The NoCo
Jax Neighborhood Cafe
2828 Rio Grande St., Austin, TX 78705
Food: Pizza, American
Hours: Closed on Mondays, Tues: 5p-12a, Wed-Thurs: 3p-12a, Fri, Sun: 11a-12a, Sat: 11a-1a
Last Friday the Study Breaks team held our monthly brainstorm meeting. For those that don’t know, beer and food is the perfect combo necessary for any brainstorm session. Believe me, you just crank out awesome ideas with just a smidgen of liquid courage and PLENTY of good food.
For the past two monthly meetings, we’ve headed down to Jax Neighborhood Cafe, tucked away at the corner of Rio Grande and 29th Street in West Campus. Seriously guys, all those other college joints in West Campus don’t compare to Jax. Let me further explain.
Beer + Pizza + Music.
Magic.
You’re probably asking me, psh, what’s so special about that? So let me further explain. Jax’s food, especially their pizzas, are like euphoria on another level, and they’re on their way to being one of the best pizza spots in Austin. While most places gloat about having awesome food or awesome music, Jax can do both. On different nights of the week, you’ll find all kinds of live music playing. Sundays are designated to their Blues Jam Night where Jack, the owner of Jax and a musician himself, encourages all Austinites (especially students) to come jam with the full out blues band jamming there. Not only do you get to show off your musical skills, but it’s also a great opportunity to network with other local musicians.
Our badass server, Jason
The food is something else too, in a good way of course. The original menu offered an array of sandwiches and burgers, but these days, you’ll see a whole list of different pizzas to choose from as they continue to revamp and perfect their menu offerings. Jack, originally from Pennsylvania, mastered his secret recipe after 2 1/2 months of experimenting how to create the perfect dough. The end result? A pizza crust I’ve never experienced before. It’s fluffy on the inside and lightly crisped on the outside.
The toppings were also great. Jack is picky about his ingredients, and you could tell that the quality was the freshest of the fresh. We ordered three pizzas, all served on cafeteria trays, and they were all equally awesome. I definitely recommend the NoCo, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. The best part of the meal? The even more incredible service. Jason was our server during our last meeting (and it was his first day!). Now he’s a pro server – he’s hilarious and serves everything with a thumbs up.
Jax is a pet-friendly place, so grab a beer and pizza and kick back on the patio. Come in the evening for great music, and it’s sure to be better alternative than another sloppy night on 6th Street. Rating: 4/5
