Best Coffee Shop Cougar Grounds

By Megan Biasiolli | Photos by McKenzie Misiaszek

Thesmell of coffee consumes the entire south wing of the Hilton college. A line is almost out the door filled with those waiting for their mochas, matchas and smoothies. The chatter almost drowns out the soft music playing overhead.

The Coog Choose 2021 Best Coffee Shop winner Cougar Grounds is a University of Houston institution that has been in operation since 2008.

“Really that’s all it comes down to, good service and great coffee,” said general manager Sean Lawless.

Cougar Grounds customers are not surprised that the coffee shop was voted the best on campus. They praised the quality of the coffee, and said that it tastes better than Starbucks. The Cougar Grounds manager and employees were also unsurprised by this poll because they continuously strive to provide the best products and service to their customers.

Cougar Grounds is beloved by students for being a great place to meet with friends or to have an interview.

Accounting junior Lauren Morton has been working at Cougar Grounds since the end of September. Before she started working there she was a frequent customer, and she said her love for Cougar Grounds and for coffee in general was the reason she wanted to be one of their baristas.

“I would say Tuesday is our busiest day, because that’s when most people are on campus, but everyday there’s going to be students,” said Morton.

Accounting junior Betsy George has worked at Cougar Grounds since August. She said she wanted to work at Cougar Grounds because it gave her a chance to interact with her peers and make coffee. Many customers ask George for a vanilla latte or a vanilla and cream ice charger.

“The best part of my day is working with my coworkers,” George said, “We all have different majors and are different ages, but when we come to work we’re one big family.”

Journalism junior Savannah Smithson first discovered Cougar Grounds through her Chi Omega sorority sisters. She said that there are usually two girls from Chi Omega in there at all times.

Smithson goes to Cougar grounds once or twice a week. She explains that the atmosphere is relaxing and she feels productive when she is in there studying. Her favorite drink to get is the iced caramel latte. She is not surprised that Cougar Grounds was voted Best Coffee Shop.

“It is the ultimate coffee shop vibe that is really great to do your homework in or get any work done,” Smithson said.

MIS and marketing junior Alizeh Haider first saw Cougar Grounds while walking by on her way to visit her friends in the dorm. She goes there two or three times a week and likes to get their caramel latte.

“It’s right in the middle of campus and it’s easy for all the freshmen to get to, that’s why it’s the best,” said Haider.

Cougar Grounds daily playlist depends on the baristas on shift. Students love the music choices.

Morton said one of the best things about working at Cougar Grounds is the conversations she is able to have with her co-workers and her customers. Even when she’s not working, she still goes to Cougar Grounds to get her cup of coffee.

“While we’re on shift we’re also trying new things and testing out the drinks so that we know what we’re drinking is good, and so we know how to best recommend drinks to customers,” said Morton.

Currently, the Hilton college is under construction. The construction will relocate Cougar Grounds to a larger area in the college that will help them service more students.

If you’re looking for a fall flavor, they have you covered. Their fall special seasonal drinks include the pumpkin spice latte, brown sugar oat milk charger and seasonal tea such as the mango passion fruit tea. Cougar Grounds also has a loyalty program through the Clover app.

Every Monday they post an employee spotlight on their Instagram, @cougargrounds. Cougar Grounds is open Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are not open on the weekends.

“The day we were playing Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers someone came up saying ‘hey I just wanted you to know I was having a terrible day, but then I heard T Swift and now it’s better so thank you,’” said Morton.

By Sydney Rose |

by McKenzie Misiaszek

Best Food Truck

The Waffle Bus

The results for Coogs Choose 2021 are in and the best food truck on campus voted by UH students, faculty and alum was The Waffle Bus.

Out of the food trucks that park around the UH main campus, The Waffle Bus has both old and new customers visiting to try the chicken and wafflebased dishes.

“I hear about (The Waffle Bus) from people on campus and friends who always say I should try the food,” said education junior Elsy Funes. “We’re going to try the chicken thunder fries, I’m really intrigued to try the spicy mayo with the honey butter.”

Funes, with her friend teaching and learning junior Ariana Garcia, had never been to The Waffle Bus before and were trying the food there for the first time.

The Waffle Bus has been an option for those on the UH campus for many semesters now and the food can be seen on social media promotions and heard about through word of mouth.

“I’ve seen Instagram posts about it,” Garcia said. “My friends told me it’s really good, so I’m very excited to try it.”

