Dallas - October 27, 2008

A Conscious Cup

Urban Dog Coffee Opens

Caution! Do not enter Mockingbird Lane. The new Cowboys stadium. Half of downtown.

With all the cranes, orange cones, and give us a brake signs around town, it seems that Dallas will always be a danger zone.

Thankfully, Urban Dog Coffee just removed the yellow tape after a four-month restoration project. Besides delicious, locally brewed java, the Oak Lawn espresso bar now serves fresh bites — pastries, soups, sandwiches — by Rush Patisserie in Deep Ellum.

The newly expanded space also dishes free Wi-Fi, a fenced-in outdoor patio (with water bowls for Fido), and a cool contemporary lounge with a private door. Need a meeting space? They’ll close it off for a nominal tab or, for nonprofits, lend it out for free.

Giving back is important to the place: At least 7 percent of its daily revenue supports local programs and nonprofits.

Talk about an infrastructure worth supporting.

Urban Dog Coffee, 2720 Oak Lawn Avenue, at Congress Avenue (214-219-5511 or urbandogcoffee.com).