Lift Cafe

Elite '08

66

209

Dawn B.

Austin, TX

looking for a quick bite to eat?  try the don vito vegan wrap.  it has hummus, couscous, carrots, spinach, sprouts and cucumbers in a spinach wrap.  

i'm still full 3 hours later.

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Elite '08

307

421

Tara M.

Austin, TX

This is my new favorite place near Lady Bird Lake to fuel up before a run or refuel after.

In addition to a HUGE selection of fresh fruits and juices to build your own perfect smoothie, they also serve fresh sandwiches and wraps made in house and bagels and muffins purchased locally. And, they recently started serving Taco Deli breakfast tacos! till 11AM or when sold out:(

If I stop here before a run I like to grab a Refried Black Bean and Monterrey Jack Taco and a fresh squeezed orange juice.  After a run I go for a refreshing smoothie. My favorite so far is the strawberries, kiwi and banana blended with orange juice - Yummmy!

They have a large covered out door seating area that wraps around from the front to the back with plenty of room between tables and they are dog friendly or at least don't enforce the rules if they are not.  And they have a little stand on the outside that you can get coffee refills at - convenient for those of us with dog in tow.

And they have a large covered parking garage - look for the "Retail Parking" sign just before "Lift" heading N on Lamar.

This place is locally owned and buys local and makes you a little bit healthier every time you visit. So check this place out and return again soon to try something different - I certainly will.

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Elite '08

15

26

Kristen C.

Austin, TX

Lift puts the "oo" back into smoothie...

My eyes were as big as saucers as I glanced in the chilled refrigerator case which housed a plethora of brightly colored fruits of normal and tropical varieties. Mangos! Strawberries! Blueberries! Kiwi! The choices are endless. And these fruits were real, not some slimey puree that other shops serve. Mix it with apple juice, orange juice, any juice you want.

The healthy side of me screamed yes, go for it Kristen. The unhealthy side of me rejoiced in unison ("good fruit tastes like candy anyway") Oh this was win-win. With this 100-degree weather, there is no better get-a-way then this little oasis off of Lamar. Parking is great too - and shaded.

The only downside - careful when you order anything darkly colored (such as my personal fave, strawberries whirled with blueberries). Your smile may show traces of the berry seeds and stains on your teeth. But after such a quenching drink, you'll not really care.

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0

1

Crystal C.

Austin, TX

Unfortunately, a lot of local cafes fail to make a good coffee drink.  Lift has been a pleasant surprise to the local coffee scene.

I stopped by a month ago to try a blended coffee drink, and I was not disappointed.  Today I tried their much-hailed smoothies, and it felt good!  Whatever you're doing with your smoothies, don't change it!

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1

4

Dean K.

Austin, TX

This morning I finally had the chance to go check out the new joint called Lift on South Lamar (also learned today that this area is now referred to as SoLa). They refer to themselves as a Beverage Cafe and it's clear, as you walk though the door with the cafe section to the left and the Smoothie section to the right, that liquids rule the day.

I am not sure who the founders of this establishment are yet but I was lucky enough to run into the General Manager, John Voss who was kind enough to give me the lowdown on things. John was super friendly and clearly enthusiastic about Lift and it's mission.  A few short minutes with John and you just can't help but want Lift to be wildly (weirdly?) successful.

Lift is located on the ground floor in the new Bridges Condo project nestled conveniently on the corner off the street and next to free covered parking.  There is a nice covered outdoor seating area with plenty of chairs and (hope it lasts) no college students with open laptops. I really liked the look and feel of the finish out of the interior. A long narrow space with plenty of light, seating and neat photos of Austin everywhere. Lift is proud of the fact that it is a local Austin establishment, as are all of the other retail shops within the same complex. Overall, I really liked the environment and the vibe of Lift. Friendly faces and a clean, neat presentation go a long way with me.

