Guadalupe Street Keeps the Weird Ones Coming.

                  Spider House Cafe Courtesy of That Other Paper.

Guadalupe Street is the road that leads to some of Austin’s most unusual places.  Sometimes it takes you to a brightly painted toy store  and other times to a pipe shop that sells bongs.  But  many other times Guadalupe takes its usual pedestrians to a little blue house that could easily belong to  a zainy, artistic, middle-aged, cat- loving woman--Spider House Patio Bar and Café.

            The dimly lit rooms inside are no good for note-taking or studying but perfect for a stimulating conversation with friends. Other patrons keep to themselves so don’t expect a chatty crowd.

            My Tuesday night rendezvous made it quite clear that Spider House is a haven for atypical characters. About three tables away from me, I witnessed some of the most creative facial hair that  would make Jack Sparrow’s beard  feel undecorated.

            Yet, Ariel Nesvadba, a Spider House bar-back barista, argues that there are a lot of different people that come to this place.

            “Before I worked here, I though Spider House was strictly for hipsters and not everyone, but now I have my own image of the place. The mix of people who come here is unlike any other place in Austin,” says Nesvadba.

            The Spider House patio has an antique functioning bathtub that sets the tone for the idiosyncratic  mishmash of events that include open mic nights, movie screenings, live rock shows and happy hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

            Oh, did I forget to mention that it is open until 2 a.m. This café, bar serves up java and cocktails throughout the night. And if the hunger monster bites you grab a menu. Spider House serves up a wonderful selection of pastries, tacos, salads, appetizers, sandwiches and pizza.

            However, one bit of advice, grab a menu and look it over from afar. Once you are ready to order, approach with confidence, because the standoffish vegetarian barista is not interested in walking you through the menu.

            The tofu loving baristas really kill the eclectic mood of the place.  They sprinkle Spider House with pretentiousness. Beware if you are a newbie their pierced eyebrows spot you a mile away.

            Spider House takes you away from the mundane and into a vegetarian/coffee/cocktail- loving world of artistic events and creative menu choices. I mean, where else will you be asked if you want regular or vegetarian chili?