Get your coffee fix with Third Place in the Heights.
Houston’s weather being what it is, the city pretty much runs on cold brew, but our coffee game goes well beyond that. At Houston’s finest coffee shops, talented baristas craft complex lattes, pour-overs, cortados, flat whites, and more, sometimes alongside flaky pastries or breakfast tacos. Here’s exactly where to get caffeinated around town.
Houstonia has added Las Perras Café and Third Place to the list.
Blacksmith
Aside from serving phenomenal pastries by wunderkind pastry chef Christina Au and what may be the city’s best sausage and egg biscuit, this lower Westheimer hangout is revered for its specialty coffees and teas. Pair with Au’s famed banana bread, a marble loaf, or muffins. Stop by to chat up the baristas about today’s specials while sipping on a cane sugar latte.
Sip on coffee and get some work done at Black Hole Coffee House.
Black Hole Coffee House
With lounge seating, an outdoor patio, and grungy eclectic vibes, Black Hole Coffee House is an ideal spot for anyone needing a new work-from-home destination or place to unwind with friends. Order the cajeta latte (iced, of course) and stop by the Delicias Maya truck in the parking lot for breakfast tacos, tortas, or street quesadillas.
Boomtown Coffee
This local standby is known for pouring up small-batch specialty coffees that are thoughtfully roasted and brewed with precision. Pop into the original 19th Street locale to unwind (or wind up) with custom numbers like the Shakarato—espresso shaken with agave, orange, and bitters—or a house favorite, the cinnamon-kissed Milk & Honey. Avocado toasts, seasonal veggie tacos, and exceptional pastries will do the trick for anyone visiting on an empty stomach. The local darling also sports a second location in Downtown’s Understory food hall.
Brass Tracks
Houstonians in need of a coffee shop that can keep them satisfied all day should head to this EaDo destination. The sprawling haunt rocks lounges, boardroom and booth seating, a quiet back alley, WiFi, and a 1,000-square-foot patio, plus an all-day menu featuring beef chorizo tacos and pork belly bánh mì. Enjoy it all while sipping on French press coffees, China fog teas, and the perfect house brew. Need a boozy beverage afterwork? Brass Tracks also has a bar with cocktails and beer.
Catalina Coffee, located in the Washington Corridor, is a fan favorite.
Catalina Coffee
There are no frills at this simple standby, just seriously good coffee in the form of Americanos, cortados, lattes, and drips. Compliment your drink of choice with a chocolate croissant, rosemary scone, or mixed berry muffins. While there might not be Wi-Fi, Catalina Coffee is an excellent spot for catching up with an old friend or meeting new ones.
Get your morning started right at CasaEma in the Heights.
James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez crafts sought-after pastries, including a powdery horchata berlinesa, canela coffee panque, and conchas. Get there early to score one of the these delights from the display case, or order from its brunch menu, which features suadero chilaquiles, taco de zanahoria, and a bright papaya parfait. Indulge in its extensive coffee program which offers items like piloncillo chai and lattes in flavors like cafe de olla, horchata, and agave.
“>
CasaEma
Ema is one of our go-to places in Houston for Mexican food. Grab a pastry crafted by 2024 James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez—like an horchata berlinesa, canela coffee panque, and conchas—or order the suadero chilaquiles and taco de zanahoria from the main menu. And to top your morning off, indulge in Ema’s coffee program, which offers items like piloncillo chai and lattes in flavors like cafe de olla, horchata, and agave.”>
Formerly known as Ema, this Heights restaurant has built a reputation off of showcasing Mexican foodways and maize. Stephanie Velasquez James Beard semifinalist Stephanie Velasquez crafts sought-after pastries, including a powdery horchata berlinesa, canela coffee panque, and conchas. Get there early to score one of the these delights from the display case, or order from its brunch menu, which features suadero chilaquiles, taco de zanahoria, and a bright papaya parfait. Indulge in its extensive coffee program which offers items like piloncillo chai and lattes in flavors like cafe de olla, horchata, and agave.
Koffeteria
Owner Vanarin Kuch—a highly skilled James Beard nominated chef and Top Chef: Just Desserts alum—showcases whimsical flavors and fine technique in a comfortable, trendy café setting with Koffeteria. Although the pastry offerings are subject to change based on seasonal ingredients, Houstonians can likely find some sort of Danish, croissant, and scone on the menu. Fuel up on caffeine with coffee classics like cortados and Amercianos, or opt for a house specialty like the Salty Cambodian, a latte finished with sweetened condensed milk, housemade sourdough butter, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. For even more appetizing bites, visit Lil’ Koffeteria in the Quads on Brittmoore Road.
Las Perras Café brews stellar coffee and community in the East End.
