I can’t believe they did this when all we wanted to do was get some lemonade and love on some cats. We drove over 30 minutes away from our hotel just to be here and right as we pull up at 4pm they flip the closed sign! I can’t believe they are rejecting the opportunity for some sweet cats to get the love and attention they deserve. I hope someone else takes over because this is really upsetting.

Really great place to see and interact with cats. Possibly adopt one. Definitely not a place to enjoy coffe though as that menu is very limited. One would not come here for coffe or anything else other than cats basically. Got to enjoy our session and interact with adoptable cats. Definitely a cool place one should consider if you are looking to adopt a cat.

Underrated! It was an excellent experience with so many beautiful felines ❤️The cappuccino was yummy, the seating area was comfy and cute. The gift shop had so many cute choices! We’ll definitely be back ❤️ Book a timing online to guarantee a spot to sit in the cafe. Limited spaces.

Interesting concept of a place that focuses on facilitating cat adoptions while also serving coffee, which I applaud. When you enter, you have to pay a $15 cover that gives you 1 hour in the "cat room" which you have to pass through two doors in order to enter (so that the cats don't get out). Inside is a room that is a veritable cat paradise with lots of cat towers, toys, beds, etc. and tons of cat-themed decorations with several kitties taking full advantage of the amenities. There is also a back room which contains "less socialized" kittens that the staff encourages you to visit so as to familiarize the animals with humans so that they are eventually more adoptable. There is also a binder that contains all the cats and their names that are available for adoption. The staff is very friendly, though you can tell they are really pushing people to adopt with continual introductions to cats, their names, history, etc. As far as menu is concerned, there is a limited selection of coffees and teas with a few cookies, bars, and cinnamon roll, but one has to exit the cat room to place an order at the house entrance. The order is then passed through a window to the cat room when it is ready. I ordered a french press coffee, which was ready after several minutes and was decent, though nothing to write home about. While I enjoyed my experience and support the work they are doing, this is very much more a cat sanctuary and adoption facility with coffee being an afterthought. There are only two tables with chairs in the cat room, and no one was engaged in any normal coffee shop activities like reading, studying, or working while I was there. The entire focus is on interacting with the cats. Not to mention, the 1 hour time limit restricts anything that might require a longer time period. To the staff's credit, they informed me when I arrived of this and recommended 2nd Cup if I wanted a traditional coffee house, but I wanted to get the experience regardless. For these reasons, I would highly recommend El Gato to anyone who loves cats, wants some "cat therapy", and/or is looking to adopt. If your concern is more coffee and getting work done, though, you should look elsewhere.

I had higher expectations about this place, considering how expensive it is. $18 per person for just 1 hr.... they don't have special prices for kids either, my daughter is 6, and it's the same price for all... they need to put more attention on the cat litter boxes, as soon as you go in, place smells really strong (stink),so don't really feel like ordering coffee or anything because of it. The check-in entrance is very small and crowded. The cat interaction is ok. Some cats can be feisty, some very territorial, and some sweet and playful. Just be ready.

I visited El Gato Coffeehouse for the first time today and I loved it! It's not your typical coffee shop - the cookies and drinks are great, and you can interact with cats for an hour for just $15. The cats are so friendly and well-behaved, and it's a great place to adopt a new furry friend. I definitely recommend a visit - just be sure to make a reservation in advance.

Super cute cafe! The Chia Latte was really good and the cats of course made the experience better. They have a kitten room and a bigger room for the adult cats. The volunteers were super sweet, and will tell you all about the cats and the stories if you ask them. All the cats were very sweet even with the amount of people in the session.

We enjoyed interacting with the staff and the cats. I highly recommend going! They are so adorable and ready to go to their forever homes. 💗

Pros: Cute cats, so many of them and a great variety, all available to adopt! The aesthetic of the place is very welcoming and quaint as well. Lots of neat items in the gift shop, too. Cons: paid $90 for the private “1 hour” experience, however it ended up being more like 30-40 mins max due to the private party ahead of us taking forever to leave. Wish they would’ve allowed us to make up the lost time, or comped our drinks, or even just provided some sort of discount/partial refund for this. The cookies were eh, the coffee was good but did take a very long time to get to us. Overall a neat and unique experience but not well executed IMO.

