Everyone loves coffee, right? Whether or not you start every morning with a cup of joe, everyone can appreciate a good coffee shop. They make for date spots, a relaxing place to read, and great places to conduct business meetings or get some homework done. They offer a wide variety of different drinks and food for different tastes and are often seen as the quintessential meeting spot for a community.
Compared to the bustling coffee shop scene in big cities like Houston, Austin, and Dallas, the Woodlands has always seemed to fall short, with just a simple Starbucks on every corner. Luckily, over the past few years, we have seen a few choices of specialty coffee shops being to pop up and make their presence known in our community.
A local favorite is Third Gen Coffee. Right off Grogans Mill, this independent coffee shop is located in the heart of the Woodlands and serves a wide variety of people. With large windows and plenty of natural light, this two-story modern coffee shop has plenty of great seating, including several larger tables and couch areas for bigger study sessions, office meetings, or groups of friends. This makes for a homey feel. As a family-run business, they farm their own beans in Honduras and roast them locally in Texas. This produces a fresh, unique cup of coffee that you can enjoy while feeling good about supporting local.
Another shop that has opened more recently is Blue Door Coffee Company, with a location on The Woodlands Waterway. The shop is beautifully decorated, in stylish black and white fashion, with accents of blue- complete with the infamous blue doors themselves. They offer a wider variety of specialty drinks and housemade syrups, including a unique selection of teas. One blend is called Butterfly tea, which is brewed to be a beautiful purple-blue color and naturally sweet in flavor. Besides the typical coffee shop quick bites, Blue Door serves some bigger bites, like avocado toast and breakfast burritos in the morning, and a big selection of garden salads and warm paninis for lunch.
Crave Bakeshop and Coffee is located off of Research Forest, close by to Market Street. While Crave originally became famous for their cupcakes, the Woodlands has begun considering them a great choice for premium coffee in the area. Because they’re primarily a bakeshop, they don’t offer as wide a range of choices as a traditional coffee shop. However, if you’re in the mood for a simple cappuccino and latte, you can’t go wrong with Crave. Pick up a cupcake while you’re there, as well as some of the other treats, like cookies and homemade rice crispy treats to enjoy. Their place is beautifully decorated, with plenty of seating and a subway tile wall with a big “coffee” wall piece. They have great outdoor seating as well.
So, next time you’re on the hunt for your next cup of coffee, check out one of these local locations. We’re always looking for new places to try out as well!
