as evoking purple fruits in a beautifully extracted cup.
Beyond pourovers, customer impressions point to matcha lattes and hibiscus tea as popular orders across locations, alongside solid hot chocolate and an above-average food program that includes breakfast tacos. The café experience across locations — high ceilings, ample natural light, strong WiFi, and welcoming service — reinforces the coffee rather than competing with it. The Springdale location, in particular, draws praise for its combination of modern space and serious coffee focus.
For those interested in taking beans home, Medici's in-house roasting makes retail coffee a natural part of any visit. Freshly roasted coffee is available at café locations, and the website offers additional purchasing options — though checking availability before ordering remotely is worth the extra step.
Coffee at a Glance
- Roaster status
- PR Enriched
- Roasting style
- In-house specialty; craft-focused, holistic approach roasted in East Austin
- Best coffee drinks
- Single-origin pourover, Matcha latte, Hibiscus tea
- Best buying path
- In store
- Online beans
- Check availability
- Specialty transparency
- Limited
What regulars say
Real reviews from Google — not ours, not paid.
★★★★★“This coffee is pretty good. I ordered the vanilla latte with almond milk, and it was the right amount of sweetness for me. They offer different seating options, whether you need to work or just chatting with friends. If you're in the Austin area, you should definitely check out this coffee shop; it's totally with it”
— Ally B., via Google
★★★★★“Officially my new fave spot. My third time in a row and the baristas were again so genuine, it made me hop on here to say so. Great drinks, high ceilings, and lots of sunlight don't hurt either. But it's the warmth of the staff that makes me want to come here when I'm choosing where to go. Cheers to that”
— Mich, via Google
★★★★★“I came to work in the common area on my laptop. This is a great place for that! You can sit inside the coffee shop area, or in the common area, or outside. There are a lot of windows and light, and the staff was very friendly. I had an iced tea and it was freshly brewed just for me. It was very good!”
— MotionMechanic, via Google
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the original Medici Roasting location?+
The original Medici is at 1101 West Lynn Drive in Austin's Clarksville / Old West Austin neighborhood. It opened in September 2006 and is open Monday through Friday 6am–7pm and Saturday through Sunday 6:30am–7pm.
How many Medici locations are there in Austin?+
Medici operates multiple Austin locations: the original West Lynn café in Clarksville, Guadalupe / West Campus on the Drag near UT, Springdale in East Austin (which also houses the roasting facility), South Lamar in the Zilker neighborhood, The Domain, and a café at Gate 7 of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Does Medici roast its own coffee?+
Yes. Medici is an in-house specialty roaster — all roasting is done at the Springdale location in East Austin, which operates as both a working roastery and a full café.
What makes Medici distinctive in Austin's coffee scene?+
Medici describes itself as Austin's original specialty coffee shop, having opened in 2006 when specialty coffee was still uncommon in the city. Its long local footprint, in-house roasting, and deep neighborhood roots — particularly at the West Lynn location, which regulars call the neighborhood's living room — set it apart from newer arrivals.
What drinks are customers ordering at Medici?+
Single-origin pourovers are a particular strength, with reviewers noting vivid, well-extracted cups. Matcha lattes, hibiscus tea, and hot chocolate are also frequently mentioned. The food program — including breakfast tacos — earns consistent praise alongside the coffee.
What is the atmosphere like at Medici's cafés?+
Each location has its own feel. West Lynn is cozy and residential — the original converted house has an unhurried, neighborhood-living-room quality. Springdale is more modern, with high ceilings, ample natural light, good WiFi, and indoor and outdoor seating. The Domain location is described as intimate amid a larger retail environment, while Guadalupe serves the student energy of the UT / West Campus area.
Citations & Press
Third-party coverage and sources for Medici Roasting.
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