- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Taft Street Coffee
Rating Details »
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhoods: Fourth Ward, Montrose2115 Taft St
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 522-3533
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
14 reviews for Taft Street Coffee
1
8
I really like this place. Fair trade coffee, an array of teas and a chill atmosphere. I really enjoy seeing the art in the X-Nihilo art gallery. The staff is always very friendly.
I just wish they had better parking. You can park on the street in the front, but there is a "cliff" like drop off from the road to the side of the road where you can park. Or, you can park in the back in a gravel parking lot.
When other coffee shops are crowded or featuring belly dancers, Taft Street is a fantastic spot to get some peace and a cup of joe. It's off the beaten path a bit, so it's pretty easy to get a table or even a comfortable chair or couch. The space is open with a spare aesthetic, and is adjoined to the neighboring Ecclesia church and its X-Nihilo art gallery, so you can wander a bit as long as there isn't a service going on. You'll walk through a huge patio area to get to the coffee shop's door on the side, and amicable baristas will welcome you with good coffee, an array of snacks and sandwiches, and free WiFi.
On my most recent visit, as I drove up I was thinking about why I didn't come to Taft Street Coffee more often. One of the few drawbacks I could think of was that the sizeable patio lacked any real shade and was in need of some landscaping. But as I walked through the gate, several people were doing just that: replacing bricks in the patio, planting shrubs and trees, and adding mulch and dirt. Perfect. Inside, I further noticed some new cabinetry and shelves going in, and what looked like an expanded menu. I positioned myself in the corner in one of the soft chairs on a little dais complete with Persian rug and coffee table, got an incredibly cheap, bottomless cup of coffee, and set to reading.
I know my patronage of Taft Street Coffee will be much more frequent, and once the several improvements are completed, this place will easily garner another star, maybe two.
It has definitely been a while since I've been to this coffee shop especially since I gave up coffee. But I remember it being pretty good since my sister ordered some and liking it. It was sparse and majority of the tables occupied by patrons. The aura was very hippie and bohemian. I liked it even if I felt a bit out of place. My favorite part was the farmer's market on the left hand side, $1 if you're a guest or free if you're a member. Pretty awesome and makes you feel better. Ah, more eco-friendly. :D
Boo to me for taking so gosh darn long to come here!
Short and sweet... ready... go!
the goods...
-organic and home made (coffee/food/even the sauce on the pizza!)
-friendly and attentive
-clean
-recycles
-room for groups
-big ole patio
the not so goods...
-lack of shade
-they never have the vegan sammich that I want to try so badly
*um, I can't think of any more :p
Good coffee, nice ambience and vibe, open spaces, big patio, reasonable prices, good coffee menu, wifi, and you can even read a book or stroll the art gallery in the back that is available while you're drinking your coffee in an oversized porcelain cup.
No foam art, but that's not a big deal. My cappuccino had a lot of foam and it was well made. The Cuban expresso, which I saw in the menu, seemed overpriced (I get the expresso for less than a dollar in Miami but here it was going for over $2). Maybe they do it differently. But my cappuccino was for a reasonable $3.
Friendly staff too.
Two things make me uncomfortable though:
- Awful parking choices because of the "dip" in front of the building - but for people in the know, there's a parking lot in the back around the block that is better suited for our cars that need to stay reliable and sturdy for our car-obsessed city of Houston.
- It's in a RELIGIOUS building. They had a small bookshelf with books you can read, but noticeably only one section stood out and that was "Theology." They have nondenominational protestant Christian masses on Sundays. I don't know, but I don't mix coffee with religion, just like I don't mix politics with religion!
One exception: I may oftentimes be found worshipping coffee.
I can see why this fair-size coffee house is a favorite amongst yelpers--location, free Wi-Fi, an assortment of coffees and teas, monthly dances--but it just didn't do it for me.
I'm a so-so driver, so when parking my G-ride street side right out front, there was a 6-plus inch direct dip from the road to the ground that my car almost split in two (kinda an exaggeration, but I was a bit worried).
Plenty of seats to chill at, but it's too much of an open area. I like coffee houses with nooks, hallways, private rooms and paths for added privacy.
The barista also came up to me and my friend and asked if we were going to buy something bc "the Wi-Fi service wasn't free": of course we were--but I didn't even know there was free Internet. I was using my V-card. Humph!
(I respect their green-friendly mentality and support of local music, artists and such).
