The Herb Bar

The story

Long before South Congress was overwhelmed by commercial redevelopments, The Herb Bar operated out of an ivy-covered former post office on West Mary Street. Founded in 1986 by Connie Moore—who initially sold fresh herbs out of a back room like a produce counter—it was bought in 1995 by Twila Willis, who spent nearly three decades building it into Austin's primary witchy apothecary. Current owner Megen Mundy first walked through the door as a customer in her twenties before joining the staff and eventually taking over the keys, keeping an unbroken line of female ownership intact for almost forty years.

Rising south-side rents finally forced a move in May 2025, but the shop avoided extinction by relocating to an old house with an expansive yard on Merrie Lynn Avenue in Cherrywood. Inside, the heart of the operation remains its bulk-herb wall featuring over 100 organic and wildcrafted varieties. Glass jars hold everything from skullcap, mullein, and blue lotus to white willow bark. If you're overwhelmed by choices, ask for the Golden Hour—a signature house blend of tulsi, orange peel, rose petals, and saffron mixed right behind the counter.

What makes the place endearingly strange is its total refusal to sanitize its original 1980s hippie ethos. Beside the loose plants, you'll find hand-poured candles, intention sprays, and Texas flower essences. You didn't hear it from us, but if you want to trade prescription fixes for custom herbal smoke blends or digestive tonics, the counter staff won't bat an eye—they've been prescribing Barton Springs cold dips and plant medicine to local eccentrics since the Reagan administration.