Until public-transit officials make our dream of commuting to work by rollycoaster a reality, we'll have to settle for the adrenaline rush of traditional pick-me-ups. Percolate perkiness with today's Groupon to Flipnotics. A locally owned and operated café for the past 18 years, Flipnotics boasts an award-winning rep and offers a low-key atmosphere for grabbing a cup of java or tasty grub. Drop by to check out the friendly vibe, catch some live tunes, and sample menu items such as the double espresso ($1.99), medium fair trade organic coffee ($1.89), sandwiches and wraps with chips ($6.50 each), fresh pastries ($1.75–$3.75), and more. The bevy of energizing drinks and eats will help jump start mornings and ensure patrons won’t need a spray of seltzer water to stay awake during their clown carpool.

Reviews

Flipnotics has won numerous Best of Austin awards from readers of the Austin Chronicle (going back to 1992!) and has over 3,400 friends on Facebook with a four star average rating from more than 65 Yelpers.

• Without doubt one of the best venues in Austin. Not just as a coffeeshop but as a music venue, place to work, meet friends, go read a book. You name it, this is the place to go for it. Even great for people watching – Simon S., Yelp