An Average Joe in San Antonio

As much as I like getting a big bacon and eggs breakfast or a couple of breakfast tacos, some mornings I am happy with a pastry and some coffee.  It’s no secret that I have a sweet tooth.  In fact a former roommate bought a tub of cookie dough that they sell for school fundraisers, and after seeing me eyeing it in the fridge for a while she mentioned I could have some of it (we had a strict policy of not eating each other’s food).  After asking a couple of times if she was sure, in the next couple of weeks I proceeded to knock out most of the tub with the exception of a half moon wedge at the bottom about an inch high, because after all, we know that in guy logic the tub was practically full and she would never notice.  At any rate, Broadway Daily Bread is the perfect place to satiate that sweet tooth first thing in the morning.

While the namesake is located on Broadway in Alamo Heights, I often go to the one off of DeZavala and I-10.  I like this location because it is kind of tucked into a neighborhood right around Clarke High School, and it really has a strong neighborhood feel with a lot of regulars stopping by.  The owner of this location, Bryant, is incredibly friendly and will visit with you whether your are a newbie or a regular if he is not busy at work kneading dough.

One of the reasons that I like Broadway Daily Bread so much is that it is one of the few “Tech” businesses in town; both of the owners daughters attended Texas Tech and there is a lot of Tech paraphernalia on the walls.  Being in the land of Longhorns and Aggies, this is always a nice surprise.  Additionally, they source their coffee from Daybreak Coffee Roasters, a Lubbock company and coffeehouse that I frequented when I was growing up.

When you walk in, you will notice the bakers rack full of baked goods.  They have all types of bread (their Birdman is the most popular) alongside tons of different sweets: cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc.  You can even order a cake for that special occasion.  When I was working for a company, I would try to bring some muffins in for breakfast to my coworkers; this is always a good idea if you are running just a little bit late.

The bakers rack filled with all sorts of goodness.

I have three favorite breakfast items that are my standards.  If I am going to get a muffin, I am going either for their sour cream pecan or the cranberry.  The sour cream pecan muffin has more of a spongy type texture and the top is dusted with cinnamon and sugar.  In a way, it is like a cinnamon role without being too over powering and without the icing; it is the best item to pair up with their coffee.

The cranberry muffin is equally good in a different way; the best part is the muffin top which has a nice crispy taste to it and is really sweet.  The cranberries are plentiful and are warm/gooey (if you get it fresh out of the oven) and have a nice tart taste.  I decided to get the cranberry muffin this past visit.

The cranberries are plentiful in the muffins and give them a great tart taste.

Finally, if you are REALLY in the mood for something sweet, get the brownie cupcake with peanut butter topping.  While they don’t always have this, it is every sweet tooth’s dream.  Smaller than a normal cupcake, when you pick it up you will be surprised how dense it is; it is like they are packing as much sugar and goodness into as little of a space as possible.  To top it off, there is this peanut butter icing that they are quite generous with.  This concoction is best with an ice cold glass of milk.

Whether in North San Antonio or Alamo Heights, Broadway Daily Bread delivers the goods if you are looking for something sweet for breakfast.

Value: 9/10 (You are probably going to spend between $3 and $4 for a muffin and a cup of coffee which seems standard; the muffins are pretty big)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (Pertaining to the DeZavala Location: Really clean feel, the inside is painted with bright colors and the entire storefront is windows which lets in the natural light; you can watch the folks make the dough, pastries, and sandwiches; people always seem happy here)
Service: 10/10 (Very friendly people always greeting you with a smile)
Taste: 9.5/10 (Everything tastes really good and I like pretty much everything here – the bread, cake, cupcakes, muffins, sandwiches; only thing that I think falls short is the kolaches but, then again, what do I know as they are sold out pretty much every day before 8:30-9:00 in the morning!)
Website: http://www.broadwaydailybread.net/
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I don’t know if you have noticed, but I have started to get into a rhythm with blogging.  I think that one of the reasons is because I have kind of started a weekly ritual where I stop by Sip coffee house downtown to read the paper, knock out some posts, and enjoy some good coffee.

Situated on the corner of St Mary’s and Houston Street, Sip offers its customers the kind of feel that you would expect in a bigger city.  There are large windows flanking two sides of the coffee shop with a bar that travels along one side where many of my posts have been typed up.  I like this shop so much because it is a way to feel like you really are in a big city since you can “people watch” the tourists and locals as they walk by, see trolleys/buses/traffic buzz by, and be surrounded by tall buildings.  All the while, the high ceilings and large windows are perfect for a Texan like myself because, even being downtown, I still like to feel like I am in an open space.

The bar that I often like to sit at to type up blog posts.

I think that you have to look at the cost of Sip to something comparable like Starbucks.  For starters, the coffee is pretty reasonable and you can get a cup of Joe in a refillable mug for just under $2.  While there is not really an abundant selection of self service coffee (I would like to see a “bold” offering), the coffee is good and always fresh.

They have an assortment of fresh pastries that they purchase from different bakers around town.  I’ve enjoyed the chocolate cream cheese muffin several times and the chocolate chip cookies are really good as well.  I have yet to try a slice of pie or cheesecake, but they are always tempting.  While I usually keep it to coffee, expect to pay about $4 to $5 if you throw a pastry in with it.

Assortment of pastries at Sip; sorry for the glare! The chocolate cream cheese muffins are at the top right.

Additionally, they have all the specialty drinks that you would expect to find.  This past visit, they had made a mocha freddo for a customer and had a little left over in the blender and offered me a sample.  I liked the balance of sweet and coffee taste and think it would be a good summer drink for tourists navigating downtown in the hot sun.  However, being an Average Joe I usually stick to the basic cup of Joe.

Finally, they do offer some different sandwiches for the lunch crowd.  I have to admit, I have never ordered a sandwich as I am usually just ordering a cup of coffee or a pastry.  If you try one out, leave a comment on this post about how you liked it.

The staff is incredibly friendly and always up for a little conversation.  I enjoy chewing the fat with them a little bit and to find out how business is going.  Additionally, stars staying in the nearby hotels (Robert Duval, the band Buckcherry, Kathy Griffin and others) often stop by before or after a show.  If you are visiting San Antonio and staying at the Valencia or the Gunter, I highly recommend you eating breakfast and grabbing a cup of coffee at Sip and enjoy some of the San Antonio hospitality.  Who knows, you might even see a famous person to boot.

Value: 8/10 (In like with Starbucks and other coffee houses, but you do get free refills!)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (Modern, hip feel with big windows that let in plenty of natural light; get to “people watch” all the folks on the street)
Service: 10/10 (really friendly and always willing to chew the fat)
Taste: 9/10 (good coffee, but would like to see a little more diversity in the self service offerings; never met a pastry here I didn’t like)
Website: http://sip.bigz-burgerjoint.com/ (guess they are owned by the Bigz Burger people??)
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