Good to Go: West Dallas Has Quick and Safe Coffee with Houndstooth

Good to Go is a column where our food writers explore Dallas' restaurant scene through takeout orders, delivery boxes and reheated leftovers.

Working from home means plenty of changes: more time with your dog, kids and/or partner, running the dishwasher more and making sure that cup of coffee hits the perfect note in the morning.

Of course, if you use the last of your beans on Saturday, you’ll wake up to a lazy Sunday and realize you’re bean-less, coffee-less and very much caffeine-less.

Such a situation recently created the opportunity to go to Houndstooth Coffee. Houndstooth, based in Austin, carries Tweed Coffee Roasters, which is based in Dallas.

Tweed is an excellent coffee, frequently providing blends that are balanced and welcomed even on the hot summer mornings we’re now experiencing. And what’s better about getting it at Houndstooth instead of picking up a bag of beans at the grocery store is that you don’t have to walk into the establishment.

Houndstooth is still operating with a walk-up method at its three locations in Dallas, and the smooth process makes return visits a pleasure.

They use the Square site for ordering, and after getting much more takeout lately for review purposes, I can say this is a smoother process than some others. Scroll through to find your latte, espresso, cortado, what-have-you, click what you want, pay and show up.

An ordered drip coffee and bag of beans was ready within minutes.

Houndstooth also sells Austin Beer Works six-packs, kombucha and milk, among some other grocery-like items.

You’ll walk up to the door, where a table has been set up with a clear partition separating you from the staff member, who can also walk you through your bean options if you decided to buy a bag.

The online menu doesn’t mention food (during Normal Times, Houndstooth had baked goods), but at the West Dallas location, that’s more than OK because you’re in walking distance of Whisk Crêpes Café.

We’ve written about Whisk for Good to Go already, but it’s advice worth repeating if you’re getting coffee at Houndstooth. Go get a breakfast sandwich at Whisk. They were previously served at its sister restaurant in Plano, but if there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, it was these sandwiches making their way south.

Try the 7 o’clock breakfast sandwich with bacon, which comes with scrambled eggs, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, chives and Sriracha mayo on the most incredible brioche you’ve had in ages.

That, plus your cup of coffee from Houndstooth, will start your day off properly.

Houndstooth Coffee, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.