This South Lamar Café Serves Madrid’s Most Famous Churros — and Some of Austin’s Best Happy Hour Deals
A 130-year-old Spanish brand lands in Austin with food trucks, paella nights, and $5 happy hour cocktails
Chocolatería San Ginés, the century-old Madrid institution known for its iconic churros and chocolate, opened in Austin this past November. The South Lamar outpost is the brand’s first in Texas and only the second in the United States, following a Miami debut.
Founded over 130 years ago, the family-run chocolatería is best known for its minimalist menu of churros served with bittersweet chocolate sauce. In Austin, however, the offering expands. In addition to a full-service bar and café, the location includes two on-site food trucks—one dedicated to churros, the other to a rotating selection of tapas, sandwiches and other savory dishes served for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“The Madrid location is just churros and chocolate, so when we brought the brand to the U.S., we added food and a bar,” said owner Alex Trapote. “We’re still experimenting, learning.”
A taste of Spain in Austin
The design feels like a modern take on a classic European café: bright, airy interiors accented with warm woods and soft greens, paired with a spacious outdoor patio outfitted with striped loungers, gravel, and potted plants. Large windows flood the interior with natural light, while the outdoor setup creates a laid-back setting well suited for long lunches or early evening drinks.
“Whenever I’m here, I just feel like the music is so nostalgic and it’s so authentically Spanish,” said Nicole Williams-Quesada, a Saint Edward’s University student from Peru and regular customer. “If you’re from Latin America or if you’re from Spain, like at least to me, it just transports me and makes me feel like I’m back home just through the music and the feeling here.”
Churros are available in traditional or filled versions, with options such as vanilla cream, dulce de leche, or Nutella. They arrive with the house chocolate dipping sauce — a velvety, slightly bitter blend made using the same recipe and equipment as in Spain.
“Chef Danny, he’s their master chef over in Spain,” said Camila Velez Garrett, Operations Manager for San Ginés USA. “He came over, and he trained our staff to make this exactly like how we make them in Spain. So we have the same exact equipment, and we make the same recipe, and same process, so that we provide the same quality.”
Velez Garrett, whose background is in pastry and culinary arts, also contributed to developing the expanded food menu in Austin. Beyond the churros, recommended items include the papas bravas, huevos rotos and the Bogota sandwich — a favorite of Trapote’s.
Weekly specials and community events at San Ginés
The menu also features a range of coffee drinks, mocktails, beer, and wine. San Ginés also hosts weekly specials and community-focused programming. “On Wednesdays, we have a Spanish guitar player who comes in,” said Velez Garrett. “On Thursdays, we do paella on the patio and Tapa Tuesday, where we serve tapas — five pieces for $15.”
Plans are already in place for expansion. “Now we’re getting this building next door,” Trapote said. “We’re gonna do a bakery connected to San Ginés.” The new space is expected to open in approximately nine months.
Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, from 2 to 6 p.m. Select cocktails, such as sangria, margaritas, and Spanish-style gin and tonics, are priced at $5. Spritzes are $7, a Spanish lager beer is available for $5, and appetizers start at $9.
With limited lot space and a busy stretch of South Lamar, parking can be difficult during peak hours, so ridesharing is recommended.
Chocolatería San Ginés Austin is located at 2072 S. Lamar Blvd. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday. For updates and events, visit their website or follow on Instagram.
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