Dominican Joe

Austin, United States

3.8

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 512-448-3919
Website:
www.dominicanjoe.com
Address:
515 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX, 78704
78704 (South Austin)
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
500 ftCongress and Riverside
0.6 mi#10 South Bound
0.6 mi#10 North Bound
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Bussiness info

Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Good for Working
Yes

Today

Today 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Austin) 11:35 Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Business hours

Monday 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Friday 6:30 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Dominican Joe is a community-​based coffee shop offering free wireless access, a large and comfortable seating area, and an outdoor patio. We serve a full line of coffee and tea drinks, along with smoothies and other specialty drinks. Our food includes breakfact tacos from Torchy’s, sandwiches, wraps, and soups from the Green Cart, empanadas, pastries, and desserts.

History

Established in 2006.

Drink Coffee, Change the World.

Dominican Joe was founded to provide Austin a high-​quality coffee shop while supporting those in need in the Dominican Republic.

We follow fair-​trade practices to produce our organic, Dominican coffee!

The sale of the coffee not only benefits the farmers and their families, but also provides educational opportunities for the children in our partner non-profit’s educational programs. By providing you with quality coffee and by providing a quality education in the Dominican Republic, we aim to help these children and their families rise out of poverty.

Meet the Business Owner

Sharla M.

Business Owner

The Dominican Joe concept was born in early 2005, as a partnership between Mehul Patel (local entrepreneur) and Sharla Megilligan. Their goal was simply to make a difference in the world. The question they faced: could they provide Austin with a high quality coffee shop in a way that made an impact in the world? The vision took shape in early 2006, and on September 19th, after about 18 crazy months, they opened their doors in the heart of Austin at the corner of South Congress and Riverside Drive.

