I am no coffee aficionado. In fact, I only really started drinking coffee while I was abroad. I thought it sucked at first, sort of like when you start trying to drink wine, but I forced myself to drink more of it and — voila! — I started to actually like it. When I returned, however, coffee and I took a break from each another as I succumbed to the ever-so-tasty chai latte at Starbucks while living in Washington, D.C. But, have no fear, coffee and I are back on again and in full force — in such full force, actually, that I believe I have the ability and the right to tell you which five coffee shops in Houston you need to try.
To be honest, this was not a solo adventure. I have had the privilege of tutoring and chauffeuring two great middle school-aged kids (Tommy and Sophia) for almost two years now. Luckily they're always down for an adventure, especially one where food is involved. When I suggested we try to find the best coffee shops, they literally ran to the car and said, "let's go." So, off we went. Below you will find our ranking of our five favorite coffee shops in Houston. The shops are not ranked solely on coffee, but also on ambiance, food, and accessibility.
5. Catalina Coffee
We were very optimistic about Catalina, braving the drive from WestU to the heights at 4:30 on a weekday (can anyone say "traffic"?) while forcing Tommy and Sophia to listen to Ella Fitzgerald the entire car ride. The food is great — we had an apple Danish and a chocolate croissant (they also serve vegan baked goods, but we wanted to try things made in house). We also had an iced latte and a hot chocolate. Hands down, the hot chocolate was the winner — sweet and creamy, it tasted like the hot chocolate you get when you go skiing. Some things to keep in mind about Catalina: Charge all your electronics before you go if you plan on doing work. There are no outlets. Also, if you go to Rice and live in the WestU area, it's not all that convenient.
4. Southside Espresso
The only thing I had heard about Southside before going was that they serve kombucha on tap: I was sold and so was Tommy. We ventured over one afternoon and had an iced vanilla latte, an iced green tea, and this Danish. They were out of kombucha that day, which was disappointing. The shop shares a space with Uchi, a sushi restaurant, and the Rosemont Social Club, meaning there is a parking lot with valet and the bathrooms are really, really nice. Overall both food and drink were great; space, not so much. Very small and a little distracting. Getting that Spanish homework done was nearly impossible for Tommy.
3. Paper Co
This "industrial chic" coffee shop is very cool and its story is even cooler. It is attached to a pretty hipster church in between the Heights and downtown, called Ecclesia, and the profits from the coffee shop go directly to helping the homeless. They offer barbecues for the homeless and they have a daily common meal where you pay what you can to eat. It's a little inconvenient to get to but totally worth it. All of the baked goods are delicious, and so is the coffee; we had a split cortado and an iced vanilla latte (they use crushed ice instead of big ice cubes) as well as an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, lemon pound cake, and an almond biscotti. Also, very attractive people hang here. I may or may not have sent some creepy Snapchats.
2. Black Hole
Black Hole has been my study hangout since I was a freshman at Rice. With its mismatched furniture, cool lights, great music, and an outdoor patio, it has it all. All of the sandwiches are great, and they offer vegan baked goods as well as non-vegan baked goods. We had an oatmeal-raisin cookie, a gingersnap, vegan cinnamon roll, an iced tea (which is free!), and an iced latte. Black Hole isn't totally within walking distance of Rice but definitely within biking distance.
1. Siphon
The winner is Siphon. Not only is it the coolest space (industrial light bulbs, counter seating, comfy chairs, and even an outdoor space), but it also has the best food and coffee out of these coffee shops. You must order the banana bread, the Greek yogurt parfait, the spinach salad, and any of the cookies — especially the one with the potato chips. All of the coffee drinks are great, as is their hot chocolate (which is what Sophia drinks).
So, I guess this article can serve two purposes: 1) try these coffee shops, and 2) everyone should have a babysitting/chauffeuring gig — it's the easiest way to explore a city and be a kid again (while also getting paid!).
