Best Neighborhood Spot in the Heights

Onion Creek Coffee HouseThe Houston Heights is a great neighborhood that's starving for more social spots, and the Onion Creek Coffee House is a prime example of what those hangouts could look like (if more people had the fortitude to battle the prohibition-minded Houston Heights Association). Onion Creek's expansive sun deck, embellished with a tropical flair by owner Gary Mosely's green thumb, has transformed a once-bleak strip along White Oak into a magnet for everyone from morning dog walkers to late-night hipsters. Whether your thing is a $1.50 brunch-time mimosa, a Shiner, or just a cup of joe, this is where it's at. Settle into one of the retro velvet couches, and you might hear an aid worker talking about her recent trip to Afghanistan, or a thespian explaining the perks of canned-food night at the Alley. The Heights is just that kind of place, and Onion Creek helps make it happen.