A McAllen bakery offering cookies, cakes and coffee is putting down roots in Austin, with an Austin storefront in the works. Nuez de Azahar is opening its first Austin location at 902 E. 5th St., Unit 105 — a project still moving through the city's permitting phase with no confirmed opening date yet.
The bakery's owner, Priscilla Melhem, has said she hopes to open during the last week of October, according to WhatNow. She described feeling both nervous and happy about bringing Nuez de Azahar to Austin, per the same report, after spending nearly a year searching for the right spot. Melhem set specific criteria for the search: the location needed to be walkable, situated on a corner, and positioned in East Austin near the entrance to the city.
Why East 5th Street Made the Cut
The East 5th Street corridor became the chosen location. The address is listed as the Plaza Saltillo Office Property, and commuter rail is listed as a transportation feature, according to a LoopNet listing. Barbers Off-5th is listed at 902 E. 5th Street, Suite 107, according to Fadebox Barbershop.
Melhem chose Austin, the report notes, for the city's vibe, nature and forward-thinking character. She wants the Travis County community to try the bakery's cookies, pastries and coffee, and hopes Nuez de Azahar becomes customers' favorite local bakery in Austin.
A Menu Built on Fusion Desserts
Nuez de Azahar's signature item is its Mostachón Banana Brûlée cake, a fusion dessert that blends a mostachón with a French banana brûlée topping, cream cheese and dulce de leche; the product listing warns that pecans may be present, according to the bakery's own product listing. The Austin menu is also expected to include a matcha strawberry pistachio cheesecake, custom cookie boxes and a rotating coffee menu featuring lattes and cold brew.
Beyond the standards, the bakery's product pages feature additional offerings. Nuez de Azahar also sells boxes of six cookies, according to a Grubhub listing for the brand's South McAllen location.
Built On a Rio Grande Valley Following
Nuez de Azahar is a McAllen bakery with a location at 808 S. Jackson Rd. and a strong customer following. It has become a must-visit destination for some visitors to the city, per the owner.
Nuez de Azahar has appeared at an Austin pop-up. In an event at 1200 S. Congress Ave., the bakery teamed up with Ganni, serving its signature pastries and matcha to shoppers, as reported by CultureMap Austin. On August 18, the bakery announced on Facebook that construction was officially underway for its third overall location and first Austin storefront, describing Austin as the most creative city in Texas.
Nuez de Azahar's Austin Expansion
The project represents Nuez de Azahar's expansion into Austin. For now, Nuez de Azahar's East 5th Street project remains in the city's commercial permitting phase, with Melhem's late-October target still unconfirmed.
