The Top 5 To-go Breakfast Spots in Houston 

Koffeteria is a hip hangout with tasty caffeinated treats that double as an easy-to-go-breakfast when you’re in a time crunch. At least, that’s what we’ve been told. 

We liked how the pastry chef at Koffeteria incorporates ingredients, a distinctive flavor, and a Cambodian influence into their pastries. 

We also liked how the chef takes a risk by using components that aren’t commonly found in baked goods yet contribute to making a delicious pastry. 

On our recent visit to Koffeteria, the staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating. A few of their items stood out on the menu due to their unique ingredients. 

We tried the lavender latte and the mazapan iced coffee. As far as pastries go, we had the tres leches croissant, the salted Cambodian, and the kolache. 

While we didn’t like the lavender latte since it was not sweet enough for our taste, we did enjoy their mazapan (peanut marzipan) iced coffee. Their iced coffee was not watered down and was a sweet yet nutty source of refreshment. 

The kolache had a delicious Thai-inspired filling. It was a touch pricey, but we could tell the quality was there.  

Moreover, we also enjoyed the salty Cambodian pastry as it was a bittersweet balance to the sweetness of our iced coffee.

Since the kolache was simply a bread boat for the filling instead of loaded bread, we wouldn’t recommend it as a quick and easy-to-go breakfast as it’s not immensely filling—unless you purchase another one. 

We also did not like their tres leches croissant as we felt it was not moist enough and it does not truly capture the flavors behind tres leches.

Cielto Cafe has been described to us as waking up to a delicious breakfast prepared by a warm and welcoming Mexican mother. Yes, this is not a typical cafe—it’s a converted house.

Many have also raved to us about the pleasant atmosphere at Cielito Cafe and its helpful staff. But we’ve also been warned that depending on what time in the morning we went, the wait times might be lengthy, and parking may not be available. 

When we went to Cielito Cafe, we did have to wait in line, which did go by slowly. The free snacks and drinks made the long wait bearable. 

First, we liked how everything was freshly prepared efficiently not long after we placed our orders. We also liked the ability to modify an order to exclude lactose-intolerant staples like cheese and cream from their meals and pastries.

We ordered their chilaquiles verdes, breakfast concha, Cielto sandwich, and divorciados. Of course, we couldn’t resist adding to our takeaway order some of their Aguas Frescas and their coconut coffee. 

While the salsa that came with the chilaquiles verdes was a little bland for our taste, it didn’t add or takeaway from the overall flavors of the chilaquiles. We recommend asking for the salsa on the side to prevent the chilaquiles from becoming soggy. 

We liked the salty and sweet flavors of the breakfast concha. The sweetness of the vanilla concha made for a unique taste when combined with the crunch of the bacon and the runny fried egg. 

Flavorful and dairy-free, the coconut coffee was delicious and refreshing. The Cielto Sandwich served on fluffy Mexican bread was a nice compliment to the coconut coffee. 

Furthermore, we also liked how Cielto Cafe places a twist on the classic divorciados dishes, allowing customers to prepare their eggs in whatever way they desire. 

As for their Aguas Frescas, we liked their melon one as it was sweet and had the right ratio of ice. On the other hand, we didn’t like their horchata as it was watered down and lacked the classic cinnamon taste. 

Many recommended to us Brothers Taco House for a simple and quick Mexican taco breakfast. Despite its modest size, the atmosphere at Brothers Tacos House is warm and inviting.

There was a long line when we got there, but it moved quickly. Note that it may seem chaotic if you don’t speak Spanish. 

However, we liked how the staff tried their best to assist us despite the language barrier. We also noted how the staff went out of their way to make those around us feel welcome. 

We sampled a wide variety of tacos, and the taste quality varied. Inside Brothers Taco House, we could customize our tacos with a wide selection of meats and other toppings.

We liked how we could observe the tortillas being made before us, confirming their freshness and quality. We started with the chicharrones and the habanero pork tacos, which were flavorful and spicy.

While the chorizo in the chorizo and ham taco was delicious, the ham lacked flavor. We also did not care for the migas we ordered because they lacked cheese. 

Additionally, we ordered their chicken chile rellenó, but we found the chile to be tasteless. 

Although the beans and rice were delicious, we would have preferred it if they were packed separately because they got mixed together and leaked through the to-go bag.

Empire Cafe is a popular hot breakfast spot in town for strong coffee and easy-to-go breakfasts. The downside, though, is the long waits to even get an order in. 

As many have claimed, Empire cafe was bustling with people during breakfast time, so we recommend arriving early to guarantee a good parking spot and a spot in line. 

While the wait to place an order is lengthy, we noted that the wait for food and coffee is not. The service was swift, and the staff was pleasant. 

We liked how our food was served to us, steaming hot and packaged nicely to avoid any potential spills. 

We ordered the breakfast croissant and the chicken and waffles. We liked the flakiness of the croissant and the buttery flavor it had. 

However, the potatoes that came with the breakfast croissant were dry and salty. For our chicken and waffles, the toppings to be served as a garnish were baked right into the waffle, which we found to taste odd. 

The waffles were also bland, but their fried chicken was crispy and not under-seasoned. Furthermore, we liked how strong their Milky Way coffee was while remaining sweet due to the foamy cream on top.

Blacksmith has earned a reputation in the community for fantastic coffee and breakfast plates. At least, that’s what we’ve heard. 

As they are well-liked by the general public, expect a bit of a crowd. When we went to Blacksmith, parking was not a problem, but there was a half an hour wait to get to the counter. 

The service was lightning fast, and the staff was extremely kind and helpful. We received our to-go order within thirty minutes. 

We noted Blacksmith serves coffee in fine china for those who choose to stay and enjoy their beverage, but as ours was to go, it came in a sustainable paper cup. 

Regarding the food we ordered, we sampled various breakfast items from their menu. We started with the salmon pesto scramble and the bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. 

The salmon pesto scramble was flavorful, and the pesto didn’t overwhelm the peppered salmon. The bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit was tasty, but the biscuit itself was dense and crumbly. 

We also tried their plate of Vietnamese steak and eggs. Even though the steak and eggs were tasty, the steak was too salty for our tastes. 

However, we liked the caramel cafe latte we ordered as it was smooth, and we could taste the roasted coffee beans. It was beautifully decorated too.