The Fairview Coffee Bar and Grub

The best coffee — be sure to ask for steamed almond milk in yours. And order the avocado toast!

Updated review:
Please check out my blog
for my review of The Fairview the second time around. I didn’t get my donut flight but I did get a delicious cookie dough donut this past week. I enjoyed my food and relaxing while writing in this coffee shop. I appreciated the owners response originally to my review!
First review:
I unfortunately have to agree with the reviewer below (Neil). Living in an «Instagram-​worthy» world I saw pictures of the Fairview and just HAD to try the donut slider and get that photo. I invited a friend and we decided to meet up. For me this coffee shop is 30 minutes from home, so imagine my disappointment when they said they were out of donuts AND waffles. It was 10:30 a.m. on a Friday. The employees said they just couldn’t believe the rush they had that morning. However, looking back at the reviews, this was not a one busy day problem. I ordered the hot chocolate and it was pretty and tasty, but never «hot.» The avocado toast was good, but burnt a little. I didn’t really like the seating arrangement either, it’s kind of odd to sit at one long table. We sat at the bar stools by the window and that was nice. A few days after my visit I noticed on Instagram that the staff was on a «coffee expedition» and the shop was closed. I couldn’t help but think I hope they are talking about their lack of food issues and what they are going to do to fix the problem. It is a blessing as a new business to be busy so fast, I hope they can keep up! Will return for that slider and hope they have turned it around.

I arrived at the shop shortly after opening and purchased some Samoa and PB Cookies and Cream donuts. The presentation is great. Unfortunately they tasted like day old donuts. Not sure if these are made in house or brought in by another bakery. I read so many reviews about freshness and quality and received neither. There was so much hype over The Fairview that I felt underwhelmed. I could have gone to Shipley’s and had better quality donuts for a quarter of the price.

Whether I order the house coffee, slow pour, or an espresso drink, these guys are always on point. They know their coffee and bring their A game. The food is also fantastic and I highly recommend the avocado toast. The pastries they serve are pretty delic and it may be our new donut stop. Get to The Fairview and treat yo’ self. And check out their awesome mint green custom Slayer.

Not impressed with my first visit here. I was having a sweet tooth moment this morning, which very rarely happens. I saw this place in a write up in a local magazine so I decided to try it out. The thing that stood out to me was their interesting twists on donut choices. I had my sweet tooth set on the PBJ-​bacon donut or the Captain Crunch donut. To my dismay, they had neither one I decide to settle for the chai latte donut and figured I would also try their twist on biscuits and gravy, which sounded really interesting. It is 2 buttermilk biscuits covered in a chorizo sausage gravy. While the flavor of the gravy was well worth it, the biscuits ruined it. They were over cooked, dry and chewy. On to the donut that I had to settle for. I think it would have been better hot, or at least warm, but not ice cold. I will take it with me and see what a little heat will do for it. The chai Latte that I had to drink was almost flavorless, while it was hot, it was like drinking warm 2% milk and water. I would advice one to call and see what they have for donut selections before coming if you are wanting a specific donut.

This place is great! Obviously the coffee is great, they have a Slayer Espresso, which is probably the best espresso machine on the market! I love the coffee and they know what they are doing!
But I want to comment more about the Donut I just ate! It was awesome! I got the peanut butter, jelly and bacon one! Everyone should try it, it’s like a gourmet donut, really good!

New breakfast spot before school! Service was very nice and the toast with the pistachio and berry-​rose water jam was AMAZING! Very different foods :)

A powerful cup of coffee. I got the Americano and even IT was strong.
Baristas are friendly and knowledgable.
Clean place with one big boardroom-​type tale and chairs/​a long bench up to it. Also three seats up at the counter. The El Chingon (house-​made horchata with espresso) comes iced and is tasty. Not a bad experience overall.

I went to the Fairview after a few times visiting to the the coffee. I had the avocado toast which was, as per usual, phenomenal. I ordered vanilla almond milk latte, and was very disappointed with what I received.
While the toast was up to par, the latte lacked in all execution. First of all, there was absolutely no vanilla whatsoever. The latte itself was visually appealing, but the compliments stop there.
I could tell the baristas hadn’t dialed in for quite a while. My latte was extremely sour and distasteful. I know places like this pride themselves on their coffee knowledge, but this lacked severely. I couldn’t even drink my latte because it was so sour and wasted $ 4.
In the end, I would probably go back for the toast, but definitely not for any espresso beverage. Good try though.

