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    Cougar Grounds

    4.3 (49 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee & Tea
    Open 7:30 am - 8:00 pm

    Cougar Grounds Photos

    COUGAR GROUNDS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for working
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Brandon D.

    I was at UH for a student panel recently and I tried cougar grounds while I was there. It's a student run coffee house on the first floor of the Hilton hotel. Inside was really packed but luckily there was barely a line to order. My friend recommended the medium matcha with a shot of espresso. The wait was not long at all and I quickly got my drink. For a student run coffee shop, I liked my drink. The espresso wasn't too overpowering at all and there was a hint of sweetness.

    Kayla L.

    Fav place to study after class! Service is always friendly and they have a nice variety of snacks, drinks, and bakery items. Pumpkin chai is a must in the fall and cougar grounds def satisfies the craving! Love adding a shot of espresso too

    Vanilla Latte
    Jamie T.

    Their coffee is better than Starbucks in my opinion. And it's student managed so make sure to put your dollars here! I appreciate how it is now inside my building (the optometry building) for us cranky optometry/pharmacy/Ph.D students. I've tried their vanilla latte and their green tea latte. Both were pretty good. Not too pricey. They also sell snacks as well! Their baristas seem nice too.

    Caramel Jav with Whipped cream
    Tu D.

    This is my fav coffee shop in UH! I love the Caramel Java and Matcha Latte, the price is cheaper than others. Just a little disappointed this time because of the whipped cream. Overall, a great place to study and have a small talk with friends

    Vanilla latte and Americano
    EmilioandLauren B.

    Not many coffee places on campus but even still, this is a really good spot. For students trying to find a spot to study, it's usually pretty busy but if you can find a free seat it's a nice atmosphere to get some stuff done. Iced Vanilla Latte is one of Lauren's favorites and I always go with a simple Americano! Nice and polite staff as well - most of them being UH students too!

    Medium iced charger (20oz)
    Mary Z.

    Cougar grounds is a cute spot, with happy baristas and cozy atmosphere. Unfortunately, as an iced coffee drinker, I don't agree that it is better than Starbucks. I was quite disappointed with my iced charger, which I was told is stronger sibling to regular iced coffee. It tasted rather watery and was easily overpowered by the toffee syrup (my ratio is usually 3 oz of syrup for a 20oz coffee). Price wise, a flavored medium iced charger also costs about a dollar more than its Starbucks equivalent. I think if I was looking for just caffeine, I'd take Starbucks as I can customize syrup/diary/ice to my heart's desire without judgement. (Green/gold rewards members also get free refills) However, Cougar Grounds does offer a nicer atmosphere and I wouldn't mind chilling outside next time with a blended frappé or smoothie.

    The small size is about the size of a Starbucks tall.
    Helen L.

    Their coffee is always so good! It's always my go-to place for good coffee and a nice atmosphere to study or read. Right inside the Hilton so the restrooms are always nearby and very nice and clean. The staff can be a little rude sometimes. I feel like customer service can improve a little. I know that mostly students work there but holding off from taking my order because you want to finish your conversation is kinda pushing it in my opinion. The toffee crunch latte is literally heaven in a little cup. I swear they put something in it that makes me come back each time. Blueberry bagel is always my chosen study snack.

    Antonio H.

    A small space that offers much. There vegetarian snacks and vegan snacks. The coffee is excellent. The service is friendly and fast. It's well priced. A great choice on campus

    Matcha green tea latte

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    15 years ago

    I refuse to pay $5 for a cup of coffee...which is why I am anti-Starbucks. This is a great student run coffeehouse on the UH campus.

