OPENING ALERT
Chic African-inspired coffee house debuts on San Antonio's North Side
Oyin is a quick-service cafe dedicated to African flavors.
One thing is for sure: San Antonio’s coffee scene has moved well beyond Starbucks. The city’s caffeine choices continue to expand with the opening of Oyin in the Park North shopping center at 842 NW Loop 410, a new café dedicated to African flavors.
Named after the Yoruba word for honey, the café specializes in flavors such as malt, tigernut, and kola nut mixed with various teas, cold-brew coffee, and coconut milk. Although many of the ingredients — and the owners — are Nigerian, Oyin highlights other traditions like an East African-inspired chai.
Not everything is caffeinated. The Green White Green refresher layers cucumber with a baobab-coconut cloud and pear, spiced with a little vanilla. And there are a few differences from traditional U.S. coffee shops. For one, everything is served over ice, and the spot does not have an espresso machine, using cold brew instead.
Oyin also serves a small food menu with items such as Pearl & Grain (a fonio and pearl tapioca pudding with mango and toasted coconut) and chicken gyada (a rich peanut stew). For dessert, Sun & Butter offers a rich, buttery foil to tea.
The interior may not be what some Westerners expect, at least if they’ve never researched Lagos hotels. The minimalist space is mostly white with comfortable upholstered chairs, jute light fixtures, and the occasional burst of color from floral arrangements. The spot is designed for quick service, with self-ordering kiosks and disposable food containers catering to grab-and-go customers.
Oyin opens as San Antonio continues to embrace more international coffee traditions. Michigan chain Haraz Coffee House, specializing in Yemeni beans, opened its first local outpost at 8637 Wurzbach Rd. in March. Nearby, FinFin Coffee, which bills itself as the area’s first Vietnamese coffee shop, is preparing to debut at 8637 Fredericksburg Rd.