I’m confused by the reviews on this place. I really enjoyed my recent trip to The Fairview, and I definitely think it’s a bit higher than the 3.5 stars it has received, but then again, I can understand the variations of reviews from everyone.
Although the outside is a bit underwhelming, the inside is super cute. The bar stools are retro-​y, and I wanted to steal them all for my house. The set up is interesting, with a huge picnic style table for everyone to sit communally. There’s also some individual seats of course, as well as some outdoor seating.
I’m gonna be honest. Coffee is not what drew me to this place. Since moving to SA from Wichita, KS, I’ve been on the lookout for a great donut place that can stand up to my Kansas standards of the Donut Whole (look it up if you’re ever in that area… you won’t be disappointed). When I saw what the Fairview was cranking out (you had me at Fruity Pebbles), I really really really wanted to try it.
When I ordered, I immediately said «I want the fruity pebble donut!» I mean, it was the last one. It was calling my name. But then… but then… I saw the pistachio and pear donut. (I also saw a spicy chocolate one that I’m kind of regretting not ordering as well.) I changed my order to the P&P and never looked back (okay, that’s a lie, I still want that spicy chocolate one). I also ordered the matcha tea latte and the orange cardamom Texas sugar cookie (to save for my hubs of course… because I’m so sweet).
The latte came out looking beautifully green, and was quite good. I’ve never had matcha before, mostly because the health benefits seem hokey to me, but it was a good choice. I wish I would’ve ordered a coffee though so I could really rate them on what they’re peddling.
The donut… oh the donut. I’m impressed with this small (and new) business and the fact that they’re cranking out house-​made donuts and breads. But sadly, it couldn’t stand up to the standards set by my love the Donut Whole. That being said, the donut itself was pretty damn good. It was a basic yeasty donut recipe, not cake, with a heavy glaze and toppings. I think the topping was missing something, but seeing as how I’m terrible with all that pairing of flavors stuff, I’m not sure what it was. All I know is that it could’ve used a bit of spice or tanginess or something.
Anyway, if I’m in the area again, I will definitely be back. Not sure I will go waaaayyy out of my way again (like I did for this first visit) but I’d like to try some of their toast (especially their seasonal offerings) and their coffee.

I rarely go out for coffee because my old lady tummy can’t handle the acid anymore… unless Kopi Luwak is available, which it isn’t here. Yes, I can order tea, which I usually do. But $ 3 for a tea bag… Or whatever it costs here… Too steep for me for very basic flavors. I’d rather save the money for food. Priorities.
I ended up at Fairview with coffee loving friends. I found the place to be clean, open, & nicely decorated. Staff was friendly. Seating was very limited though… maybe enough for 20(?). We had a group of 6 & we had to wait a bit for others to vacate before we could squeeze ourselves into a corner with our coffees, teas, and baked goods.
As with most coffee houses, young folks seem to congregate here to study and play on their laptops. I hope they spend enough to warrant taking up space.
Definitely check it out if you are in the area.

Meh. I wasn’t too into this joint… it’s in a great ‘hood and is small and cute. Not much seating: a bar to the left with 3 or 4 seats and a long table with 10 – 15 chairs.
The coffee didn’t wow me. At all. I got a cappuccino. We got a few sweets and they were a’ight…but good enough for me to make an effort to return? Not really.
The annoying thing: Trinity students taking up ¾ of the seating on their Mac Books with empty, dry saucers… glaring at us for chatting amongst our party in a public coffee shop. Go to the library, fo’s!

I’ve only had caffeinated beverages here. I have had a cappuccino and their specialty ‘El Chingon’.
The cappuccino was good– espresso was bold and flavorful!
Now let me talk about El Chingon. OMG, HEAVEN IN MY MOUTH! El Chingon consists of a double shot of espresso over horchata and ice. The horchata is slightly sweet, and creamy and blends well with the espresso. El Chingon is now the only drink I will order from the Fairview. The pastries and food looks good (especially the waffle) — I look forward to trying them someday soon!

