Whether it’s coffee, tea, or a rich hot cocoa that fills your cup, we can think of no better way to chase off winter’s chill than chatting with a friend at a cozy local coffee shop.
As luck would have it, the Hill Country region has many to choose from, each with a slightly different personality.
Read on, Wildflowers!
Cüppencake Espresso Bar & Bakery Lounge
22211 IH-10 West Access Road #1111
San Antonio, Texas 78257
Tel: 210-892-3010
Situated beside IH-10 in San Antonio on the Balcones Escarpment where the Hill Country literally begins, the Cüppencake vibe is suitably rustic and urban. They take the “lounge” in their name seriously, too, providing ample seating inside and out. A wide variety of beverages are on offer at the counter, with the fully-leaded cold brew getting the thumbs up from our favorite coffee connoisseur. We’ve seen the staff serve up maple-bacon cupcakes from their bakery case, too, which just might be the perfect way to recover from a hike at nearby Friedrich Wilderness Park.
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Electric Coffee (Update: CLOSED)
215 W. Bandera Road
Boerne, Texas 78006
Tel: 830-331-2272
Don’t let the strip mall exterior fool you! You’re gonna love the groovy rock ’n roll vibe in this boutique coffee shop featuring coffee, tea, smoothies, Mexican Coca-Cola alongside sweet treats. Feeling adventurous? We’re partial to their “Purple Haze” featuring Earl Grey tea as its base. It’s wicked good!
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The Wander’n Calf Espresso Bar & Bakery
523 8th Street
Comfort, Texas 78013
Tel: 210-802-9403
Tucked into Comfort’s The 8th Street Market—a popular multi-dealer antiques and vintage goods shop—is this cozy shop featuring locally roasted beans and an abundance of warmth and hospitality. Grab something warm to sip and a bistro table for a chat or wander the premises looking at the goods on offer in the main market. Either way, we think you’ll be pleased. (For more about the delightful Comfort community, see this story.)
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Oliver & Company
320 E. Wallace Street
San Saba, Texas 76877
Tel: 325-372-3333
We’d never heard of this remarkable little place until we stumbled upon it during a San Saba day trip. Inside we discovered a charming shop and cheerful staff serving up beverages, sandwiches, and baked goods to tempt every taste. (Bonus: they have gluten-free menu items.) The shop has family ties to the popular Oliver Pecan Company, which was founded in 1970 with “2 cane poles and 2 buckets . . . heart, determination and a vision . . . .” Today it serves the cities of San Saba, Belmont, and San Angelo. This explains, of course, why there’s an abundance of delicious pecan goodies available at Oliver and Company. Enjoy them onsite or take home packages for friends and family. (Note that Oliver Pecan Company was featured in our 2017 holiday gift guide.)
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Java Ranch Espresso Bar & Cafe
114 E Main Street
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Tel: 830-990-4517
As the name suggests this joint is all in with the Western-theme while offering a full-range of hot and iced coffee drinks. Cappuccino, latte, mocha, espresso are offer as well, of course, as the standard Americano. Hungry? Pair your beverage selection with a sensible salad or savor the flavors kolaches, scones, croissants, or a gluten-free chocolate torte. Lucky enough to be headed to Fredericksburg on the third weekend of the month? Buzz by Java Ranch en route to Fredericksburg Trade Days.
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Wake the Dead Coffee House
1432 Old Ranch Road 12
San Marcos, TX 78666
Tel: 512-754-9253
We swear that we didn’t pick this place because of the name, even if Día de los Muertos is one of our favorite holidays. Nope, this shop recommendation came to us by one of our first newsletter subscribers, Heather Martin. She said it’s worth a visit for the great garden (that’s her photo of the bench, below), funky interior, community events, and local art—not to mention the killer coffee. Wake the Dead also serves tea and buttery apple cider alongside artisan-crafted beers and a small selection of wines.
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Have your own favorite Hill Country coffee shop to recommend? Tell us about it.
