Jando S.
Yelp
Anyone who knows coffee in Houston, likely knows Katz as one of the biggest local brands. So many of the reviews here are paying tribute to Katz as a product, but my review is actually about the location and the coffee itself.
I walked in here completely blind. As a relatively new'ish Houstonian, I had no idea what the big deal was. I saw a highly rated "cafe" on Yelp and decided to come here to knock out some work and stay caffeinated in the process. When I walked in the doors at 9AM, I saw almost no one except one worker. He explained to me they don't sell coffee drinks here, but that they sell coffee beans / bags instead.
He pointed to the wall of different coffee blends and said, "That's our money maker. We don't sell drinks though." And I thought I had made a mistake and was about to walk out. He then offered to make me a drink and I then noticed an entire menu of different drinks. "You don't sell drinks here? What's the menu all about?" And it dawned on me: they're free. Buy a bag, drink all the coffee in house you want. Brilliant.
So I got a nitro cold brew and sat down to enjoy some of their semi-fast WiFi. There were couches and individual chairs and slowly but surely folks started trickling in and just ordering espressos, flavored lattes, and even their "Houston Strong" medium / dark roast drip. For free. At the very bottom of the dry erase board read: "All drinks are made complimentary + made with liquid love from the Katz fam."
I love their various blends that span all around the world including countries like Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Kenya, Honduras, Costa Rica, etc. For coffee lovers, they make for great gifts and they even have special blends for University of Houston fans.
I am not even the biggest coffee fan, but they've now got one in me. I plan on being a regular in no time.