Top 15 San Antonio Coffee Shops

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We moms take our caffeine very seriously. Lucky for us, San Antonio has a very robust coffee scene. These places may not replace your ol’ reliable drive-thru coffee shop (and especially not the Target Starbucks), but if you’re going to get out of the car, you might as well support local businesses and get a cup of coffee DONE RIGHT!

Aspen’s Brew (11255 Huebner Rd., Ste. 100, San Antonio, TX 78230)—”Like” their Facebook page to find out which days they serve FREE drip coffee (YES, FREE!), usually from 7:30–9:30 A.M. My personal fave: Iced latte (extra shot of espresso), no sugar. If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll appreciate their smooth, never bitter espresso. And you know that coveted Sonic ice? Aspen’s Brew makes their iced lattes with ice similar to Sonic’s, and I’m not quite sure why, but I swear it makes it taste better.

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Bakery Lorraine (306 Pearl Pkwy., Ste. 110, San Antonio, TX 78215)–Amanda’s pick: latte, straight up, no flavor, no sugar. I think most of us coffee drinkers can agree: the better the coffee, the less sugar and flavoring it needs. Coffee not your thing? That’s OK. Bridget recommends the tea and, of course, the pastries! (And who can go to Bakery Lorraine and NOT get at least a macaron?)

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Barrio Barista Coffeehouse (3735 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX 78228; closed on Thursdays)–Barrio Coffeehouse has a San Antonio twist and serves local favorites. This place has a cozy feel, personal TVs in each booth, and live music at night. Plus their frequent buyer’s card looks like a Lotería card. Too cool!

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The Brown Coffee Company (two locations: 1702 W. Kings Hwy., San Antonio, TX 78201; and 1800 Broadway, Ste. 1131, San Antonio, TX 78215; W. Kings Hwy. location closed on Sundays)—The Brown Coffee Company has two locations: one on Broadway, which offers café-style food and is open seven days a week, and another on W. Kings Highway.

Commonwealth Coffeehouse (118 Davis Ct., San Antonio, TX 78209; closed Sundays)—Brooke’s pick: drip coffee with raw sugar and a little milk. Commonwealth also has a French pastry chef, and Brooke recommends the pain au chocolat or the fondant au chocolat. Their lunch menu is quite tasty, and the coffee house itself, set in a residential neighborhood with a patio perfect for a beautiful day, is equally charming.

Cuppencake (22211 W. IH-10, Ste. 1111, San Antonio, TX 78257)—Do you live outside “the Loop”?Cuppencake Espresso Bar and Bakery is located between San Antonio and Boerne and offers a vast array of coffee and bakery items. 

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Halcyon Coffee | Bar | Lounge (1414 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78210)—Located in the Blue Star District, Halcyon makes for a perfect daytime outing with the kids (they offer five types of hot chocolate and board games!) and a great date night pick. Halcyon has a full menu, including brunch, Happy Hour Monday through Friday, and is open until 2:00 A.M. every day. If you’re like me, a night out will most definitely include a cup of coffee, especially if I’m expected to stay up past 11:00 P.M. Halcyon’s coffee and cocktail menu kills two birds with one stone!

Indy Coffee Co. (two locations: Huebner Express—11930 Vance Jackson Rd., San Antonio, TX 78230; and Hill Country Farmers Market—18039 IH-10 W., San Antonio, TX 78257)—Truly dedicated to the art of coffee, you can visit them at two Locations: Huebner Express, and Hill Country Farmers Market.

La Taza (Brook Hollow Shopping Center, 15066 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78232)—This gem features local bakers and serves coffee freshly roasted in the Texas Hill Country by Kiva Coffee Roasters. La Taza is open seven days a week, has free wi-fi, and features board games on Sundays afternoons.

Local Coffee (three locations: 5903 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209; 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., Ste. 113, San Antonio, TX 78258; and 302 Pearl Pkwy., Ste. 118, San Antonio, TX 78215)—With three locations to choose from—and all open seven days a week—Local Coffee is definitely a favorite for a few of us! Inga’s pick? Hot chocolate. Mine? A cortado!

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Mildfire Coffee Roasters (two locations: 185502 Huebner Rd., San Antonio, TX 78248; and 8434 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, TX 78229)—Check out their Facebook page. Mildfire Coffee Roasters offers freshly made juices and lunch and breakfast items. They also feature local artists and “Meet the Artist” events.