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20 reviews of Dominican Joe

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
I was brought to this place with my roommate who insisted that I needed to try this place out. I was looking for a coffee shop where I could work on my homework in a peaceful ambiance and also have some quality coffee– and this is the perfect place. There were enough outlets (thank god!) to work on my homework and the coffee was amazing. I decided to go with the honey cream latte but I got it in the iced version– it was so good! It had just the right amount of caffeine, creaminess and sweetness. Definitely a $ 4 spent well!
Place rating: 4
Irving, TX
Pretty much what you want in an Austin coffee shop — I really enjoyed this place. My roommate and I loved the honey cream latte, which was honey sweet, and by that I mean not overly sweet but subtle enough to balance out the bitter aftertaste of a regular latte. I was here in the winter time with a friend and had this drink hot, but today I got it iced and I enjoyed it just the same! The environment was unpretentious, focused and spacious, with an ambience that was substantiated with music that seemed to complement productivity a opposed to being a distraction (also lots of power outlets!!). Lastly, Dominican Joe works with a non-​profit to improve education in the Dominican Republic/​Haitian area by buying coffee beans from farmers in that area – if that’s not cool enough, I don’t know what is.
Place rating: 5
Murfreesboro, TN
Best latte I’ve had in quite awhile. I ordered an iced whole milk vanilla latte with just half the normal amount of vanilla syrup. The shot was pulled perfectly and had a Carmel like finish. My friend got a hot dirty chai and it was delicious! Barista was super friendly and laid back. Will stop by again next time I am in Austin!
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Dominican Joe is one of the best places for coffee in Austin. Hannah is the best Barista I have ever come across. She always makes a perfect coffee concoction.
If you don’t know what to get… Try their Honey Cream Latte. I have been coming here for years. This one rocks!
Place rating: 1
Scott, LA
I asked for a medium flat white. They had to ask what it was saying they don’t know Starbuck’s style coffee. I said an Americano would be fine and told them I have only been to a Starbucks once and always frequent local shops. Asked if I wanted it here or to-​go. I said here. They still served it in paper cup and when I asked if they had a mug they said they did not have any the right size. Not impressed. There are several other coffee alternatives but not being from Austin I took a chance only a local place.
Place rating: 5
Katy, TX
I always try to check out new coffee shops around Austin, so of course when I first heard of Dominican Joe I had to go. But the most recent time when I went with my girlfriend, we looked at each other and said, «why don’t we come here more instead of other coffee shops?» Parking is almost always available, there is plenty of space so that I’ve always been able to find a table, and the coffee is great too. I haven’t tried most of the menu so I won’t speak into the quality of the drinks as much, but as far as a study environment, Dominican Joe is one of my top choices.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Good coffee, lattes and atmosphere. Breakfast tacos and bakery goods from Russell’s. Lots of seating, outlets and free wifi. Parking isn’t that great unless you visit early.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
I really enjoy this place. The coffee is good and the staff is great. Really a good place to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the atmosphere. A good place to study, work, or just enjoy good company. Have not had a bad cup of coffee.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
I love studying here. There are a lot of tables inside (unoccupied is another thing), and outside seating is nice when the weather is good.
Not sure about their drinks as a whole, but I love the flan latte! So tasty.
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
In the age of avant garde/​trendy/​hipster-​friendly coffee shops, this one matches the bunch. Nothing overly exceptional about the selection, but the menu is concise, and good. The food options do include Torchy’s Tacos (YAYYY!!) and a small case not so unlike what you see at other coffee shops.
The big (REALLY BIG) plus about this place is the seating — by which I mean a ton! Tables, armchairs, patio furniture, benches — both indoors and out — abound as far as the eye can see. Inside, the furnishings feature that distressed wood, ruffled pleather armchair look that you’d find at an off-​the-​beaten-​path (even though this place is right on Congress and Riverside ;)) joint.
Though I’m not in SoCo/​Riverside very often, I’d definitely try this place again considering the positive press they’ve gotten before. However, the only reason why they don’t earn 4-​stars from this self-​proclaimed Unilocal diva just yet is because of the bathroom. I totally understand that one of them was out of order, and it was late on a Sunday morning, but just because your vibe is hipster doesn’t mean your bathroom should be (i.e: dirty *cue the bad press*). This of course is a super, super minor detail, which is why Dominican Joe total deserves a second try!
Place rating: 2
Phoenix, AZ
Dear Dominican Joe —
Thanks for providing a convenient location for my early morning coffee meet-​up with an old friend. You were a 10 minute walk from my hotel and seemed to have a decent vibe going on with so many people (regulars perhaps?) working on their computers when I arrived.
The wait for my americano was longer than I’d expect, and it wasn’t worth it. I realize the coffee is fair trade, but it wasn’t good… I hate to admit it, but I ended up throwing out half of my cup… it didn’t have much flavor. There isn’t a huge selection of food at this place either.
