Active Passion (INDIE)
Active Passion (INDIE)
I continue to be amazed at how many coffeehouses fly under my radar even though I routinely search Google Maps and other sources for new Houston-area cafes. Active Passion Coffee sits in a part of Houston I'd never been to before, a stone's throw from Stude Park, and has been around for half a decade. Ironically I discovered it this morning while searching for BISCUITS in the Heights, not actually coffee. Their biscuits, made in house every day, did not disappoint, and I would rank them quite high among Houston-area coffee shop biscuits, right up there with Blacksmith. The cafe is spacious, with standard tables in one half, tall tables in the other half, and a smaller area offers comfy seating. Plenty of outlets, wifi, and ample parking make this a great hangout. The decor, however, really stands out because of the monsters. Yes, the monsters. Apparently one of the managers, an artist, drew a hellah cute illustration of a monster walking a dog, and the owner liked it so much that she decided to make these monsters the theme of the cafe's decor. If you take the time to really look around, you will see the monsters everywhere, from standalone paintings to the coffee bags to the outdoor signs to the espresso machine!!! Coffee-wise they serve a medium-roasted Colombian bean for their drip, and they offer free refills, but the roast itself did not really do it for me. Nonetheless, the biscuits were good enough that I'd likely return to Active Passion when in this area.
RESHOOT: Hwy 6 & Memorial, Houston, Texas
Magic Cup (INDIE)
Magic Cup (INDIE)
Magic Cup is west along Bellaire in Alief, a suburb that I always confuse for a city but it's really not. This cafe is also in an area known as Little Saigon, or Chinatown, depending upon whom you ask, and like most of the coffeehouses along this corridor, it is Vietnam-forward, no drip-coffee, only espresso drinks (and tea), so I went for the "light cafe sua da" which is actually just the same as their dark coffee but with milk. This is not really a specialty coffee spot, more like a Vietnamese Starbucks imitator with an interior that looks more like a fast food restaurant than a coffeehouse. As you might imagine, the coffee was not to my liking, and I could not even learn what it was. Best the baristas could come up with was a blend of some bean from Louisiana (roasted, but not grown) and some bean from Vietnam. If you need a hangout in this area, I guess Magic Cup is okay, with outlets and a large parking lot, but the wifi wasn't working when I tried to connect.
Luce Avenue Coffee Roasters - Meyerland (INDIE)
the fifth Luce Avenue Coffee Roasters location I've seen, and the second of the kiosks they have opened inside H-E-B supermarkets which have doubled their presence in greater Houston. Although I've had some pretty good pour overs from Luce at their Richmond Ave location, where I used to kill time while waiting for a film across the street, they are now so expensive that I try to kill time elsewhere. Other than those pour overs, I have not been impressed. The drip coffee blend at the other kiosk I wisited a couple of years ago was not good, and today's, the Pan Pacificopeia blend, from their Meyerland location, was not much better. Typically my collectors instinct would spur me to try to wisit all their locations, but I honestly have no desire to do that unless I happen to be in the area and bored.
Catalina Coffee (INDIE)
Catalina Coffee (INDIE)
Catalina Coffee was the SECOND indie coffeehouse that I wisited in Houston way back in May of 2012, a year after I broke away from my narrow-minded all-Starbucks-all-the-time mentality. Yet, for some reason, I cannot find my post, if I ever made one, so I decided to return today and rectify that. According to my records, I had not been back for coffee since 2013, probably because they are essentially the same as popular Houston roaster Amaya Coffee, and I've tended to find them too dark for me. Also, as a hangout, this space, while ample in size, eschews wifi and outlets because the owner wants to encourage conωersation. If you don't mind that, however, there is a good-sized parking lot out back. One cool thing about Catalina is that they rotate artwork from local artists, and today they just happened to be displaying an array of about a dozen photos from coffeehouses around the world by @layman_rob -- I included one such photo, of a cafe in CDMX. As for the coffee, one good thing is that they serve their drip pretty late, so I did not have to take an Americano, and their Paloma blend is okay.