Another downside was the creepy bald dude staring at me and Melody L. He then tried to start preaching to us. I know, it could've been worse if he flashed us or something, but if I wanted to hear about Jeebus with my hangover, I'd take myself next door.
I walk in for a doppio and a church service breaks out. How come when I grew up and my grandmother made me go to church, the place was filled with crotchety old people with dollies on their heads. But I digress.
Since I hit Taft Street Coffee on a Sunday, the place was packed. Standing in line the barista mentioned that no espresso could be served during church service. Totally cool with that so I ordered a cup of joe (Cuvee Coffee), which was refreshing since everywhere else in the city sells Katz's run of the mill just above Taster's Choice blend.
So I sat down while Christian tunes wafted through the air and Metallica silently played in my head. Just after firing up the idiot box known as my laptop, the barista walked over and delivered a doppio. He said that Sunday's are crazy and he wanted to serve me what I came for. This floored me. Great service in a coffee shop, with a great coffee blend, this was too good to be true.
I typically, begrudgingly give 5 stars as I think this is a status that should be treated with respect. Taft Street Coffee truly deserves this rating.
This place always makes me feel like I am in some kind of communal hippy outfit. I feel Iike I should should scrub off the makeup and come dressed in muslin. Still I felt oddly at peace here and reconnected with a sense of purpose. I came here to study not to pray, so why am I surrounded by Christian spiritual literature. Oh, this place is connected to a church and an organic market. I love their cookies, they aren't fresh, but packaged and I cant' remember there name. The coffee is pretty good and they have free wifi. They are open kind of late, but parking is strange. It's so close though I could bike over. Don't go on a Sunday unless you are a consecrated member of the church. It sounds like a cattle stampede in there as they get very busy. I like it but some of my friends had an uneasy feeling in there I guess because they are Muslim and agnostic. Good place to study seriously on your own.
"Coffee with a conscience"
I went here for the first time last weekend for Second Cup Swing's monthly Saturday night dance. They sell certified organic and fair-trade coffee, display art exhibits, host Central City COOP, poetry readings, and music. Free internet is available. The coffees, drinks, and desserts looked good, I just had a sunrise something. Prices were comparable to Starbuck's.
The monthly dance has $4 cover and started with a lesson. There were at least 80 people present for the lesson and even more throughout the night for the dance. Second Cup Swing teaches lessons in the same space on Monday nights.
Overall, friendly place, nice atmosphere, and I would definitely come back for dancing, reading, or playing games.
I'm not a coffee drinker. Nor do I like teas of any sort. Yes, this includes chai teas. But I do love Odwalla. Yum!
Yes, this place is in connection with a church (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), but on a non-Sunday it would be pretty hard to tell unless you looked closely at all the books they had for sale. Everyone is really laid back and the baristas work pretty quickly. The prices are comparable to any other coffee shop you could visit.
The decor is fun with a lot of work from local artists. There is plenty of space for their weekday activities. The location isn't too bad--they're really building up that area. There are plenty of tables and chairs and free wi-fi. They even have seating outside. Parking can be a bit difficult since you have to fend for yourself on the street, but I've never had to circle around more than once. It is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a laid back place.
a interdomantional faith, of jeuus and people comeing together, out of their selfish issues, and self.
where everyone is loved, this is the place
A farmers market, book store, recording studio, are all upsatirs, in this wonderful block in zonefree houston
just downtown in montrose, it rocks, its organic, fair trade, and aspisre to be anti-walmart and sams club, capitolism at its fineist, and worst, and a occasional riff raff
What? Joe and a slice of peace? Coffee shops have sold out to the corporate methodologies, right? Not here. A sanctuary is the only way to describe this joint. No logo'd items to buy. Just simplicity. And an art gallery is in the building as well.
This is a pretty neat coffee shop... in a church. We went there for swing dance night on Saturday. There's a big dance floor in an adjoining room and the people there were definitely of all faiths. The dance was well attended and the DJ was good. The coffee shop has delicious hot chocolate and a variety of baked goods. They give you free refills with any size coffee. They also have dances on Mondays..On other nights they have poetry readings etc.
this is an oasis in midtown houston - the perfect place to chill out and read. with a church/performance/dance space and an art installation about a direct-trade trip to nicaragua. the food selection isn't tremendous, but the coffee was good and the baristas were very friendly. i'll be back.
