Dallas Coffee Shops

We take information for granted. It has become so easy to find things with Internet access that it is hard to remember when it was difficult to locate things. I was in Dallas for meetings and decided to check out some local cafés. I logged on and went to indiecoffeeshops.com, where I was rewarded with a list of several dozen places to visit. Staying downtown, I narrowed my search to Deep Ellum and decided to visit three different ones.

Mokah Café is a neat indy café, with amps, speakers and musical equipment stacked in the corner. Comfy sofas and mismatched tables and chairs that all fit together complete the space. Funky lamps illuminate the large room but don’t shed a lot of light. It was quiet on my visit, with only one other customer working quietly in the corner. That suited me fine since I needed to catch up on some work. I enjoyed the quiet, with no inane cell conversations next to me from people with Bluetooth headsets yelling into the air, mothers chugging nonfat lattes and pushing oversized strollers with screaming kids. This was a coffee shop as they used to be, with good coffee, a dark room and a soothing feel. It was a delightful change of pace and peace, and I enjoyed the vibe.

Murray Street Coffee has a very different feel. A two-story space that is light and airy, it also has the eclectic look of an independent café with an assortment of chairs, tables, stools and seats, but with a more contemporary feeling. It is a comfortable place to work and relax. With its split levels, there are three areas to sit, so it is quieter than cafés that are a large single room. The Sumatran coffee was strong, the cookie was fresh, and with music in the background, lots of power plugs, free Wi-Fi and a great sandwich, I could see making this a place to hang out and work on future trips to Dallas.

Café Brazil popped up in my search, so I decided to check it out. It is a loud, colorful restaurant, with a self-serve coffee bar with airpots and seven kinds of coffee, regular and flavored. Of course, I tried the namesake Brazil. Can’t say it was overwhelming, so I wouldn’t come rushing back only for the coffee. But the guacamole, chips and salsa were fantastic! And the food everyone else around me was enjoying looked equally tempting. Having a real snack was a good way to end my morning of coffee-shop visits.