Russell's Bakery & Coffee Reviews

My husband and I stopped in here about 2 weeks ago. The word "disappointing" pretty much summed up our experience. We purchased about $50 worth of baked goods including cookies, various slices of cake, fritters and danishes. Everything looked good and had great eye appeal, but unfortunately everything tasted stale. Even the slices of cake which were sliced out of whole cakes that had not yet been cut into were very dry - to the point where the cake wasn't soft at all but rather quite hard. Not sure how long these items had been in the display case, but they sure didn't seem fresh. We really wanted to like this place, but after spending $50 on stuff that was already so stale that we had to throw it out the next day I don't think we will be going back. Very disappointing.

Russell's Bakery on Hancock & Exposition was my spot for a quick Friday lunch solo and on the fly. This is a long time neighborhood bakery and coffee shop. For lunch I had the chicken salad croissant and a latte with a slice of pumpkin bread for later. The sandwich was a thick and chewy chicken salad without too much mayo, some walnut and celery pieces and seasonings served on a hearty croissant with lettuce and tomatoes. If you like thick and chunky chicken salad this is a good one for you. The latte was lacking espresso with soul - too thin and watery. My quick pinch of the pumpkin bread was a delicious though oily pinch. Wished I had opted for the baked apple fritter instead. The staff is super nice and always helpful! Russell's delivers its baked goods, soup & sandwiches and teas and coffees without fanfare. The place looks much like it always has and that is not a bad thing per se. Perhaps we all get a bit jaded in this fast growing city full of fancy places with fancy food. We need more places to be around for many years and give reliable food and good neighborhood service. That's exactly what Russell's does without getting cute or too fancy.

The best place for a meeting or a visit with friends. Hot coffee, latte, cappuchino, and don't forget a scone or other delicious pastry. If you stay through lunch go for a Combo, your choice of two -- half a sandwich, tomato basil soup, or salad -- served with chips, salsa and a pickle spear.

First visit but won't be the last one. The medium roast coffee is sooo good and the pastries are delicious.

I've been here several times and while it's a convenient place to have a coffee meeting, either business or personal, the food is subpar and recently the service (mostly attitude) of the counter staff is very poor -- disinterested and lackluster to say the very least. I"d give it only 2.5 stars if that were an option.

Ate here at least once a month when I worked nearby. Now only get there once every 3 months or so. I never had anything here that i didn't like: favorite cake-Italian Cream cake, favorite pastry-strawberry danish, & favorite croissant-Turkey/Provolone. My friend goes for the schenken (German pastry) -he typically will buy all they have when he comes to town. Staff are very friendly & accommodating-recently when i asked for a berry Italian soda, the wait staff offered to mixed several to get me what i wanted. The parking can be problematic at times but no one i have taken there has any complaints about the pastries. Russell makes specialty cookies as well as wedding cakes. Never feel rushed when eating there even though it often gets busy.

Great little place with wonderful lunch items and sweet treats! The sugar cookies are a family favorite. The chicken salad sandwich is amazing. But it's the crazy good pumpkin bread that we love.

Came to get a few muffins and tea. I ended up ordering brkfst and it was very good. Good value and wonderful staff.

Great sandwiches & soups and the most amazing baked goods in town!

Delicious coffee and cranberry scone. Nice cozy ambience. Very relaxed atmosphere. With individual flair, not a coffee house chain like you usually find.

Very good baked goods selection. I travel to Austin sometimes and make it a point to visit. Especially on the morning when I return and able to buy from the discounted items. Nothing like paying a couple bucks and the 1 day old does not make much difference. Free refills on good coffee; can't beat that.

Beautiful Easter sugar cookies for our Sunday dinner! I stopped in here on Saturday to pick up sugar cookies for our Easter dinner. The tulips, Easter bunnies, chicks and eggs were beautifully and expertly decorated. Our guests enjoyed the fresh cookies. What a conversation starter - thank you Russell's Bakery!

This place has been here a long time, despite its out-of-the-way location and parking hassles. There are a multitude of excellent bakery items (especially the schnecken and the apple fritter) in addition to quiches, sandwiches , soups, and coffee and other libations. plenty of indoor seating and a few tables outside as well. Wonderful homemade cakes as well ($40 average). Perfect place for a quick, lite meal or snack.

First time here because in the vicinity of an appointment and needed a quick snack and meal.. Place had plenty of seating and although sign on door indicated lunch 11:30 to 2:00, the guy behind the counter told us serve lunch until 5:00. The pastry counter was full of delicious looking goodies so we ordered a few of these. Although they were good they would have been much better if we had requested them to be heated because they were very dry. The counter person was not very personable and didn't give me a receipt and I didn't realize it until later:( The soup and sandwich portion was suitable for a quick meal. The drinks were prepared promptly too. This is located on a very small corner of a busy, cramped intersection. Difficult to get in an out and while we were seated outside there was even an accident while someone was trying to maneuver in/out.