Merit Coffee - Houston (INDIE)
Merit Coffee - Houston (INDIE)
After many years with a presence in Dallas and Austin, San Antonio-based Merit Coffee finally opens up in Houston, about a month ago, and in a location that is noteworthy for two reasons. Firstly, this space was formerly occupied by the Buffalo Speedway & Westpark Starbucks that existed for about a quarter century, until September of last year, and the Starbucks was a popular Houston location where I would routinely hang out. Secondly, not only did I hang out at the Starbucks, for a brief period in the early aughts, I had about a dozen of my own framed Starbucks photographs hanging up on a wall. This was back in an era where Starbucks throughout the country displayed more local artwork, and many stores would allow customers to offer their artwork for sale in the story. Sadly, I did not sell a single photograph. Getting back to Merit, it did not take long for a broad customer base to find this inωiting space, and when I arrived on a Thursday afternoon, the place was packed, with a heavy contingent of students, it appeared. Design is minimalist, with muted colours, pastels, but not a single piece of artwork. Parking lot is pretty good-sized, and the space has plenty of outlets, tables, both tall and standard, and wifi, making a good hangout. Coffee-wise, I arrived when the only drip option was a blend, but the barista did me a solid and brewed up a pot of a Zambian bean that was pretty good, but perhaps too far on the medium end of the spectrum for my tastes.
Tree House (INDIE)
Tree House (INDIE)
Discovered Tree House on Google Maps while looking for an alternative to Starbucks in Houston's west side, at Kirkwood and Memorial, an area that does not have much specialty coffee. The space was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon, and it actually felt a bit cramped because of the layout. Coffee is from Greenway, a longtime Houston roaster that I am not seeing as often as I explore new cafes, and their drip mainstay is the Contemporary blend, decent but not as good as their single origins. Chemex pour over was an option, but pricey, and only in the large size (for two people). Pricing for the drip was good for Houston though, only $3.14 for the 12 oz size. Tree House also served me one of the best coffeehouse waffles I'd had in a while, and also at a reasonable price. Other than the cramped feeling, Tree House is a pretty good hangout with some outlets, wifi, and plenty of parking in the lot.
Xela Roasters - Richmond (INDIE)
Xela Roasters - Richmond (INDIE)
Although it reads Toasted Coconut, that's the restaurant next door, and the reason that I'm here is to wisit the recently-relocated coffeehouse Xela Roasters in Houston, which, confusingly enough, sits inside The Road to Nowhere, a tiki bar that still operates Thursday thru Saturday evenings. Confused yet? As such, all of the decor you see, and the overall dark theme of the space, is due to the bar and quite a departure from the lively and colourful murals that decorated Xela's original Second Ward cafe. If you look up my original post on my website, you'll see that that building was awesome, BUT this new space does have the adωantage of offering indoor seating--the old cafe was patio seating only. Coffee-wise, just as I wrote back in 2021, Xela roasts too dark for me, BUT this time I was able to select their lightest Guatemalan for a V60 pour over, and I liked it better than my original experience. I also give propz to the staff, including a highly knowledgeable barista who helped me select the coffee and answered a lot my questions include how to pronounce Xela (it's not like Xavier, but rather the Guatemalan pronunciation, more like Chela). Oh, and even though they do not have the murals and artwork that the Second Ward cafe did, they still have artful coffee bags, each with a cute touch, a fennec fox.
Copper Espresso Bar (INDIE)
Copper Espresso Bar (INDIE)
I had been waiting all year for @copperespressobar to bring specialty coffee to the west side of Houston, an area where it is sorely lacking. I finally made the trip, two weeks post opening, and while the first thing I noticed was the drive-thru, this cafe defies the rule that cafes with drive-thru lanes tend to offer mediocre coffee. On the contrary, Copper serves beans from Onyx, a roaster that was recently ranked as the best in the world. While Onyx has never been among my faves, I have had many excellent experiences with their coffees, and today's was as good as I expected. Actually, "today's WERE as good" because I got to try the Tropical Weather blend prepared using two different methods, Americano and pour over. Typically I would not have ordered the Americano, but there was some confusion with the barists about whether they offered "filtre" coffee. When I spoke to the owner and he revealed that they DO offer V60s despite having discontinued batch brew (due to low demand), he offered me the pour over on the house, and THAT IS A MARK OF A COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SERVICE. In terms of design, Copper Espresso Bar is beautiful, minimalist, with no decor that I could see which has the effect of making the colourful Onyx boxes stand out. Between the modest interior and the patio, there is plenty of seating, and there are plenty of outlets, wifi, and a few tall tables, plus a good-sized parking lot to make an excellent hangout. Oh, and check out the hilariously ironic DRIVE THRU sign that imitates Starbucks! Finally, BEIGNETS!!! Yes, Copper Espresso Bar serves beignets, and they are the traditional kind, not mini beignets or beignet fingers like other spots around Houston. While not up to Louisiana standards, nor the best Houston beignets, Copper's are definitely worth trying and MUCH better than those I've had at two nearby cafes also along Bellaire Blvd.
