I have been eating a lot of kolaches recently for some reason. I have always liked kolaches, as everyone does, though I have not been eating them that much again until the past couple of months or so. A trip to visit my brother in Fort Worth sparked this current Czech breakfast pastry binge, as we stopped en route at a Bu-cee’s in Madisonville. OK, there is not much to laud about the food at the grossly overgrown convenience stores that are Buc-ee’s, but their sausage-filled kolaches – technically klobasnikies, pigs-in-the-blanket, but you know what I mean – were actually pretty decent and certainly hit the spot when I was hungry that morning. Driving back to Houston the next day, we stopped again for kolaches, this time in West, the largely Czech-American community north of Waco on I-35. The kolaches from the Czech-themed Slovacek’s, just fruit- and cheese-filled were decent, if nothing distinctive and fairly processed-tasting, not quite level of Buc-ee’s, to be honest.
In addition to these, I had visited Kolache Factory a few times recently. It’s long been a go-to for quick, convenient and inexpensive calories on weekend mornings, if never anything especially good. I never included Kolache Factory in any of my three editions of Houston Dining on the Cheap, after all.
None of these come close to comparing to the kolaches (and klobasnikies) found at the Kolache Shoppe on Richmond and Weslayan. Featuring extraordinarily fresh and light sweet yeast dough coddling the fruits, cheese or meats, these kolaches are another realm above the other ones I have had recently, akin to artisanal baguette from Common Bond versus a supermarket loaf. If not quite Common Bond, maybe Slow Dough versus a supermarket loaf. The freshness and quality of ingredients seem much better than in kolaches I have had elsewhere. The kolaches from the Kolache Shoppe are truly something special in the realm of regional Czech-style baked goods, or most kinds of breakfast pastries found locally.
Having tried a number of versions there in recent weeks: fruit- and cheese-filled, the sausage- and bacon-filled, and most of the breakfast versions, their kolaches might be the best I have ever had. Even better than those I remember from the laudable Weikel’s Bakery in La Grange that I have stopped at countless times between Houston and Austin. The quaint Kolache Shoppe has been around since 1970, and it is a place that many Houstonians still need to discover.
Unfortunately, and possibly their only demerit, they are not open on Sundays, so you will have to settle for lesser kolaches to have with your beer on Sunday morning while tailgating for the Texans. I had to do that the other Sunday, in fact.
The Kolache Shoppe
3945 Richmond (at Weslayan), 77027, (713) 626-4580
kolacheshoppe.com
Monday-Friday – 6AM to noon
Saturday – 7AM to 1M
Closed on Sunday
A delectable blueberry kolache from the Kolache Shoppe
In addition to these, I had visited Kolache Factory a few times recently. It’s long been a go-to for quick, convenient and inexpensive calories on weekend mornings, if never anything especially good. I never included Kolache Factory in any of my three editions of Houston Dining on the Cheap, after all.
None of these come close to comparing to the kolaches (and klobasnikies) found at the Kolache Shoppe on Richmond and Weslayan. Featuring extraordinarily fresh and light sweet yeast dough coddling the fruits, cheese or meats, these kolaches are another realm above the other ones I have had recently, akin to artisanal baguette from Common Bond versus a supermarket loaf. If not quite Common Bond, maybe Slow Dough versus a supermarket loaf. The freshness and quality of ingredients seem much better than in kolaches I have had elsewhere. The kolaches from the Kolache Shoppe are truly something special in the realm of regional Czech-style baked goods, or most kinds of breakfast pastries found locally.
Having tried a number of versions there in recent weeks: fruit- and cheese-filled, the sausage- and bacon-filled, and most of the breakfast versions, their kolaches might be the best I have ever had. Even better than those I remember from the laudable Weikel’s Bakery in La Grange that I have stopped at countless times between Houston and Austin. The quaint Kolache Shoppe has been around since 1970, and it is a place that many Houstonians still need to discover.
Unfortunately, and possibly their only demerit, they are not open on Sundays, so you will have to settle for lesser kolaches to have with your beer on Sunday morning while tailgating for the Texans. I had to do that the other Sunday, in fact.
The Kolache Shoppe
3945 Richmond (at Weslayan), 77027, (713) 626-4580
kolacheshoppe.com
Monday-Friday – 6AM to noon
Saturday – 7AM to 1M
Closed on Sunday
A delectable blueberry kolache from the Kolache Shoppe
