The Purple Bean Cafe

Personality, quality and love.

This place is permanently closed. 1 star because if you close you really ought to say so on your website. Just out of decency.
The guy who informed me and my lunch companion of its closing said it shut down around the new year (of 2013). He was nice enough, but seemingly more associated with Victory grill than Purple Bean.
At least there are some nice alternatives nearby, Hillside Farmacy being one (albeit 20−30% overpriced), Franklin BBQ being another (was closed that day).

Such a sweetheart! Good sandwich; decent coffee. Cute setting. Rather pricey for a sandwich, though it was tasty. Would return.

Granted, I haven’t been to Purple Bean in a few months, and it’s my fault for reviewing so late, but after taking some out of town friends here, I’m kinda sad at the initial experience.
A great family friend of mine and his wife came into town for lunch, and after seeing all the great reviews on Unilocal,I decided to take them to the Bean for an Austin eating experience!
After ordering four sandwiches, we sat down in a shady spot and started talking. After about 25 minutes on a not-​so-​busy afternoon, we finally get our sandwiches. To our dismay, we opened our sandwiches to find that EVERYONE’S sandwiches were soggy! The crisp, fresh bread that other Unilocalers have described was not the bread that sat in front of us… I was SO sad that my friend’s sandwiches were not what we expected, and after eating, I apologized to them for not giving them the experience I expected them to have.
I may be back one day in hopes of renewing my faith in this place, but as of right now, i’m shaken.

My only update to this review is to say that I came here the other day and told LaValle I loved her because of her food and how she treats people.

Like everyone else, I really like the breakfast sandwiches, excuse me — SAMMICHES — here. But they are more like regular lunch sandwiches for someone my size. They are packed with flavor — especially love the subtle smoked gouda!
Service is fast, friendly, lots of character actually. The environment is very laid back and relaxing — much like the rest of Austin I suppose.
I am happy I got to try this place. I will definitely be back if I’m in the area again.

This place is great. I always leave this place feeling pretty happy about my experience both in respect to the food and personally. The people here are so fun to encounter that it’s just uplifting coming in here. I build my own sammiches regularly and I’ve never really had a combination that doesn’t work-I’m really digging their sun-​dried tomato pesto right now.
This place is a good go to for me on the East Side, and they have plenty of options to mix it up and keep me interested!
Go hang out and jam on your computer or rock the piano if you play!

I’m a big fan of mom-​and-​pop joints and this is a mom with a Cinderella story. Apparently, they started off as a 12 ft. food truck, grew out of it to a bigger food truck, then grew out of that to have a semi-​restaurant!
I ran over here for a quick coffee and ordered the Mayan Mocha Iced. It tasted dark and chocolatey and was simply refreshing. Like a cross between chocolate milk/​hot coco. The owner of the place took my order herself! My friend ordered an iced-​drip coffee and as far as coffees go, he’s a fanatic, and he claimed the coffee was so good he wanted a refill immediately! We didn’t get a chance to try the «sammiches,» but hopefully do next time. For now, all I know is the coffee is cheap, made with love I swear, the people friendly and all chipper, and people were constantly coming in and out the whole time we sat there for 15 minutes.
So if you want friendly, tasty, homemade in your mama’s kitchen coffee… go here!

Have to say my sandwich here was pretty disappointing.
I got the veggie one with hummus and pesto. The ingredients were all right EXCEPT for the bread. I asked for wheat bread which was standard grocery store tasteless Orowheat type wheat bread. What made it so horrible was the bread was incredibly dry and stale. Ugh.
The people here were friendly and nice but I don’t think I’ll ever come here for a sandwich again after that. Just not worth the money to eat stale, cardboard bread in a town known for being a foodie’s haven.

