Verbena Coffee — Restaurant in Houston

A Hidden Gem for Coffee Lovers in Houston

I walked into Verbena Coffee expecting a solid cup of coffee, but what I got was something far beyond that—an experience. This place isn’t just another trendy coffee shop; it’s a serious contender in Houston’s coffee scene.

I ordered a simple decaf latte with whole milk, half sweetness—a tricky balance to get right. I don’t enjoy bitterness, so I prefer my coffee smooth, clean, and just slightly sweet. And let me tell you, they absolutely nailed it. The first sip was exceptional: silky, well-balanced, and pure—no off-putting bitterness, no overwhelming sweetness—just coffee in its most refined, perfected form.

Then I found out they roast some of their own single-origin beans in-house, which explains everything. This isn’t just a place that makes great coffee—they understand coffee at its core.

Barista Talent Beyond Their Years

One of the biggest surprises? The baristas. They’re young, but their skills rival those of seasoned veterans. Their precision and attention to detail are clear in every cup, and the end result speaks for itself. You know that feeling when you take the perfect first sip of coffee, and it’s like your entire body relaxes, like getting a warm, comforting hug from the inside? That’s exactly what this latte delivered.

Final Thoughts

Verbena Coffee is the definition of a hidden gem—but not for long. With quality like this, it’s only a matter of time before they’re competing with the very best in the city. If you appreciate pure, expertly crafted coffee, do yourself a favor and check...

These fantastic little coffee establishments are popping up everywhere! They're not all like Verbena though!!!!

I earmarked Verbena as a stop on my next visit to H-Town, and here we are. Let me just say, I'm SUPER pumped about my experience!!!

First, the vibe is exceptionally chill, and you can almost feel it as you cross the threshold entering the shop.

Jake was the barista for my visit, and he was great in every sense! We struck up conversation and it just seemed to flow. He's quite knowledgeable (which can be rare, even in the "specialty" shops) so it was nice to talk 'shop' with another enthusiast.The espresso shot I ordered was on par, and one of the better ones I've had in town.

Verbena also has a great selection of coffee they roast, along with other great roasters from different areas.

I'm not going to say I'm a seasoned expert, but I do spend a lot of time in, around, and consuming coffee and knowledge. Verbena is one of the better shops I've visited in the U.S. Yes, in the nation! It comes down to the people behind the counter having the knowledge and charisma to entertain both the mind and palate.

Highly recommend Verbena Coffee!...

espresso/latte quality used to be GREAT-then HIT AND MISS depending on barista-now BAD most of the times

earlier this week when I was there, the barista's process to make my "latte" was:

grind beans place portafilter on scale, remove excess grounds w spoon without redistributing the grounds in the portafilter, tamped them with almost no pressure (with the pressure that you would pet a baby kitten perhaps, i.e., nowhere near the ~30lbs needed) while she made the espresso, another barista steamed the milk up to a carboard consistency (with a loud "whoosh" the whole time, obviously a no-no) dumped the milk along with its thick foam (no microfoam in there) on the espresso

hopefully they fix this, and if so I'll remove/revise this review!

PS. some baristas there are EXCELLENT. but like I said it's a hit and miss, and lately, mostly a miss. I've even walked away a couple times after I see the not so...