Kafeina Kafe — Restaurant in Spring

I would give this café 2.6/5 stars if I could primarily for the service.

First, the coffee I ordered (the Kafeina Latte) was pretty good overall, but certainly not worth anywhere near the almost $9 price point (after tax) it's sold at. Especially when there are a number of other coffee shops in the area that can make marginally lower quality lattes at a significantly lower price.

Second, I visited here for the first time today excited to get some studying done while sipping on quality coffee from a locally-owned café which I also expressed to the barista when it was my turn to order. From the beginning, he seemed cold and standoffish which I initially paid no mind to, assuming hey may just be having one of those days like we all do. When I later asked for the Wi-Fi password, I was given a silent and irritated point to the password posted on the wall which I had overlooked. Again, I thought nothing of it; just one of those days.

This assumption was proven wrong only a few minutes later when I started to observe how the customers who had come in after me (both frequent and infrequent) were each treated with the warmness and hospitality one would expect from any contemporary, small-business café. Indeed, for a few customers I watched as the same gentleman who took my order explained menu items to one group of customers with an enthusiasm that was nonexistent in my interaction with him shortly before. To seal the deal, after watching this same person thank every customer who exited and wish them a good day I was watched without acknowledgement as I exited the building.

Everyone, but especially those in customer-facing positions, deserves the benefit of the doubt whenever there's a questionable interaction; we're all human, we all can have "one of those days". But the difference in treatment I experienced at Kafeina today was too stark and too immediate to not leave me questioning what kind of standard this café holds itself to.

TLDR: Their namesake latte is good, but the nearly $9 price point has it punching well above its weight. Coupled with the subpar service I received, I'd recommend a different one of the limited, but quality, café offerings...

After years of attending various coffee shops across Houston, this is the best coffee shop I've ever visited. At Downtown coffee shops, you have to fight for parking, pay hourly for WiFi codes, and deal with unreliable internet connections. My experience at Kafeina Kafe has been the complete opposite.

Coffee Quality: Their coffee is absolutely delicious - you can tell they take pride in sourcing quality beans and preparing each drink with care.

Study Spot: As someone who's been searching for the perfect study location, this place checks all the boxes. The atmosphere is ideal for focusing, with comfortable seating, reliable free WiFi, and a productive environment (with great music) that helps me lock in to get work done.

Service: The service I experienced was exceptional. I've only been here once but I can already tell the staff members are genuinely so kind by the way they treated me and other customers.

Cleanliness/Appearance: Every surface is spotless, from the tables to the counter, even to the restrooms, which are immaculately maintained - something that's surprisingly rare in coffee shops. Also - I especially appreciate how they take the time to decorate for the seasons :)

Overall, a solid 5 stars - is my new go-to spot for both great coffee and a productive workspace. Skip the trip downtown and come...

This is tough...I want to yell to the world how amazing Kafeina Kafe is, but then everybody might go there and we will have to share it! I mean, seriously, what a great experience.

As we walked in, a very pleasant greeting from the owner/operator. Luis couldn't be more pleasant and personable! He answered our many questions about each item.

Then we settled into wait (I could have stayed in my really comfy chair for a long wait, but alas, the food came promptly). My sandwich (the Italian) was very (very, very, very) yum! And my wife's turkey sandwich was top notch. Luis brought us a few extra sauces in the cutest bowl/spoons set-up you could ever want to see.

The true difficulty here is the dessert decision. Sadly, my wife forbid me from ordering everything! I had the raspberry-passion fruit cake and, well, let me just say, "oh yeah!!!" My wife got a coconut creme-filled croissant...I was lucky enough to sneak a taste...again, "OH YEAH!"

When you pop into a small, new place, you just want to see the owner succeed. When you come into Kafeina Kafe, it is more than that....selfishly, we hope it is around for a very long time.

Oh, and shhhhhhh....let's let it...