Music, art, coffee among many offerings at Ruta Maya

Hidden up a hill off South Congress Avenue near Ben White Boulevard is a wonderful coffee shop called Ruta Maya. That location is their International Headquarters. Ruta Maya is impressive, not only in size, but in cultural diversity - they have something for everyone.

The outside patio is made of concrete floors, orange colored steel, and lavender colored poles covered with bumper stickers. This place reminds me of old Austin from the early 90's. Smokers are welcome outside with ashtrays and ample seating. There's even a walk up window from the patio for those who just don't want to go in. Even better, they have a menu posted outside so you don't have to ask what they have.

Inside, it is the size of a large warehouse. The place consists of concrete floors with the walls either painted blue or green or made of brick. The place is colorful and eccentric. There is a large dance floor in front of a nice-sized stage. There is a kid's corner to the right full of toys and books to occupy the younger ones.

The smell of coffee came from the back. There is a small factory inside where they mix up and bag coffee beans for sale. Ruta Maya sells organic coffee throughout different Austin area locations. Also inside and across from the factory is a Habana House that sells everything from cigs to cigars.

I looked over their menu inside while waiting in line. They sell breakfast tacos, bagels, fruit and cinnamon rolls for the morning crowd. Lunch consists of everything from pizza to quiche to soups and salads and more. For dessert, you can choose from vegan carrot cake to cookies to Amy's Ice Creams. There was a lot to choose from.

For art lovers, Ruta Maya is currently home to the first showing of artist Rodney Lee Blackwell. His recreations of celebrity images in pencil and acrylic paint were inspiring. Blackwell's art will be up until the end of November, so catch it while you can.

Clearly, this place does much more than coffee. It has its own atmosphere. A salsa dance lesson was going on while I was there. The crowd was diverse and more people kept showing up. I was told there is a different crowd every night of the week, many of whom come for the various poetry readings and musical performances offered here.

Ruta Maya gets their coffee from farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. They also give back to the communities there with programs that focus on improving quality of life. Additionally, they support many local Austin vendors and give back locally to various area charities.

Ruta Maya even has its own community wellness program where they offer patrons the chance to participate in shows, classes and workshops. It's no wonder Food and Wine Magazine recently placed them among the top USA coffee bars. Ruta Maya is so much more than just a coffee shop though, and you should go check it out for yourself. You won't be disappointed.