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Where to Sip Vietnamese Iced Coffee in Houston

Strong and sweet, this highly-caffeinated beverage is a Houston icon

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Thanks to Houston’s thriving Vietnamese dining scene, the sweet, strongly-caffeinated nectar that is Vietnamese iced coffee is readily available throughout the city. What makes Vietnamese coffee so unique is that it must slowly drip through a specialized drip filter into a cup where a thick slick of sweetened condensed milk awaits at the bottom. Combine the two, and you’ve found coffee bliss.

Use this map as a guide to 10 of the city’s best Vietnamese iced coffee destinations, both inside and out of the loop. Go forth, and get ready to find a seriously delicious buzz.

Note: For clarity, cà phê sữa đá refers to coffee that is served with ice, while cà phê sữa nóng or just cà phê sữa refers to the hot beverage. On this map, you’ll find the terms that each shop uses to describe the drinks on their menus.

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Les Givral's

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This Saigon-inspired restaurant has been a Houston fixture for almost 40 years, and in that time, they’ve perfected their massive cups of Vietnamese iced coffee. Don’t forget to snag a budget-friendly banh mi for lunch later, or an impromptu snack to pair with the caffeine.

View this post on Instagram

#vietnamesecoffee ❄️☕️

A post shared by Ⅾy ♥️ (@_to_dy_for) on

Nguyễn Ngọ

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Pick up a cafe đá or café nóng with Nguyen Ngo’s croissant-style banh mi, laden with chicken, pork, pate, meatballs, or ham. The café đá is made to order, leaving room to specify just how strong and sweet each cup should be. Nguyen Ngo does share a parking lot with Lee’s Sandwiches, but the style of coffee is quite different.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Lee's Sandwiches

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Don’t be put-off by the fact that the coffee here is pre-bottled — this strong brew is a staple for many in the Bellaire community, and for those who regularly make the pilgrimage to stock up. Enjoy it poured over crushed ice either in-store or at home. Make sure to grab another community favorite while there: freshly-made delimanjoo, or fish-shaped waffles with vanilla custard filling.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Magic Cup Cafe

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Magic Cup serves up café sữa đá in a way that few other shops do, with a dark, rich coloring, and a thick creamy flavor, which enhances the classic flavor of Vietnamese coffee. The shop’s sweet Magic Puffs, or mini-beignets doused in powdered sugar, are an essential pairing.

Long Coffee

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Vietnamese iced coffee is a popular order from Long Coffee’s extensive list of teas, smoothies, and coffee. The line may be out the door, and the drive-thru may wrap around the building at this bustling shop, but the wait is worth it.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Nam Giao Restaurant & Bakery

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Nam Giao, made even more popular after being featured on David Chang’s Ugly Delicious, is widely known for its excellent Vietnamese small plates like banh beo chen and banh quai vac. These dishes pair perfectly with their dark roast cà phê sữa đá, which is served still dripping through the metal French filter into a cup of sweetened condensed milk. When the coffee has finished dripping, mix it, then pour it over a provided cup of ice.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Pho Danh

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Tucked away inside the bustling Hong Kong Market shopping mall is Pho Danh, popular for large bowls of flavorful pho served with the traditional mountain of herbs. Ordering cà phê sữa nóng or cà phê sữa đá means being presented with an individual French drip atop a cup of sweetened condensed milk and cup of ice for the perfect customizable blend.

Christina Autry/Eater

Njoi Coffee + Tea

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Just south of the heart of Houston’s Vietnamese community, nJoi’s Iced Vietnamese Coffee keeps caffeine junkies coming back, along with a solid menu of milk teas and smoothies. Inconspicuously operating at the corner of Beechnut and Wilcrest, nJoi pours a sweet and refreshing cup of coffee, with or without boba.

SmooTea Cafe

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Inside the Loop in Braeswood, Smootea Cafe’s teas, smoothies, and coffees can satisfy pretty much any thirst, and the Vietnamese iced coffee is no exception. Pro-tip: add boba.

