Okay friends, it's time to talk about the real reason I started this blog. As much as I enjoy imparting on you my wisdom of where to park for Astros games or explaining how Houston Restaurant Weeks works (because let's be honest, I don't think I was telling you anything you didn't already know), I actually started this blog as an excuse to take pictures of coffee. If you are friends with me on any form of social media, you know that not having a blog wasn't exactly stopping me before, but nonetheless. On a weekly-ish basis, I will post a report of all the coffee shops I've been to recently and rate them in terms of critical factors such as coffee quality (obviously), wifi/plug situation, food, atmosphere, parking, etc. Theoretically, this is all working towards an eventual master Houston coffee list, but time will tell.

Siphon Coffee

Pretty sure red shirt dude caught me taking this pic...oops.

This Montrose shop is one of my favorites (and apparently, everyone else's favorite too). I stopped by this place on a Tuesday around 1 for a cold brew (my current caffeinated beverage of choice) and to relax and enjoy my PTO. I know this word is often misused, but I can truly say that I was LITERALLY the only person there who wasn't on a Macbook. I sat at the only unoccupied table, a tall one in the middle, and tried to discreetly take this picture while the laptop people gave me weird looks. I also spent a solid 4 minutes trying to decide what snack I wanted to order, and the extremely patient baristas helped me settle on a black and white cookie, which didn't quite make it into that picture, but was delicious. Now for the ratings...coffee is excellent. I ordered a cold brew, black, and basically inhaled it (which probably speaks more to my coffee addiction than the quality of the coffee, but it's good, I promise). The food/pastry selection was dwindling because I was there in the early afternoon, but I really liked the aforementioned cookie. I didn't bring my laptop this time but judging by the number of people who did, I'm assuming the wifi/plug situation is conducive to getting work done. I love the atmosphere here; it's chill and relatively quiet, and it tends to fill up but it's a great place to go solo. There are also some comfy couches in the corner and, for some reason, a table with a Pacman game in it. Outside is also a small patio, but I've always opted to sit inside because Houston weather. Parking can be challenging...it's in a strip center with a small parking lot that tends to fill up, so sometimes I've had to park in the street. Nbd though.

Prelude Coffee & Tea

So the other day I was at work when I decided to check Instagram, as one does, and I saw that a new coffee shop serving Greenway coffee and Morningstar donuts had opened that day without my knowledge, so, naturally, I had to look up the location immediately. When I learned that said coffee shop was literally (again, I promise this is the correct use of 'literally') ONE block from the office I was currently sitting in, I practically sprinted out of the building and across the street. Prelude is located in the lobby of the brand new Hines building downtown. The space is very minimalist and pretty, and it's great for downtown workers to grab a quick drink or breakfast, not so much for hanging out. So if you work downtown, please, I am begging you, check this place out and support the arrival of non-Starbucks/terrible free office coffee in the area. There's a high probability you'll run into me, because I'll be there almost every day (it's already a recurring Outlook meeting with my work BFF). If you don't work downtown, I would not recommend trying to get there, because parking downtown on weekdays is a nightmare that will probably cause you unnecessary stress and take years off your life.

Slowpokes

As I write this post, I am sitting in my new absolute favorite coffee shop in the great city of Houston, Slowpokes. I realize this is a bold statement, especially since it's my first time here, but I stand by it. I ordered cold brew, of course, and a ham & brie croissant. This place actually has a sizable food menu, consisting of mostly sandwiches, and I was informed by a friend on Snapchat that pastries from Fluff are also available, so I'll be going back for one of those as soon as I finish typing this. The space is relatively large and has plenty of seating. There is also a huge patio that looks like it would be super nice, except that despite it being the literal (last time, I promise) first day of fall, the heat index is currently 98 degrees. So the patio will have to wait for another day. Which is fine, I'll definitely be back soon. The decor is eclectic and trendy; my favorite part is a neon sign reading "I'm a slowpoke." which I can really identify with right now, as it's 2:41 PM and I've been awake for barely four hours (I'm on PTO, okay?!). The vibe is hipster, but not obnoxiously hipster. The wifi is working great for me, and there is a good mix of people working/studying and just hanging out and talking. I don't think writing a blog post that's mostly just pictures of my food really counts as "work," but I could see myself getting actual work done here in the future. In addition, this place offers an impressive selection of local beers, and stays open until 10 PM daily. There is a sign advertising happy hour deals from 4-7, and a collection of board games on the shelf. So, in conclusion, did I mention how much I love this place?!

Stay tuned for part two, coming soon. I have enough material (i.e. pictures that look suspiciously like the ones above, just in different locations) for about 19 of these, but I'll spread it out. To build suspense or something, ya know?

<3 liz