Here’s where to get your caffeine fix.
Need a pick-me-up? Houston has plenty of coffee houses scattered about the city for residents to take refuge, re-energize, and maybe eat a scone or two. Here are our 10 favorite coffee shops in Houston. [Featured image: @man_overseas]
1. Agora
Whether cozying up with a book, bearing down to grind out some work, catching up with a friend over a glass of wine, or fueling up to cruise the Westheimer thrift shops, Agora is the place to go. Furnished with antiques, complete with ornamental replica art pieces, the cozy wooded anterior makes for the perfect atmosphere to sit by a window and watch the world go by. Agora offers an assortment of coffees, teas, beer by the bottle, as well as red, white, and Greek wines. Snack-wise, visitors can complement their cappuccino with a variety of sweets, biscottis, cookies, cakes, scones, and muffins not excluded. On warmer days, guests can take a seat on their patio to enjoy the company of their lush garden.
2. Wolfsmiths Coffee
Whether you got a motorcycle, leather jacket, or just a need for caffeine, you’ll want to peel in to Wolfsmiths Coffee. Wolfsmiths is in fact a fully operating motorcycle repair shop – one that happens to wheel out top notch tacos and coffee. Its driveway patio is quaint and shaded under a tree with hanging lights adjacent to its kitchen trailer. Inside, the garage is spacious. Housed under a metal roof supported by exposed wood beams, rustic wood and leather furnishings sit upon scattered rugs over the cement floor. Behind the bar, Wolfsmiths offers your typical coffee shop options, with their own special touch. Also available: tea, kombucha, beer, Topo Chico, Mexican Coke, and pastries.
3. Secret Garden
Even in cold of winter, the Secret Garden patio is vibrant with floral splendor. Planted on the 2,000-foot patio of Bravery Chef Hall, Secret Garden offers an enchanting Downtown escape. Its precious greenhouse is adorned with a multiplicity of striking floral arrangements fit for a wedding. An exquisite selection of coffee is served all day. Between the hours of 8 am and 3 pm, Secret Garden offers various international coffees with options in the form of Vietnamese, Greek Espresso, Greek Freddo Cappuccino, Turkish Coffee, and more.
4. Siphon
Do you ever wonder what would of happened in Breaking Bad if Walter White left his meth making behind and devoted his genius into becoming a barista? Siphon lives in that timeline. In addition to their siphon-made coffee, the cafe features a crafted assortment of other brewed and espresso-based beverages. If you’re looking for another kind of pick-me-up, the coffee roaster also offers local craft beer on tap as well as wine options. On select nights, the coffee house features live singer/song-writer concerts.
5. Black Hole
Montrose coffee house, Black Hole, is just a good place to hang. Fit with comfortable, eclectic seating, vibrant art pieces, and a patio to boot, BH offers a laidback atmosphere to enjoy coffee, beer, or the good tunes coming from the speakers. Local bakery goods and chef-made dishes feature on its breakfast and lunch menu. Options include pastries, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, salads, and sweets.
6. Segundo Coffee Lab
Inside its spacious, bohemian industrial atmosphere you can find Segundo Coffee Lab. In addition to your go-to coffee shop orders such as espressos, cappuccinos, iced coffees, and teas, Segundo serves a variety of eccentric, at times Delta 8 and/or CBD-infused, libations. Our favorites include La Mexicana – a honey vanilla latte with a cinnamon twist, the Pingüino with white and dark mocha syrup and oat milk, and their signature 713 Taro con Leche. For a different kind of buzz, Segundo Coffee Lab serves beer and wine. On Tuesdays beers are discounted from 5 – 9 pm.
7. EQ Heights
One look at the colorful house on Heights Blvd and you just know its cozy in there – and you’d be right. EQ Heights is a mellow coffee house with a homy feel, inside and out. Its kitchen whips up a tasty assortment of sweet and savory treats, including sausage kolaches, melty grilled cheeses, lemon bars, sandwiches, and salads.
8. Cafeza
Inspired by the cafe culture of Barcelona and Buenos Aires, Cafeza in First Ward is a vibrant neighborhood destination with more than just coffee. Plates at Cafeza range from churros and fried platains, and empanadas, to tropical fruit bowls, and chocolate croissants. While presently on hiatus, Cafeza hosts live music that’ll make you want to put your espresso down and dance.
9. Sycamore Grounds Coffee
Sycamore Grounds Coffee House in Houston offers lattes topped off with foamy masterpieces that you’d rather frame than imbibe. Their stand-in hot beverages include Lattes, Chai Tea Lattes, and Cappuccinos, with seasonal lattes on the rotation — did someone say “pumpkin spice latte”? Along with their baked goods, they also offer breakfast tacos, quiches, and something they call a “Local Honey Bear”. Every month they feature a new drink, bakery item, and pie of the month. You can choose your own glass from their wall of mugs. It has a neighborhood coffeeshop vibe with a rustic style that makes you feel warm and toasty inside.
10. Mercantile
Nestled in the recesses of Montrose, Mercantile is a coffee, beer, and wine bar ideal for mornings, afternoons, and nights. Its interior is fitted with comfy couches, stainless tables, and one in-house rope swing. There’s even a grassy nook fenced off in the back of the bar. Food wise, El Rojo taco truck is a fixture on the coffee shop’s patio for all your taco needs.
11. Slowpokes
Self-described as a community shop built by locals, Slowpokes comes through with coffee, beer, grub, and a choice selection of wines. Fall features include their pumpkin chai latte, churro donuts with apple butter, as well as baked goodies courtesy of Angela’s Oven, Kraftsmen Baking, Michael’s Cookie Jar, and more!
12. Southside Espresso
The small and cozy Montrose coffeehouse, wine bar, and patio is known for their fresh and locally roasted coffee beans. During the fall season, South Espresso pulls out their splendidly unique Sweet Potato Latte. The coffeehouse also hosts a crafty selection of local beers, with seasonal brews in the mix for a different kind of pick-me-up.
13. The Coffee House at West End
Located inside a historic building built in the 1930s, The Coffee House at West End is a three-story coffee shop that features top-notch joe, a cozy interior of wood, exposed brick, and leather furniture, as well as a stunning rooftop with sweeping views of the Houston skyline.