With so many coffee /​café options in Austin, I’d seek out my cup of joe elsewhere next time. I’d say «it’s not you, it’s me,» but… it is you. Sorry!
Place rating: 2
Austin, TX
I’ve seen this place and heard about it for a while but never tried it. When I walked In I expected it to be really empty for some reason but it was actually really busy. There seemed to be a lot plugs, lots of lappy action. My drink (dirty chai fro joe) was pretty meh. I tried the hurbs and his was pretty meh too. It tasted cheap. Like a mix between gas station and starbucks make it at home instant coffee. So if I want a place to plug jn or sit and chat I might, maybe come back. Maybe. But not in a million years for the coffee itself. Plah *gag*
I think I’ll stick to my houndstooth and epoch. Stick to what I know is gewd
Place rating: 3
Austin, TX
Here’s the deal.
Sometimes their espresso comes out bitter as fuck. And then you want to die.
Other times you order a cappuccino and it’s good.
But for me — -the reason I head to DJ’s is because of the abundance of tables to choose from with outlets nearby.
And their bloody Maria tamale that they carry is the shit.
The folks behind the counter are incredibly kind and nice and generous — -tip them. :)
Mediocre coffee but always a place to sit and decent food options… and great hours.
Place rating: 4
Houston, TX
If this rating was just based off from the drinks, I would give Dominican Joe 3 stars. But I decided to add another because they have lots of outlets, tables, and fast wifi!
I ordered the popular drink, honey cream latte. Now I came around 3:30 on a Thursday and they weren’t really busy. I usually expect some sort of latte art work because I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a nice looking latte and show it off cause aesthetically it looks awesome? Unfortunately mine turned out to be a heart-​like blob :(The drink itself was honey sweet, and by that I mean not super sweet but subtle enough to balance out a regular latte. It was okay though. My friend ordered their limeade and it was really refreshing. Not as sour as a lemonade, but not super sweet either.
The outside of the building would be great for a photo op. If you were to just look at the exterior, you’d think this would be a more upscale coffee shop. But the interior says so otherwise. Its more on the shabby side (not that its a bad thing), and a local artist happened to stop by to hang up his paintings!
Its a great study spot, which was why I came today. Plenty of outlets along the walls, so if you’re not sitting against the wall then bring an extension cord for your laptop. Wifi is also pretty fast here. Wasn’t super crowded from 3:30 — 7:30. Will be coming back!
Place rating: 2
Washington, DC
Saturday, 3:00 PM.
Quickie:
— Drink quality
+ Friendly staff
— Cleanliness
— Lagging wi-​fi speed
— Slow turnaround
+ Spacious
+ Warm vibe
And then???
We may have caught DoJo on an off-​day. Good place to get work done so we’ll be back for another round.
**********
Got my drank on:
1. Iced latte
— Watery, weak roast.
Constructive comments:
*Option to compost
Place rating: 4
Round Rock, TX
The absolute best thing about this place is that it is LARGE. There are plenty of tables and space and outlets and all the things you need to get your work done. Austin is filled with tiny tiny coffee shops with no parking and no space to work. It’s so frustrating to get in there and realize you have to leave!
So, that is the #1 reason Dominican Joe is awesome. So much space. I was there in the afternoon on a weekday, so that was my experience.
My coffee was good. It’s really a nice little shopping center very centrally located. It was nice to be able to walk right over to Wells Fargo to get my other work errands finished too.
I also really liked the music. Great music.
Place rating: 5
Houston, TX
I stumbled into this very interesting littke spot right off Congress Street in Austin.
Very good coffee, free trade I believe and very homey atmosphere. I have my laptop to finalize a couple of presentations and I have found this peaceful spot.
I am also having two of their large empanadas wuth so great hot sauce. I recommend the Spinach and Mushroom.
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Love my DoJo. Also right across from my current client, this is my afternoon (and sometime morning) pick-​me-​up. I’m usually just an iced coffee kind of guy, but every once in awhile, I’ll dig into one of their lattes. They’ve got Tacodeli tacos in the morning, which is so clutch, and sometimes they have these homemade peanut butter cups that are delightful and not too rich. The staff are all super cool. Just nice, friendly folks trying to get caffeine into your system with as little hassle as possible. Outstanding.
Place rating: 5
Round Rock, TX
The honey almond latte is still my favorite coffee anywhere. Any time I’m downtown it is tough for me to pass up stopping in for some coffee. I also tried their cold brew which I think they call iced toddy and it was also great. The staff is also always extremely friendly and willing to offer advice if you are unsure what to get.
Place rating: 5
Austin, TX
Have you ever had coffee that was perfectly roasted, had the perfect slight bitter note, but was chock full of roasty, toasty, nutty flavor? Oh you haven’t? That’s why you’re reading this review? That’s perfect! You should go to Dominican Joe’s!
I’m not a caffeine junkie. I’m a coffee taster. I LOVE the taste of coffee. I drink it so my mouth can be happy and my nerves can be a wreck! However, with such good coffee, it’s worth it!
Their coffee is organic and each cup helps the world. I’m all about that! To top it off, the staff is delightful! Each worker has their own personality, and each experience is better than the last! The vibe is also very relaxed. Come here to do interviews, study, get some work done, or play some games!