District Coffee, El Paso, TX
22 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX 79901, USA
Pamela Azaeta wasn't always the owner the owner of District Coffee. In fact, before opening District Coffee with her husband Cesar in March 2018, Pamela was an elementary school teacher. After two years of dreaming and lots of planning, she and her husband made their mutual dream of opening a business come to life. Why coffee? She says the two always enjoyed coffee, but through learning more about coffee from a family member that bought a coffee farm in Nicaragua. They found inspiration for the name District Coffee from the many different and unique 'districts' in El Paso. At D.C., they get to bring those districts together!
The interior design at District is an inspiration to the rest of El Paso that is modernizing around old structures. Pamela worked with a friend and her sister to bring a cozy atmosphere to the space. I'd describe the interior as modern industrial. The shop exposes the core of the structure with exposed cement beams and bare concrete floors. Raw wooden tables and rich camel leather seating add a touch of color and a modern, sleek and minimalist feel.
My favorite part was almost certainly the tile countertop that waterfalls onto the floor. Talk about floor goals. It's floors like these that inspire the hashtag #ihavethisthingwithfloors - am I right?
Pamela and Cesar are passionate about supporting the local community as a small business themselves and that starts with coffee. Baked goodies are served up from Guilty Pleasures Pastries and tea options are offered from The Tea Spout. District brews up coffee from Picacho Coffee Roasters, a roaster based in Las Cruces, NM (about an hour away from El Paso). I found that most coffee shops in El Paso serve either 2Ten or Bldg 6 Coffee; I enjoyed coffee from these roasters, but I enjoyed getting the chance to try something new as well.
The menu is all-encompassing of what you'd expect from a specialty coffee shop. Espresso-based options and a pour-over options as well. In addition to tea, there are also chai and macha latte coffee options for the non-coffee drinks out there. This afternoon was fairly warm, so I opted for the District Coffee Cold Brew. Plus, as I've told you before, I have a hard time resisting a house-made specialty like the D.C. Cold Brew.
The D.C. Cold Brew is a home-made cold brew served over ice with almond milk. I enjoyed the drink of this hot afternoon, but I'm curious if I somehow missed out on some of the flavor with the almond milk. Regardless, it came in a lovely glass and I mean an actual glass. I love coffee shops that offer cold beverage in actual glassware, as opposed to just a plastic cup when you're there to stay.
I must say District Coffee has done a fabulous job with their branding. You can sense they put a lot of effort into making a shop that is instantly recognizable (and easy to photograph). From the glassware to the mugware and shop design, everything was intentional and curated. It was a joy to nestle in the amidst it all. This is a cozy hang-out spot to take a break from the afternoon and grab a good cup of coffee with a friend (and a cookie while you're at it)!
