It's National Coffee Day! Here are 10 places to get a great cup of coffee in Louisville
It's National Coffee Day! And if there's one thing Louisville's food and dining scene does well, it's coffee. There's a myriad of comfy, cozy locally-owned shops all around town that are sure to serve up some of the tastiest cups of joe you've ever sipped.
Here are 10 places we think you should try in honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29. Know a place we missed that we should check out? Send a note to [email protected] or Food and Dining reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].
Free coffee! Here's where to get free coffee and other deals on National Coffee Day
Abol Cafe
102 1/2 Cannons Lane; abollouisville.com; Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Abol Cafe is a coffeehouse serving traditional Ethiopian coffee in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. You'll find specialty teas and coffees ranging from lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, Americanos, macchiatos, and more. Plus, organic Ethiopian coffee and whipped, drip Dalgona coffee, which is made with instant coffee, sugar, hot water and milk.
Some other popular items include Ethio Drip, Ethio Pour Over, Sparkling Coffee Ice, Macchiato/Cortado, Mocha or Chai Latte, Americano / Black Eye, and the Affogato, which is espresso and ice cream.
"Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, the origin of coffee," owner Tar Molla previously told the Courier Journal. "Kentucky is the heart of food and drinks, bourbon and chicken, so what if we bring coffee? It is a good addition, especially with good food and good drink."
Bean Roastery and Cafe
1138 Goss Ave.; beangtown.com; Hours: Every day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This locally-owned coffee house sits in the heart of Germantown and is the definition of cozy, which is all part of the atmosphere owner Billy Seckman hoped to achieve.
"Roasting coffee for me is an artisan craft," Seckman says on the website. "This is truly what brings me joy: to see a face light up upon the first sip."
Popular items at Bean include the Red Eye, house coffee with a shot of espresso; the Seasonal Shelly, made with San Pellegrino, a seasonal house-made syrup, and rotating citrus; the Cortado, a latte but with half the milk; Vietnamese Iced Coffee, which is Ethiopian coffee brewed extra strong over sweetened condensed milk and served on ice; and the Cold Brew, made with Bean's Big Dog blend cold brewed for a drink low in acidity and high in caffeine, according to the menu on the website.
Dad's Coffee
2204 Dundee Road; dadscoffee.co;Hours: Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Founded by four family members, Dad's Coffee is described as an open spot for neighbors to gather and drink coffee, according to the shop's website. Along with Matt and Amy Grammer, Paul and Lucy Wathen opened Dad's in late 2022 and have partnered with Kentucky-based coffee shops like Quill's Coffee, Payne Street Bakehouse and North Lime Donuts in Lexington, the Courier Journal previously reported.
Some popular drinks include Espresso, Cafe au Lait, Miel, which is made with coffee, steamed milk and a drizzle of honey, Cold Brew coffee and more.
Fante's Coffee
2501 Grinstead Drive; fantescoffee.com; Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fante's Coffee located in the Highlands is operated by Leo Fante, who has been in the coffee business since 1978.
"We want to help cultivate ideas, fuel the conversations, and give the entrepreneurs of Louisville a place to get highly caffeinated and build their businesses," Fante says on the shop's website.
Popular drink items at this shop, which also serves a variety of baked goods and lunch items, include Cafe con leche; Cubano, which is a sweet espresso drink made with strong, dark roast espresso sweetened with a thick sugar foam; lattes in a variety of flavors, and served hot or iced; Nitrogen Coffee, which is coffee infused with nitrogen gas that creates a creamy and smooth texture without any milk or sugars; and more.
Heine Brothers
Multiple locations; heinebroscoffee.com; Hours vary by location
Heine Brothers, which has operated since 1994, is a local chain with locations all around Louisville and Southern Indiana. "As a founding member of the world's first fair-trade coffee buying cooperative, we've always prioritized supporting local community groups and buying locally," its website states.
Some popular (and seasonal!) drinks include the Creamy Pumpkin Cold Brew, made with its signature cold brew that is "made to taste like your Mama's pumpkin pie;" the Iced Maple Pumpkin Chai Latte, which is made with Derby Chai, Maple Syrup and Pumpkin Spice; the Macchiato, which is espresso with a dollop of creamy latte foam on top; the Beekeeper latte, which features local raw honey and cinnamon; the Midnight Mocha, which is made with chocolate and vanilla added to a classic latte, and more.
Julee's Mocha
2900 W. Broadway; juleesmocha.com; Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This coffee shop in west Louisville features a variety of breakfast staples, to-go lunches, including chicken salad, a classic BLT and chili, and a variety of coffees, lattes, macchiatos, frappes and more, all available hot or iced.
If you're looking for an extra boost, Julee's Mocha also offers a variety of syrups you can add to any drink, including vanilla, caramel, salted caramel, hazelnut, marshmallow, peanut butter, pumpkin spice, raspberry, and more.
Please & Thank You
Multiple locations; pleaseandthankyoulouisville.com; Hours vary by location
Those in the know in Louisville might think chocolate chip cookies before they think coffee when it comes to Please & Thank You, but this locally-owned shop has a ton to offer in addition to those aforementioned tasty treats. Plus, each space boasts a cool vibe (think plants and a record player) that it's worth it to stop in and sit for a spell.
Popular drinks include the Americano, made with espresso and water; the Honey Boy Latte, made with espresso, honey, cinnamon and milk; the Butterscotch Latte, made with espresso, milk, sea salt, Please & Thank You butterscotch sauce; the White Wooly, made with espresso, milk, and Please & Thank You white chocolate sauce; the Thai Iced Coffee, made with coffee, sweet milk and ice, and more. (Plus, Please & Thank You locations sell pup cups if you're looking to bring your dog with you to celebrate National Coffee Day).
Quills Coffee
Multiple locations; quillscoffee.com; Hours:varies by location
Owned by Nathan Quillo, Quills Coffee is a locally-owned chain with multiple locations around the city. It offers a variety of coffee drinks, plus teas, breakfast foods (including the must-try Mochi Waffles) and more. Some of the popular drinks include its pour-over coffee; Salted Bourbon Caramel Latte; Mystic Coffee Soda, a cold brew concentrate made with simple syrup, tonic water and an accented orange peel; the Alchemist, a blend of espresso, soy milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and agave nectar; iced lattes and more.
Safai Coffee
1707 Bardstown Road, 1001 Logan St.; safaicoffee.com; Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Safai Coffee began in 1998 when founders Mike and Medora Safai opened a drive-thru kiosk in Louisville, according to its website. After making a start in a 72-square-foot kiosk, the Safais "began a lifelong quest for depths and nuanced flavors derived from coffee," the Courier Journal previously reported.
Popular items include the Mega Mocha, a dark chocolate latte with three shots of espresso; Black Magic, a sweet creamy latte with blackberry and white chocolate; 24K Gold Latte, a vanilla latte spice with turmeric, clove, nutmeg and cardamon, and more.
Sunergos Coffee
Multiple locations; sunergoscoffee.com; Hours vary by location
This quaint coffee shop has been serving up delicious, caffeine-fueled drinks since the early 2000s. It boasts four shops, including its original location at S. Preston Street. Some of its popular offerings include flavored lattes (mocha, caramel, white mocha, honey and cinnamon, hazelnut, and sugar-free vanilla); macchiatos, cortados, iced lattes, a Mocha Shake, with ice cream, espresso and mocha blended with ice; and traditional drip coffee.
Reach business and features editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Places to get coffee in Louisville: Fante's, Heine Brothers, Quills
