Coffee News

Does Dallas' Greenville Avenue really need a Starbucks coffee shop? Why yes.

Their service is unflaggingly polite.

Starbucks has been in expansion mode, opening a number of new stores around Dallas including a high-profile location at 1827 Greenville Ave., in the former Taco Cabana space.

Despite the gentrifying effect Starbucks has on any neighborhood where they open, it's become fashionable in certain circles to complain about Starbucks, usually in the more entitled neighborhoods where coffee shops are common. (In non-wealthy or transitioning neighborhoods, they're enthusiastically welcomed.) Complaining about Starbucks is an easy way to show you're an independent thinker (irony), superior to the unwashed hordes who line up whenever a Starbucks opens. You're a man of wealth and taste.

The Greenville Avenue location is a good example. "You know what Greenville Avenue didn't need. A Starbucks," says one tweet.

Is that really true? Greenville Avenue actually used to have a Starbucks, at the corner of Martel. It closed in 2008. I lived a block away and remember what a loss it was to the neighborhood when it shut down.

But maybe Greenville Avenue has enough coffee places now and no longer needs a Starbucks.

Let's analyze. Here's a list of the other coffee shops on Greenville Avenue, using two factors for comparison:

Availability. For those early shift workers, what are their hours?
Affordability: What's the price of a 12-ounce cup of coffee?

Spoiler: No one comes close to Starbucks' convenient and accessible hours (depending on location, they open anywhere from 4:30-6:30 am on weekdays and their average closing time is 9-10 pm), or beats their $2.65 price. (Price varies according to market.)

Going up and down Greenville Avenue, let's start at the tippy top:

Herb's House Coffee & Co., 5622 Dyer St. Quirky spot north of Mockingbird is owned by real estate development company The Stainback Organization, who also own the offbeat building they're in, which is maybe why they push the space as a workspace rental option. In addition to coffee, they have food, although their website doesn't show menu or prices. A "Herb's Brew" costs$3. They open at 6:30 am.

Window Seat, 3018 Greenville Ave. Your quintessential indie with foodie benchmarks including pastries from acclaimed La Casita Bakeshop, and a menu with all the espresso drinks first pioneered by Starbucks in 1971, plus extras such as matcha latte and horchata cold brew. A regular coffee is $3 to $3.25. On the hours, they come up short: Closed Sunday and Monday, open five days a week only, from 7 am-3 pm.

Halcyon, 2900 Greenville Ave. With four locations — two in Austin, one in San Antonio, and this one in Dallas — Halcyon is a small chain, and they're more restaurant-bar-with-coffee, plus wine, beer, cocktails, paninis, salads, appetizers, and tableside S'mores. They don't open until 8 am but stay open until 10 pm weekdays. A 12-ounce coffee is $3.25.

Cafe Duro, 2804 Greenville Ave. Euro-styled cafe from Duro Hospitality (The Charles, Sister) has a vibe that's slightly more "indulgent mid-morning pastry" than the utilitarian practicality of Starbucks. There's no dining on-site, you're directed to the patio at Sister next door. Although they've been open since May, their website still says "COMING SOON"; Yelp says they open at 7 am. Coffee is $3.

La La Land, 5626 Bell Ave. Growing chain has earned praise for its mission employing foster youth. It's a noble mission, which surely helps to atone in the foodie set for their seven-location status. A 12-ounce coffee is $2.90, although their focus is really on pricey exotic teas. They also serve food such as avocado toasts. They don't list hours online, and don't answer their phone, but they seem to open at 7 am.

Toasted Coffee + Kitchen, 5420 Ross Ave. Small local chain is known first for its menu of toasts, then coffee. It opens at 7:30 am, and their regular coffee is $3.

Houndstooth Coffee, 1900 N. Henderson Ave. Off the path but still falls within the Lower Greenville realm. They're a chain based in Austin but still successfully cultivate an indie persona, and by that I mean they keep limited hours, from 7 am-1 pm daily. If you want coffee after lunch, guess you'll need to hit Starbucks. Coffee is $2.77.

coffee

Deep Ellum News

Trinity Cider partners with Picadera street food in new Dallas venture

Trinity Cider

An exciting new food & drink venue is coming in Deep Ellum: Called Trinity Cider X Picadera, it will combine two great tastes — Trinity Cider, the sophisticated craft cider maker; and Picadera, the award-winning Dominican street food concept — under one delicious roof.

The new spot will be located at 2721 Main St. in Deep Ellum, in the former Crowdus Bar and, before that, home of Drugstore Cowboy, and is scheduled to open in December.

Trinity Cider is the laid-back bar that's been serving house-made craft ciders, sake, and beer at their current location at 2656 Main St. since 2018. They'd already been thinking about a larger space, and jumped at the opportunity when Crowdus Bar closed. The new bar will be triple the size of their current spot, and it comes with a kitchen, which allows them to have a consistent food offering, as opposed to the pop-ups they currently host.

For Trinity Cider owners Evan Kalstad and Brian Meyer, Picadera was the perfect choice.

“We have had over 20 companies who do pop-ups, and a lot of them were interested in running our kitchen, but it came down to the food I liked," Kalstad says.

Picadera is from Michael Tavarez, who started the concept as a pop-up in 2020, doing Latin street food, setting up camp at buzzy spots around town, creating a space where he could give Dominican people a taste of home. He drew a large and loyal following not only for his authentic and heartfelt dishes but also for the festive patio party experience that always arose.

Trinity Cider Picadera Trinity Cider X PicaderaPicadera

In 2023, Picadera moved from pop-up model to ghost kitchen, with three Latin food concepts at Commerce Fork Food Co. While this expanded the business, it also diluted the street parties Picadera was known for. Cooking in a closed kitchen focusing on to-go items took out all the fun.

“Mentally, I was done, so I had to close it," Tavarez says. "But I got a lot of positive comments and support, so I knew I could not let my brand die."

It was a breath of fresh air when Tavarez got a chance to participate at the State Fair, and real validation when he helped work on the dish that won the Big Tex Choice award for Best Savory item, the Dominican Fritura Dog. (Tavarez partnered with the Martinez family who've been at the state fair of Texas since 1977.) The positive energy continued when he got the chance to partner with Trinity Cider.

They're still finalizing the menu, but it will include favorites like empanadas, croquettes, tostones rellenos, Dominican smashed burgers, a bodega chopped cheese sandwich, and a Wagyu hot dog.

They're also working on dishes that can be enjoyed while dining in and paired with draft cider. The star dish will be a Dominican twist on steak frites, with skirt steak, plantain fries, and Wasakaka sauce, a herby sauce resembling chimichurri. This plate will be also available with camarones al ajillo as an add-on, for a surf and turf option.

Options include mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish of mashed plantains, served with proteins such as pork belly, churrasco, camaron al ajilllo, and queso frito as a meatless option. Dessert will include a tres leches cake made with famous Entenmann's pound cake; and Yaniqueque, a Dominican dessert similar to buñuelos, cut into strips, with dulce de leche ice cream.

The food menu is designed to complement the all-natural, gluten-free hard cider provided by Trinity Cider. Seasonal cider flavors will include pineapple, passion fruit, watermelon, peach tree, and slightly spicy mango, which they will rotate regularly. Their drink menu will also include non-alcoholic cider, as well as their famous sake bombs.

“Hard cider and Dominican food go very well together. A lot of the things that pair well with cider are ingredients that Dominican food is based on. It is a match made in heaven," Evan says.

deep-ellum openings