Came here recently with a foodie friend and the atmosphere was inviting and friendly. We shared a waffle with apple compote and a donut sampler. The donuts are not what you normally expect a donut to taste like, but they were not exactly appealing either. The flavour was just not there and the dough tasted almost stale, not to say I didn’t eat them all. The waffle also was cold and nothing great about it, I like somewhat crisp edges or a warm bite, but it was nothing like that. The waffle tasted as if they made a huge batch ahead of time and just slap some compote on it when someone orders.
I’m not trying to bash this place, it’s great to meet friends or coworkers for coffee here, the coffee was fantastic. They have so many options it was hard to choose! I love the retro feel to the place as well.
I do hope they can improve on their selection of baked goods, it’s a wonderful location otherwise.

Service was excellent.
I wasn’t sure what all the hype was win the donuts. I was first to arrive there in the morning along with another foodie. The donut lacked a lot of flavor and did not taste fresh. We then got the sampler donuts and nothing special. We got the apple waffles and nothing special as well. Lacked flavored — very much so. I’m sure the hype of this place will go down soon. I probably came in a bad morning because the way my friends described the donuts was completely different then what I experienced…
Horchata expresso — it was a very unique and very good. I enjoyed it very much.
If you’re out of town and looking for a pastry place go somewhere else. There are great places in San Antonio that are better. If you live in the area and want a place to enjoy a drink this wouldn’t be a bad place. Coffee is excellent and service is very nice. The place has a very nice ambiance.

Alright, so I came here because I wanted to try the donut flight with a cup of joe. I arrived here around 1pm on a Friday AND THERE WERE NO MORE PASTRIES (except like one plain donut and 2 donut holes) I WAS SO SAD!!! I had driven so far downtown, got lost along the way, and even got lost in the plaza (lulz what a loser). I guess my best bet is to come here when it opens? (7am???)
Anyways, I decided to make my trip worthwhile so I ordered the El Chingon, which is a horchata drink WITH EXPRESSO. It was a delicious mixture of sweet, spices, and caffeine, perfect for a hot and lazy day! The drinks can be on the pricey side but standard of local coffee shops. My drink was almost $ 5… but I tell myself that it was worth it since they use crushed ice and gave me a lot of horchata.
The shop itself has a retro and hip feeling. There’s one large wooden table where you can sit (with strangers) to do whatever you wish (chat, study, stare at the wallpaper, stare at the creepy Coraline paintings, etc). My only real complaint was that their AC game was too strong: after being in the shop for one hour and wearing a cardigan, my nose was dripping everywhere… but that’s just me lol (Maybe I should have gotten a hot drink?) Also, I know they serve food in the kitchen until 2pm and hope to try it when I return! (Along with that donut flight…)

All their donuts are made in the coffee shop with a wide variety of artisan flavors and toppings to choose from. The place is adorable, kind of noisy at times. I had the horchata espresso ice beverage which was a very good combination and unique to this place.

Coffee made with love.
That was what came to mind when I tried ‘El Chingon’- a blend of house made Horchata complimenting espresso, and topped with cinnamon. A blend of sweetness with a kick of espresso makes this drink tasty and fresh!
The service was complimented by friendly and knowledgeable staff! The interior is very clean and has a retro-​contemporary feel to it.
I am excited to go back!

Oooooh! This place just gets better and better! They’ve got a new baker and the baked goods are exceptional.
Donuts are tasty, if a bit doughy. The Nutella banana muffins are soooooooo good and rich and decadent!
I have been there on my way to work and really really wanted a waffle with the peach pecan topping, but it was a wait – because it was made fresh at 0700.
I really wish they opened at 0630!
Get the waffle, you won’t regret it! It’s yeast leavened and so light! However, unless you’re sharing it, go for the half waffle!
Oh, btw, since it’s a coffee shop, the coffee is great, too! The cold brew is potent, but not bitter. The machine drinks are all goo, too!

Awesome coffee! It is so refreshing to have a locally owned & roasted coffee alternative to Starbucks in town. The staff is super friendly upon entering and give great suggestions If you’re on the fence about what to try.
I had the iced caramel coffee with honey, a nutella & banana muffin & the ice cream & expresso affogada, which was one of the best things I’ve ever had.