Quirky place and definitely unique.
I opted for the muffaletta. To be honest, I wasn’t blown away by it, but I was pretty darn pleased. The sandwich doesn’t look that big, but they’re pretty dense– don’t be fooled. The salami and pastrami were salty yet not too greasy, and the olive/​sundried tomato spread added a nice tart/​bitter/​sweet-​ness to the sandwich. I LOVED the bread– the housemade ciabatta is the bomb. Not too thick, chewy, or crispy. Just right.
Thanks to checking-​in on Unilocal,I (and a few of my other Asian friends. of course) got free desserts! I chose to get the scone. I don’t usually eat scones, but that sucker was good. It was a blueberry. Good things happen when you get anything blueberry.
Since they were busy that day, we sat in the back in the Victory Grill. Loved the atmosphere, and the place was just oozing with history. Definitely imagined listening to a big band while being in there.
The workers here are ridiculously nice. I think the owner gave us our dishes, and it felt like my mom was giving me my sandwich.
I really enjoyed the Bean because it’s just a place to relax and to slow down. Good food, atmosphere, and staff make such a huge difference. The surrounding area is really down to earth as well, with loads of people walking outside and enjoying themselves.
This place isn’t very expensive, and this is one establishment where you really are getting more than just good food. Thanks, Purple Bean.

We love the Purple Bean. The sandwiches are great and prepared quickly. My young kids are welcomed here and are encouraged to ask questions and explore.
It is one place that I can sit, eat, and drink coffee and relax with my kids on Saturday mornings. Thank goodness for the Purple Bean.

This place is pretty darn solid. The service, for starters, is incredible. The lady behind the counter was so bubbly and friendly and helpful and completely flexible with the menu. So awesome answering all of our questions.
I had a café au lait with skim milk and it was very very good. For eats I had their classic breakfast sandwich on ciabatta. Wow. I would definitely order this again. Their bacon is amazing. So thick and delicious. Fresh tomatoes and basil. Eggs were cooked perfectly but overall could have used some salt and pepper. This is a great go to place for breakfast, brunch or lunch — especially if you live near by. I’m glad I finally made it out there. With Blue Dahlia across the street though there’s some tough competition!
Note: this is not a food truck; it is inside Victory Grill

Update! Still lovin’ the Purple Bean. Did a build-​your-​own sandwich similar to the one I had last time except with fresh mozzarella instead of smoked gouda and some traditional hummus added on, too. Ciabatta, lettuce, tomato, avocado, black forest ham, egg, basil pesto. LOVE the pesto. Yum yum.
Would suggest that if you get the mozzarella, pair it with something flavorful like one of the italian meats. My sandwich ended up being so light that it was almost bland. Wish that I had added something a little spicy or salami… y.
Would STILL go back again for another sandwich. Expect another update in the future!

Don’t you just love. .. being able to get two lattes and a bomb breakfast sammich (the classic) for only $ 13.50? I do.
Treats were great. Owner was friendly and gazed into our souls @ 10 am on Sunday: «You two look like you need something to wake up!» Yes, indeed – mission accomplished, problem solved, as we hit the road and leave your beautiful City. We will return– on all fronts.

Never did I ever think a restaurant was so good that I HAVE to review it while sitting inside it for the first time… Purple Bean Café changed my opinion.
First of all, it obviously has Wifi… but that’s really inconsequential compared to the service and the food.
This is hands down the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. I ordered a wicked combo of egg and falafel with spicy hummus. What a win. The coffee was also excellent.
On top of all of the eats, the owner is the coolest, most friendly purveyor of food that I have met in a long time.
There is something about someone who loves their business so much that it shows through their enthusiasm and love of what they do. She welcomed me and made me feel like I was where I was supposed to be… in fact, I upsold myself and bought more because of her positive attitude.
This is a definite stop for someone that wants a sandwich and coffee and a reason to believe in good people at any point in the day. Oh and their desserts also kick butt.

Oh, totally a fan of the well-​heard-​about muffaletta. I was totally expecting the sandwich to fall apart while I was eating it, but to my surprise, it stayed intact and delicious all throughout. The sundried tomato spread and cheese added great flavor, and even the olives were perfect, not too overwhelming (and I don’t even like olives), and the meats were the perfect tiny amount of greasy.
Today was my first time, so I’ve never been to the trailer, but I do dig the small patio with the shady umbrella or even the small tables out in front that are close enough to the building to be shaded and a great place to wait and eat (provided you don’t think that a couple directly adjacent to you on the other side of the glass isn’t awkward). It’s like third-​wheeling with a mere sheet of glass separating you all. Definitely sit on the patio as opposed to inside, unless you just can’t tolerate the heat.
You can also create your own sandwich for a mere $ 6, and due to my friend’s creativity and regularity (she works close nearby), she knew to get the mozzarella, which I’d highly recommend on your sandwich. it’s a hearty, thick white slab, similar to that at Lucky Puccia’s, and with greens and your own spread, it’s a definite win because it’s made just how you want it.
Great ciabatta, customizable sandwiches, sweet patio, Miss Vickies, plenty of parking around, TOTALLY down-​to-​earth and friendly service. Will definitely be back.