Eden Plant Co. - North Downtown (INDIE)
Eden Plant Co. - North Downtown (INDIE)
Located just a few hundred metres down from Kept Secret is the latest relocation of Eden Plant Co., their fifth, of which I have now seen three. One of the baristas who has been around since the beginning disagrees, but IMO this cafe in North Downtown is their best location, large and spacious with plenty of plants, of course, and a pop-up clothing/jewelry shop in the corner. Parking lot is also the best of all locations, and they now offer beans from the marωelous Un Caffe. Even though, like Kept Secret, they do not offer drip coffee (they might start), I could not complain because the Americano of an Un Caffe blend was the best Americano I've had in a while. One major downside for me, with my carpal tunnel syndrome, is that the tables are slatted and not ideal for using a mouse.
FEIN Coffee (INDIE)
FEIN Coffee (INDIE)
FEIN Coffee is unusual because it is the only coffeehouse attached to an autospa that I have seen in my 1000+ wisits over the last decade and a half. Not a bad idea, to give those waiting for car wash or detailing a place to hang out and get better coffee that a car shop would typically offer, but FEIN has gone further. The space is beautiful, quite homey with a minimalist wibe, primarily white and earth tones, limited art. The parking lot is big enough for the modest lobby space, and there is wifi and plenty of outlets, making this a decent hangout. The only downside is that while they do offer a decent roaster, Tenfold, they do not (yet) offer drip coffee, so I had to settle for an acceptable Americano of the Full Stop Blend (albeit not hot enough).
Kept Secret (INDIE)
Kept Secret (INDIE)
The appropriately-named Kept Secret is tucked away in Sanman Studios, a hybrid art studio in North Downtown Houston, but it is totally worth finding for the modest-sized space that maintains a fairly minimalist look peppered with some fantastic art and also plants for sale. Coffee-wise, they serve New Heights, a great roaster, but unfortunately no drip, so I had to take a still-decent Americano of the Neighborhood Blend. Pretty good sized parking lot, some outlets, and wife make this a decent hangout.
787 Coffee - Fairview (INDIE)
787 Coffee - Fairview (INDIE)
A friend alerted me to Puerto Rican-themed 787 Coffee over a month ago, but I was going to pass because they do not offer filtre coffee, only espresso-based drinks. However, when I randomly spotted their location on Fairview St., one of two in Houston, the look of the building, with decor I could spot from my car, spurred me to pop in. Glad I did, because despite the lack of filtre, their Americano is acceptable, and the decor makes this a fantastic hangout. Everywhere you turn, from the patio to the main lobby to the second storey, there is some beautiful decoration or clever message, with a surprising level of profanity sprinkled throughout. One really unusual detail is that unlike most coffeehouses, which use the same bag design for a given roast, 787 presents a wariety of bag designs for their mainstay Supremo roast.
Next Door on Larkin (INDIE)
Next Door on Larkin (INDIE)
Next Door on Larkin opened last November but had not yet made it onto any article or list that I found, but I suspect they will. They serve Tenfold coffee, currently only the My Shout blend, but hopefully they will add a single origin offering. They share patio space with a bar, Down the Street, and as a result, despite relatively small interior space, Next Door is one of the larger cafes that I have seen in the city. Parking is limited relative to its seating, though, and the outlet at the outdoor table I chose did not seem to work, plus a lot of flies outside made Next Door not quite an ideal hangout, but I think the spot is worth rewisiting.
Grand Parkway & Valley Ranch, New Caney, Texas
Grand Parkway & Valley Ranch, New Caney, Texas
Shouting Grounds Coffee Company (INDIE)
Shouting Grounds Coffee Company (INDIE)
While Shouting Grounds Coffee Company in New Caney is not actually owned by the Key Life Fellowship across the street, the space is chock full 'o religious decor and imagery, as well as nonstop Christian music, and even a religious message in Scrabble tiles. Decent sized space and parking lot, with a mixture of work-style tables, counter tables, and couch seating, plus wifi and outlets make for a decent hangout. Coffee-wise do have drip and they serve beans from Vertere Coffee Roasters, and the Costa Rican I had was okay, but ironically not as good as the Americano I had from Cinco Vidas even though I prefer drip. Oh, and if you were wondering, the sloth's name is Banjo.