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    10 years ago

    Possibly the worst flat white I've ever drunk but at least it was served luke warm tending to cold so I could knock it back quickly

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    10 years ago

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    Brass Tacks - S'mores latte & breakfast hammich

    Brass Tacks

    4.5(568 reviews)
    2.3 miEaDo, Warehouse District
    $$

    I've been here a few times some mornings and evening. It's my go-to spot when I want to be…read moreproductive and enjoy the vibe. There is plenty of seating indoor and outdoor, which is great because this spot is quite popular. They have two small lots but also plenty of street parking. There's WiFi and outlets throughout, however sometimes the WiFi gets too crowded so it takes a while to connect. Be mindful that you can work anywhere except for the bar. The service is great, they text you when your order is ready and they even say your name in a singsong way lol. I like that they have a new seasonal flavor to try each time I come. I usually get a chai or matcha with whatever the new flavor is. They have ice cold water as well. I typically make my own breakfast tacos when I come here and they're always pretty good. LOVE their fries! It's funny that some of the people that work there will remember you by your order. When I bring others, they enjoy the food. My friend had the patty melt which she said was great.

    Today I officially will never be back to brass tack - this is my 2nd time here having an off…read moreinteraction and I won't be back for a 3rd This place has great coffee but is super busy and loud so not the best place to study or work from home with multiple meetings but manageable if you have 1 or 2 meetings The inside is super loud so I went on the patio for my 10 am meeting - it's me and one other person - fairly quiet. 5 minutes into my meeting where I'm facilitating and speaking a photographer and 2 workers come out and set up directly in front of me - move a table directly next to me start yelling for Ice - taking photos- moving chairs from my table - having side convos like 12 inches away from me. So after my meeting I asked if they worked they're which they responded yes and let them know that it was inappropriate how loud and close they were when I was there first and they could've atleast beeen courteous enough to say hey we're about to do a photo shoot and could get noisy etc Only 1 of the 3 apologized and the other 2 literally looked as if I were the issue so with that being said I'll never be back but they promote themselves as a workspace .. so try to considerate of your patrons that are working One lady offered a gift card but that a service industry cop out especially when the response is "I'm sorry you felt that way" lol it wasn't a feeling it was literally happening in real time .. I didn't feel you were talking through my whole meeting right next to me .. it was happening

    Photos
    Brass Tacks - Additional seating

    Additional seating

    Brass Tacks - Quesadillas and fries

    Quesadillas and fries

    Brass Tacks - Back room 12/5/23

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    Back room 12/5/23

    EaDough - Almond loaf

    EaDough

    4.3(156 reviews)
    1.7 miEaDo
    $$

    I had my friend pick up two items for me from Eadough, so I did not get the walk up experience…read more I've been meaning to go here in person though! I got the saag paneer kolache and the gajar ka halwa bread pudding. Now anyone who knows me, knows I'm a fiend for gajar ka halwa and saag paneer so this was a must. I haven't had this place before, but the collab definitely pulled me in! Savory vegetarian kolache options do not come often, and I really hope this inspires Eadough to add and keep more of them. The bread was so soft and pillowy and the saag paneer was flavored well without being too strong or punchy. The gajar ka halwa bread pudding was amazing - not too sweet which is difficult when it comes to most indian desserts. I recommend eating this warm or heated as it was a bit too dry when cooled or at room temperature. When heated, the cake was moist and buttery which played very well to bringing out some key flavors. I can't speak to the service, but the packaging was cute. I hope to come here again and try other options from their regular menu, but hope they keep these two going!

    I've had this shop on my list for so long! I finally got the chance to go here and was not…read moredisappointed. When we arrived I realized the place is a walk up shop so we roamed around once for parking and realized they actually have a small area to the right of the shop to park- it can be easy to miss. When we walked up, their pastries looked delicious! I ordered their s'mores croffin. For my drink I got the turmeric wellness hot drink- I read a lot of reviews complaining about wait time. We arrived around 10am on a weekday and it was quite empty. There was relatively no wait time for our drinks. My drink was unsweetened so I added packets of sugar into it and the pastry was delightful- crunchy, buttery, sweet, chocolaty on the inside all at the same time. This place has some picnic looking benches outside of it if you are interested in staying there. I highly recommend! I'm ready to go back and try some of their other pastries.

    Photos
    EaDough - Lemon Meringue Latte w/ Oat milk

    Lemon Meringue Latte w/ Oat milk

    EaDough - Front entrance

    Front entrance

    EaDough - Peach crumble and coco puff latte. Delicious!!!

