November 28, 2007
East Side Blues: Azul Closes Their Doors
Last week, popular East Side coffee and food spot Azul closed down for good on the day before Thanksgiving. The converted house at E. Cesar Chavez and Chicon had been serving the neighborhood since 2000 with a mix of coffee, sandwiches, and breakfast items. It had been featured as one of Austin's best coffees in both Zagat's Texas restaurant guide and hipster travel guide eat.shop.austin. There wasn't much ceremony to the shutdown - just a sign handwritten on notebook paper letting customers know that the owners had decided to pursue other interests. One is always sad to see a neighborhood hangout disappear, and we are sure many in the area will miss the excellent fare that Azul served up at fair prices. Our favorite items were the lattes (with a shot of caramel) and the waffle with lemon curd. Others recommended Azul's mini grilled cheeses, the po' boys, and their house waffle with egg.
Calls to the Azul business number for more information on the closing were not returned. While the general area east of I-35 has other appealing spots such as Progress Coffee and (further north) Clementine Coffee Bar, we're still sorry to see you go, Azul.
Azul regulars: where will you head now for your coffee fix? Let us know in the comments.
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i heard a TERRIBLE rumor, that starbucks was moving into that location. if that is true, holy fuck, god save cesar chavez.
Hot Mama's on E. 6th Street - great coffee, awesome tacos and fantastic hummus.
It's my favorite East side stop. And huzzah! They were just granted their liquor license.
Why go to Hot Mama's when you can go to Latte Dolls and get a BJ with your frappe?
mmm, a frothy bj to go....
I was asking one of the clerks at East 1st Grocery what was going on. He said the property sold for condos. That's a fun rumour.
Actually, it was sold to a developer for condos and Starbucks is the first retailer to sign a lease for retail space.
Aw dang! I'm on sabbatical out of Austin for a couple years. Azul was my favorite place in town and Margaret was the coolest, bestest business owner. I am so sad.
Their sandwiches will be irreplaceable--the herbed pork tenderloin with apple and shallot vinaigrette and the incredible chicken salad with pecans and pimentos.
We blew it! We should have made them rich!!! Feh!
Down with condos! Down with Starbucks!
Viva Margaret!
besides occasional lousy service, it is sad indeed to see azul go.
this town, i tell ya.
Hey Austinist, you totally forgot to mention the Rio Rita. It's one of the few places on the East side that you could go and get your espresso fix as late as 2am. They serve slices of East Side pies, and an old Pac-Man game table. Nice.
i had been going to azul for years, but i must say their sandwiches had been getting smaller over the past year or so, i figured they were trying to cut corners to save money. great folks, pretty good food, sweet vibe. too bad it's gone.
Being a resident of the mid-east side, I will be frequenting both Rio Rita (half cafe/half lounge, great outdoor patio, same owner as Beerland) and Cafe Mundi (tucked away on E. 5th between Comal and Chicon). Mundi's got excellent coffee; Rio Rita's got excellent atmosphere and hours.
I will miss that cheap beer at Azul, though! :'(
Being a resident of North Lamar, I will be trying not to get shot, butt raped, or addicted to crack when I go home tonight.
I for one am not sad to see it go... it never felt like a welcoming place to hang out. I'd always rather ride 5 blocks uphill to Cafe Mundi.
I doubt the first Starbucks on the eastside will make it on Chavez. Community groups are strong around there, and everything on the street seems to be family owned. Maybe an Austin coffeeshop chain, though...
I'm not suprised. I had a terrible experience the last time I went to Azul. It literally took 30 minutes for my to-go sandwich (there were only 2 other people in the place) While I waited I watched the multitude of fuzzy inchworms crawl over the counter and one actually crawled up my leg. It was gross! The staff was too busy decided what kind of music to play next to notice the worms or me sitting there for half an hour for a turkey sandwich!
from what i understand, the owner (not the related tennat) is ready to cash out. expect condos!