The Original Kolache Shoppe — Restaurant in Houston

TLDR: Service was unorganized and rude. Don’t have half of products ready until an hour after opening.

I had been wanting to stop by this place for some time and even prepared a list in my notes app of what I wanted to get and how many of each. It was nothing crazy, it ended up being one of almost everything they offered (not one of each flavor of each pastry). Anyway, we show up at 5 (their opening time) and weren’t able to go in until 5:07. This didn’t bother me at all because it was just seven minutes and I understand that things happen. But once we get in and are waiting for someone who was not either baking on the back table or arranging chairs to take our order, two workers walk in and put on their aprons to take orders. Again, not a big issue but by the time we left, it made sense. The girl taking our order was unorganized, rushed and distracted. I offered to give her my phone around four times because I know it would have made her job easier and would've made it go by faster but she refused and resorted to asking for my order piece by piece which took exponentially longer. I was told there’d be no fruit products for another hour, and that I’d have to wait fifteen minutes for another product. At this point, I was getting frustrated because why open at five if you won’t have half your products available until 6? Another thing that rubbed me completely the wrong way was how the (assumed) manager was speaking and acting towards/with customers. He was asked about half the products I was ordering a few times because the woman taking my order did not know much seeing as she showed up to work several minutes late, and his response was always something like, “tell them/tell her again that we will not have _ for another _ minutes or hour” while they were standing directly in front of me. Normally this wouldn’t have been a big issue to me but considering how he was acting and the ways he was talking to other customers that I overheard (I was there for quite a while), it just showed how unhappy and bitter he was, even more. The shop had been open for a mere fifteen minutes at this point. To one customer that was behind me he asked condescendingly with a passive aggressive smile if he wanted his kolache(?) with jalapeño or not, four times, while the poor man was just trying to speak. It’s hard to describe but I was shocked how a business owner or manager could be so openly condescending to one of his customers, especially one of his first customers. They were all in some sort of rush while the customers were clearly all clam and waiting their turn because we all just got there. Anyway, the actual food was, in my opinion, not worth the drive, time spent waiting, and service received. The only thing I can say that my family all enjoyed was the pastrami croissant. Overall, I was disappointed with the service and underwhelmed by the food. Maybe it was a bad day but I wouldn’t recommend them, especially if you have to...

Let me start by saying this USED to be one of my favorite places. In all honesty, the food is good but the bullshit that you have to deal with in terms of waiting / ordering the food and trying to park makes this place not worth it anymore.

When they are busy, none of the employees do anything to monitor how many people cram into that tiny building.... and everyone thinks they can be the last one to squeeze in which makes the whole process ridiculous. When you finally do make it to the glass case you have to deal with the staff asking you to yell your order across the room because they don't realize that they should go back to the other side to be right in front of you and not right next to the cash register. There is always someone checking out at the ONE register so it makes the whole situation extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Let's stand right on top of each other while you pay stranger....

So ok, I could deal with those issues and chaulk it up to a staff that is too young to care but after the latest parking fiasco I'm absolutely done with this place. It's obvious that this store has not dealt with their parking issue in relation to the next door tenants. This last Sunday, during prime brunch hours, a tow truck company is literally sitting in the adjacent parking lot preying on people that aren't aware of the new rule for the strip center parking. They will NOT warn you and take your car after you've been there for a minute. They take your car 3 minutes away and charge you $300 to get your car back. These truckers have obviously been tipped off by the situation, and while I was waiting on my car the trucker had made to 2 trips and returned with 2 cars. These shops next to the kolache shop are not open for a majority of the kolache shop open hours so this whole situation is just stupid and in NO WAY affecting their businesses but it's obvious that this store owner hasn't resolved some negotiation / issue with the other tenants...... it's also obvious that he / she doesn't care that their customers are being preyed on by these criminal tow trucks......

FIX YOUR BUSINESS ISSUES BECAUSE ALL OF THESE MAKE PEOPLE NOT...

I have seen this little building and driven past it for over a couple decades and now regret not having tried this local staple sooner, but better late than never I suppose.

It was my first time there with my wife and 2 kids. At first I was surprised at how small it was inside and it felt cramped with other customers there, but we were promptly attended and got our stuff without any issues.

Being our first time there, we were unfamiliar with the menu so we weren't sure about what to order; We got sausage and cheese kolaches (with and without jalapeños), bacon and cheese kolaches, a cookie, and a couple apple fritters

The apple fritters were phenomenal; so flaky and perfectly sweetened (not too sweet and not too plain.) 🤤 My oldestkid is very picky and was surprised she not only ate 1 but 2 kolaches.

We will likely return to support this awesome multi-generational local establishment.

Edit; this is my sixhth visit to this establishment within a 2 month period. I usually swing by around when they open but this most recent time I went around 10am. It was PACKED. parking was a hassle and had to wait outside to go inside and wait for my turn. 3 people ahead of me left because it was too much of a wait. TO BE FAIR, the building is small and can only hold so many people. The wait is DEFINITELY WORTH IT, if you have the time, otherwise

This time I got a vanilla ice latte w/ an extra shot of espresso. Received it within 2 minutes of ordering and it was so darn good 👍

It's a place worth checking out if you've got the time...