Al Vetro Coffee and Espresso Bar

I’ve been coming from England to Houston medical district for 7 months as my wife has been getting cancer treatment in MD Anderson. Blackwater coffee is amazing. The espresso is as smooth as can be and the house beans have an amazing chocolatey, caramel flavour. I even bought a 5lb bag of beans from them to take home. The staff are super friendly and very welcoming. Thanks for all the espressos and banana muffins, see you for more Alex

Working in Med Center and being addicted to caffeine, this place quickly became my absolute savior. The vibes are some of the best you’ll ever encounter and the music is always bumping. And let me tell you, the baristas here are some of the nicest folks around! Janice is always wishing me a great day, Robert is always making sure I’m doing alright, and Ivan is whipping up insanely good drinks on the espresso machine. I order a cold brew every time, and they have it poured for me by the time I get up to the register. Not to mention they always have the cutest quotes about coffee to brighten your day. If you’re in Med Center, you have to come here! You will have the time of your life.

Black Water Coffee in the Texas Medical Center is my absolute favorite. The staff is always so friendly and welcoming, and my coffee is consistently perfect every time. Such a great spot with amazing service!

Blackwater Café is a hidden gem for patients, and well worth navigating the hospital maze to find it. My little hack: when I check in for lab work at Houston Methodist (which can mean waiting hours), I use the text updates to keep track of my place in line, get my steps in, and grab a delicious latte here. The café is usually busy with hospital staff, but the team is always friendly, and they take the time to make a really good drink. It feels like such a gift to have a place in the hospital that serves quality coffee — not just the default Starbucks. Thanks to Blackwater for making long, stressful hospital days a little brighter.

★★★☆☆ Decent coffee, but not worth the hassle Backwater Coffee Roasters is located on the second floor of a building, which makes it a bit tricky to find unless you’re already visiting for another reason. We tried a latte and an Americano—both were good, but honestly not exceptional enough to justify the effort it takes to get there. Worth checking out if you’re nearby, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.