Cinco Vidas Coffee (INDIE)
Cinco Vidas Coffee Company is merely a tiny coffee truck, one of thousands (tens of thousands?) around the country that would typically fly under my radar, except this one was written up by Community Impact, so I put it on my map. I finally had a reason to schlep up to the New Caney area to wisit the brand new Starbucks, and I detoured to Porter to check out their coffee (they have another truck further north in New Caney). I ALMOST ignored them because they do not offer filtre coffee, only espresso drinks, but I'm glad I decided to try their Americano, because the blend from nearby Talavera Coffee was actually PRETTY GOOD, and now I've put Talavera on my map for when I'm over in the Conroe area. Just a truck--no outdoor seating (not that anyone would want to sit outside in the Houston heat), so I would not call this a hangout at all.
New Heights Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
New Heights Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
I think I was aware of New Heights as a roaster a few years ago, but I did not actually get a chance to try them as a roaster until recently, and they quickly moved into my list of favourite Houston roasters along with Greenway, Little Dreamer, and Boomtown. I did not realise, however, that they actually had a cafe until just yesterday when I was headed to Jo's Coffee and spotted New Heights on Google Maps. This cafe, north of I-10 in the Heights area, of course, is a bit out of the way, but I appreciate having a place to try out a wariety of New Heights single origins which rotate every week. This time I had the Isabel Ramirez from Guatemala, and it was as good as I expected. As a hangout, the parking lot is a bit tight, but inside their is plenty of room, both tall and standard tables, outlets, and wifi. Also, because the space, inside the Asch Building, is shared with a few other businesses, it is easy to walk over to one of the boutiques in the adjacent spaces and check out their wares. Decor is minimalist, light on the art, but quite pleasant. Oh, another cool thing about New Heights, the art on their coffee bags!
Jo`s Coffee (INDIE)
Jo`s Coffee (INDIE)
Jo's Coffee has EIGHT locations in Austin and this one in Houston, yet I had never heard of them, perhaps because in terms of coffee, they only serve a white-labeled medium roast from La Colombe, barely specialty coffee IMO, and they also have a drive-thru, generally not a good sign if you want the best coffee. In terms of decor, however, this place is cool with a retro sorta 50s look that includes the microwave and (alcoholic) slushy "Frose" machine as well as old-timey posters throughout. If you're not picky about the coffee, this place is a decent hangout with standard and tall tables, outlets, wifi, and a decent parking lot.
Yemex Bakehouse (INDIE)
Yemex Bakehouse (INDIE)
After hearing about this place from two people, I finally found a reason to schlep out to Yemex Bakehouse, owned by a Mexican husband / Yemeni wife duo and boasting decor, beans, and food items from both cultures. Good hangout with a large parking lot, plenty of tables, outlets, and wifi, BUT even on a Friday mid-afternoon, the place was packed, so if you want quiet, this place probably isn't it. Coffee-wise, Yemex is the first of the half-dozen or so Yemeni coffeehouses I have seen that offers V60 pour overs, and the natural and anaerobic fermentation Haimi bean (from Yemen) surprised me by being light-roasted and instantly jumped to the top of my Yemeni coffee experiences. PRICEY, though, at $12.99 for the pour over, plus tip (if desired)!
Slowpokes - West U (INDIE)
Slowpokes - West U (INDIE)
Looking for a hangout in the Houston neighbourhood just southwest of West University Place, I wisited my third Slowpokes Coffee location (out of the eight they currently have), and I found it about the same as the others. Coffee is not to my liking, more on the medium-to-dark end, and the unspecified Mexican I had was par for the course. As usual, my favourite part is the slow-animal themed decor throughout, and this cafe had an appealing wibe. As a hangout though, the outlets are a bit awkwardly placed, the tall counter tables too narrow, and I ended up having to sit outside to be comfortable for a couple of hours.
