Sometimes we need to get out of the office (or our homes) when we’re writing for hours on end. There’s plenty of libraries to choose from, or maybe you like an open air option like the Pearl. Well, for the bookish people out there, Nowhere Bookshop’s cafe is the perfect choice.
The cafe, brainchild of San Antonio-based author Jenny Lawson officially opened in September 2022 after more than a year of anticipation at the Broadway bookstore. MySA stopped by this past weekend to see what it had to offer.
Nowhere Bookshop Cafe hours
Nowhere’s cafe runs the same hours as the bookstore, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Consequently, the cafe has coffee, latte, and teas for the morning drinks, as well as beers, red and white wine, and roses for afternoon drinks (but you can order an alcoholic beverage anytime if you’re really needing one).
Available flavors for the coffee and lattes included: black currant, caramel, dark chocolate, lavender, rose, strawberry, sugar-free vanilla, and vanilla. You also have a choice between hot and iced tea. The hot tea is provided by Relyt, a woman-owned local business, and has flavors in chamomile, Earl Grey, jasmine green, peppermint, and chai.
My workspace at the Nowhere Bookshop cafe.
Peter L. Scamardo II
The drink of the month for the Happy Endings book club.
Peter L. Scamardo II
Breakfast sandwich and a Diet Coke at Nowhere Bookshop (sue me).
Peter L. Scamardo II
A glass of Austin Amber ale at the Nowhere Bookshop cafe.
Peter L. Scamardo II
Nowhere Bookshop cafe
For food, Nowhere offers assorted muffins, croissants, breakfast sandwiches, panini, and an assorted cheese box. Prices range from $3 to $9.
Guests can also get $2 off beer and wine during happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Literary beverage pairings
For those wanting a good drink to pair with their latest read, they can sign up for the Fantastic Stranglings or Happy Endings book clubs and enjoy drinks specific to the book of the month. January’s Happy Endings selection is Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen, and is paired with Moonstone Sake Plum. All book club members receive 20% off the specialty drinks.
I ended up getting a turkey, egg, cheddar English muffin breakfast sandwich, a banana nut muffin, an Austin Amber ale, and a Diet Coke (sue me). I don’t drink coffee (gasp!). The sandwich and the muffin came out warm and were delicious, highly recommend. The breakfast sandwiches cost $6 and the muffins are $4.50, the whole thing cost about $15 (but I did also buy $60 worth of books).
The bar seats around 10, but there are also tables to the side for people to order drinks and then sit and talk without having to bump shoulders with strangers. The bar itself is spacious enough to work on your laptop while also enjoying a drink and a bite to eat.
There is also a nice communal aspect about visiting the cafe. In addition to interacting with people visiting the store, the staff is helpful and encourages you to take part in their daily poll. They explained that the poll started as a joke when one day they put up “Taylor Swift or Lindsay Lohan,” but they’ve kept at it ever since.
The daily poll at the Nowhere Bookshop cafe.
Peter L. Scamardo IIThe day I went had “Would you rather find true love today? Or win the lottery next year?” Being a hopeless romantic, I voted for love.
Overall the cafe made my visit to Nowhere an enjoyable stop. I could actually sit and relax and be productive in my writing, while also enjoying a warm meal far better than what you’d find in a Starbucks drive-thru. Highly recommend.
Find it: 5154 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 7820