Tiny Grocer In South Congress Austin
I put on my jewelry just to go to the bodega… Especially when it is the perfect amount of cozy x aesthetic and serves warm vegan bagels all day long. Tiny Grocer recently opened on South Congress next to June’s All Day and the place is simply Poppin. From an all-day deli to walk-up matcha options and a wall full of delicious vino this boutique café and & grocery is straight out of a dream. Texas Tasty was recently invited inside to get the inside scoop on how this small shop has quickly become one of the best things to visit in Austin.
The History of Tiny Grocer
Behind every piece of passion, there is an artist – and at Tiny Grocer, her name is Steph Steele. Owner Steele worked at Whole Foods for 24 years before opening the doors to her bodega, and it is clear her roots in the Austin food scene follow her.
In an effort to continue the support for small businesses, this upscale neighborhood market offers locally sourced Austin goodies, such as Curcuma x Fronks milk and Perennial Pecan Pecan Butter. Tiny Grocer also offers a variety of unique and hard-to-find products from far and wide such as Sakura Shoyu from Haku and Bonilla a la vista Crisps. I got the inside scoop from one of the employees, and apparently the vegan dumplings in the frozen section and the chocolate imported from NYC is a crowd favorite. Ask for these products, and anyone in store will immediately know what you are looking for! Safe to say, shopping is never boring at Tiny Grocer, but rather an entire worldly experience.
The Deli
Steele handcrafted and choose a menu for her deli, TinyDelicatessen, and got a consultation for the menu from former Swedish Hill / Emmer & Rye chef Page Pressley. The deli is open from 8 am till 8 pm every day, and presents breakfast sandos all day, a rotating salad menu for lunch and dinner, and pastries & sweets to satisfy all your cravings.
There is also pre-made case options for easy grab and go, and a variety of matcha and coffee with vegan milk options – of course. My favorite menu options (so far! – determined to try everything vegan) is the Rabbit Food: an everything bagel, vegan cream cheese, radish, cucumber & sprouts paid with a delicious Tumeric Ginger Tea. The walk up window also offers vegan soft serve ice cream from Sweet Ritual – I may or may not have already been to the window five times for a scoop. It truly is that good.
This new Austin gem is growing quickly to become the it-market in town. With a female powerhouse at the forefront, and delicious food to back her up, the future looks bright for Steele. Hold me closer, Tiny Grocer!
