Taft Street Coffee

01/11/06

Must See

by mikehaskew at Citysearch

I love Taft Street Coffee, and drive about half an hour regularly to enjoy it. Great atmosphere, wifi, concert space/art exhibit/book store all in one. When you visit, try the Vietnamese Coffee, or the Soy Dirt. Great drinks.

05/29/09

Great atmosphere to chill/get work done!

by svenc at Citysearch

Taft is a great place to relax and get some work done. The staff is wonderful, some of the most friendly people I have met in Houston. There is a great selection of teas, coffees, soda, odwallas, etc. They also have some wonderful pizzas that they make on site. the cook is a real friendly guy and he even mixed a few ingredients for me to create a custom pizza! The Buffalo Chicken pizza is my favorite one!

They also have poetry readings on certain nights and often have artists play on Friday nights. I believe they have a number of other events on weeknights as well, things like salsa dance lessons. They also have a central city co-op that meets on wednesdays and sells organic fruits and vegetables! It really is great! I think I spend too much time there!

• Pros: Good Tea Selection,Friendly Staff, Great Food!
• Cons: none

09/08/08

Feel better about your caffine addiction

by WestBellWriter at Citysearch

There are so many positive things that can be said about this place, but I think the most important thing is the coffee at Taft Street is very, very good. I order the straight, normal latte. I think that this is a good benchmark for evaluation. It is easily better than Starbuck's, like legues better.

I also love that this coffee shop is at the heart of a community center. Last Friday, I went to a cook-out at Taft Street Coffee (not sure if they were the sponsors). It was on their patio, though. They moved a lot of the tables outside the fence so that there was sidewalk dining. To respond to the few people that felt like they were preached at, I am very sorry to hear that. I don't think the people there want that at all, but we are all human and sometimes people feel passionately about things and want to share that passion, and they end up offending people. Sorry you had a bad experience. My experience has always been very different. In fact, I went to the cookout (mentioned above) because they were giving out free St. Arnold's beer. That didn't feel churchy at all. I later found out that the food is all made on site. It was amazing. A little pricey, but probably because the quality of food was so good.

The staff really seems to care about all people. I have been to Taft Street Coffee on Sundays, around the time of church services, and the people there are from all walks of life, and I think that they come there because they are drawn to kind-hearted people. I was amazed to see kids from the neighborhood coming into this, in some ways very urban and cool, coffee shop with dirty clothes and hands and kind of getting into the free water and making messes like kids will do, and no one said anything or even looked as if it was a big deal. To Taft Street Coffee patrons and staff, that sort of stuff isn't a big deal. It's life and it's beautiful. They have successfully married compassion, outstanding coffee, art, and community.

• Pros: Coffee, Community

07/30/08

Best place for good stuff and hang time

by RazorBlaid at Citysearch

Great place to get drinks and some light food. Art is cool and the place has a warm feel. A lot of events happen here. Ecclesia does meet here on sundays. Bands do play here and if you show up on a sunday most of the time Robbie Seay plays. have a great time like I have.

• Pros: Good people
• Cons: parking at times can be hard

07/21/08

not your typical coffee shop

by opinionatedfemale at Citysearch

If you?re going to hang out with a friend, read, or buy coffee, this is NOT the place to go. I went on a Sunday to drink their coffee, use the free internet, and work. It was massively packed because a Christian service was about to start. I was in line to buy coffee and when it was my turn (I was the only person left in line) they said no because service was about to start and they would not serve during service. I tried to wait it out but the service was actually a Christian rock concert so I could hardly hear myself think, seeing as the speaker system was as good as any concert I?ve attended. Not sure if it?s like this every weekend, but the room next door is used for various events so it?s likely always like this.

• Pros: none
• Cons: bad service, no parking, overly religious

07/09/07

An intriguingly unique coffee shop environment, art gallery, interesting books on the shelves, friendly baristas

by proudhoustonian at Citysearch

This place is likely to be different from any coffee shop you've ever visited. I like Diedrich's, the Daily Grind, Inversion and many more in Montrose and the surrounding area, but Taft is unique in its decor and environment. The art gallery in the next room frequently rotates through a wide variety of paintings, sculptures and photos (seems like they're usually gone after only about a month), and you might be surprised to realize that the books on the shelves are intended to be a bookstore (there's only one of each book, and you can tell that someone who really cares was quite particular when picking the ones that you see). I'm not as refined in my coffee tastes as some, but I do enjoy their lattes and cafe au lait. However, from the beginning my favorites were the sweet Vietnamese coffee (iced) and even just the straight iced coffee (for some reason I prefer theirs to anyone else's). Just look for the red brick building which is Ecclesia. The church is not Catholic as someone on coffeegeekDOTcom suggested, but I'm sure they'd welcome the confusion since they're not into giving off partisan or denominational cues. I find the baristas to be friendly, and it's cool that the next room regularly hosts the Central City Co-Op (where you can get your organic produce and other foods). Parking is available in the back or on the neighborhood streets, so go here for a slower-paced cup of coffee and the complete opposite of any corporate chain.

• Pros: Quiet, surprisingly unique environment/decor, selection of books, my favorite iced coffee and Vietnamese coffee
• Cons: I'm sad when there's a chicory shortage (because they use that for their Vietnamese coffee)

05/18/07

YES WAY!

by g1nahis at Citysearch

The coffee is great and affordable. Ambiance is eclectic and comfortable. Service is sweet and attentive. Very clean and spacious. Great place to grab a cup of coffee and just chill or read a book. Free wi-fi too! Can't beat that. If you want something other than Starbucks (pls do!) - this is the way to go. Great addition to the Montrose area.

• Pros: Clean, Comfy, Spacious and Reasonably Priced!
• Cons: Not sure...none that I can think of...

02/13/07

Great date spot

by undercover_food_critic at Citysearch

I really didn't get the feel that this place was too "preachy." Sorry someone felt that way. I did enjoy the coffee (very tasty) and the desserts were o.k. Very affordable compared to other coffee houses. Swing dancing and live bands on select weekends make this a great date spot. Very cozy.

P.s. Tons of great books to read while your chillin.

• Pros: Great coffee, friendly staff, tons of books and great ambience
• Cons: Food choice was somewhat limited

Providing tasty coffee with a social conscience.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
This hideaway in the middle of Montrose provides a welcome respite from trendy, commercial coffeehouses. The comfortable decor, friendly staff and eclectic music attract a diverse clientele. A bookstore and art gallery provide the perfect backdrop for the rotating calendar of local artists, performers and lecturers that visit the socially conscious cafe. Only fair trade and organic coffees are served. The limited menu includes pizza, pastries and desserts. Free wireless Internet is also provided.

10/05/06

No Way....

by mtbrothe at Citysearch

If you want to be preached to and simply be bored, go right ahead....... ................ .............

• Pros: None
• Cons: overly religious, bad service and bad coffee...

06/24/06

Great coffee spot

by jengsplaya at Citysearch

If you're looking for a coffee shop that is very different from Starbuck's, Taft Street may be a great place for you to try. I love the alternative decor and ambiance, and the Vietnamese coffee is sweet and strong. Free wireless internet is also a nice addition. I would recommend this place to students who want a good place to study.