Word on the street is that this place is owned by the men who originally owned Mojo's Daily Grind, which used to be on Guadalupe. This was my college haunt, where I drank far too many Iced Mojos and penned some god-awful poetry about post-adolescent crushes. So it's safe to say I miss it dearly. When I walked into Epoch, I recognized the mutated Starbuck's sign, the wacky steel sculptures and the portrait of Mama Mojo, and the place smelled like strong coffee brewing, and they were playing Iggy Pop. I liked it instantly. The bathroom has epic graffiti with a Hell theme, the baristas are as nice as one can reasonably expect baristas to be, and they still have Iced Mojo on the menu. It was also surprisingly spacious- on the inside. The patio was pretty crammed. Advice for people thinking about opening a coffeehouse in Austin: anytime you put a cafe 10 minutes from UT and style it to attract hippies and art kids, expect smokers and plan accordingly; put in a large patio, and expect to have to put space heaters in that puppy come December. All in all, it was a very comfortable, pleasant experience, and I anticipate many happy returns.
Pros: Great coffee, hipsters to gawk at, interesting art for sale, decent tunes the staff will change if requested
Cons: cramped patio, sketchy location
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