This place probably got more praise when it was strictly a food truck operation, but The Purple Bean Café has spread its wings into the somewhat dilapidated Victory Grill, which really looks like it should be serving po-​boys and gumbo. Owner LaValle Twibell and her purple hair are exceptionally friendly and give you a burst of sunshine as you order.
I’m a huge fan of greasy spoon diner breakfast sandwiches, and a croissant stuffed with fried egg and melted American cheese is my idea of a good time. The vaunted Purple Bean sandwiches aren’t exactly like that. Instead, they’re local, fresh, and healthy. I can dig it.
I went with the breakfast croissant sans bacon. Like other reviewers, the smoked gouda (my favorite cheese) absolutely makes the sandwich, but the basil, raw red onion, and sliced tomatoes are absolutely key (especially the bite of the basil). If the food gods made a better breakfast bread than the croissant, I welcome your arguments (and no, I will not accept bagel/​lox as a position paper).
The lunch sandwiches are equally intriguing, and the Victory Grill has started rolling out a dinner menu as well (if I lived in Austin, I’d be all over that meatloaf). Drip coffee was solid. I went with the bold, though it tasted more like regular drip. The friend enjoyed his vanilla latte.
The outdoor seating can be quite nice on a sunny, breezy day, but the Victory Grill has a ways to go if its wants to out-​ambiance its across-​the-​street neighbor, the Blue Dahlia. Growing pains should be expected, but I won’t be surprised if The Purple Bean Café retains its ridiculously high rating.

This is a very, very cute little food truck, and the second best that I tried while in Austin. The staff is cute and friendly, the customers are cute and friendly, the customers’ dogs are cute and friendly, the kitty kat on the dry erase board is cute and friendly[1], etc.
There are several outdoor tables around, separating a covered picnic area is a small little potted plant garden that gives the place a very neighborly vibe.
The menu has a sort of pick your poison approach, as you can easily build your own sammich, although there are a few prebuilt sammich options as well. There are four bread options to boot, and some amazing pesto variations, including red pepper. That’s got my name on it. I went here twice, once ordering the Blake-​wich, a vegetarian sammich that was crazy yummy. There are multitudes of italian soda flavors, and you can mix and match them too. I had a kiwi strawberry mixup.
Second visit, I got a breakfast sammich with falafel on it, along with avocado, tomato, smoked gouda, a basil pesto, and yummy over hard egg. I think it had spinach and sprouts too, but I’m losing track. This time around I had a Mayan Mocha. It was effing incredible. My only regret was that I didn’t get it iced. So, so good. East Austin is coming up, and places like this are why.
[1]

The fresh, lemony zest within their purple black bean hummus will bring me back to this place again and again. It was bright and so unexpected in my veggie «Black-​wich». The sandwich had all their veggies (including avocadooo), on my choice of bread (wheat) and hummus. I opted out of cheese.
The staff was incredibly friendly, especially the young girl with two piercings in her lip, a stripe of purple hair and a emo/​bubbly personality. Very nice and relaxed. I’m really glad they have an open sitting area, and even more, I’m thankful for the umbrellas, plants and ambiance.

The purple bean has maybe the best iced coffee that I have ever had. The breakfast sandwiches are good but I should have been able to get my egg over easy instead of only over hard. It’s not that hard to leave my egg just a bit runny.
My biggest problem with purple bean was that I wanted to not have to customize my sandwich so much. I wish I could have just said make how you make it. I know most people love having tons of options but sometimes I like to just let someone make my food so I can see how it tastes. I didn’t know the menu well enough to know how to order properly. I think if I go back I’ll have an even better experience.
When I was paying I decided I wanted to try one of the specialty items on the menu… some sort of Norwegian potato pancake wrapped around a single slice of bacon. While I wasn’t a big fan of the potato pancake I was very dis-​appointed that they forgot to make it for me and give it to me and I had to go back to the trailer and remind them.
Overall I would say Purple Bean is great. I would be giving them 4 stars right now if the ordering wouldn’t have been so complicated and they wouldn’t have forgot to give me part of my order. I cant wait to go back and see how my experience changes.
I definitely cant wait to try some of the lunch sandwiches!