#also its much more comfortable than working at a cashier or being a Starbucks barista imo

[mainfaggot]

I'm literally so drained socially emotionally etc and i have a 2 hour training period at a potential workplace tonight

[montrosemavens]

Black Hole: An Eclectic Space with Laid-Back Tastes

By Isabella Neblett and Matthew Watowich

Black Hole is located on 4504 Graustark St in the museum district of Houston, Texas. The four owners: Dawn Callaway, Miriam Carrillo, Scott Repass and Scott Walcott, when opening Black Hole, were trying to create a small indie-like, community atmosphere, and we would have to say they succeeded. From the outside, Black Hole’s status as a coffee shop was apparent. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a chalkboard sign listing a series of standard drinks in curly, white font. Posters of local bands and artists lined the violet walls. Several people sat on the couches socializing, while others worked furiously on their laptops. Light music played in the background, which started as mellow electronic before shifting to calm indie. As we approached the cashier’s counter, we saw three glass jars of stacked cookies, of which there were no descriptions to be found. A glass case to the right revealed a plethora of sandwiches and pastries. The cafe was dim, with the natural lighting from the large front windows only hitting one side of the cafe. The other side was lit with small yellow lamps that help create a relaxed atmosphere. In the middle of the cafe was a line of sofas in pairs of two. Each pair of sofas were a different color and fabric, and between each laid a small wooden coffee table. Much of the furniture did not match one another, but collectively, they seemed to work to create a laid-back environment.

                                     The opening doors of Black Hole

We chose to sit on the left side of Black Hole, in a small nook with two comfortable sofas. A soft, blue glow radiated from the two overhead lamps whose modern, minimalist design fit in with the eclectic vibe that Black Hole seemed to be going for. A collection of sci-fi movie posters hung on the back wall, their titles featuring the likes of Star Trek and Space Balls. In the center lay a movie poster for the sci-fi hit Black Hole, which is clearly what the coffee shop was named after. Rather than being focused on this sci-fi name, Black Hole’s ambiance was eclectic and intimate, a great working space for college kids as well as middle aged business people. In the past, Black Hole was populated mainly by judgemental hipsters, but today, it consists of a much more diverse, open crowd. Through this change, Black Hole has remained an accepting, communal place, as it promotes local bands, artists, and advertisements.

                                 A view of the inside seating space

Many people rush to Black Hole due to its cozy atmosphere, but as we found, their food and drinks do not live up to their expectations. In total, we ordered seven drinks and three pastries. As for drinks, we got a double shot cappuccino, an iced vanilla latte, an iced mocha latte, hot chocolate, an iced cajeta latte, a standard latte, and a French press. While we were ordering, the staff did their job, but they were not overly friendly or welcoming. They were willing to help if you asked a question directly, but they did not go out of their way to help. Throughout our order, the cashier kept leaving to go help make drinks, which was understandable as there were only two staff working and they were serving a large group, but it still made me feel as though they were significantly understaffed. After ordering, there was no real place to wait around for our drinks, which left us awkwardly standing between tables. Luckily our drinks came out quickly, minimizing these awkward feelings.

       Isabella, Teja, Matthew, and Harry sit on a couch, enjoying their drinks

We received our hot drinks in small, ceramic mugs that rested on miniature plates, while our cold drinks were served in large glasses. The first drink we tried was the double shot cappuccino. The cappuccino was strong, its flavor slightly acidic yet pleasantly rich, which worked well with the warm, ivory foam that smothered it. The next drink we tried was the Iced Vanilla Latte. While the drink had potential, the barista had not stirred it thoroughly, which left the first half being overly sweet like drinking vanilla syrup straight from the bottle. The later half, however, was smooth as some of the vanilla syrup had dissolved into it, but it still remained slightly too bitter.

The hot chocolate smelled promising, giving off a warm, sweet aroma. The drink itself, however, was the exact opposite. It tasted watered-down and as if it had been sitting out for a couple days. The Iced Cajeta Latte was well made in terms of sweet coffee, especially if you don’t typically like coffee since the strong, cinnamon flavor overpowered the taste of the coffee. The drink was rich, which worked well with the coziness of the coffee shop. The hint of coffee appeared at the end, adding a nice bitter aftertaste, which complemented the sweetness of the cinnamon and milk. The regular latte was by far our least favorite drink. It started off sharp and jarring, with a pungent taste that lasted long after you put the drink down. The French Press dark roast was also disappointing. Poured from a miniature, silver French Press, the coffee was supposed to be a dark roast yet its woodsy flavor was diluted. The amber color, differing from the usual mahogany, also signaled that it was pressed well. At $2.25, however, it was decently priced. It’s not the best French Press I’ve ever had, but it’s certainly not the worst, either.

               Our three pastries with our cappuccino and iced cajeta latte

The food matched the forgettable and somewhat disappointing nature of the drinks. Before eating them, we warmed them up in the microwave, which we strongly recommend as without this the food would be room temperature and no where near as satisfying. The sticky bun had a firm outer crust of caramelized sugar, which surrounded a soft dough interior. The texture was inconsistent in the center, with some pieces being drier than others, but the contrast between the dry, sweet center and the firm, sticky crust was quite nice. A thin layer of cinnamon vanilla glaze covered the entirety of the bun, but the cinnamon taste was faint. For a few of us, the sticky bun was too reminiscent of an over sweetened croissant. That isn’t to say that it was bad, but it left us wanting more. The chocolate croissant consisted of soft, plain flaky bread surrounding a dark, melted chocolate center. The chocolate comes as a wonderful surprise, softening the texture of the bread. Definitely microwave it though, or else the chocolate would be hard and dry. Overall, the chocolate croissant was average, nothing special; you could probably find a similar one in a display case at Starbucks.

The Vegan Cinnamon Roll was our favorite pastry. The vegan aspect of it threw some of us off at first as we expected it to be grainy and bland, as vegan desserts can often be. It, however, was surprisingly enjoyable. The creamy, rich vanilla frosting balanced out the bready inside, which was complemented by the runs of cinnamon streaming through it. My only criticism of this would be that at times, the thick layer of frosting could easily overpower the somewhat bland bread, making the whole dish turn into a overly sugary treat. This did not pair well if you ordered a sweet drink like I did, but I could imagine it could go well with a more bitter drink.

Overall, we strongly recommend Black Hole because of its cozy environment, which provides a nice setting for studying or socializing with friends. The food and drinks aren’t great, but for the price, it’s worth the buy. One redeeming factor is that they offer a wide variety of foods that cater to dietary restrictions. If you are to visit, we strongly recommend the Iced Cajeta Latte, the Cappuccino, and the Vegan Cinnamon Roll.

Ratings:

Food: 5.5/10

Service: 6/10

Atmosphere: 7.5/10

Price: 8.50 per person (for a drink and a pastry)

Overall: 6.5/10