After hundreds of votes nominated The Waffle Bus as the best food truck, chef Johnny Marin was glad to hear about the win.

“I’m pretty proud of this,” Marin said.

What keeps drawing students to the food truck is not only the great reviews but the taste of the food itself. The intricate recipes have students like nutrition sophomore Tammy Ngyuen coming back again and again.

“I would say The Waffle Bus is pretty good, I love the food,” Ngyuen said. “Their sauce, it’s sweet and salty, which makes it really good.”

Ngyuen has visited The Waffle Bus over five times and said the food gets better and better every time. “It’s pretty much the same experience, but the food stays good,” Ngyuen said. “It’s become like a comfort food.”

Some of the menu items at The Waffle Bus include waffles with sweet cream and Nutella, as well as waffle fry options and fried chicken sliders.

“It’s all in the ingredients really,” Marin said. “It’s a good recipe and we just do it to perfection, that’s what we do.”

Best Bakery

Common Bond Cafe & Bakery

For anyone that’s been to Common Bond, it’s no surprise that it won.

They have locations across Houston so no matter where you are you aren’t far from their baked goods.

From tarts, cupcakes and cookies to actual meals you won’t feel too guilty about eating like salads, soups and sandwiches, you find so many yummy things here.

There are two separate locations almost equidistant from UH. 2278 West Holcombe Blvd and 1706 Westheimer are about four miles from campus if you have a craving you need to satisfy.

Best BBQ

Ray’s BBQ Shack

Another past winner, Ray’s BBQ Shack is located at 3929 Old Spanish Trail, not far from UH.

Ray’s BBQ Shack is a local Houston business and they’ve got a variety of options for any appetite - from seafood to burgers or even just a side of fries.

If you’re looking for a filling meal and a great atmosphere, Ray’s BBQ Shack is the place to go!

Best Brunch

Breakfast Klub

Be prepared to wait in line. Some of the best and most popular breakfast in Houston makes this is a need to go place.

Try the chicken and waffles.

Best Third Ward Food Spot Frenchy’s Chicken

This is Frenchy’s second time winning this spot. It’s no secret that Frenchy’s is a pride and joy of the neighborhood, and even stars like Beyoncé have made stops here.

Best Pho Spot Pho Saigon

Pho Saigon has multiple locations throughout the city and is often cited as one of the best places for pho in Houston.

Simply do a Google search for “best pho spots in Houston” and Pho Saigon will be on every list you see. Voted 2020 Best Pho by Houston Press and one of the 21 Best Vietnamese places in Houston by Thrillest, it’s no surprise they are a cougar favorite.

Best Indian Restaurant Aga’s

Located right outside of the south loop at 11842 Wilcrest Drive, Aga’s is a hidden gem with delicious food and a beautiful banquet hall.

Best Karaoke Spot Christians Tailgate

They have five locations around Houston, and a lot of good food and drinks. Good thing too because you may need the drinks to get the confidence needed to kill your karaoke session.

Best Museum

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Dinosaurs, precious rocks and butterflies are all exhibits you can see any time you want at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Keep an eye on their website because they also have traveling exhibits that change every few months.

As a student you get discounted rates and everyone can visit for free on Thursdays!

Best Resale Shop

Goodwill

There are so many Goodwill locations to explore around Houston. The closest to UH being 2520 Brun Street.

They’re all filled with vintage clothing gems as well as furniture and home decor, and depending on the day certain items are discounted.

No matter what you’re looking to get, Goodwill should have you covered.

Best Social Media App Instagram

As one of the most historic music stores in the city, Cactus Music brings all types of music lovers together and even fosters generations of community through records, live performances and a tight-knit store staff.

Cactus Music was founded by American record producer Harold “Pappy” Daily, and has been a part of Houston for over 45 years. While the original store was located near West Alabama and South Shepherd, Cactus Music now resides in Montrose.

Some employees have been working with the store for 20 or more years, which helps foster a sense of community in the store that makes Cactus Music stand out amongst other record stores in the city.

“We generally think of our stores as the conduit for people of music,” said store owner Quinn Bishop. “It’s not just us selling music to people that are coming in to buy packaged goods and recorded media, it is a meeting place for people to congregate that are talent buyers and agents and writers, and you know, journalists, publicists, club owners and musicians.”

Bishop has been with the store for many years now, so he’s seen people come into the store as children, and then those same people grow up to be sound technicians or producers later in life.

“We see cross generational shopping, you’ll see