El Gato Coffeehouse
Company Details
Tuesday: 12:30-4:30PM
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 12:30-4:30PM
Friday: 12:30-4:30PM
Saturday: 12-5PM
Sunday: 12-4PM
Contact Information
Houston, Texas, 77009
United States
El Gato Coffeehouse Reviews
Submitted by Candice Dyer on 09/15/2022
candice dyer 5 stars rating.
I love this place so much! All the cats and employees are so nice. Definitely recommend coming here!!!
Submitted by Fabian E on 09/08/2022
Fabian E 5 stars rating.
Lovely Place ???????? A lot of adorable cats I wish I can adopt them on the future when I have financially stable I love them they are very friendly and lovely with humans at the coffee shop ???? The Hot Chocolate was very good ????
Submitted by Sherel Crasta on 09/02/2022
Sherel Crasta 5 stars rating.
Friendly staff. Place has a cute mini-store too. You can get beverages and some snacks. There are two cat sections - a separate one for the shy cats which is nice. If you want some cat time it's a nice place to go. There were about 10 other people in one time slot but there were enough kitties for everyone. Has WiFi too.
Submitted by Josh Spencer on 08/26/2022
Josh Spencer 4 stars rating.
Interesting concept of a place that focuses on facilitating cat adoptions while also serving coffee, which I applaud.
When you enter, you have to pay a $15 cover that gives you 1 hour in the "cat room" which you have to pass through two doors in order to enter (so that the cats don't get out). Inside is a room that is a veritable cat paradise with lots of cat towers, toys, beds, etc. and tons of cat-themed decorations with several kitties taking full advantage of the amenities. There is also a back room which contains "less socialized" kittens that the staff encourages you to visit so as to familiarize the animals with humans so that they are eventually more adoptable. There is also a binder that contains all the cats and their names that are available for adoption. The staff is very friendly, though you can tell they are really pushing people to adopt with continual introductions to cats, their names, history, etc.
As far as menu is concerned, there is a limited selection of coffees and teas with a few cookies, bars, and cinnamon roll, but one has to exit the cat room to place an order at the house entrance. The order is then passed through a window to the cat room when it is ready. I ordered a french press coffee, which was ready after several minutes and was decent, though nothing to write home about.
While I enjoyed my experience and support the work they are doing, this is very much more a cat sanctuary and adoption facility with coffee being an afterthought. There are only two tables with chairs in the cat room, and no one was engaged in any normal coffee shop activities like reading, studying, or working while I was there. The entire focus is on interacting with the cats. Not to mention, the 1 hour time limit restricts anything that might require a longer time period. To the staff's credit, they informed me when I arrived of this and recommended 2nd Cup if I wanted a traditional coffee house, but I wanted to get the experience regardless.
For these reasons, I would highly recommend El Gato to anyone who loves cats, wants some "cat therapy", and/or is looking to adopt. If your concern is more coffee and getting work done, though, you should look elsewhere.
Submitted by Kevin Ao on 07/29/2022
Kevin Ao 5 stars rating.
I visited El Gato Coffeehouse for the first time today and I loved it! It's not your typical coffee shop - the cookies and drinks are great, and you can interact with cats for an hour for just $15. The cats are so friendly and well-behaved, and it's a great place to adopt a new furry friend. I definitely recommend a visit - just be sure to make a reservation in advance.
Submitted by Shae Bolis on 06/24/2022
Shae Bolis 5 stars rating.
Super cute cafe! The Chia Latte was really good and the cats of course made the experience better. They have a kitten room and a bigger room for the adult cats. The volunteers were super sweet, and will tell you all about the cats and the stories if you ask them. All the cats were very sweet even with the amount of people in the session.
Submitted by Kristen Martinez on 05/25/2022
Kristen Martinez 5 stars rating.
My safe haven! This place is amazing and I love that they have coffee.
Submitted by Hanna Barnhart on 05/22/2022
Hanna Barnhart 5 stars rating.
What a lovely cafe! The workers were friendly and helpful, and the cats were precious. They even had a kitten room of seven month old babies. The workers went above and beyond to help me. I discovered I had a flat tire after completing my session at the cafe and the workers helped me look up a tire shop, offered advice, and helped to calm me down. I will remember this place fondly, despite the upsetting circumstances!
Submitted by CLG Gun on 03/29/2022
CLG Gun 1 stars rating.
I can’t believe they did this when all we wanted to do was get some lemonade and love on some cats. We drove over 30 minutes away from our hotel just to be here and right as we pull up at 4pm they flip the closed sign! I can’t believe they are rejecting the opportunity for some sweet cats to get the love and attention they deserve. I hope someone else takes over because this is really upsetting.
Submitted by Iman A on 12/28/2021
Iman A 5 stars rating.
Underrated! It was an excellent experience with so many beautiful felines ❤️The cappuccino was yummy, the seating area was comfy and cute. The gift shop had so many cute choices! We’ll definitely be back ❤️ Book a timing online to guarantee a spot to sit in the cafe. Limited spaces.
