Menu!

Our menu is now on the Internets! Check it out here (or via our website) and let us know if you have any questions!

RODEO BEER!

What's Rodeo Beer?

Through an agreement with our beer distributors, we have the opportunity to offer lots of quality craft beers for an extremely cheap price. Every Friday at Thunderbird Manor we're offering RODEO BEERS for $2.50 each.

What's the catch? The catch is that you never know what you're going to get. But it'll always be good! Here's just a few of what'll be in the Rodeo bin this Friday:

- Pyramid Thunderhead IPA

- La Fin Du Monde (9% ABV)

- Left Hand Haystack Wheat

Why "rodeo"? It sounds cool, we're in Texas, and much like riding a bull--you never know what you're going to get. Come out and enjoy one while listening to Da Bluez Preacher, Dave Clucas, and Joseph Green, LIVE!

Big news!

Starting today, Clementine Coffee Bar will now be known as Thunderbird Coffee! What? What?! What's going on here? Why the change? What's going to happen? Are condo developers going to take over and turn your coffee shop into a 22-story luxury living space? IT'S TIME FOR SOME ANSWERS!

A rose by any other name . . .

Would smell as sweet--right? In this case, it'll smell even sweeter! Here's what to expect:

SAME great coffee, food, and amazing beer and wine selection! (Most taps on the east side!!!)

SAME friendly baristas and managers!

SAME commitment to the Cherrywood/Eastside community!

NEW name. Why? We want you to know that you can get great coffee, great hospitality, and a great experience at both of our locations--whether you're over in north-central Austin, or on the east side. We may have taken it for granted that people knew that Thunderbird and Clementine were owned and managed by the same folks, but it turns out that many people didn't!

NEW and improved environment! You'll notice some changes taking place in the next few weeks--starting with our new beer garden fence! Stay tuned . . .

On a serious note . . .

Believe me, making this change was a big decision for us, and we did not take it lightly. Here's one question we asked ourselves that we absolutely had to satisfy before making this decision:

"Can a business open multiple locations and still have heart?"

We believe the answer is, without a doubt, yes. What great local businesses can you think of that bring their unique vision to multiple locations? Alamo Drafthouse, I Luv Video, Amy's Ice Cream, Caffe Medici, Thundercloud Subs, Trudy's, Chuy's, Vivo, Hoover's, Hyde Park Grill, El Chile--these are all businesses that help make Austin what it is, and we're humbled by the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.

We're on your side!

But we understand change isn't easy, and we value your feedback. If you have a question about this change--or anything else--please let us know: thunderbirdcoffees@gmail.com

Thank you for your continued support!

Ryan McElroy and Chris Cusack, owners, Thunderbird Coffee

But what really challenges me to get up and go to work every day . . . is my deep conviction about the intense human drive to provide and receive hospitality--well beyond the world of restaurants. Within moments of being born, most babies find themselves receiving the first four gifts of life: eye contact, a smile, a hug, and some food. We receive many other gifts in a lifetime, but few can ever surpass those first four. That first time may be the purest "hospitality transaction" we'll ever have, and it's not much of a surprise that we'll crave those gifts for the rest of our lives. I know I do.

(Danny Myer, Setting the Table, p. 2)

Secrets of the macchiato

Ah, the macchiato. One of my favorite espresso drinks. As good as it is, there is a lot of controversy over the macchiato.

A macchiato, by the standards of today's pros, is a small drink made with equal parts of espresso and velvety, textured milk. If you drink it with a great espresso, like our Meritage blend, it's really amazing.

Probably the most confusing element of the debate is the introduction of the Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. The Starbucks Caramel Macchiato is, in fact, a vanilla latte with caramel sauce on top. That's it. Nothing about it makes it a "traditional" macchiato. But it is a cool-sounding name, and Starbucks sells a lot of those drinks, so I guess it works for them.

The second issue that muddies the waters on the topic of the macchiato is the texture of the milk in the macchiato. Should it be a spoonful of large, frothy bubbles on top of the espresso? Should you pour the milk first and "mark" the milk with the espresso? What is the best way to make this drink? This debate still goes on in many coffee shops around the world, and intelligent people can disagree on what works best.

As for me, the espresso experts at Cuvee Coffee, and the baristas at Thunderbird, we've found that the best macchiato is one made with smooth, velvety, "microfoam" bubbles, with equal parts espresso and equal parts milk. It's basically a mini latte. And it's amazing.