John S.
Yelp
Deep Ellum is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Dallas. It's covered in cool graffiti, has a great view of the Dallas skyline, a booming bar scene, and, I've come to learn, a cool selection of coffee shops.
I chose Murray Street Coffee Shop as the first in the Deep Ellum leg of my Coffee Tour. Although I had seen pictures online, they didn't capture the homey vibe I walked into on a cold Monday morning. Couches and chairs in front of the coffee bar were arranged like a living room. People were sitting around and chatting over their cups of caffeine. As I walked in, the barista greeted me.
Murray Street had three options for its daily brew, all roasted by Eiland, a Richardson-based coffee roaster. I started with the China roast, which the barista told me was smooth with notes of raisin. The shop was pretty full, especially the bottom floor, but I found a table upstairs to study while I savored the China. To my enjoyment, it was exactly as the barista described. If you're like me and you don't like harsh, bitter cups of coffee, the China is a great option for you. There was almost none of the bitter acidity typical of brands like Starbucks, Folgers, or Peet's. I could clearly taste the notes of raisin. If you go to Murray Street and they have the China available, I highly recommend it. There are also bagels, pastries, and other breakfast foods if you want to snack while you drink your coffee.
After I finished the China, I drank a cappuccino. It wasn't bad, but I prefer a creamier cup. I liked that both the cappuccino and the daily brew were served in plain-colored ceramic mugs. Murray Street didn't have much branding going on, but that would probably take away from its hominess. For this reason, even though the branding of the coffee shop can sometimes add to the experience for me, the lack of branding for Murray Street worked in its favor.
Murray Street is a great place to spend a few hours studying or reading. The atmosphere is very relaxed and homey. The only thing that somewhat hurt the experience was the music that was playing. The playlist was all over the place. I heard indie rock, orchestra music, and techno all in a span of thirty minutes. It didn't really bother me, but both me and my friend that was with me thought that it was an atypical mix for a coffee shop.
Murray Street is worth a daytime visit to Deep Ellum. Since Murray Street doesn't have its own parking lot, finding parking can be a little bit of a pain, which is typical of Deep Ellum. I had to park 2 blocks away in a parallel spot. You should be able to find something within a short walk, so don't let that keep you from paying Murray Street a visit.