What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Catalina Coffee
Location visited: Houston, TX
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
A rainy day never really spoils your day as long you have a good coffeehouse to sit in and wait the precipitation out.
Granted, rain is definitely a whole lot less welcome when you're in a much prettier place then you're accustomed to, but you have to think on your feet. So when the wife and I were recently in Houston, we decided to do the Kennedy Space Center (a little expensive but worth a one-time visit) as well as a local coffeehouse called Catalina Coffee.
Located seconds from downtown Houston, Catalina stands out a bit from the rest of their neighbors with their big letters and the outside seating (the plain beige brick and flat architecture don't help) and after spotting it, we turned to find a handy parking lot in the back (complete with rear entrance!). Walking in from the back, you come into a very dimly lit hallway and then a sharp looking main room, all smelling a bit like cat (why oh why?).
The coffee came from two places; Hopson Coffee and Katz Coffee, both seemingly decent companies. I had two different coffees, one via drip and one via french press, and both were pretty good (while they were both Katz coffees, I failed to write down which coffees they were). The french press rang bright and earthy, with an overall smoothness; the drip was balanced and smooth. The espresso also came off well. The barista did a good job pulling the shot and while it initially had a tempered bite, it filled out nicely. The tea was Revolution.
Aside from the cat smell and the slightly depressing lighting (could also have been the rain contributing dreariness) I enjoyed my experience at Catalina. The barista remarked that they should be roasting on their own soon, so who knows what's in store for this outfit. When in town, I'd give it a whirl to see how you like it.