Las Perras Café
This Latina-owned coffee roaster and café in East Downtown serves much more than coffee. Sure, the drinks like the cold brew, matcha lattes with lavender syrup, and espresso mocktinis are great, but Las Perras Café excels most in building a sense of community. Owner Andrea Arana has used her café to host a variety of events, including Coffee & Perreo dance nights, Know Your Rights immigration meetings, and mini cake workshops.
Luce Coffee Roasters
With its two-story outpost in Garden Oaks, Luce has won the hearts of locals one perfectly done cold brew at a time. Pop into the flagship 34th café to pick up cream Americanos, Spanish lattes, and craveworthy pastries and breakfast croissants. Budding baristas can also sign up for one of Luce’s coffee classes to learn latte art and participate in roasting and brewing sessions.
Luce has other locations in Katy, Cypress, Pearland, Clear Lake, Bunkerhill, and on Ella, Richmond Avenue, and Washington Avenue.
Mercantile Coffee
Montrose is filled with neighborhood coffee shops, but truth is: the more the merrier. Over at Mercantile Coffee, Houstonians can enjoy the pet-friendly atmosphere, indoor swing, plentiful seating, and the abundance of books that are sprawled out throughout the shop. The pastries and coffee make the visit even sweeter. Sip on an iced coffee or mocha latte, and take in the relaxing ambiance.
Segundo Coffee Lab
This Latin-owned experimental coffee lab offers classic pour overs and cold brews, alongside house creations like the La Mexicana Latte, made with cinnamon, vanilla bean, and raw honey. Choose your caffeinated fighter, with the option to infuse your drink with CBD. Then, add on empanadas or breakfast tacos stuffed with beans and cheese, chorizo, and barbacoa (only on the weekends). Segundo Coffee Lab is also known for holding several events, like Sip & Paint and Loteria night.
Segundo Coffee Lab has another location on Lawndale Street.
Sunday Press is an all-day café from Ordinary Concepts that features some pretty luxe interiors.
Sunday Press
Launched by local hospitality group Like Ordinary Concepts (the team behind Ginger Kale and Saigon Hustle), this all-day café sports a stylish, light-filled interior with a drive-through to make scooping up your coffee that much easier. Signature drinks include honey sea salt and butterfly pea lattes, spot-on drips, nitro cold brews, and cappuccinos. Diners can snag others options, too, like cold-pressed juices, chia pudding, açai bowls, pastries, salads, and sandwiches. For an adult beverage, stop by at night when Sunday Press transforms into cocktail lounge, Sunday Social.
Other locations include Hermann Park and Camden Park.
Tenfold Coffee Company
This café and roastery is a community hub for locals, hosting some of Houston’s coolest food pop-ups, including Burger Bodega to Khói Barbecue before both opened their brick-and-mortar concepts. Sip Tenfold’s thoughtfully sourced beans, or try out the Neighborhood Series coffee classes for how to up your coffee game. Popular drinks include the matcha latte, cold brews, and flat whites.
Tenfold Coffee Company has an espresso bar Downtown, too.
The Coffee House at West End
Is there a prettier coffee shop in Houston? The Coffee House at West End sits perched inside a three-story historic building, originally built by West End Baptist Church in 1930. It’s since been renovated to feature soaring ceilings, acoustic improvements, and a rooftop deck with sweeping views of the city skyline. Cozy up on one of its plush sofas with a latte of of your choice. There’s chai, matcha, and the Big Tex, which is made with steamed milk, homemade syrup, and a whopping four ounces of espresso.
Third Place
Top Chef alums Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia launched this “community project” and daytime café in its Height restaurant Jun. By night, the restaurant is slinging fried chicken made with punchy fried shrimp paste and aguachile. By day, Third Place invites culinary creatives and individuals looking for another comforting space that isn’t work or home. Staples include pastries, steak and chicken salads, and caffeinated sips, including iced matcha drinks, Americanos, and espressos. Check out social media to see which chef will take residency in the Third Place/Jun kitchen this week. The limited-edition lunch menu is bound to be an experience.
Wild Concepts offers hemp-infused lattes, cocktails, and mocktails, and has a bud bar for all your CBD needs.
Wild Concepts
Choose your buzzy adventure at this hangout that is equal parts coffee shop, cocktail bar, and dispensary. With two locations, including its Heights locale on North Shepherd and a full-service restaurant on Westheimer in Montrose, bargoers can score hemp-infused lattes and elixirs, with your choice of CBD or Delta-8. The fun doesn’t stop there. There’s rum-spiked coffee cocktails, and plenty of goodies to take home, including CBD oils, gummies, and colorful swag. Looking for a space that’s more low-key? Try out Wild’s sister establishment Grinders, its original CBD coffee shop located on Kirby.