Coffee & Treats in Cibolo

Located 20 minutes from downtown in the Potranco Pointe Shopping Center, Cupcake Junction indulges even the most discerning of epicures with more than 20 flavors, such as carrot, watermelon, piña colada, and old standbys like chocolate and vanilla. For the strong-willed valedictorian types who know exactly what they want, single-flavor cupcakes blanket the tippytop of your cuppycake with a frosting that matches your cake flavor. If you're a little more ambivalent, opt for the double flavor, which lets you mix and match your frosting to cake (chocolate-banana and pumpkin-cheesecake are two of their most popular flavors). Those who want their cupcakes to have viscera can choose a handheld treasure cake filled with Boston creme or candy pieces.

Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee & Tea’s culinary construction crew assembles a menu of made-from-scratch brunch dishes alongside coffees and teas certified organic by the USDA. Baristas brew caffeinated concoctions from Class 1 specialty-grade Arabica coffee beans grown on high-elevation plantations, which advance the aromas with near-ideal weather conditions and spritzes of Chanel No. 5. After they're harvested, the beans simmer through a northern-German slow-roasting process before air-cooling and shipping the same day. Glasses of tangy orange juice and more than 85 loose teas complete the beverage selection, all served in biodegradable plastic or paper cups. Diners lounge in wicker chairs around granite-topped round café tables as they sip brews, devour huevos rancheros, or quiz blueberry-drizzled french toast on the latest Parisian slang. Classically styled menus and colorful artwork pop off yellow and red-orange walls, creating a bright, cheerful ambiance for savoring gourmet morsels.

A symphony of whirring blenders and percolating coffee beans imported from Greece surrounds MamboBerry’s hard-working staff as they greet their lunchtime crowd with a feast of tamales and sandwiches. Champions of healthy eating, the staff deploy ingredients ranging from hearty turkey breast and fresh basil to daily-baked croissants in their edible creations. Their in-house production of jams and sauces further demonstrates their eschewal of premade, preservative-laced foodstuffs. Though a menu of salads, croissant sandwiches, and vegan tamales dazzles carnivorous, herbivorous, and gluten-free palates, MamboBerry specializes in an array of sub-zero treats that include locally crafted White Mountain yogurt and smoothies that provide straws with their recommended daily fruit intake. Avalanches of the all-natural yogurt tumble into cups, chased by a meteor shower of toppings culled from more than 30 dessert adornments, including Cap'n Crunch, mango pulp, and Ghirardelli caramel.

In 1984, Bob and Elizabeth Tumolo, a Philadelphia mother-son team, opened the first Rita’s Italian Ice, a modest shop that sold cups of ice water blended with chunks of fresh fruit. The smooth, flavor-packed recipe, which dates back to ancient Rome and Greece, was an immediate hit with Philadelphians and classics professors. By 1987, the Tumolos owned four shops, and by 2007, 500 locations served icy treats across the country.

Today, Rita’s Italian Ice continues blending fresh batches of Italian ice daily. Flavors ranging from tangy lemonade to sweet mango rotate based on the whims and cravings of the friendly staff. The expanded menu also serves thick frozen custard as well as the popular gelati, distinctive blends of Italian ice and creamy custard.

Jonathan and Crystal Bedford honor their daughter at Sweet Marley's Frozen Yogurt and Sandwich Bar, lending her name to their sanctuary of healthful treats and youth play space. Behind a green awning, cooks stuff fillings such as black forest ham, bosc pears, and dill havarti into six types of bread and flour tortillas, which they spice with inventive condiments such as cranberry or pesto mayo. The lunch menu is fresh and flexible, as all 13 sandwiches may be tossed into their three salads drizzled with homemade dressing or sliced in half and paired with the daily soup.

In the afternoon, a self-serve bar of more than 100 frozen-yogurt toppings such as chocolate and nuts spreads out to add sweet finales to meals. Sweet Marley's has partnered with Dublin Bottling Works to offer soda-flavored yogurt including Triple XXX Rootbeer and Orange Cream, as well as Ranch Road Roasters to offer mocha and Mexican vanilla latte flavored yogurts. They also have a mobile yogurt trailer that appears at various events in Texas, including Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg.

Above Sweet Marley's white bungalow, the leaves of tall pecan trees block the sun's rays and penchant for taking satisfaction surveys from the yard's sandbox and nearby alfresco tables. The Bedfords created their eatery as a haven for happy toddlers, and also donate a percentage of their catering and café revenue to Rhizo Kids International, which conducts research for their daughter's rare genetic condition. The second-annual Miles for Marley 5k is scheduled for April 20.

Madexalli Cultural Coffee Bar's atmosphere blends the best elements of coffeehouses and local taverns to create a laid-back spot for sipping a cup of coffee over a book or enjoying a beer and live music with friends. The aroma of signature bean blends fills the shop's bright interior as baristas dish up a menu of café fare and freshly baked treats. Cinnamon-dolce lattes romance taste buds like candy handed out by a Spanish bullfighter and bakers dip red velvet Maddie Cakes into a dark chocolate shell.

On Friday nights, karaoke crooners fill the patio with tunes as the crowd downs imported and domestic beers. The patio also features occasional jazz musicians and Spanish guitarists, who charm ears and confuse cars steered by echolocation with live music. Inside, curvy track lights and wrought-iron chandeliers illuminate the shop's red, orange-yellow, and green walls and the spacious wooden bar as patrons settle around café tables or sink into the sofa.