Food: Juicebox + Soup Peddler Now Open In South Austin

Courtesy of Juicebox&SoupPeddler

As legend has it, the two men were lunching at nearby Phoenicia Bakery many months ago -- and who knows, maybe it was the hummus talking -- but they decided it would be a fine idea to set up a juice/soup shop together. And set it up, they did.

Their new storefront, designed by Michael Hsu, has a bright and economical look, cool in an urban-Tokyo kind of way. The place is small because it's intended, mostly, as a takeaway joint. But it has a sheltered, wood-laden patio where you can comfortably sit and eat, and a (soon-to-be) fence that offers visual protection from the automotive frenzy of the area.

Still, Juicebox&SoupPeddler's menu is arguably the greater enticement: most items are under $6. The menu, by the way, is greater than the sum of its parts: not quite Daily Juice, not quite Soup Peddler... something new and different.

On the soup side of things, you will now be able to get Soup Peddler soup on demand. (Previous to this, Soup Peddler soups have only been available through online order and delivery.) Bowls of veggie soup at Juicebox&SoupPeddler start at $4.50, and chicken, poultry and seafood soups run a dollar or two more. The soup menu will rotate daily, with the selections determined -- to an extent -- by what's happening at the Soup Peddler commissary kitchen on Mary Street in South Austin.

This week, it's a fair bet that you'll find Mulligatawny (a curried lentil and vegetable soup) and Ribbolita (Tuscan bread soup) at Juicebox. But who can say, really? As David Ansel told us, one advantage his new shop confers is that he can -- at long last -- make a batch of soup in the morning, and serve it that same day. In which case you might just have to stop by the new place to see what's on tap!

Which brings us to juice. Matt Shook, co-owner of Daily Juice, is helming the cool-liquids side of Juicebox&SoupPeddler's operation. When Matt helped create the Daily Juice menu a few years ago, he understood that it would broadcast almost alchemical flavor complexity to anyone who gazed upon it. By contrast, his new, pared-down juice menu excels in simple goodness.

All Juicebox&SoupPeddler drinks, with the exception of shots, are one (big) size, 18 oz., and most drinks contain only two or three ingredients. For example, the fruit smoothies are built with just watermelon+strawberry, acai+banana, etc. These are $4.50 each. For the same price, Juicebox&SoupPeddler also offers single-selection fresh-squeezed juices like pineapple, orange, watermelon, carrot or apple.

Juice specials are $4.95; you might go for the Master Po, with cucumber, mint and greens. Smoothie specials are $5.95; we imagine the Rip Torn will be instantly popular: banana, blueberry, whey and hemp protein, flax meal and peanut butter -- a cousin to the much-loved Daily Juice Subliminator.

As at the Daily Juice, you'll be able to get add-ins, and a number of the standard DJ shots - yerba mate, wheatgrass, and the like - will also be available at Juicebox&SoupPeddler.

Last but not least, Juicebox&SoupPeddler will serve a few side salads with grains and nuts, and, at breakfast time, you can probably expect to see a croissant-type treat. So those of you whose very favorite thing is chewing can still leave satisfied.

Hot tip: You might want to follow these guys on the tweeter -- they do giveaways. David is @souppeddler and Matt is @juiceboxaustin.

Juicebox&SoupPeddler is located at 2801 South Lamar. It's open 7 days a week, from 7am-9pm. It opens at 8am on Sundays. Phone is 512-444-SOUP. Aww...