Gabriella learned to bake at a young age. Her mother hosted parties and would do all of the cooking, but didn’t enjoy baking, so that was Gabriella’s territory. After Gabriella and Fernando married, they traveled to visit his family in Guatemala where she learned how to make their traditional “Mayan Bread”.
Nearly ten years ago, their business began in their home, making mostly the Mayan bread, and some cakes and cupcakes. Soon the business had grown so much that they had to make a decision; quit because it was just too overwhelming in their home, or expand to a new location.
They found a small shop in Bryan, invested in commercial equipment, and began their growth. About a year later they moved into their present College Station, Texas location and have been there since.
In 2020, Covid hit them hard, as it did so many mom 'n pop restaurants, but not only did they manage to keep all of their employees, but they also provided as much help and comfort as they could. They often would cook meals for their employees to take home. To their customers, they were an anchor to normalcy. The world was crazy, but their customers were still able to pull up and have a familiar face run their delicious coffee and breakfast out to them. The cafe also sold a few grocery items, not only to help them stay afloat but also to provide items to their customers that weren't available in stores.
“This is coffee therapy,” Gabriella explained, and I don’t think she could have described that any more perfectly.
She takes pride in serving handcrafted coffees, traditional Guatemalan items, pastries that aren’t overwhelmingly sweet, and hearty, healthy sandwiches. This is an extension of Gabriella’s kitchen and living room; "Come in, be social, and break bread with your friends,” she offers.
This is the most precious, quaint, welcoming coffee shop around College Station, Texas. It’s like walking into a grandma’s house. There’s a shelf that serves as a community library, you’re welcome to take a book or donate one. Retro video games, memorabilia, and handwritten poems tacked to the sunshine yellow walls. The rich aroma of espresso and freshly baked cinnamon rolls permeate the air along with jazz tunes. If you don’t like the vibe of this place, I’m not sure that we can even be friends.
We tried two of their most popular coffees, the Cinnamon Delight and Fernando's Favorite. The Cinnamon Delight latte was flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar. It’s warm and cozy, not too sweet, with the robust espresso and fluffy steamed milk. The Fernando’s Favorite latte was sweeter and richer; flavored with vanilla and caramel.
The cinnamon rolls were delicate clouds, sent straight from heaven. It was warm, moist, and perfectly spiced from the cinnamon filling. The drizzle of icing was a perfect sweet balance to the hearty bread. A combination of this cinnamon roll, the cinnamon delight latte, and a warm pair of jammies are what I'm going to be looking for this fall.
The kolaches are different at La Gabriella; they put their own Spin on it. Get it? Hah! Ok,
spin, because it’s rolled up. I've heard this type called a 'kolache roll", but I don't know that to be the real name of it. The warm roll was stuffed with bacon and cheese (we also got a ham and cheese), it was a light and fluffy bread that was enough to warm you up and get you moving, and not going to be too heavy early in the morning.
Gabriella also brought out a couple of their sweet kolaches, a blackberry, and a cream cheese. This is the first time I’ve ever tried a blackberry kolache and it was absolutely phenomenal. It was a bold flavor, sweet and bright. Then the cream cheese kolache was rich and velvety. These are both a must try!
The Tea Biscuit Cookie was a crunchy, buttery cookie, sprinkled with coarse sugar; very mildly flavored and lightly sweetened. We loved it with the Honey Mango Smoothie, which was a bright, refreshing drink. It tastes like the fruit at the season's peak, not like a sugary syrup.
My favorite pastry of the day was the Apple and Cream Pastry. Nestled inside a delicate puff pastry shell was an apple and cinnamon filling, with beautiful pockets of cream cheese, then the top was dusted lightly with cinnamon and sugar. This was outstanding. Even though it was light, the crispy, flaky puff pastry held up to the filling. The cream cheese to apple filling ratio perfectly balanced the flavors. I will order this every time I go to La Gabriella.
If you're looking for a cup of Joe and a homemade treat to go with it, make sure you stop in at La Gabriella, in College Station Texas. Tell Gabriella and Fernando I said hi, and make sure you get a few extra pastries for later. You be glad you did!
We’re on a mission to help Texas mom ‘n pop restaurants thrive, and we need your help! So if you enjoy our articles, reviews, photos, and videos, please consider sharing and help us get some butts in booths at Texas mom ‘n pop restaurants.
109 Walton Dr College Station, TX
Comments