Desserts and coffee guide
Gelato, coffee shops, bakeries and ice cream on the Coastal Bend, from Port Aransas to Corpus Christi.
Last updated
Overview
Both the Port Aransas and Corpus Christi tourism bureaus publish their own coffee and dessert guides.
The Corpus Christi visitor bureau describes the city's coffee scene as running from locally roasted beans and handcrafted espresso drinks to cozy cafés, and it organizes its coffee guide by area: Downtown and Uptown, Central City, Southside and the island. Its dessert guide covers frozen treats, pastries and baked goods.
The Port Aransas bureau says the island offers sweets from snow cones to pies and everything in between. It describes the island's coffee spots as offering a blend of flavor and coastal atmosphere, and it notes that coffee is not only for mornings in Port Aransas: after dinner, several local bars and restaurants serve their own take on the espresso martini.
What to do
Rockport & Fulton
- Bella la Brew Coffee Bar
A cosy coffee bar with pastries, muffins, brownies with caramel, breakfast pretzels and sausage rolls, plus a gift section featuring local artists.
- Dairy Queen
The Rockport DQ, a Texas institution for Blizzards and dipped cones after a beach day.
- Donut Palace
A straightforward donut shop with a drive-through, open from before dawn until early afternoon.
- Duck Blind Coffee
Rockport drive-thru coffee stand with strong espresso drinks and a hunting-lodge streak in the branding.
- Duck Blind Drive Thru & Dine In
Duck Blind Coffee's drive-thru location in Rockport, serving coffee and refreshments.
- FroYo Magic
Harry Potter themed self-serve frozen yoghurt, priced by weight, with boba, snow cones, slushes and refreshers.
Aransas Pass
- Kona Ice San Patricio and Aransas County
The local Kona Ice truck shaving tropical sno-cones at events and parks around the county.
- Little I's Snow Cones & Treats
Aransas Pass snow cone stand shaving flavored ice for the after-beach crowd.
- Sip Happens
A coffee shop and bakery with pastries, pecan tarts, chicken salad sandwiches, a wide range of sugar-free syrups, and merchandise.
Ingleside & Portland
- 7 Brew Coffee
Drive-thru coffee stand in Portland slinging fast espresso and flavored energy drinks.
- A Sweet Slice
Portland bakery doing custom cakes, flavored cheesecakes, and pies.
- Bloom City Coffee Co
Portland coffee shop with espresso drinks, pastries, and room to sit awhile.
- Can I Get A Scoop
A local ice cream shop serving Wisconsin-made hard ice cream, ice cream nachos, and a small lunch menu.
- Cha³ Tea
Portland boba shop shaking milk teas and fruit drinks with generous toppings.
- Explore Play Cafe
Portland play cafe pairing a toddler play space with coffee for the adults.
Port Aransas
The Port Aransas tourism bureau describes Coffee Waves as known for handcrafted espresso drinks, iced coffees and gelato. It calls Barefoot Beans a laid-back surfer spot known for friendly service and well-crafted coffee drinks, with simple breakfast bites and takeout options. It says Shore Cafe offers specialty drinks alongside breakfast and lunch, with comfortable seating inside and out.
- Barefoot Beans
A coffee bar and boutique in one, with an outdoor seating area and a play space, opening very early.
- Bron's Shaved Ice and To Go Bar
Port A stand pairing shaved ice with to-go drinks.
- Coffee Waves
The best coffee on the island, with gelato, croissant sandwiches, cakes, local art on the walls, and the Sea Shelves bookstore inside the same building.
- Desserted Island Ice Cream
The island landmark, open from late morning until late at night.
- Espresso Gelato
Port A shop pulling espresso and scooping gelato under one roof.
- Island Bakery
Port A bakery with fresh-baked goods a short hop from the beach.
Corpus Christi & Padre Island
The Corpus Christi visitor bureau says Bell'Aroma serves hot and cold coffee drinks in inventive combinations, and Stingers Coffee says it provides fair trade coffee and works with local dairy suppliers and bakeries. Island Joe's combines handcrafted coffee with a beach vibe, with homemade flavor syrups, and breakfast bites. For baked goods, the bureau says Water Street Central Kitchen bakes breads and pastries daily, and describes Bien Merite Bakery and Restaurant as a French-inspired bakery. For something cold, it lists Scoopy's Veranda Ice Cream Shoppe on Sunset Island, with handcrafted frozen treats and a sunny patio.
- Bahama Buck's - Corpus Christi
Sno-cone chain shaving mountains of flavored ice, with cream additions the kids will lobby for.
- Baskin-Robbins
The pink-spoon chain in Corpus for a familiar scoop when the local shops are closed to debate.
- Bell'Aroma Cafè
Local Corpus coffee chainlet location with espresso drinks and pastries.
- Bell’Aroma Café Southside
The Southside location of the local Bell'Aroma coffee chainlet, with espresso drinks and pastries.
- Corner Bakery Cafe
Chain bakery cafe on the Corpus side for pastries, panini, and a reliable breakfast when nobody wants to think hard.
- Czech-Mex Bakery and Cafe
Corpus bakery blending Czech kolaches with Mexican pan dulce and breakfast tacos.
All places in Corpus Christi & Padre IslandAll Desserts & Coffee
When to visit
The Port Aransas bureau calls snow cones the quintessential beach treat, perfect for hot days or any time you want to feel like a kid again. The Port Aransas bureau says Coffee Waves has plenty of indoor seating and is ideal for meeting friends or taking a break from the sun.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. Storms sometimes form outside those dates. Check the forecast from the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and follow local officials.
Getting around
In Port Aransas, the bureau says Coffee Waves is just minutes from the beach, and that Shore Cafe and Coffee Waves both offer comfortable seating for meeting friends or settling in for a while.
In Corpus Christi, the visitor bureau says Scoopy's Veranda is next door to Snoopy's Pier on Sunset Island, so a seafood dinner and a dessert can share a single stop. It describes Central Kitchen as tucked into Water Street Market downtown.
Where to stay
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Plan your tripSources
- Coffee shops in Port Aransas (Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce)
- Sweets and treats (Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce)
- Life is sweet in Port Aransas (Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce)
- Where to find coffee in Corpus Christi (Visit Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi CVB)
- Where to find desserts in Corpus Christi (Visit Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi CVB)
- Where to eat seafood in Corpus Christi (Visit Corpus Christi, the Corpus Christi CVB)
- Tropical cyclone climatology (NOAA National Hurricane Center)
- National Weather Service Corpus Christi
- Stingers Coffee