Your ultimate guide to 15+ locally-owned Louisville coffee shops
No matter where you are in Louisville, there should be a locally-owned or locally-roasted cup of coffee nearby. Each has its own atmosphere, from tiny drive-thru locations to sprawling living-room-style shops that serve hot, steaming cups of coffee in ceramic cups.
More than anything, Louisville's coffee shops offer a home-away-from-home and a sense of community, whether you're just passing through or staying for hours.
Nathan Quillo, the founder of Quills Coffee, said previously that "tasting better coffee is really resonating with lots and lots of folks." And the locally-roasted coffee trend has only grown.
"Honestly, for us, Stomping Grounds is more than coffee," said Stomping Grounds owner Julie Kennedy. "It’s about relationships. I believe coffee is the ideal community builder."
Need a guide? We gathered the information for you. Take a look below for a snapshot of more than 15 Louisville-area coffee shops.
Abol Cafe
102 1/2 Cannons Lane; abollouisville.com; Open daily 8 a.m.to 2 p.m.
Coffee is everything for the immigrant duo that opened this Ethiopian coffee shop last summer. Next to the main counter, a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is set up to one side, featuring a clay coffee pot and small cups with no handles on a tray and a pan on a small stove ready to roast fresh coffee beans. You can grab your usual espresso drinks here, but the star of the show is the more traditional Ethiopian drinks: freshly-roasted and brewed Ethiopian coffee, Tosign herbal tea and the extremely popular whipped and iced Dalgona coffee.
More: 'Coffee is everything' for this immigrant duo running Louisville's new Ethiopian cafe
Bean
1138 Goss Ave.; orderbeangtown.com; Open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The minimalist coffee shop Bean sits in the heart of Germantown and actually has a full food menu, with items ranging from pastries, overnight oats and a "farm-to-fork" quiche of the day to bagels, salads and sandwiches. Bean's signature drinks include nods to different countries, like the "Miel," a Spanish-style drink combining espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon and local honey, a Vietnamese iced coffee made with Ethiopian coffee brewed extra-strong. There are also two drinks named after a regular: the "Summer Shelley Espresso," an iced drink made with San Pellegrino, lavender syrup and lemon zest, and the "Sparkling Shelley," which combines sparkling water and espresso.
Blackbeard Espresso Company
718 W. Main St.; blackbeardespresso.com; Open Monday-Wednesday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This shop got its start in a used bread truck DIY'd into a coffee trailer. In April 2018, Blackbeard Espresso Company took up a storefront on Museum Row in downtown Louisville. Blackbeard roasts its own fair-trade coffee and offers pastries made from scratch daily, like blueberry lemon muffins and bacon-cheddar-chive everything scones.
Brew & Sip Coffee Bar
3802 Shepherdsville Road; facebook.com/BrewAndSipCoffeeBar; Open Monday 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This Black-owned, budget-friendly coffee shop opened in Buechel last fall, in a tiny, 400-square-foot cozy space with a rustic but modern feel. Owner LaToya Cook-Bradley said the coffee shop was born because the community needed "a place to come have a conversation."
The shop serves standard coffee styles with a full array of alternate milks available along with coffee specials, sandwiches, soups and fresh-baked cookies and muffins. There's even a white tea lemonade on the menu and a drive-thru.
More: This Black-owned coffee shop in Buechel serves affordable coffee, treats and cozy vibes
Day's Espresso and Coffee
1420 Bardstown Road; dayscoffee.com; Open daily 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This neighborhood coffee joint has been up and running since 1994, offering an eclectic selection of seating and cozy, old library vibes. There's a pickup window in the back if you want a quick trip, or you can venture inside for coffee served in ceramic cups and saucers. While you're there, grab a snack of chocolate-covered espresso beans, Kizito Cookies or other pastries.
