The Original Kolache Shoppe

"These kolaches feel important. Maybe it’s because, by 7am, a line forms at the door, and folks are grabbing hot kolaches by the dozen. Or maybe it’s because everyone working there surrounds a table behind the counter calmly stuffing bread dough with sausage or pastrami with the focus of a Formula 1 driver. Like classic smoked sausage and cheese with the perfect bread-to-meat ratio, or sweet triangle-shaped kolaches stuffed with jam or cream. Ordering just one is a waste of a trip." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene, julie takahashi

"Synonymous with the historical Czech population in South Texas, and a staple in the Houston bakery scene, this beloved Kolache bakery has been churning out these bite-sized sweet bread dough pastries for over forty years. The original kolache destination in town, the kolaches here don’t skimp on the filling, from its traditional Bavarian cream pastry to the tropical pina colada variation. The bakery also has cinnamon rolls, twists, croissants, sand tarts, turnovers, and the traditional Czech klobasniky." - Brittany Britto Garley

"The Original Kolache Shoppe opens at 5am, which is when you should show up. Opened in 1956, the tiny bakery sells out of its half-dozen varieties of kolaches nearly every day. Classic sausage and cheese kolaches have a slim outer shell of sweet, puffy bread; the pastrami gets stuffed into flat, rectangular pastries that look like crimped Hot Pockets; and sweet layers of raspberry jam are folded into butter-crisp triangles. The Original Kolache Shoppe is an old-school classic for a reason, and one bite of the perfectly sweet and savory kolaches will tell you why." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi

"The Original Kolache Shoppe opens at 5am, which is, ideally, around when you should show up. Opened in 1956, the tiny kolache and pastry bakery sells out of its half-dozen varieties of sweet bread and hearty sausage kolaches nearly every day. At any given time, eight people surround the shop’s central kitchen prep table like a family cooking together at Christmas. Except here they're stuffing kolache dough with sausage, roast beef and jalapeños, and savory pastrami with methodical, assembly line precision. Classic sausage and cheese kolaches have a slim outer shell of sweet, puffy bread, the pastrami gets stuffed into flat, rectangular pastries that resemble crimped Hot Pockets, and sweet layers of raspberry jam are folded into butter-crisp triangles. Staff members skillfully swap massive sheet pans of pastries that disappear just as quickly as they were baked. The Original Kolache Shoppe is an old-school classic for a reason, and one bite of the kolaches will tell you why." - Chelsea Thomas

"This pastry shop offers $3 Chasing the Dreamsicle kolaches during Astros games." - Brittany Britto Garley