Frank, the sausage, cocktail and coffee concept from two Northcutts (Dan and Jennifer) and two Pevetos (Geoff and Yancy) resides in downtown Austin’s Warehouse District. The food they make in the historic building is all pretty over the top, including waffle fry poutine, bacon-garnished bloody Marys and jackalope sausage with huckleberry compote, Sriracha aioli and applewood smoked cheddar. Up front, their coffee bar was far more restrained, and better for it.

The space had character to spare, with distressed concrete flooring, painted brick walls, a mezzanine and a high, skylight-capped ceiling. Posters further reinforced their bold approach, advertising Carolina pulled pork and that sandwich’s cruel master, the “pork militia.”

Tyler Wells, the former Frank manager and current Handsome Coffee Roasters co-owner, was the man who told me about his former place of employment. He hired Fort Worth native Matt Bolick, who now heads the coffee bar. The multi-talented barista is also a drummer, cyclist and BMX biker.

Frank sources both Intelligentsia and (since my visit) Handsome coffee beans. [Wells must have left a positive lasting impression.] They brew pourover coffee using Hario V60, serving the results with a choice of cream, honey or sugar. They brew a Frank Daily Cup via French press.

A shiny silver La Marzocco fuels traditional espresso beverages, including dine-in only Cortado ($3.25). They also make affogatos with Mexican vanilla ice cream, produced in-town at Amy’s.

The owners may have meant it in an ironic way, but it was still cool to see a triptych of sign language panels instructing Frank visitors to Drink. Good. Coffee.

If you’re looking for a snack to go with your coffee, Frank offers a Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookie ($1), which was seriously indulgent, studded with chocolate, crushed pecans, walnuts and cranberries and showered with a blizzard of candied bacon and turbinado sugar. They can serve the cookie a la mode, or you can cut to the bacon chase and get hickory-smoked dipped in milk chocolate, turbinado sugar and sea salt.

Frank wouldn’t inspire me to return for food, but would prompt me to re-route for coffee. Along with nearby Caffe Medici, they have one of the better coffee programs in Austin.