Fante's Coffee House
2501 Grinstead Drive; fantescoffee.com; Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This European-style coffee house is run by Leo Fante, who has been in the coffee business since 1978. The shop opened in the Highlands in 2016, and its well-sized red building is often filled with people studying or working. A real Columbian coffee tree stands in one window, and there's cushioned, flat and couch seating available, plus sandwiches and pastries. The best-selling coffee specials are named after the owner's grandchildren: the "Lilly Latte" (honey, lavender, vanilla) the "Luke Latte" (salted caramel mocha with whip and caramel drizzle) and the "Lucy Latte" (a rose-flavored latte).
Heine Brothers' Coffee
Various locations; heinebroscoffee.com; Hours vary by location but are usually 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
The largest Louisville-area coffee chain is Heine Brothers' Coffee, founded in 1994 by Gary Heine and Mike Mays. There are 18 locations scattered across Louisville and southern Indiana, including spots in the Highlands, Clifton, Douglass Loop, Germantown, St. Matthews and Hikes Point. Like your go-to coffee shop of convenience, Heine Bros. has an app you can use to pay, earn rewards and order ahead on signature drinks like the Beekeeper Latte, made with local raw honey and cinnamon, a customer-favorite turmeric chai, topped with fresh-ground black pepper, and a "Vint Julep" made with Bourbon Barrel Foods smoked bourbon sugar and mint julep sugar.
More: Heine Brothers' Coffee to open a new location in Valley Station
La Grange Coffee Roasters
110 E. Main St., La Grange; facebook.com/LaGrangeCoffeeRoasters/; Open Monday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday to Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This shop in La Grange just got some fresh paint and renovations and is open to visitors again. La Grange Coffee Roasters roasts its own coffee beans and makes scones from scratch each day with a rotating specials menu. On top of the usual espresso drinks, La Grange Coffee Roasters has fall-themed lattes in eight flavors, including pumpkin pie, maple spice, salted caramel and brown butter toffee.
Ntaba Coffee Haus
2407 Brownsboro Road, 1860 Wellwood Ave. #115; ntabacoffeehaus.com; Open daily but hours vary by location
This coffee shop specializes in direct African trade coffee, roasted and brewed in-house. Get all your favorite drinks ($1.75-$4.50) or try some African teas. Ntaba also serves toasties, bagels, pies and pastries from local shops like Ame's Bakery, Kizito Cookies and the Georgia-based Pouch Pies. With warm orange walls and wood tables, this shop offers a cozy place to work or enjoy a break.
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Please & Thank You
800 E. Market St. 2341 Frankfort Ave., 9561 US-42, Prospect, Kentucky; pleaseandthankyoulouisville.com; Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The slogan of this coffee shop and bakery is "Best chocolate chip cookie" and it's hard to disagree. Please & Thank You has three Louisville locations and offers online ordering, an app, pickup and delivery, and even a send-cookies-in-the-mail option. The drinks menu rotates by season: this fall, specials include the "Caramel Apple Cider" (Huber's apple cider, whipped cream and caramel drizzle) "Honey Boy Latte" (espresso, honey, cinnamon, milk) and "Harvest Moon Latte" (espresso, milk, maple syrup, fall spices). And the Crescent Hill and Prospect locations allow dine-in during the pandemic if you need a home away from home.
Pregame Coffee
1737 Frankfort Ave.; pregamecoffee.com; Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This veteran-owned coffee shop has a small menu, but it packs a punch. The sports-centered coffee shop opened a year ago in NuLu in a spacious, 2,000-square foot space decked out with 65-inch TVs and a meeting space with a projector. There's some sports decor, but it's not overwhelming, and it's no louder than any coffee shop. Pregame has specials like a cinnamon toast latte (espresso, cinnamon, butter, stevia) and a "Sting Like A Bee" drink with espresso, caramel, honey and brown sugar. There are also drinks stacked with protein powder, matchas, cold brew and even boozy coffees like a cold-brew Old Fashioned and a "Kentucky Coffee" made with, of course, bourbon.