The place is much smaller than I expected, but the hour I spent there I enjoyed it to the fullest. The kitties are beautiful and they look well taken care of, they have a separate smaller room for the shy ones and there’s a little gift shop with a lot of cute kitty-themed merch. You can also adopt any of the kitties and I loved the concept.

I went at 10 AM on Saturday and it was busier than I would have preferred. I was hoping to spend quality time with the cats to scope out possible adoptions. There were a group of kids enthusiastically pursuing the cats to play, which is cute, sure, but their energy sent the cats running, hiding. It was difficult to spend much one on one time with any of them. It’s really not a ‘cafe’. They do have coffee but it’s more like drip coffee with whole milk, not lattes or special milks. Basically $20 entry fee and five dollars for a mediocre cup of coffee. I may come back on a weekday when it’s less busy. If you’re looking for a cat it would be cheaper to check a shelter.

This is the greatest place in the world. I felt like i was at disney world. We booked a reservation and came in about 30 minutes early, they let us in to sit in the lobby and we chatted with the front desk person and they were very nice, they took our order early and were very helpful with explaining everything. When we did go in it was, of course great. It's literally a room full of cats what did you expect. The room was decorated to the max with cat themed items and was just adorable. When our food came, me and my friends got iced coffee and cinnamon rolls, and by god, those cinnamon rolls are delicious, they taste and look like they're handmade. In conclusion: Give these people your money and adopt the cats they are cute and perfect. :3

If you love kitties this is the place to go! You can just visit and enjoy a nice coffee or look into adopting one of their adorable cats. Very cozy atmosphere and any money you spend goes to this wonderful rescue!

I don't know who needs to hear this... But go directly to El Gato for your cat therapy fix now! ❤️ Amazing cats, amazing chai and amazing staff. This place is heaven in Houston! P.S. They have free on site parking and I recommend booking tickets ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Such a great place to hang out & relax with the cutest cats for a couple hours! I had some free time before a flight and decided to check out El Gato. To go, you reserve time on their website in 1-hr increments. Once you arrive, you can order from their cafe menu and check out their lobby area (with tons of cat merch!). Once your session starts, you can grab a seat in the larger cat room for social cats, or the smaller cat room for shy/newer cats. The atmosphere is cozy and so relaxing, and the staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. I would love to come back next time I’m in Houston!

El Gato is a neat establishment, and an absolute must-see for cat lovers. I am not a cat lover personally, but I enjoyed chilling with the cats nonetheless. Appointments can be made and paid for online or at the establishment in person (though it was cheaper to book it online). There is a selection of coffee and other specialty drinks as well as pastries that have to be ordered through the truck outside the cafe and brought to you inside. The ambiance is great with plenty of natural light and adorable kitty decor. The cats, which are all adoptable, are playful and sweet. As for the coffee, the vanilla latte with almond milk I ordered was delicious. My friend ordered the earl grey latte, which was also delish. I had a blueberry muffin, which wasn’t too sweet and a little dry but was good nevertheless. Altogether, I paid about $7 for a latte and a muffin before the tip- not too shabby!

I wouldn’t spend money on buying food/drinks for yourself you’ll be too busy playing with the kitties. It’s a waste. Plus it’s nothing special. The cats are so adorable, and so fun to play with. It’s worthwhile paying the $16? For an hour to play with them. I’d spend your money on buying cat treats! The cats WILL LOVE you.

Very unique experience not offered anywhere else in Houston. All the cats are super friendly and this was a fun date idea with my partner. They even have knowledgeable staff that can help you adopt one of them if you'd like.

Great place to go if you're a cat lover!! I recommend making a reservation for your group beforehand as spots do fill up. There were two rooms you could go into. The main room had their more social cats while the smaller room had their new or shy-er cats. Many of the cats in the main room were very friendly and even came to sit on our laps. There are several toys available to play with the cats. And if you really get bored (though I doubt you will during your 1 hour slot) there are cat themed books and games you can use in the smaller room. Note that each of the cats are adoptable and you can have a "sleepover" where you bring them to your house to see if the cat is a good fit :) The menu is limited but enough for your time there. There is also quite a bit of cat merchandise for sale at the front (socks, shirts, pins, magnets, cat collars etc.) Overall, a great place to go if you're a cat lover or looking to get a cat ^^

Brought a friend here for a special day since they love cats but not sure about ownership yet. Ended up booking 2 one hour sessions because I figured we would end up spending extra time here. Had a good time with the cats, staff was kind of doing their own thing. They would answer questions if we asked but at the same time felt like I was being a pest. Staff might be there more for the cats then us though. Cats eventually warmed up to us (luckily we booked 2 hours) so that made the experience worth it.

