Friday, April 11, 2014

things to do in dallas - coffee shops, pt 3.

As I mentioned before, here & here, I'm doing sort of a continuing coffee shop series on the great places to get coffee around the city.  I'll continue on with this series until I've had all the coffee there is to be had in Dallas!
Again, I ordered the same drink at each place - a nonfat vanilla latte - in order to be able to fairly compare each coffeehouse.

Crooked Tree CoffeeHouse (Uptown)
This small, homey shop has friendly baristas and serves locally-sourced and fair trade coffees exclusively. It has a sort of "living room" vibe and is good for studying, working, or just catching up on a good book. The music played facilitates a calm, quiet environment. Their latte is pricey ($5.25!!), but was better than most. Still not sure it's worth that price tag, though.

Roots Coffeehouse (North Richland Hills, Highland Village)
I've previously only featured Dallas, but am open to the mid-cities as well. Peter insisted I try this coffee shop in NRH and I'm glad I did! This is a coffee shop that belongs in a big city, but it's two locations are unfortunately deep in the 'burbs. Good news for those of you who live in NRH and Highland Village! The coffee was great, prices good and the atmosphere is minimalistic and cozy. They also exclusively sell artisan, fair trade, and organic coffee. Next time you find yourself west of Dallas and closer to the "FW" side of the metroplex, I encourage you to check this sweet coffeehouse out.

Opening Bell Coffee (South Dallas)
This basement coffee shop feels more like you've stepped into an Austin establishment than one in Dallas. Tucked away amongst music venues and red brick buildings, Opening Bell Coffee plasters it's walls with old vinyls and posters for shows long past. The vibe is definitely cool, but cozy. I saw patrons of every age (I only wish I'd been cool enough to know about a place like this when I was in high school!) and no one seemed out of place. They feature live music every night. The latte was even more expensive than Crooked Tree's and was HOT. However, I will most definitely be back -- perhaps to check out the music scene, or maybe just for Hypnotic Tuesdays.

Mokah Coffee Bar (Deep Ellum)
Unfortunately, the day I went to Mokah, a film crew had gear set up all over the shop, so I couldn't get a real feel for the vibe. As a result, I had to sit in the gallery which is an actual art gallery connected to the coffee shop. Does that sound Deep Ellum enough for you? Maybe it will if I tell you it also shares a building with a donation-based yoga studio. The coffee was good and decently priced. I had a fantastic muffin, but pastry options were limited. While there, I enjoyed peace and quiet great for studying or working, accompanied by a playlist featured Phoenix, Passion Pit, Ratatat, and other similar artists. The barista was incredibly friendly and helpful, noticing immediately that it was my first time there. I'll be back!


Have you found any coffee shops you love as a result of this series?
-e.

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