Great place to meet and enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the "people"! Conveniently located, Not much parking but excellent pastries and coffee once you get inside!

This is a go to place when I’m in the neighborhood for coffee, and my wife and I have been buying whole beans here for longer than I can remember. Although I don’t eat pastry/baked goods, they have a nice variety and lots of eye appeal, and a wonderful smell. I wish that this neighborhood place opened a bit earlier on Saturday and Sunday, but I assume they know their market. Only real criticism (and reason for 4 stars, not 5) is that, on occasion, the folks behind the counter seem only moderately interested in being there and aren’t welcoming. But, on other occasions — including recently — the servers are super accommodating and friendly.

Russell's is a good place for coffee or lunch (tasty chicken salad and soups). Parking can be a problem.

Russell's Bakery has delicious Green Enchilada Soup and beautiful hand painted sugar cookies. The cream cheese carrot cake is the best in AUstin. If you need hand decorate sugar cookies for a special occasion, Russell's Bakery is the place!

First visit to this bakery today. 3 PM on a Saturday & the choice of baked goods in the display case was a little paltry. One entire bakery case was completely empty. I chose a scone, blueberry, & was disappointed by an overabundance of sugar on the top & how dry it was, even for a scone. No jam or clotted cream was available to counteract the crumbly dryness unfortunately. I couldn't taste any blueberry-ness in it at all. And it was triangle shaped, which is predictingly annoying. My coffee mug was not clean, which bothered me even more than the scone issue. The staff was friendly but the service was lacking even though there were hardly any customers there; they forgot about our food order until we reminded them. I guess my search for a British-worthy scone in Austin continues.

Well, I only have 1 thing to say - why are your sugar cookies $4 a piece!!?? The other day, I ran in to buy my child a Texas Longhorn cut out cookie and imagine my surprise when you asked me to pay $4 for 1 cookie! WHAT??!! REALLY!!?? Guess I won't be going back.

The tuna salad sandwich is delicious. Prefect blending of ingredients makes this sandwich wonderful along with the sourdough bread. I bought my husband a sand tart cookie which I thought was too expensive but he said it was worth every penny.

Omelets, Migas, Chiliquilles, Croissant brekkie sandwich, Eggs Benedict and a few other breakfast items, along with a small assortment of bakery goods. Very good coffee. Very good service. Tough to park close at mealtimes in that whole 38th St area. I've honestly never eaten anything there but breakfast but as good as their breakfast selections are, lunch is probably an equally good experience.

Ran by today to go way out of my way to pick up a cupcake for a friend because Russell's cakes and pastries are far more delicious than anything in my neighborhood. Also vehemently disagree with a previous review that said the employees there seem ambivalent. Perhaps some may be but the ones I've met on all my visits have been at the least nice and helpful and at the most warm, helpful, caring and charming. Kudos to the employees who were there around 3pm today. So nice and fun to talk to.

Service was sub-par: they helped 2 customers who came in behind us because we stepped over to look at the pastries. The cafe au lait was delicious but the pastries were not that good. The dough portions tasted grainy. We won't be back.

Their coffee is so very good; it is strong and just tastes great! Have had their pastries and all have been very good ~ muffins, scones and other goodies. Would highly recommend going there!

Russell’s Bakery is a good place to meet for a quiet meeting, pastry, or sandwich. The service and food were good. There aren’t many other places like it in the neighborhood.

Love the baked goods here! Finally stopped by for lunch, wish I hadn't. Sandwiches are served cold (even though we asked for toasted), insufficient condiments, bland. I'll keep stopping by for the bakery. But I won't eat here again.

Thank you Russell's for your great beverages, amazing chicken salad sandwich, and AMAZING cookies. But most of all, thank you for the incredible breads (pumpkin is our fave).

Great coffee, We have been buying wood beams here for years and grinding them at home. Great pastries and muffins, cake also. Parking can be a challenge, that’s because can be busy because it’s good. Always surprised with the almost ambivalent approach of the staff. Not unfriendly, but not necessarily welcoming either.

Russell's is on the corner of Hancock and Balconces. Whenever I'm in this area I always stop here to have a cup of coffee and a sweet roll. The coffee here is as good as anywher and the bakery is excellent. Today I had a Schnecken (German sticky bun) with my Americano. Their schnecken is just as good as, or better than anything I've had in Germany. Even better, it's stuffed with our local pecans. I also highly recommend this place for all your birthday cakes. They make wonderful creations here.