Antonelli’s Cheese Shop

I’m a fan. You walk in and some nice people start teasing you will savory little bits of pleasure. Then you buy a bit of the stuff and leave with it all wrapped up nicely. It makes you feel super fly.

I finally stopped by to check this place out after having it floating in the back of my to do list seemingly forever.
I parked in the lot and realized the the shop was actually across the street in the much smaller store and and was a bit shocked at how tiny the place was. I’m not that knowledgeable about cheese, and while I’m sure the quality is top notch I was a bit let down at the selection, as the cheese section in Central market even dwarfs this place.
On the plus side, the service was extremely friendly and they were very open about providing as many samples as you want of any of the cheeses which is awesome if you’re looking to try out some different types and don’t know why you like. I tried a 4 or 5 cheeses ranging from cheddar and brie to sheeps milk and some funky bleus. Everything was quite good and ran the gamut from mild to overpowering, soft to crumbly, etc…
In the end I asked for a half pound of one of the aged clothbound cheddars that I sampled and neglected to check the price on until my tiny .62 lb wedge of cheese rang up for over $ 18. wtf?!? Almost $ 30/​lb for cheddar? That seems a bit ridiculous and I while I like the staff, I left feeling ripped off as the prices seemed ridiculous to me. $ 13 for a small jar of pickles at the front didn’t do much to sway me from that either.
All in all, great service and its awesome to be able to sample, but you will in fact pay very heavily for it. I like the shop, and I might check back at some point, but I’ll probably stick to Central Market and Whole Foods for cheese.

Amazing variety and always fresh… a little snobby on the customer service side but otherwise great.

I went in for a «cheese 101» course, and i know SO MUCH MORE about cheese!
I now know that the fresher/​less aged the cheese, the more I like it.
The chèvre was INCREDIBLY fresh — paired with amazing (expensive, but worth it) apricot jam — definitely my favorite on our 7 cheese sampling board.
The ladies running the course were SO into cheese, even the most lactose intolerant person would be ready to gorge themselves, to hell with the consequences! Also, that Tasmanian honey? Unbelievable. The cheese instructors told us that basically, the bees are only exposed to flowers from the Leatherwood tree — meaning the honey has a singular, more pronounced flavor. It was floral, delicate, and beautiful. They were understandably sold out when we were there, but I will be back to buy several jars.
When you come into the shop/​class area, you get a sense of passion, from not only the owners, but all the employees — i cannot WAIT to go to more classes, try more cheese, and feel better about life in general.

Best cheese shop I’ve ever been in. You can try as many choices as you’d like and it should offset the rice you will pay for quality! I need to get back there!

This was a fun outing and I learned so much about cheese. Everyone seemed very knowledgeable and willing to help. We were given lots of cheese samples. This is your place if you are an expert, for me, HEB is more my speed right now.

My friend brought me here unexpectedly and I am so glad he did! It smells like strong blue cheese upon entering but that smell becomes extremely comforting as you are sampling different types of cheese. All of the staff was extremely helpful, and one lady gave us samples of duck prosciutto, which I had never tried. 5 stars for attentive staff, parking lot out back, and quality of cheese/​spreads.
P. S. Their baguettes are freshly baked from Easy Tiger!

This cheese shop specializes in small production, unique offerings from US and European creameries. It was an intimate experience with descriptions of each cheese we tried, which was many. Not once did the cheese monger shy away from providing samples and offering suggestions. Antonelli’s also offers «orphans» which are end pieces or oddly cut pieces of cheese sold at a discounted price.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this fine establishment? Antonelli’s is legit. They will let you sample everything in their store and will tell you everything there is to know about cheese. Gouda aged for three years? Yes. Truffle cheeses? You bet. Blue cheese selections that would make the Barefoot Contessa blush? Go here.
Friendly staff, large selections, and good prices. They all live here, and I wish I did, too.

