The past couple weeks has been a Godsend for me as the LORD has been opening new doors with people and businesses for me to feature on Greatful Moments which is a wonderful as I’ve been trying to rebuild the new site and build local reviews.
This week I set up a business meeting to meet Shea Coon and discuss her upcoming Book Fair in Watuaga. She asked me if I wanted to met at Melby’s Coffee & Tea House in Watuaga.
Knowing David or Charlie would be with me and there love for Coffee this was the perfect place to meet. I was able to discover a local business thanks to Shea that will be able to share with my friends and family. After visiting her I knew life put me in the right place at the right time.
I love how spacious the Coffee Shop was when it came time to actually sit down together and talk business, there was both tables for us to sit at and also a bench that makes a perfect place for a selfie.
We were supposed to meet at 10:00 a.m., and Shay was running a few minutes late. That wasn’t a problem at all. In fact, it gave David and me a few extra minutes to look around and explore the menu before my meeting started.
And apparently, David had already made up his mind. On the way I had went over the Menu with David and he had decided to order a chocolate milkshake. Of course, did he offer me a drink? Of course not. That’s David for you.
I ordered a sweet tea for myself, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. There was something about sitting there with a cold sweet tea while we waited that made the whole experience feel relaxed, even though I was there for a business meeting.
I was there to meet Shay, talk about the book fair and take care of business. But I was also paying attention. Because when I discover a local business, I don’t just want to know whether I can buy something there.
I want to know whether it’s somewhere I’d bring my family. And that’s when Melby’s started getting more interesting to me. I’m going to admit something about myself. When I’m meeting someone for a business meeting, I don’t really like to eat.
I’m there to talk, listen and get things accomplished. So even though Melby’s had plenty of things that caught my attention, I wasn’t looking to order food while I was meeting Shay. Which gives me a reason to return another day.
We could have stayed afterward and explored more, but we had to get home because Charlie wanted his car back. So this first visit was more of an introduction. And sometimes an introduction is enough to make you want to come back.
The first person I immediately thought about bringing back to Melby’s was Charlie. Charlie is an avid coffee drinker, and there are several drinks on Melby’s menu that I think he’d enjoy trying.
The next time we’re out shopping at Target, I would love to bring him over here and let him explore the coffee menu for himself. There are classic coffees for someone who likes to keep things simple, along with signature coffees for somebody who wants to try something different.
And knowing Charlie, I’m pretty sure he’ll want to look at the specialty drinks before deciding what he’s getting. That’s part of what I like about Melby’s. It isn’t just a place where everyone has to order the same kind of drink.
David has plenty of options here as well. He already went for the chocolate milkshake on our first visit, but I know there are classic coffees and fruit teas that would probably appeal to him too.
The menu includes refreshing choices such as strawberry tea and peach tea, along with other specialty teas. I know David likes his drinks a little differently than I do, so having choices matters.
And that’s something I’ve learned to appreciate about local coffee shops. A good coffeehouse doesn’t have to be only for serious coffee drinkers. It can be a place where somebody gets a latte, somebody gets tea, somebody orders a smoothie and somebody else gets a milkshake. Everybody gets to have their own thing.
Another reason I want to bring my family here is the gluten-free selection. My sister could actually find something to enjoy. Melby’s offers gluten-free pastries, including a gluten-free chocolate blondie, along with other gluten-free choices.
That immediately made me think about her because when you’re going somewhere as a family, it’s nice to know that everybody can find something. Nobody wants to be the person sitting at the table watching everyone else enjoy a pastry while they have nothing. Having gluten-free options makes Melby’s more appealing to me as a family destination.
If you’ve never heard of Melby’s before, there is one thing you will probably notice when you start looking at their menu and website: The macarons. Melby’s makes its macarons from scratch in-house using the traditional Italian method.
They are naturally gluten-free, although they contain dairy and eggs. There are six rotating flavors available at a time, and they also take custom orders for celebrations such as birthdays, baby showers and weddings.
They offer special touches such as favor boxes, personalized labels and ribbons, too. So if you are somebody who loves macarons, this isn’t just a coffee shop that happens to have a pastry case. The macarons are an important part of what makes Melby’s special.
Melby’s Coffee & Tea House has a surprisingly wide selection of drinks. There are classic coffees, signature coffees, matcha, chai, milk tea, refreshers, fruit teas and smoothies. They have drinks for people who want something familiar and drinks for people who want to try something completely different.
I will admit that milk tea still doesn’t sound appetizing to me. I know I’m probably in the minority there. But just because something isn’t my personal favorite doesn’t mean somebody else isn’t going to walk in and say, “This is exactly what I wanted.”
That’s one of the things I like about reviewing places with a family perspective. I’m not going to pretend everything on a menu is something I personally want. Instead, I’m going to tell you what I think my family would enjoy. And at Melby’s, I can already see several possibilities.
Melby’s Coffee & Tea House is located at: 8420 Denton Hwy #111 Watauga, Texas 76148 If you’ve never been there, here’s the landmark I would use. It’s next to Rosa’s Café & Tortilla Factory.
That’s the easiest way I would explain the location to somebody who is driving along Denton Highway and doesn’t already know where Melby’s is. It’s not really hidden. It’s just one of those businesses that you can drive right past if you don’t know it’s there. Now that I know where it is, I’ll be returning.
Melby’s currently lists these regular hours:
Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Because business hours can change, especially around holidays and special events, I recommend checking before making a special trip. You can also contact Melby’s at (817) 479-3211.
I don’t feel like I’ve experienced everything Melby’s has to offer yet. Honestly, I only had my sweet tea. David had his chocolate milkshake. We talked while we waited for Shay, had our business meeting, and then headed home because Charlie needed his car.
So I didn’t sit there for hours. I didn’t try five different drinks. I didn’t sample all the pastries. And I didn’t try the macarons. Yet. That’s why I consider this a first visit rather than a final review.
I discovered Melby’s because Shay chose it as the meeting place for our book-fair conversation. Now I want to go back because I discovered something else: This could be a place my family would enjoy.
I want to bring Charlie because he’s the coffee drinker in the family. I want to bring David back to try some of the other drinks. And I think my sister would enjoy coming because of the gluten-free choices. And who knows? Maybe I’ll even let somebody convince me to try the milk tea. I’m not promising anything.
There is still one thing I want to learn. Who are the people behind Melby’s? I can tell you about the coffee. I can tell you about the tea. I can tell you about the macarons. I can tell you about the gluten-free options and where to find the shop.
But I want to know the story. Why did they open Melby’s? Where did the love of macarons begin? How did the business grow? What does the name Melby mean? And what do the people behind the business hope customers experience when they walk through the door?
Those are questions I plan to ask later. For now, I’m glad Shay suggested Melby’s for our meeting. Because if she hadn’t, I might still be driving down Denton Highway without realizing that this little coffee and tea house was there. And now? I know where to find it. And I’m already thinking about who I’m bringing with me the next time.
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates