Laika Cheesecakes and Espresso's first Hill Country store is a hit

If you have a sweet tooth and are cruising around the Texas Hill Country, a popular San Antonio-based bakery and coffee shop that focuses on more than your everyday cheesecake opened its first New Braunfels location last week. Opened recently, the sweet spot is seeing nothing but love and support from the community.

Laika Cheesecakes & Espresso served its first customers in New Braunfels on March 13 and the shop is already seeing the benefits of branching into the Texas Hill Country. An employee told MySA the new location has already been sold out multiple times due to the rush of people wanting to grab one of their signature cheesecakes.

The interior gives those awesome outer space vibes and is a similar theme to the Alamo Ranch location. However, the New Braunfels store is the only one with a drive-thru for a quick grab-and-go taste. There is bar-style seating by the windows, high-top tables along with regular tables, and retro egg chairs.

Space age touches at locations are inspired by the company's namesake, Laika the astronaut dog, which was the first animal to orbit the Earth and is featured on the store's logo.

Laika's cheesecakes

With so many varieties of cheesecakes and a rotating selection, customers are likely to find the one that hits. Flavors include tres leches, "Space Jam" (wild blueberry), New York strawberry, chocolate with chocolate mousse, and cookies and cream. The shop also offers cheesecakes that are gluten free.

Petite jars with a snack-sized cheescake can be purchased for $7 while a slice of cheesecake will cost $9. The jars are perfect for anyone on the go or in a rush, and you can reuse the cute containers at home.

A rich-tasting slice that will be perfect for the chocolate lover is the Milky Way Buffet, which is a chocolate chip cookie, Oreo, and brownie crust with a chocolate ganache and eclair with Nutella pastry cream.

Another slice to try is the Picnic in Space, which has blueberry jam, homemade crust, vanilla cheesecake, and is topped with lemon curd, blueberries, and toasted meringue. This slice of cheesecake was so fluffy it felt like it was pulled from the sky. The sweet blueberry jam combined with the lemon curd proved to be an out of this world combination.

A seasonal flavor, Tiramisu, is perfect for those looking to skip Starbucks or Dutch Bros. for their coffee vibe. The cocoa powder complimented the subtleness of the coffee bean flavor. The flavorful crust crumbles on your tongue to really set this cheesecake in a jar off. But if you also need some liquid fuel, Laika also has a menu for that.

Coffee and espresso at Laika

You'll need something to drink with all these cheesecakes and there are a lot of choices at Laika, from doppio espressos, chai lattes, and cold brews to hot cocoa, green tea, and white mocha frappes. They also have hand-crafted drinks like the tres leches latte and dragonfruit strawberry matcha.

Need some caffeine-free drinks? They serve raspberry lavender and passionfruit agave seltzers along with lemonades. 

Laika Cheesecakes and Espresso in New Braunfels

This is the third location of Laika Cheesecakes and Espresso. The other two locations are in San Antonio. One is at 4718 Broadway, Alamo Heights, TX 78209, and the other in Alamo Ranch at 6626 West Loop 1604 N., Suite 215, San Antonio, TX 78254. 

The New Braunfels shop is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Find it: 1430 Unicorn Ave., Suite 105, New Braunfels, TX 78130