White Rhino Coffee Shop: Cedar Hill, Texas

So, I am here at the White Rhino and  drinking two things at the moment. An espresso and a specialty drink called…The Sebastian.

The White Rhino is situated in an older home in Cedar Hill. I am guessing the house was built in the 1930s – 40s… a bit of a transitional Arts and Crafts/ Atomic Age. The hardwood floors are warm welcoming and I could definitely see myself sitting here for hours, staring out the windows, drinking coffee and listening to the music…which is just the right blend of jazz/piano bar style.

The space is well laid out. They didn’t try to jam too many tables in but left lots of room for privacy and traffic flow.  There is a large t.v.  over the fireplace (sadly the fireplace doesn’t work) that is currently silently playing scenes from Mr. Bean’s Holiday.  You can also choose to sit out on the large, covered front patio and watch the world go by…or at least the traffic.

Mike is gonna laugh at me but…The espresso is nutty and rich…and even chocolatey. Nice shiny surface, touch of acidity. I like it. I like to get espressos because you just can’t hide behind them – the flavor is either there or it isn’t. Kudos to White Rhino. Flavor was definitely in the house.

The Sebastian is what  I am extremely impressed with. Oh my gosh. I am trying to describe the amazing party going on in this drink. Raspberry, white chocolate, whipped cream…do I detect a bit of fleur de sel? Something a little salty.  Just a hint..and served breve with whipped cream and caramel. Oh my. Oddly this is not an extremely sweet drink. It is sweet but the salt is a perfect compliment…(later : Amazingly when I asked they said no salt was added. Very odd..still very good)

The plain coffee, White Rhino Blend, is a full city roast. I realize this is a necessity because more people like it, while I prefer the dark, mysterious, emo nuances of a really dark Italian Roast. However, for a full city roast it was good. Smooth, sparkly, and slightly citrus.

White Rhino has cakes, coffee cakes, and pie available. I asked where they came from and was told that Costco was the supplier. They have tried local suppliers and not had good results but the Costco items  were good, sold well, and consistent.  I give them kudos for honesty – although I would have loved to hear that they were using someone local.

Their roaster is, however, local and I was glad to hear it.  White Rhino offers a variety of coffee beans for sale as well. Oh, and they DO have real cups. You know I am freaky about using cardboard/styrofoam/other ickiness.

It was not crowded but there did seem to be a steady stream of customers. The baristas handled my many interruptions and questions very well, and never rolled their eyes at me once. Bravo!  I think that by 12:15 they had decided I had moved in, however.

I would have liked better lighting because of images but the lighting is just right for a calm, peaceful atmosphere.  If you live in the South Dallas area: Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Midlothian, Lancaster, De Soto, Grand Prairie then White Rhino is a nice INDY change from the corporate chaos of you know who. Worth the drive.  I would have liked to have gotten an interview but they never returned my emails.

Score? On a Marye scale of 1 to 5 this coffee shop gets a 4.5 . The coffee is wonderful, I was was comfortable there, and anyone who likes Mr. Bean is my kind of people. Nice job, guys.

Address:
230 W. Beltline Road, Cedar Hill Texas

Web: White Rhino Coffee