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.

Smooth and creamy, the flavors worked well. Spicy chocolate can be overpowering if too much chile is added, but this one had enough flavor to give added zip to the chocolate but not so much heat as to overwhelm the taste buds. The Vietnamese Coffee was creamy and mild, making me think about iced Vietnamese coffee I had tried in Ho Chi Minh City.

The store is small, with about a half dozen stools at a counter in the window. When I walked in, I was the only customer. While I was seated at the counter, finishing my cup, the store became suddenly packed, with a line extending out the door onto the sidewalk, like all of the other places I visited this morning. I wanted to try the Limoncello sorbet to cleanse my palate before I left, but I didn’t want to stand in line again. But now I have an excuse to return and try some more interesting combinations.

Tartine Coffee and Pastries