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Quills Coffee
930 Baxter Ave., 802 E. Main St., 117 St. Matthews Ave.; quillscoffee.com; Open daily but hours vary by location
This shop was founded in 2007 by Nathan Quillo and his younger brother. Now there are three locations, each with its own character: the NuLu store is actually located in an old firehouse. With plenty of wooden tables, art on the walls and potted plants dotting the windows, each Quills spot offers a slightly different home-away-from-home vibe. Quills also offer dine-in and online order-ahead with the usual espresso drinks and iced drinks as well as scones and snacks. Fall specialty drinks include an iced pumpkin cider, an iced apple cinnamon coffee soda, an apple cider topped with in-house caramel and "The Lantern," or "our little slice of pumpkin pie in a cup."
Red Hot Roasters
1399 Lexington Road; redhotroasters.com; Open weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This small-batch coffee roaster is drive-thru only, with a bright-red retro vibe and cans of beans you can buy for home brewing. Try a Mexican mocha or minty mocha, frozen green tea latte and other specials on your way through the drive-thru, or you can "re-coffee your Red Hot Can" for $9. There's no seating inside, but there are tables outside to enjoy your drink on a nice day.
Safai Coffee
1707 Bardstown Road, 1001 Logan St; safaicoffee.com; Hours vary by location
This coffee shop has two locations: an itty bitty one on Bardstown Road, and a larger space inside Logan Street Market in Shelby Park. Safai is probably better known for its wholesale coffee for businesses and for customers to take home, but there's a full in-house menu too. Try drinks like the "Mega Mocha," made with three shots of espresso, dark chocolate and whipped cream, the "Bangkok Fog," made with green tea flavored with coconut, lemongrass and ginger mixed with vanilla syrup and steamed milk, or the "Black Magic" latte with blackberry and white chocolate.
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Sister Bean's
5225 New Cut Road; facebook.com/sisterbeanscoffeehouse, Open Tuesday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This cozy coffee shop across from the Iroquois Amphitheater has ice cream as well as various hot and iced drinks, plus pastries and scones to round out a sweet trip. The shop is complete with computers and Wi-Fi, big leather sofas and a children's corner if you're staying for a while. There's also a drive-thru and outdoor seating area if that's more your speed. Try a Sister Bean's Mocha and frozen hot chocolate or weekly specials like a cherry mocha or toasted caramel pecan latte.
Stomping Grounds Coffee Co.
10019 Dixie Hwy; facebook.com/pages/category/Coffee-Shop/Stomping-Grounds-Coffee-Co; Open weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Stomping Ground Coffee Co. calls itself the proverbial watering hole of Dixie Highway. The shop opened in 2016 and is quite busy, especially in the mornings, serving teachers and people working nearby. The shop offers all kinds of seating — indoor tables, outdoor tables and living-room-style lounge seats — as well as curbside pickup. Stomping Grounds has at least one special that rotates monthly, like the bourbon caramel latte that can only be found in May. But the most popular drink by far is "The Shop Girl" latte, best described as a caramel pecan cheesecake latte. This drink even out-sells pumpkin spice.
Sunergos Coffee
1647 Norris Place; 2122 S. Preston St.; 231 S. 5th St., 306 W. Woodlawn Ave.; sunergoscoffee.com; Hours vary by location.
This shop has four locations around Louisville, from Beechmont to the Highlands and downtown Louisville. A no-nonsense menu of standard coffee drinks is available, with seven flavors of lattes, cold drinks, hot chocolate, blended smoothies and alternative milk options. A standout is the mocha shake made with ice cream, espresso and mocha blended with ice. A rotation of house-made pastries and a few bagels from Nancy's Bagels are also on the menu.
More: Yes, coffee is good for you. But how much should you drink? Here are 5 things to know
Features reporter Dahlia Ghabour covers food, dining trends and restaurants in the Louisville area. Send tips on new places or story ideas to dghabour@courier-journal.com or follow on Twitter @dghabour.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: National Coffee Day 2022: 15+ Louisville coffee shops to grab a cup