SmooTea Cafe/Yelp

Ca Phe Phin

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Open since 2018, Ca Phe Phin offers a variety of Vietnamese coffee options, ranging from the classic iced version to the “HoneyB” a mix of black coffee, cream, and honey served hot or over ice. Looking for something that’s a little more like dessert? Try an frozen iced coffee frappe, topped with whipped cream.

Les Givral's

This Saigon-inspired restaurant has been a Houston fixture for almost 40 years, and in that time, they’ve perfected their massive cups of Vietnamese iced coffee. Don’t forget to snag a budget-friendly banh mi for lunch later, or an impromptu snack to pair with the caffeine.

View this post on Instagram

#vietnamesecoffee ❄️☕️

A post shared by Ⅾy ♥️ (@_to_dy_for) on

Nguyễn Ngọ

Pick up a cafe đá or café nóng with Nguyen Ngo’s croissant-style banh mi, laden with chicken, pork, pate, meatballs, or ham. The café đá is made to order, leaving room to specify just how strong and sweet each cup should be. Nguyen Ngo does share a parking lot with Lee’s Sandwiches, but the style of coffee is quite different.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Lee's Sandwiches

Don’t be put-off by the fact that the coffee here is pre-bottled — this strong brew is a staple for many in the Bellaire community, and for those who regularly make the pilgrimage to stock up. Enjoy it poured over crushed ice either in-store or at home. Make sure to grab another community favorite while there: freshly-made delimanjoo, or fish-shaped waffles with vanilla custard filling.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Magic Cup Cafe

Magic Cup serves up café sữa đá in a way that few other shops do, with a dark, rich coloring, and a thick creamy flavor, which enhances the classic flavor of Vietnamese coffee. The shop’s sweet Magic Puffs, or mini-beignets doused in powdered sugar, are an essential pairing.

Long Coffee

Vietnamese iced coffee is a popular order from Long Coffee’s extensive list of teas, smoothies, and coffee. The line may be out the door, and the drive-thru may wrap around the building at this bustling shop, but the wait is worth it.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Nam Giao Restaurant & Bakery

Nam Giao, made even more popular after being featured on David Chang’s Ugly Delicious, is widely known for its excellent Vietnamese small plates like banh beo chen and banh quai vac. These dishes pair perfectly with their dark roast cà phê sữa đá, which is served still dripping through the metal French filter into a cup of sweetened condensed milk. When the coffee has finished dripping, mix it, then pour it over a provided cup of ice.

Christina Autry/EHOU

Pho Danh

Tucked away inside the bustling Hong Kong Market shopping mall is Pho Danh, popular for large bowls of flavorful pho served with the traditional mountain of herbs. Ordering cà phê sữa nóng or cà phê sữa đá means being presented with an individual French drip atop a cup of sweetened condensed milk and cup of ice for the perfect customizable blend.

Christina Autry/Eater

Njoi Coffee + Tea

Just south of the heart of Houston’s Vietnamese community, nJoi’s Iced Vietnamese Coffee keeps caffeine junkies coming back, along with a solid menu of milk teas and smoothies. Inconspicuously operating at the corner of Beechnut and Wilcrest, nJoi pours a sweet and refreshing cup of coffee, with or without boba.

SmooTea Cafe

Inside the Loop in Braeswood, Smootea Cafe’s teas, smoothies, and coffees can satisfy pretty much any thirst, and the Vietnamese iced coffee is no exception. Pro-tip: add boba.

SmooTea Cafe/Yelp

Ca Phe Phin

Open since 2018, Ca Phe Phin offers a variety of Vietnamese coffee options, ranging from the classic iced version to the “HoneyB” a mix of black coffee, cream, and honey served hot or over ice. Looking for something that’s a little more like dessert? Try an frozen iced coffee frappe, topped with whipped cream.

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