Smoke Cigars and Sip Coffee at Ruta Maya in Austin
Ruta Maya serves a variety of organic coffee concoctions with a menu of pastries, quiches, and quickbreads as well. The original location was centrally located in the heart of downtown Austin, but it got crowded out by the corporate growing tastes of the restored warehouse district of 4th and Lavaca St. It’s new home is much further south at 3601 South Congress Ave. almost to the intersection of Ben White and Congress. It is in the newly renovated Penn Field Complex where most of Austin’s production studios have moved.
Ruta Maya claims itself as an all ages, non smoking venue that hosts live music and open mike nights, but also has wonderful programs during the day as well. Everyday there are community wellness programs that include yoga, conversational French and Spanish get togethers, poetry readings, art exhibits, single parent meetings, sewing circles, and best of all, children’s shows. Ruta Maya has a whole children’s play area and homey diaper changing tables in the restrooms. It is very family friendly.
We have been taking my son the the Sunday morning children’s shows religiously since he was six months old. There are circus shows, musicians, vaudeville acts, and a very strange “alternative” muscian by the name of Silence Gribby, who sounds a lot like Jethro Tull, for toddlers. Mr. Steve hosts a drumming show the last Sunday of every month and Laura Freeman always gives a great show singing from her new album about the Rainbow.
Saturday morning you can bring the kids for family yoga and they are encouraged to try yoga.
Housed within this amazing venue is the Habana House. Even though Ruta Maya is a smoke free environment, you can buy a very fine cigar and take it out to the lovely patio to enjoy if you like, or you can enjoy your tobacco pleasure in the closed in cigar house. The Habana House will have the finest selection of tobacco choices you can find in Austin. If they don’t have what you are looking for, they are happy to order it for you.