Ella Coffee (INDIE)
Ella Coffee (INDIE)
Only one new Houston cafe this past weekend, a random find in the area south of I-69,between West University Place and the Medical Center. This area has many coffeehouses, but few of my faves, and Ella Coffee joins that group. They are the third Houston-area cafe I've seen in three weeks that turns into something else at night, in this case Simone @ Sunset, a cocktail bar. Space is on the dark side, not a lot of natural lighting coming in but there is a large patio for that. Decor is a bit more upscale as would befit a cocktail bar, but during the day this is a fine hangout with mostly standard tables and one tall table. Unfortunately, the only coffee option is a medium blend that Ella roasts themselves, and they use it for both espresso and drip coffee which is only offered until around 10:00. I had to take an Americano, and it really wasn't for me.
Cariño Coffee (INDIE)
Cariño Coffee (INDIE)
Cariño Coffee is one of the rare specialty coffeehouses in this part of Houston just north of downtown, and they were the final cafe that I put on my map when I returned a little over two months ago. Cariño turns into a bar at night with a cool-ass name, "Rabbit's Got the Gun", and that accounts for the eye-catching decor highlighted by a huge blue rabbit on a back wall and three doors covered with funky stickers. Coffee-wise, Cariño serves beans from New Heights, now one of my Houston faves, but unfortunately they were done with drip by 14:00, so I had to take an American prepared with the Neighborhood blend. It was okay, but I would have preferred a New Heights single origin drip or pour over, except they do not offer pour overs anymore. As a hangout, on a weekend it's a little loud for working, with the music turned up, but they do have outlets, wifi, standard and tall tables (one, plus the bar), and a parking lot across the street. Finally, every few months they'll have a weekend arts and crafts market on the patio. Anybody know what symbol that woman in the final image is making?
Third Gen Coffee (INDIE)
Third Gen Coffee (INDIE)
As a general rule, the best coffees are found in the city's core, and this is true of Houston, BUT Third Gen Coffee up in Spring is an outlier and actually served me one of the best cups I'd had since I returned, a natural-processed, Kalita-brewed Ethiopia Wush Wush. The cafe was quite popular on a Saturday afternoon, and appropriately spacious with two storeys offering standard and tall tables plus couches, wifi, selected outlets, and plenty of parking to make an excellent hangout if you are up here already.
RESHOOT: TC-Woodlands, Spring, Texas
RESHOOT: TC-Woodlands, Spring, Texas
Blackwater Coffee Roasters - San Felipe (INDIE)
Blackwater Coffee Roasters - San Felipe (INDIE)
According to Google, Blackwater Coffee Roasters has existed since 2005, but I had never heard of them until my Houston coffee search earlier this year, when I noticed A LOT of locations in the city's core, many in office buildings. This is the San Felipe cafe, a pretty good hangout with street parking nearby, a modest number of tables, and limited outlets. Coffeewise, I'd say they are closer to Starbucks or Peet's, but better, and they do offer single origins on drip. I had a Colombian that I'd guess was a medium roast, okay but nothing to write home about. They do close earlier, however--this one closes at 15:00.
Third Place (INDIE)
Third Place (INDIE)
Third Place is one of the fancier coffeehouses in Houston because it shares space with Jun, a restaurant that operates at night. Until 15:00, cafe customers can sit at the tall tables in the front bar area or at the standard tables in the much-larger dining room. Outlets are limited, but there is plenty of space and parking, plus wifi, making this a good hangout. Unfortunately, Third Place does not offer a simple drip, but rather cafe de olla, flavoured and spicy, not for me. I had a decent Americano using the Full Stop blend from Tenfold, but I prefer single origin, so their coffee is not really for me. Propz for the cute order "number" signs--I got a skunk!
Las Perras Cafe (INDIE)
Las Perras Cafe (INDIE)
Coffee-wise, all I could learn from the baristas at Las Perras Cafe was that they obtain beans from Colombia and roast them, but no further details. My best guess is that the drip coffee was a medium-to-dark roast, okay but nothing I'd go out of my way for. The wibe, on the other hand, is well worth the wisit, starting with the plentiful "NO ICE" signs posted all over the cafe's facade and doors, plus ABOLISH ICE art inside. Decor is all over the place, with a rendition of the titular "perra" seen in different places, different styles of furniture, plants, pieces from local artists, and unusual stuff like a saddle. Also unusual, a cabinet labeled TAKE WHAT YOU NEED / LEAVE WHAT YOU CAN provided by the Rainbow Pantry Project, and a karaoke area. Las Perras has plenty of seating, outlets, and wifi, making for an excellent hangout except for limited parking.
