Aside from what may be the city’s best sausage and egg biscuit and truly phenomenal pastries by wunderkind pastry chef Christina Au (you haven’t lived until you’ve tried her millionaire tart), this lower Westheimer hangout is revered for its specialty coffees and teas. Chat up the baristas about today’s daily black, sip cane sugar lattes and golden monkey teas, and pick up a bag of Greenway Coffee beans on your way out.

Whether you need a new spot during your work-from-home days or just a space to relax and enjoy the few beautiful days Houston has, this is the spot for you. Black Hole has lounge seating, an outdoor patio, and grungy eclectic vibes. Order the cajeta latte (iced, of course) and stop by the Delicias Maya truck in the parking lot for some tacos.

This local standby is bursting with small-batch specialty coffees, 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. Avo toasts, seasonal veggie tacos, and sinful pastries ensure you’ll stay a while. The local darling also sports a second location in Understory food hall downtown.

Talk about a coffee shop where you can spend your whole day. This sprawling haunt rocks lounges, boardroom and booth seating, a quiet back alley, and a 1,000-square-foot patio, plus all-day eats from beet chorizo tacos to pork belly bánh mì. Enjoy it all while you sip French press coffees, China fog teas, and the perfect house brew.

There are no frills at this simple standby, just seriously good coffee in the form of Americanos, cortados, lattes, and drips. Oh, and extras like chocolate croissants, rosemary scones, and corn poblano muffins. Okay, so maybe there are some frills…but there is no Wi-Fi, so come to drink and chat, not to work.

From a pop-up to a brick-and-mortar in the Heights, Ema is the gift that keeps on giving. Cofounder and coffee roaster Marlén Mendoza focuses on bringing a menu that ranges from a simple espresso to Mexican-inspired specialty beverages, such as the fan-favorite horchata cold brew and iced café de olla latte. Before you leave, don’t forget to pair your beverage with one of the many pastry options crafted by Ema's other cofounder, Stephanie Velasquez.

Even if you’re never visited its EaDo cafe and bakery, you’ve likely encountered Koffeteria somewhere along your coffee journeys. That’s because owner Vanarin Kuch—a highly skilled pastry chef and Top Chef: Just Desserts alum—fills the pastry cases at a growing number of coffee shops across the city. Back in his ‘hood (he spent time at his family’s seafood and doughnut shop in the area growing up), Kuch showcases whimsical flavors and fine technique in a comfortable, trendy cafe setting. Pair Chinese sausage tacos and apple tart tatin croissants with house specialties like the Salty Cambodian, a latte finished with sweetened condensed milk, housemade sourdough butter, with a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

With its two-story outpost in Garden Oaks, plus shops on Richmond, Washington Avenue, and in Pearland, Luce has won the hearts of locals one perfectly done cold brew at a time. Pop into the flagship 34th cafe to pick up cream Americanos, Spanish lattes, and some remarkable pastries and breakfast croissants, and watch the onsite coffee roasting process while you’re at it. Budding baristas can also sign up for one of Luce’s DIY classes, from home roasting and brewing sessions to latte art.

Montrose is filled with neighborhood coffee shops, but we aren’t complaining. Mercantile Coffee is not only pet-friendly, but it also has books and seating galore. It’s the perfect place to go for a nice relaxing reading session, a work from home day, or just a casual meeting with a friend.

Tucked inside the Ironworks building, this experimental coffee lab puts out classic pour overs and cold brews next to house creations like the La Mexicana Latte with cinnamon, vanilla bean, and raw honey. Folks can tack on CBD and D8 shots to any drink they please. Choose your fighter, then add on empanadas and breakfast tacos stuffed with beans and cheese, chorizo, and barbacoa.

Not only is this cafe and roastery a community hub for locals, it’s also known to host some of Houston’s coolest food pop-ups, giving space to cult favorites from Burger Bodega to Khói Barbecue (before both opened their brick-and-mortar concepts). Join those in-the-know and sip Tenfold’s thoughtfully sourced beans, or try out the Neighborhood Series coffee classes to learn how to up your coffee game at home.

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 and renovated to feature soaring ceilings, acoustic improvements, and a rooftop deck with sweeping views of the Houston skyline. Cozy into a plush sofa with a Texas Two Step (that’s the house drip with a 2-ounce shot of espresso for some added buzz) and feel the power of community.

You can choose your buzz at this spot that’s part coffee shop, part bar, and part dispensary. The Wild concept now has two locations, a Heights locale off North Shepherd and a full-service restaurant on Westheimer in Montrose (plus Grinders off Kirby, its original CBD coffee shop). Relax with hemp-infused lattes from CBD to Delta-8, go for rum-spiked coffee cocktails, or get free-spirited with a hemp-infused mocktail.