The Best Little Coffee House in Texas

Published: September 27, 2011

Barista Joey Jacobs awaits your order

Photo Credit: PlanetRockwall.com

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Ever since the mysterious disappearance of TR Cafe (aka Texas Roast), many Rockwallians have been hoping another home-grown coffee shop, one that isn't Starbucks, would take its place. Not that there's anything wrong with Starbucks. We do love our lattes conveniently located within sipping distance of wherever we happen to be. But we also like variety, and the unrelenting sameness offered by the shops with the green and white mermaid logo can get a little, well, samey-samey.

There's nothing samey about the Life House, the new coffee shop located just north of downtown in the cottage once occupied by Sterling Tea Co. Upon walking in, the customer feels like a guest at a friend's home. The comfortable furnishings and friendly staff all add up to a "come in and stay awhile" atmosphere. The coffee is certified organic and is hand roasted every week. The pastries are baked fresh every morning, made with all organic ingredients as well.

Ah, the pastries. If you like your croissants melt-in-your-mouth flaky, plain or with a touch of almond or chocolate, look no further. The cream cheese empanadas will raise the bar on anyone's definition of "rich". Co-owner Katy Standifer plans to expand the baked goods offerings to include several types of bread, all baked daily and on-site.

Three separate rooms give patrons the option of socializing with friends or retreating to a quiet work space, where one can bring a laptop and take advantage of in-house wireless internet. A short walk down the hall will take the visitor to the showroom of Life Disc Sports, featuring supplies for the disc golf fan.

The Life House also plans to be an outlet for locally grown organic foods. The Rockwall area abounds with sources of organic vegetables, meats and dairy products. Owner Jeremy Standifer hopes to become a hub for producers and customers to come together and fill the need expressed by community surveys for a quality source of organic food.