DUO Houston - Autry Park (INDIE)
DUO Houston - Autry Park (INDIE)
DUO Houston opened their second location in the new Autry Park mixed-use deωelopment last year, altho as of right now, it is their only cafe because the original is relocating. Same excellent Tenfold coffee on drip, plus the addition of Rosso coffee for their espresso based blended drinks. This cafe is slightly larger than the original, with a selection of tall tables, standard tables outlets, and wifi. But if you are driving, walidated parking is only good for an hour, after which it gets expensive.
Caffe & Trein (INDIE)
Caffe & Trein (INDIE)
Caffe & Trein is of the rare craft cafes I have found north of the I-610 Loop, an area that does not have much speciality coffee. The space is gorgeous, and I dig their name, a play on the word "train", because of the gym next door, and a Brazilian expression, "trein", meaning good. Almost all their coffees are from Brazil, and I was surprised that their Fetco-brewed drop a natural processed bean that they also use for espresso, was actually to my liking, not at all too dark. As a hangout, Caffe & Trein has plenty of tables (no tall ones), outlets, wifi, and an ample parking lot.
Bean Theory (INDIE)
Bean Theory (INDIE)
Randomly discovered Bean Theory Cafe while looking for a hangout near Memorial City, and I immediately realised that it sits in the space formerly occupied by a PJ's Coffee. Too bad because PJ's beignets are decent, BUT I have to say that in terms of coffee, Bean Theory is orders of magnitude better. Their mainstay is Amaya, which has been surprising me lately some excellent roasts, like the V60-brewed natural-process Peruvian that I ordered. They also carry beans from Apolonia Coffee which they occasionally serve. Also, the space is better decorated than PJ's, an excellent hangout with both standard and tall tables wifi, outlets, and a decent-sized parking lot.
Prelude Coffee & Tea (INDIE)
Prelude Coffee & Tea (INDIE)
Rewisited Prelude Coffee & Tea to replace my deleted post. Prelude is owned by Greenway Coffee, one of my local faves, and I enjoyed an excellent natural-processed Brazilian bean. The space sits in the corner of an office building and is modest in size with minimal decor, but the design is gorgeous with ample natural lighting. Only open on weekdays and expensive parking, but otherwise a good hangout.
Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria 2, Rio Segundo, CostaRica
Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria 2, Rio Segundo, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria, San Salvador, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria, San Salvador, CostaRica
This store has been remodeled since my origina visit and no longer has the seats around the bar, nor one of the two pieces of artwork.
RESHOOT: Aeropuerto Juan Santamaria, San Salvador, CostaRica
Cartago Vivo Plaza, El Guarco, CostaRica
Cartago Vivo Plaza, El Guarco, CostaRica
This is the only store I can recall seeing in Costa Rica with brick exterior and also interior.
Cartago Vivo Plaza, El Guarco, CostaRica
Cartago Vivo Plaza, El Guarco, CostaRica
Al Este, Granadilla, CostaRica
Al Este, Granadilla, CostaRica
Al Este, Granadilla, CostaRica
Al Este, Granadilla, CostaRica
This store includes a mural running up the stairs, and also an upstairs balcony.
Al Este, Granadilla, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Central Market Curridabat, Curridabat, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Central Market Curridabat, Curridabat, CostaRica
This store is fairly simple but does have a small mural that wraps around the drive-thru lane.
RESHOOT: Central Market Curridabat, Curridabat, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Metro Plaza Aliss, Curridabat, CostaRica
RESHOOT: Metro Plaza Aliss, Curridabat, CostaRica
.
Modo Cafe (INDIE)
Modo Cafe (INDIE)
Modo Cafe is a tiny space that sits inside a larger home goods store, but much cooler than Bed Bath & Beyond.
Cafeoteca (INDIE)
Cafeoteca (INDIE)
Cafeoteca in San Jose, Costa Rica, is another selection on the list of World's 100 Best Coffee shops, and I had actually been in October 2017, but that FB page was deleted, so I was happy to reconnect. I have ZERO memories of my earlier wisit, but that's fine because I got to see this spectacular space with fresh eyes and enjoy an excellent Kalita-brewed coffee from El Chiral, while the producer himself was sitting in the shop.
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Plaza Herradura, Jaco, CostaRica
Although this store is not as well-decorated as I would have expected from this touristy part of the country, 90-120 minutes from San Jose, but it still features murals, gorgeous art, and hammock chairs on the upstairs balcony.
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
ALSACIA, Alajuela, CostaRica