Man, talk about service. We stopped in after dinner at Julio’s last night and were warmly greeted, told about the shop, then invited to try ANY and EVERY thing we wanted. One lady working took us under her wing, if you will and started by giving us a sample of an amazing red wine (seriously one of the best Ive had). I liked that their wines were all in an affordable price range for us non-​winos. $ 15-​$ 40 which is expected– you’re getting great service and a better product than you do at HEB, but you won’t spend your entire paycheck.
Then she gave us a sample of the duck speck, aka cured duck and fat. It was insanely delicious and of course $ 40 a pound. She explained that it’s very rich, and light so a pound would be WAY too much to buy, and how we shouldn’t get sticker shocked. My husband ordered ¼ pound, then she showed us how much ¹⁄₈ of a pound was, and it was PLENTY.
Next, she gave us a goat cheese, and some more samples. We were kind of wandering, as a line formed behind us. Rather than moving on to help a new customer while we perused, she followed our browsing (from behind the counter) being present to answer questions and offer samples or information. I loved that! Even though people were waiting, she didn’t sacrifice time with us to run on to the next– I think people all get a great experience here because of things like this.
The cheese was all well priced, and the information they have all around the shop was so fun and helpful to read. I am really looking forward to taking one of their classes and shopping here again.
Great shop!

So. Much. Cheese! And all are delicious. If you know nothing about cheese, like me, it’s totally ok because they are so helpful and patient. You can try the many different cheeses there and ask them for pairing advice or portion sizes. Great for a girls night or any party gift you want to bring to your friend’s house.

When you grow up in Wisconsin there are two things for certain, you root for Green and Gold (Packers) and have a love affair with cheese. It was a rare occasion when I lived in WI that our refrigerator was not well stocked with a variety of cheeses. So naturally I am in love with Antonelli’s Cheese Shop.
I have had their cheese plates plenty of places in Austin and once attended a cheese class but it wasn’t until this week that I visited the actual storefront for some goodies. I stopped in on my way to a party and picked up one of my favorites (June’s Joy), thin crackers and some wonderful marcona almonds. I love Pure Luck’s June’s Joy so much and it is always a hit at parties. It is chevre with honey, thyme and pepper. The store is carefully stocked with fine wines, craft beers, accompaniments and of course incredible cheeses from all over the world to include local. The cheesemongers are knowledgable about their products and are eager to offer samples and let you pick out just the right cheese.
They have reserved parking in the front of the store and the classes are held in the building across the street. I highly recommend taking one of the classes which would make a fun date night or girls night out.

Did a tasting with a group of girls. The quality of the cheeses is off the charts, and the tasting is as hilarious as it is informative and delicious. You will learn fun things! like: cows poo more when they’re mad! Do you need more than GREAT CHEESE and fascinating cheese trivia? If so, maybe you don’t deserve this.

This is a wonderful, wonderful place! I did not have the time I needed to really explore everything, but I will be back. They do not have any cheese that is made «in house» as such, nor do they bake their own bread, which would have deserved a 6^th star! In all fairness, there is simply no room. The selection is spectacular and they keep giving you samples like they can read your mind as to your tastes (is this like a cookie on a web site?). I forced myself out of there after going after 4 cheeses. I picked up some Parmigiano-​Reggiano, some hand packed Ricotta from Calabro Cheese Company out of Connecticut, a Robiola Bosina Alta Langa from Italy, and the magical Pure Luck June’s Joy Goat Cheese from Dripping Springs. I will be back! This is magic!

So, in a nutshell, this place is cheese heaven on earth. A friend and I came in here and had a wonderful experience and walked out with a lot of tasty cheeses and accompaniments.
We were greeted by Graham who led us through a great tasting experience. We asked him his favorites in each of the different sections, (I think there are four in the case between softer cheeses, hard cheeses and blue cheeses). He made some excellent recommendations, some interesting recommendations, and helped us pick through the extensive options in their cheese case. By the end of this funktastic journey, we had selected four different cheeses, some incredible raspberry champagne jelly, and a goat’s milk caramel bourbon sauce that makes me a little weak in the knees. I’m sure we could have been in here all day tasting and bantering back and forth — this was easily one of the best experiences I’ve had in a shop in quite a while. I will absolutely be back to this charming establishment really soon. Thanks!

