Brian’s Brew

Great tasting coffee served by a friendly dude. We will be back anytime we come through Austin. Oh, and by the way… It’s hidden inside the bank. Look for the chalkboard sign.

just go. get the summermoon. still thinking about that latte. a little hard to find at first but just go past the elevators :)

Nice guy! If you are looking for summermoon’s moon milk, then this is the place to go downtown.

Not what you expect to find when you walk into the Bank of America building… worth the strange walk past the elevators though to find great coffee and super friendly service. Both the hot and iced coffees are great.

Yes, yes, yes. The Wintermoon (iced summermoon) is the best latte I’ve ever had. I can’t even–
I loved it so much that I seriously considered doubling back and getting another one in the same cup after I finished it (refill style). I’ve never felt that way about a coffee beverage before. I like that it’s not like a big chain and it’s in a very corporate-​feeling building. It’s kind of like a small act of resistance to shop local while surrounded by such huge businesses. Anyway– if I’m downtown, this is the place I’d want to go. Despite being a gold status Starbucks cardholder/​addict?
Friendly but not in that overwhelmingly-​perky way (which, let’s be real, too much perk is tricky when I’ve had too little coffee on a Monday). I’d definitely come back and recommend to friends. I know one in particular who’d love a «Cold slap in the face». It’s a drink, and definitely ask about it when you’re there :)

Had the best latte of my life! That Summermoon is amazing. I typically like coffee and enjoy a good latte, but I LOVED this drink.

Brian’s is in the Bank of America building, past the elevators and on your left.
I’m a tea drinker and they serve Mighty Leaf tea, which is my favorite brand!
They were so super friendly here that I recommend visiting them based solely on that!

Lived up to the ratings. Great coffee and great service! The cream and coffee combo in the summer moon latte was the perfect pick-​me-​up. It is worth the trip to the hidden location.

Amazeballs!!! The wintermoon is the bomb! They make their own cream and it honestly tastes like heaven. The service was awesome! It’s kind of in a weird spot. Right outside of jimmy John’s in the Bank of America building past the elevators.

I love to use Unilocal when I visit other cities and I found this place as a result of trying to find a local coffee shop near my work office. Turns out, this was a great place! The breakfast tacos were on point (seriously get the bacon, so good!) and I had a delicious vanilla-​spicy chai (Or as chombo as my fave place in seattle calls it). Guy behind the counter had never heard of this, but now he knows it’s totally a thing.
Definitely recommend, I wish I liked coffee more. I was super tempted to order the Summermoon but… blech, coffee is not a flavor i like. LoL

Just a small takeaway coffee bar, but the wood fire roast they use is fantastically smooth. Standard preparations (drip, espresso). The barista was friendly and knowledgeable. Americano was delicious.
I’d go back any time, but not for the ambiance.

As other reviews state, Brian is there making the coffee. Super nice guy executing a great idea… fire roasted coffee.
I just got a cup of drip to go, since there is no seating. Good equipment plus good beans yields good coffee. Not amazing coffee, but good coffee.
Probably return again this week. Give it a try.

Damn fine espresso. Crema was a little weak but it was served in a big cup. But the flavor… oh the flavor! Wood fired roasted, need I say more. Try it. Sip it. Savor it. Love it.

Located in the Bank of America in Dowtown Austin, in the back if the lobby. Brian not only owns the place, he is there making and serving your drinks. Brian is really nice and even had suggestions where to eat.
There is something familiar about chains, that no matter where you are, you know what us in the menu. But I’d rather patronize small independent coffee shops like this in trips (or even in my hometown) because it is a chance to meet local people and give back to the community.
If I am ever back in Austin, for whatever reason, I will definitely come back.

Brian is da man! This small coffee dispensery is located inside the B of A building on Congress. He (Brian) is an awesome guy to talk to and takes pride in his craft. Their espresso beans are wood fire hand roasted locally and brew with an amazing crema layer… smooth. I bring home a bag every visit to Austin.
I’m a fan of their half wintermoon which is Brian’s concoction of milk with flavors. It’s between a white mocha and a latte so you still get the coffee flavor you deserve.
Good distribution of espresso between the three sizes. 12oz =1 shot, 16oz = 2 shots, 20oz = 3 shots.

My Summermoon latte was quite good, flavorwise… though it is just short of cloyingly sweet. It had an excellent dark/​smoky flavor as an aftertaste, which was quite delightful and made me really wish I’d gotten just a straight-​up latte because if that aftertaste came from the beans I need to go back and get myself a bag of them. I’m definitely a fan of this place because I like good coffee, but microfoam is the second best part of a latte and I didn’t notice any.
Before I ordered, I asked what the Summermoon tasted like, and was told something like «pure deliciousness» or «pure awesomeness». It’s a bit of a hard sell… how often do you buy something to eat when the person making it cannot tell you what it tastes like. When he said it was the top seller, I decided to take the plunge. Then it took a few minutes to mix up the milk in the back room, and I was told «sorry, need to make more unicorn tears» or somesuch. Finally I got to taste it, and darn if I can’t place the taste anyway… I can’t describe it to you, so I’m not much surprised that he didn’t describe it to me.
So it’s not in the easiest location to get to, the drink has indescribable flavor, it took a while to make my drink, and I missed my foam, but that coffee tasted gooood… does the rest really matter so much?

This place is awesome! I’ve been going to Brian’s Brew for about a year now and just sad that I no longer work downtown to get my summermoon latte!

Wood fire roasted coffee? Yeah, you definitely caught my attention.
It took me a little while to find this spot. Fortunately, when you enter the Bank of America building on Congress there are helpful signs that direct you past the elevators and then to make a left. There, sits Brian’s proudly serving all the ticky –tackies (and they all look just the same)
I grabbed a double espresso and while I was disappointed that there was no demitasse, the product itself did not disappoint. It was a smooth shot, reminiscent of an Italian espresso. I think I actually got to speak with Brian or maybe he has a worker who looks just like the guy in the illustration. He told me about how they choose a medium roast for their espresso and they feel the wood fire roasting is what develops the smoothness of the shot. Clearly, they are also pulling it properly because as any coffee snob knows, even the greatest beans can be destroyed by poor technique.
The people who work in that building are very lucky to have such a dedicated purveyor on their first floor. Of the coffee that I drank in Austin, this was some of the best.

Brian messaged me through Unilocal explaining the situation of his reason for closing. I still have yet to try the coffee here, but Brian seems like a stand up guy about his business!
I would suggest checking his Website/​Facebook for updated hours (not Unilocal’s)

Girlfriend got the groupon here and so I tried the Mocha Moon Latte. I have to admit this place is definitely better than Starbucks. The Mocha flavor was strong and the cup was pretty sweet. Made perfectly that I didn’t need to do anything else to it. Just the way I like it.
I didn’t even notice that the logo was actually the guy behind the counter. at least I hope it is. haha