Union Coffee House

I’m a huge coffee shop enthusiast and obviously, I had to stop by The Union because 1) it was close 2) a portion goes non-​profits and 3) why not?! So, I was really looking forward to trying this place out!
Parking is bit of a hassle. They have their own little lot, but it is always packed. So, you would have to park on the streets. Even, then sometimes it’s packed, as well.
The environment itself is debatable. When I had came here my very first time, it was extremely noisy. Lots of chatter around the whole shop, baristas were loud and at one point, screaming even. Yet the other times I had went afterwards, it wasn’t as bad. To shorten it all up, if you’re really trying to get work done here, it might not be a good idea to come here.
So now the drinks… I first ordered (if I remember correctly) a hazelnut frappé and then a strawberry mango smoothie. The frappé was pure sugar. It was so sweet that I had to force myself to finish because I didn’t want it to go to waste. The smoothie, however, was absolutely amazing! It was sweet and definitely appealed to me! Probably one of the only reasons why I come back. :-)
Staff is sweet and friendly! And were definitely helpful/​caring in making me feel better after being extremely stressed out from finals!

Union Coffee is by far my favorite coffee shop that I have discovered in Dallas. It’s truly a hidden gem! For one, I love the atmosphere, it’s fresh, clean, bright and is social atmosphere but still is a great place to study! I have often times, have gone with my friends and played a game from their cart! They have plenty of games to choose from.
The staff there is very friendly! They always have great events going on at Union Coffee Shop. Most importantly, there drinks are PHENOMENAL! My absolute favorite drink is the Matcha Mint Tea. I am not even a huge matcha fan but I love that drink because it takes like there is Andes Mint stirred in there. I recommend everyone going there and checking out Union Coffee Shop!

Yup, believe the hype. The coffee is great! The staff is super friendly. Good to sit and read indoors or out. Good to meet with friends or have a business meeting. Mainly, it’s about the coffee and they do it right!

This place is really cool! Very open and spacious and plenty of great little nooks to hunker down with a good book or just study. I was in the area for a hair appointment and had some time to kill so stopped in here based on some other Unilocal reviews so I could catch some quick study time before my appointment. It did not disappoint! I ended up just getting some good ol’ drip coffee but had them add a bit of their house hazelnut syrup. It was delicious! The baristas are knowledgable and super friendly and provided me with great customer service and care. Whenever I’m back in the area I will definitely visit again. :)

If you like good coffee, this is the place! Loved it!!! Important for lactose intolerante people, they have almond milk!

Truly a hidden gem that I hope gets discovered just enough to stay open forever but never lose its intimate touch!
Union Coffee is tucked on Dyer Street across from SMU and offers an insane amount of tables, couches, study nooks and meeting rooms. The staff is friendly, the coffee is delicious and they have one of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches (believe it!) in town.
I love to come here and grab a boost or do some work on the computer. When you come here, plan on staying all day — it is a great creative environment!

Union is a really great coffee shop for doing your homework, and there’s always a lot of people doing homework there! People are always nice.
The coffee is good and there a lot of seating, like, a lot! Even still, it’s almost always too busy. It’s my only complaint.

This hidden coffee co-​op coffee shop is not only home to the world’s nicest staff, but serves more of a purpose than pouring coffee, too. You see, 10% of sales proceeds go to certain charities, like Capes For Kids.
The space has ample seating and even smaller rooms for meetings and quiet work sessions. Plus, they even accommodated me when I was in need of a phone charger.
Their hot chocolate was divine and hit the spot for my non-​caffeine requirements. They also had a wide variety of teas, bites, and even a busy schedule of community events, like open mic night, open to the public.

This is a great coffee shop to actually get some work done at. Usually Starbucks is packed with people or there just isn’t much room to set up your laptop and papers. That’s not the case at Union Coffee! Lot’s of room to spread out and focus on your work… and enjoy some great coffee!

:/​
To be honest, I’m disappointed. I had bookmarked this spot a long while back, as a good place to come check out when I want to work/​study.
I came here earlier and I saw that there are a lot of people who do come to concentrate, but there are also others who come to socialize and talk. I’m one of those people that needs ABSOLUTE quiet while studying, so perhaps I’m being unrealistic by assuming that’s what I’ll get at a public coffee shop.
Overall, the wifi was decent, spacious and comfortable seating area. What drove me insane was the noise. Maybe I just came on an off day? Not sure.
I would still give this place a nod, as there seem to be tons of students and people who are working. Other people who come here to hang out. here’s food for thought: Be quiet.

