If you were to brave the Broadway Street construction for a stroll toward Claiborne Avenue, on the corner of Panola Street you would find the newly opened Junk Drawer Coffee. I stopped by for their grand opening on Nov. 8. 

The new Junk Drawer Coffee expands the vision of its original Toledano Street location. It is housed in an early-20th-century building that has hosted many tenants — starting from a grocery store, to most recently a laundromat. The new coffee spot has preserved the historic façade. The manager, Nate Wheeler, said this was in “hopes to serve the community in the same ways that all the previous tenants have.”  

Since the move, the Junk Drawer team has added an expanded breakfast and lunch menu by chef Danny Alas, operator of Parchita Pie Co, and they now roast their coffee in-house. 

When heading into Junk Drawer, I was impressed by the spacious interior and ample seating, which included some outdoor spots too. The staff was friendly and eager to give me recommendations to navigate their unique menu. They had options I’d never seen before, like the cardamom, orange blossom and coconut cold foam and the house-made pecan milk. These were incorporated into things like their specialty drinks, but you could add them to any drink of your choice as well.

For the star of the show, I went with The Jefe, one of their specialty drinks for $7.50. This had silky butter with honey and sea salt over espresso and steamed milk. You have the options of half and half, whole milk and coconut milk without an upcharge, and I went with coconut. For non-cow milk drinkers, they also have oat, almond or pecan milk for a small upcharge. This drink was well balanced, with the right amount of sweet and salty paired with the smoothness of the espresso shot.  

I also got the breakfast tacos for $5 each which had a cheesy egg scramble, tomatillo salsa and curly fries all on a local flour or corn tortilla. I loved the warm, soft eggs with the crispiness of the curly fries. The seasoning on the fries and the flavor of the tomatillo salsa paired perfectly with the eggs, and the pickled onions added an extra crunch and flavor that brought it all together. I would have eaten so many of these; I would recommend it for any breakfast taco lover. 

If you’re looking for a great study spot uptown without venturing too far from campus, Junk Drawer Coffee is easily at the top of the list. With great coffee and yummy food, you can’t go wrong when ordering. Stop by, get some homework done in their spacious interior and enjoy a few breakfast tacos.