Sometimes you find those neighborhood gems by simply stumbling onto them. Such is the case in my discovery of Dunn Bros Coffee.
A fellow Advocate staffer told me about Dunn Bros Coffee after randomly coming across their website. I remembered having seen this silver speck of a shop off LBJ, but I’d never ventured inside. Always up for exploring new sources of caffeine, I made a trip out there today.
Turns out this place is a great find. They roast all their beans (which are all Fair Trade) on site, as evidenced by the huge eggplant purple Diedrich in the middle of the shop. They also have all the standards you’d expect, like mochas, lattes, and iced blended beverages. There are also holiday drinks (I went with the spiced pumpkin latte, which is very good). But what really makes this place stand out is the digs. There’s a living room-style setup with comfy lounge chairs in front of a huge fireplace with a flat-screen TV mounted on it. There are also lots of seating clusters if you want to get some work done on your laptop—and a private sitting room in the back anyone can use for out-of-office brainstorm sessions. If you get hungry, there are a few sandwiches, quiches, and pastries. There’s also a drive-through, live music every Tuesday, and work by local artists on display. In fact, if you’re an artist or musician, shoot them an email at dunnbros62@dunnbros.com—they’re looking for some homegrown talent to showcase.
The only big drawback here is the hours of operation. They’re only open until 5 p.m. on weekdays (except Tuesdays when they close at 9)—and they are closed on the weekends. I asked one of the employees why the odd hours, and she says it’s because most of their business comes from the nearby offices, so they’re dead during the evenings and weekends. She did add, however, that they’re trying to change that by offering the live music on Tuesdays—and if business picks up, their hours will change, too.
A last FYI, the coffee shop is having a coat and clothing drive for the holidays. Anyone who makes a donation gets a free coffee.
