Spokesman Coffee Review (St. Elmo / South Austin)

We stopped by the South location of Spokesman Coffee – South in the St. Elmo Arts District (they also have spots in Highland and Pflugerville), and it has that warehouse-meets-art-studio energy: open, airy, industrial, and wrapped in bold graffiti. Inside, there’s a medium amount of seating and room to spread out—ideal for hanging out, but quick service makes it easy to pop in and out.

Coffee-wise, we tried their Gatomboya Washed Kenya drip and found it surprisingly mild and gentle. We also did a double shot of the Black Mass Dark Roast Washed Guatemala espresso and a double shot of the Atuunka Sugarcane Decaf Washed Colombia—both came across robust with a pronounced bite. We did notice that he beans didn’t seem to be ground fresh to order, but we saw their online FAQ mentions they roast on set days (Tuesdays and Fridays), so it may be part of their batching/production flow. On the food side, they serve pastries from Sour Duck Market and Kerlaches, but by noon on Saturday they were already wiped out—so go earlier if you want the full pastry lineup.

What makes Spokesman extra fun is that it doubles as an event hangout, not just a café. Their calendar includes a free Friday-night standup comedy residency (“Overstimulated Comedy”), weekly BYOV nights where you bring a vinyl record and they spin it like a listening lounge, plus happy hour specials and Saturday-morning “Tunez” with cartoons and mellow music—very on-brand for their “café by day, bar energy by night” vibe.