Great place to study and hang for hours! There are a lot of tables and lots of space so it feels more comfortable and less cramped. There are even huge meeting rooms you can reserve or just snag if no one is in them.
I love their matcha mint latte! The mint is not too overpowering while the green tea flavor is also very subtle. Definitely a go to place for studying and a cup of coffee!

Interior: ⁵⁄₅
Coffee: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
This place is another favorite place of mine to study. A lot of people come here to study, work, and get things. Many are students because it’s so close to SMU. They have cubicle like tables, large conference rooms that you can reserve at an hourly rate, couches to lounge and read, this really cool sitting area on the stage, plenty of outlets. Because of the set up, it’s a relatively quiet and calm place, with some soft music in the background. If you plan to stay for a while, bring a jacket! It gets cold.
The coffee is mediocre. But 10% of it goes toward charity. Their website has a lot of extensive information about the different community services they’re involved in and also partnerships with a local church. Try their popular drinks on the menu if you don’t know what to get.
Throughout the week, they’ll have some events, like open mics on Tuesdays and live music. I’ve seen spoken word poetry done too.
Service is good but not overly impressive. The main downside is that you can’t bring food or drinks from outside. The manager will walk around sometimes and tell you to throw it away or put it away.
Parking is very limited. Oftentimes may need to resort to parallel parking on the street.
Free wifi, though sometimes unreliable.
Last thing, I love how they close later than most coffee shops! I can always count on this place being my go to study/​work zone.

I can’t believe this little gem has been right around the corner from me for the longest time. Union has this collegiate coffee house vibe that is great for both working professionals and students! There are plenty of tables next to outlets for folks to sit down and work as well as couches for the folks that just want to lounge around and talk.
There’s also a conference room for those of you who feel like having very public Skype talks or just meeting up with a big group of folks. I believe you need to reserve the conference room through the staff.
I got the mint matcha with soy milk and it was delicious. They donate 10% of the proceeds as well which is awesome!
Union is just such a cute joint to study at or work from. I know where I’ll be on my next work from home day. Pssst, work colleagues, do not read this!

This is another amazing coffee shop! Actually it’s more than coffee shop; it’s a community unto itself. Similar to another coffee shop I frequent, Union Coffee House is a non-​profit that supports several great causes throughout the local community.
My first visit to Union was to listen to spoken word put on by The Shout-​Houston. In addition to enjoying the spoken word, I thoroughly enjoyed Union Coffee House. It has a unique layout which is conducive to many things occurring in parallel. While people worked away on their computers in one area of the shop, the spoken word event went on in another area. Regardless of the area, there is plenty of seating (along with those coveted power outlets to go around and decent WiFi. There are multiple chair/​table setups along with some big comfy chairs and couches. There is also a nice patio with a really nice fireplace.
The only downside to Union Coffee House is the parking. They have a small parking lot and once it fills up you have to look for street parking in the general area. This said, I wished I lived closer to Union Coffee House (i.e. walking distance) as it would be definitely be in my rotation of weekend coffee stops. The staff I encountered during my visit were all great; full of energy and very welcoming. I stepped outside my usual cup of java and went with a cappuccino. It did not disappoint.
Last and not least, remember Union Coffee House is a non-​profit coffee shop; remember to tip your barista. They are amazing!

While I don’t find the coffee or food to be anything spectacular, this café is an awesome place to get work done. It has less of a «cozy hipster atmosphere» and more of a communal/​shared office space environment. Most people who come here are working on their laptops or studying so you can actually get work done with minimal chatty conversations in the background/​next to you. There are plenty of outlets by each desk/​table, and I never had any trouble connecting to the Internet even though the place was consistently filled with customers. I also like how it’s opened relatively late for a coffee shop, until 11PM.
The baristas are also super friendly and conversational. I noticed they struck a conversation with pretty much every customer to make them feel welcomed and/​or complimented every customer.
On the downside, I’ve heard that this place gets packed during the school year on weekdays and midterms/​finals week, and it’s hard to find parking. I would avoid driving into the tiny parking lot (because you’ll have to make a huge circle to get back) and just park by the railroad tracks and walk over.