John and an associate were very helpful in assisting me on my choice and clearly explained all the ingredients of the smoothies on my short list.  I ordered a "Cherry Love" from the menu with a bit of a twist.   The ingredients consisted of real frozen cherries and banana, almond milk, raw cacao powder and 2 shots of espresso. This hybrid coffee/ fruit smoothie drink merged a couple morning necessities in one delicious 16 oz. cup.  In fact, I have renamed this the "Dean Machine" because it gets my motor running in the morning and even protects me from gout (a periodic gift from Dad).  

The price of my concoction ended up being close to 7 bucks. Surely the double shot of espresso was the main culprit why this drink doubled my typical morning beverage expenditure- but it was well worth it.  The Dean Machine was a hit and I will surely order it again. I might even further customize that puppy with a few other secret ingredients as to make it truly unique.

So please do give Lift a visit and support this fine establishment.  I wish them all well and will be putting them into my weekly rotation now to see if the experience holds up.  Will definitely be chiming in with updates on Lift and hope to add some pix soon.

Drink up.

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14

14

Jackie H.

Austin, TX

Lift recently opened near my home.

First let me say that Brad the owner, John the manager, Risa, Danny, Andrea and the rest of the team at Lift are terrific. From the the moment I stepped foot in the store, they let me know that they wanted feedback on the smoothies and the new sandwiches they were about to start making (the store has only been open for 2 weeks).

The smoothies are delicious with real fruit you can see behind the counter. They have sandwiches made in the store every morning. I recommend the wraps. The baked goods are made somewhere else (since they don't have the facilities there to make their own) but the bran muffin I had was very good.

Their current cups are styrofoam but are temporary until their logo'd paper cups come in.

Overall I love this place and much of it has to do with the customer-focused and friendly staff. They always welcome me and my dog by name.

I would give them 5 stars but they are having a few issues getting their wi-fi sorted out. And I'm hoping they will switch to loose tea instead of tea bags. (I will update my review if they do : )

UPDATE: I'm bumping up to 5 stars as the wi-fi seems to be fixed now.

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5

15

Yvonne R.

Austin, TX

Been here a few times already and have only had the smoothies. They rock! All the smoothies are made with real fruit, no added sugar, no ice, so you know you are getting the good stuff. The decor inside is nice and the people working there are very helpful and cordial too.

The coffee drink options look real interesting, but I have yet to try them because everytime I go here it is after a workout or run and I need a little something more than caffeine. Unfortunately it is not a place by my work where I can grab coffee to go in the mornings...soon enough though!  Only con...is that the smoothies are a little pricey, but it is a small compromise for the quality you are getting!

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Elite '08

128

259

Jaye J.

Austin, TX

I wasn't real pleased with my first experience at Lift, but Brad's review and post is really cool. I'm going to withhold my opinion of Lift until I've had the chance to try it again.

Thanks to Brad for being a cool local business owner!

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0

1

Brad L.

Austin, TX

As an owner of Lift, I am humbled that folks would take the time to offer feedback to us.  We have now been opened for 4 weeks to the day, and are constantly learning and tweaking.  Your input certainly helps.  

I wanted to address some comments from Jaye J.  First, the insulated cups we use are biodegradable, made from 100% receycled paper.  Their texture makes you think styrofoam, but they are not.  We feel pretty strongly about that.  Same reason we carry all natural juices, use frozen fruit in our smoothies (no ice), and organic products in all our sandwiches and wraps made in house daily.  We do buy bagels locally (Hot Jumbo Bagels) as well as our muffins and tea breads (from Quacks, who have been in Austin for over 30 yrs.).  We are really pleased with the quality of their products.  
Our coffee beans are roasted less than 1 mile from here (Austin Java).  We brew our coffee throughout the day and dispense it from airpots.  No "burner" like the office coffee we grew up hating.  The coffee is kept for 1 hr 20 minutes, then tossed and a new batch is brewed.  We do serve a House Blend, which is primarliy Latin and S. American beans with some Sumatran mixed in.  We also brew single origin coffees daily.  These could be Latin American, S American, African or Pacific coffees.  The tastes of these vary greatly.  Jaye - I would like to invite you back to have a cup of coffee again, on me.  Then, tell me or the staff what you think and keep the emails coming.

Thanks!
Brad

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