I love this place so much! All the cats and employees are so nice. Definitely recommend coming here!!!

I came here for a private session on my birthday and had the most wonderful experience. Spending time with all of the cats was so therapeutic. The staff was WONDERFUL! I definitely recommend this place :) Oh and also the cinnamon rolls here are bomb 💣!!

Wonderful place to visit! The cats are lovely (as well as the human staff and volunteers) and are all eager to find homes! Adopt a cat or just drop in to spend some time with them!

My safe haven! This place is amazing and I love that they have coffee.

What a lovely cafe! The workers were friendly and helpful, and the cats were precious. They even had a kitten room of seven month old babies. The workers went above and beyond to help me. I discovered I had a flat tire after completing my session at the cafe and the workers helped me look up a tire shop, offered advice, and helped to calm me down. I will remember this place fondly, despite the upsetting circumstances!

The workers are so nice, the cats are adorable, and the food is great! I got an iced matcha and it it was the best thing I’ve ever drank! Although I got a little scratch from one of the kittens but it was too cute to get mad at…overall I rate 5 stars, definitely coming again.

This place was so lovely. I really loved Phinnias and Bonnie. I loved the staff and how nice they were. The food was okay but the cats were amazing. I recommend going if you are looking for a place to play with cats, but don’t come too hungry as the food is not the best.

We rented the space for a private hour with the cats. Really enjoyed the ambiance and the cats were very happy to have the attention. We did not opt for the barista to come in because we were a small party but in looking over the menu I would love to come again and try the earl grey latte. I look forward to coming back another time.

A great place to enjoy adoptable cats while sipping an espresso. Cats are separated from outgoing to shy. The cottage for the kitties is adorable and supplies toys with which you can play. Price is $85 for a 50 minute private session with up to six people. My only concern was that the cat directory binders, which gives the names, breed, sex, and age did not seem up-to-date, but that is an easy fix! We thoroughly loved our time at El Gato Coffeehouse, and highly recommend it.

This place was AMAZING. You can tell the workers really cared about the cats. The vibe was so cool, and of course, the cats were precious 🩷🐈‍⬛️ I 100% recommend!!

Probably the best cat cafe I have ever been to! Love it that it actually looks and feels like home. All cats look super happy and looks like they get actively adopted, which is great ! The entire family of adults and teens had a great time and memories for life

The whole thing was amazing. There were so many cats. They were playful and extremely fun to be around. And they even have a little shop when you walk in where you can buy cute stuff. The service is amazing, and so are the drinks. I got some hot chocolate, and it tasted so good. I recommend coming here, 100% <33

I've been here a few times, and it's always an amazing experience! The staff/volunteers are super friendly and the cats are so cute and adoptable!! They also have a lot of toys laying around so you can play with the cats, 10/10 recommend

This place is amazing! All of the volunteers are extremely nice and very knowledgeable about the cats who are currently residing there. They each have a backstory and are up for adoption. The place is clean and has plenty of toys for the cats to play with. They also have a bomb coffee truck that you can order pretty much anything you like. Highly recommend 10 out of 10 and the merch is adorable!

It was very nice experience for us... my daughter had a blast and that's what counts.. just in the pricey side for my taste... but the smile on her face makes up for it... I can definitely see us coming back next month... when I saved enough to bring her back.

I have visited a number of times and love this place. Whether you’re looking for cat therapy or to adopt, the staff are welcoming and knowledgeable and the cats are incredibly well cared for. Unlike many of the local shelters, cats stay with this charity and cafe until they are adopted which is wonderful. I’ve visited as a hourly customer (including working from the cafe!) and have also booked private sessions for me and my friends which is my absolute favorite. Highly recommend if you love cats and are looking to support a charitable cause that takes great pride in kitty care and giving cats a real home before they find their forever home.

Great place to eat on a chilly Sunday morning in the Heights. Food was incredible and the staff was friendly and very hospitable. Will definitely be back.

Lovely Place 🥰🥰 A lot of adorable cats I wish I can adopt them on the future when I have financially stable I love them they are very friendly and lovely with humans at the coffee shop 🥰 The Hot Chocolate was very good 😋