Union Coffee is a bit not easy to find even with its big number in the front of the building. Why? Because it’s off to the side. Once you find it you will be very pleased.
It’s cozy inside. There’s a private room with glass walls for meetings. An ample size common room and then there’s the back garden. That’s where my favorite area is. There’s a functioning fireplace. A tree and enough sky to let you look up from their comfortable chair and feel the warm kiss of the sun.
Not a coffee drinker here but I had the chance to try their mango smoothie. All natural and fresh. Get this if you’re not a caffeine chained human :)
Very nice lady behind the counter who provided us with awesome customer service!

Shaking and in dire need of a cup of java, I found this place on Unilocal.After one sip of my hazelnut latte, I was sold. The syrup is made in-​house and is very tasty. The coffee beans are ordered from a Seattle based roaster and are roasted fresh to order. Once roasted and cooled, the beans are mailed to Union, resulting in a fresh roast and delicious coffee beverage.
The service was outstanding with a warm welcome. Trisha, my barista, offered some suggestions and proudly made my order.
The interior is very delightful with a mix of earthy materials used for the furniture and décor with a contemporary edge. If you need to get some work done, this is the place for it. Its quiet ambiance and endless work surfaces make it perfect to get away from home or work.
It’s a lovely place and I’m not surprised it has a 4.5 star average rating!

I was reading through some of the review here and couldn’t help but laugh over people calling this place «hipster». Nooo, this place is not hipster at all. If you’re looking for that kind of vibe I suggest White Rock Coffee. Instead, this place is where all the SMU kids seem to hang out, everywhere you look it’s big t-​shirts, short shorts, chacos and SMU Mustang shirts. Despite the young crowd this place seems to get the only thing that keeps us coming back are the Vanilla Lattes.
Oh my… yeah, you guys nailed it on that one. Delicious!

While independent, it does have a strong religious affiliation with United Methodist, which at least is a more inclusive branch of Christianity compared to most others. First United Methodist of Garland built the donation box. And a contemporary worship or «conversational» session meets here on Tuesday nights («Kuneo») and a more traditional service on Sunday nights («Studio» — see Union’s website for more on both) at 8 pm. And on the map on the wall, there are pins pointing out to a few Methodist churches that are supporting this coffee shop.
While I’m not one to support religiously-​affiliated coffee shops (which seems to be abound throughout Dallas, btw), this place has a few things in its favor:
1) Great study space! I have not seen a coffee shop with a white board until now. And you can even write on the glass walls. There’s also plenty of tables and chairs. Good also for meetings.
Little side note: this place has a clean-​cut feel with all the seriousness of meeting/​study room necessities and hard floors and walls. Perfect for creatives, business folks, and students, but it’s definitely not hipster or hippie — even if you throw in a live band. Lol.
2) 10% of the profits go to charities. Right now it’s going to Cape 4 Kids so kids in hospitals can have a cape and have a moment of super hero fun. Sweet!
Now as for the coffee — it’s not great. The beans are too roasted for my taste. Just order knowing that the beans are dark roasted — add more milk, or just order another kind of drink. Or maybe ask for another kind of roast, if available. Milk substitution costs extra.
As other reviewers mention, parking is tight. But not impossible, if you include the surrounding street.
I’ll be back because I’m really impressed with the study and meeting space here, which I think is unparalleled for any coffee shop.

If you are looking for a chill coffee shop to study or chit-​chat, look no more~!
Parking is pretty merciless (mostly just outside the coffee house and MAYBE a couple other street parking spots… although I would not count those being open). Other than that, Union is a relatively spacious coffee shop that serves wonderful beverages.
I’ve had a cold latte with shots of vanilla and caramel, which was perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth and need a cool drink. It probably won’t wake you up if you are dead tired, but fitting for most other situations. I would also recommend the Vanilla Crème Latte for something warm. If you are looking for something to wake you up, you will probably want to get a cappuccino or americano. I would say the size of their cups are very reasonable, if not a little larger than I expected, which is great. Their sugar cookie is sub par, but they do have a lot of other snack options to offer.
Overall, the baristas are very friendly and they bring you your coffee, and the environment is great (usually not too loud, and has a nice chill soundtrack at a very good volume).
Recommended!