Located in Hyde Park, this cheese shop offers some pretty amazing cheeses and charcuterie. When I first entered the shop, I was struck by a thick aroma of formage. So thick you could almost chew the air. It was wonderful. The shop is longish and narrow, but even with many patrons its a friendly atmosphere.
You go up to the counter and a cheese expert assists you with your selection. You can try any and all the cheeses. They happily endured my poor attempt at explaining cheeses I were interested in. Every taste was fantastic. I went there with my boyfriend and initially had no intention of buying anything. Four cheese, prosciutto, crackers, and jars of spread later I walked out a happy camper.
If you’re looking for a fine selection of cheeses, this is obviously a great option. You won’t be disappointed. They also have some wonderful craft beers and everything that goes along with cheese. A definite must for a charcuterie and formage board.

Amazing selection of cheeses and condiments — honeys, jams, wine, beer, olives, Easy Tiger baguettes, chocolate!
The best thing about Antonelli’s? The experience. Their cheesemongers are the BEST. They are more than willing to have you taste every cheese in the shop until you figure out what you want! I had the best time shopping for a cheese plate! They’re the best!
Love that they have some local cheeses as well!

They rock here! If you like stinky cheese, moldy cheese, hard cheese, medium cheese, and other varieties, styles, flavors, and textures of cheese, come here! I doubt anyone else does it better in town. They also have a number of other things worth getting like Tazmanian honey, dried blood oranges, and a pork and rabbit terrine (when available).
Additionally, they aren’t stingy with letting you try whatever cheeses and food products they have available (minus any alcohol products). They even keep a cheese log so to help you remember what you’ve had which can be very helpful with the plethora of options to choose from. Lastly, Dana is awesome and had some excellent recommendations.

This place is straight legit, y’all.
As a lover of all things cheese — string, curds, fried, cream, blue, white, yellow, moldy, stinky, cake — I was instantly head-​over-​heels with the wonderful fart-​cloud smell and stacks on stacks on stacks of this beautiful food that greeted me upon entering. & Yes, my friend and I went to Antonelli’s just for a random afternoon snack. & Yes, it was right after eating vegan ice cream down the street.
The employees are patient and let you try all of the cheese you want before deciding — and they know their cheeses. I literally even checked the back of the information card to see if the lady helping me was reading all of her cheese knowledge off of the back of it, I was so impressed. One day, I will have this same wisdom — *life goal.
Anyway, after trying about ten of the cheeses, my friend and I ended up taking ¼ pound of Dante home for about $ 10. It was dry, nutty, sweet, and rich, and tasted beautiful with some free slices of french bread I hustled from a store near home and some Trader Joe’s fig butter. Oh, and by hustled, I mean «asked shamelessly for them to please sell us only half of the 2-​foot loaf lest we inevitably eat it all» but then we got it for free anyway.
Some other favorites that I tried: Moses Sleeper (creamy & milky with an earthy aftertaste — sort of like mushrooms, now that I think about it) & the Goat Gouda (dry & «sweet, salty, and tangy»).
Loved this place. I’ll definitely be back if I’m looking to indulge in some really high-​quality cheeses or if I’m wanting to set up a really delicious cheese & wine-​tasting platter. Which is way-​too-​often and more-​than-​the-​average-​person, respectively.

** This review is specific to a Living Social tasting I participated in at Antonelli’s (Tricks and Treats on Oct. 20) **
While I have had Antonelli’s cheeses at restaurants and friends’ homes (given the to-​go cheeseboards), this was my first time to the shop/​tasting house for a fun tasting event with Amanda S. After our experience, I would certainly recommend tasting classes there — just estimate about two hours as our tasting guide was very into cheese and giving you a strong background on everything you were tasting. Cheese tasting as they described is best done with the cheese itself first prior to with any of the accompaniments that were provided with each cheese. We each received individual tasting boards with 5 different cheeses. It was filling and flavorful!
Chevre — Pure luck farm & dairy with honeycomb — super fresh tasting and I preferred it without the honey for its creaminess and pure taste
Kunik — Nettle meadow farm with Dick Taylor fleur de seal bar — it had a white rind and was soft ripened — it was good, but not my favorite
Cabot Clothbound — Jasper hill farm with Effie oatcakes and confituras apple butter — the cheese itself was amazing, but the combination of all three was outstanding — the three are out of my price range for a daily treat, but well worth it for a more special occasion
Coolea with cajeta — very good gouda with caramel (which we got a jar to take home courtesy of Living Social!)
Cashel blue with Texas brittle chocolate bar — decent, but very strong finish to the evening
All in all, we enjoyed ourselves. The class was approachable, informative and filling.