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    Peach crumble and coco puff latte. Delicious!!!

    Koffeteria - Milk and cookies brioche

    Koffeteria

    4.4(380 reviews)
    2.3 miEaDo
    $$

    Koffeteria is an absolute hidden gem located in EaDo. I just found out about it from Instagram and…read morewas shocked that I've never heard about it prior, despite it being here for years! Anyway, I finally got a chance to stop by on a Sunday late morning recently. Parking can be difficult, but there are dedicated Koffeteria spots in front of the business as well as surrounding paid curbside parking. I believe Instagram helped many others discover this business recently, as it was pretty packed and there was a line, but this gave us ample opportunity to peruse the menu and pastry display. Ultimately, we opted for the: Cambodian iced coffee (kayfe dahkoh) made with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk - tasted very similar but weaker than Vietnamese coffee. As I'm Viet and have never had Cambodian coffee, this was my only frame of reference, and I didn't love it. I'm excited to try more Cambodian coffees to get a better understanding of their unique flavor profile! Black sesame mochi - sweet and perfectly sesame flavored with salted yolk at the bottom, delicious, my partner's favorite pastry Beef pho kolache - the bun was so soft and complemented the soft but flavorful brisket meat. wow. truly a brisket pho in a kolache. We got extremely lucky and got a table almost immediately after ordering, as someone left just in time. The interior is full of vintage furniture, which added so much character. As a vintage lover, I felt so at home! I could see how others might prefer a more neat, chic interior, but to me this was absolutely perfect and added so much warmth, homeliness, and character to the shop. Absolutely love this coffee shop and will 100% be back to try more pastries and coffees. Immediately, this has become a new Houston favorite!

    We found this coffee shop while in town in Houston and it ended up being one of our favorites! It…read morewas FIFA fan fest in the area so it was a little hard getting to the location, but totally worth it! The shop had a very homey feel and the staff were super friendly. Strong coffee and the pastries were so good! We tried the chocolate chip cookies and oh my! Overall, we would be back again when in the area!

    Photos
    Koffeteria - Inside

    Inside

    Koffeteria - Beef pho kolache

    Beef pho kolache

    Koffeteria - Beef pho kolache and Cambodian iced coffee

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    Beef pho kolache and Cambodian iced coffee

    Leeland House - Breakfast Plate , Fried French Toast

    Leeland House

    4.1(720 reviews)
    2.1 miEaDo
    $$

    Good food! Fast service! Nice music! Great customer…read moreservice! You should try!! I will be back!

    Came here for Father's Day and left disappointed. It was Father's Day in addition to my birthday…read more Was recommended the honey chicken biscuit...the chicken was not seasoned and was rubbery (cheap grade of chicken). I asked to have it changed out for the lobster & grits...instead of having the meal expedited due to the poor quality of the item originally ordered...it was put in que with all orders of the restaurant causing a severe delay in receiving my food. The rest of our party had eaten and fully finished and my reorder never came. I decided to cancel my order so that we could leave. My husband ordered food, received half his order. Had to remind the waitress of the missing main dish. My son ordered a soda and had to wait over 10 min to receive after reminding the waitress he never received it. Family friend requested a substituted item and had to remind the waitress after receiving his food that the item wasn't substituted out like asked. Take note that none of the protein we had has any flavor...just the breading and sauces. (Lobster, burger, chicken). The passion fruit mimosa had no hint of flavor...it tastes like we drank a cheap bottle of champagne. No quality water available...we were approached initially with tap water bottled in a glass bottle like it was filtered. When we asked for mineral or sparkling water...they were out (this was shortly after opening) Only had Ozarka (in a plastic bottle). Too much back and forth for a $250+ bill. Then you automatically add 18% grat when honestly it wasn't worth it. We've paid less for much better service and quality of food. Proceed with caution.

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    Leeland House
    Leeland House - Breakfast plate with Fried French Toast

    Breakfast plate with Fried French Toast

    Leeland House - Leeland Benedict

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    Leeland Benedict

    Cougar Grounds - coffee - Updated September 2026

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