Olmos Perk (5223 McCullough Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212)—Open seven days a week, Olmos Perk features locally roasted coffee beans, beer, wine, and baked goods made by local bakers. It also provides free wi-fi access and private study stations.

Press Coffee (606 French Pl., San Antonio, TX 78212)—Open seven days a week and offering free wi-fi, Press Coffee is one of Celina’s favorites. “Press Coffee keeps it simple, using fresh grounds, low-temperature pasteurized milk (which kills all the bad and keeps all the good), and reverse-osmosis filtered water,” Celina explains. “They will gladly customize and add flavors to your drinks, but the key ingredients shine in a traditional latte. Fresh baked goods come direct from C’est Le Vie Baking Company and tacos are from local haunts: Taco Riendo and Las Salsas.” Look for the “Viking” as you drive south on San Pedro!

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Rosella Coffee (203 E. Jones Ave., San Antonio, TX 78215)—Open seven days a week, Rosella also serves alcohol, so it makes for a great daytime stop or casual date night.

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Theory Coffee Company (2347 Nacogdoches, San Antonio, TX 78209)—Shameless plug: The owners are the cousins of our very own ACMB Contributor, Candice!

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Click on the ACMB Coffee Picks map to find the featured coffeehouse closest to your location!

Do you panic looking at a coffee menu? Here’s some Coffeehouse 101:

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POPULAR ESPRESSO DRINKS
Order the following drinks in amounts, like “a shot of espresso” or “a cortado,” not a “tall espresso”:
Espresso: like concentrated coffee syrup, ordered in shots
Doppio: two shots of espresso (think “dos” or “doble”)
Ristretto: like concentrated espresso
Espresso con panna: espresso shot topped with whipped cream
Cubano: an espresso shot sweetened with sugar
Cortado: a cubano with equal parts milk and espresso
Affogato: espresso poured over vanilla ice cream
Order the following drinks in sizes, like “small” or “tall”:
Cappuccino: equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk
Mocha: basically a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso
Latte: like a cappuccino, but with more steamed milk instead of foam (comes out a little milkier)
Breve: like a latte, espresso with steamed half-and-half or cream instead of milk
Americano: espresso with water (kind’of like a black coffee)
Macchiato: espresso with a dollop of foamed milk
RECOMMENDED FIRST PICK: Latte (if you’re at a GOOD coffee place and feeling brave, try it with no flavor—maybe just a touch of sugar).
POPULAR COFFEE DRINKS
Café Au Lait: instead of espresso with milk, coffee with milk
*Drip Coffee: regular coffee that drips through a filter instead of being percolated
*Pour Over: hot water is poured over coffee grounds and then allowed to slowly drop through a paper filter into either a cup or what looks like a glass beaker. The result? Super smooth coffee. Worth it if you have the time, but it takes about three minutes, so don’t order if you’re in a rush.
(*You can order these with milk, half & half, or however you prefer to drink coffee.)
RECOMMENDED FIRST PICK: Pour Over  
Is your favorite San Antonio coffee spot on the list? If not, tell us your favorite in the comments!
Amy
Amy was born and raised on the East Coast, but got to Texas as fast as she could! She has been serving in the U.S. Air Force for 18 years, half of which have been in San Antonio. Amy and her husband have two boys, ages 9 and 8, and they love discovering new San Antonio parks and restaurants! She’s still not sure what she wants to be when she grows up, but in her spare time, she's either working out or trying to convince herself not to eat pizza.

20 COMMENTS

  1. Recommendations are fine but have to disagree about Local. Their coffee is really bad, lots of hype but really poor product. Over brewed, over roasted, and acidic.

  2. Awesome article! Coffee…one of my favorite subjects! I need to get out to San Antonio asap to have coffee with my favorite people!

  3. You’ve left out Copalli Cafe at 555 West Bitters 112; (210) 233-1974. From homemade King cake to muffins, delectable soups, sandwiches and AMAZING coffee, latte, and espresso, it’s a comfortable, homey environment, staffed by the friendliest people, all of whom take pride in their work and food creations!! Don’t miss this coffee shop — you’ll become a regular!!

    • Jane, you are the second person to mention Copalli Cafe!! I’ve never been and will have to check it out.

      So now I can add Copalli, Sip, Espresso bar, Candlelight, Madhatter and Freedom Cup to my list!!! Wow! There are so many places to try!!

    • I love Mildfire! The staff loves kids (one literally became our nanny) and the owners have a toddler. I think they deserve an extra shout-out because it’s the only coffee shop I have ever been to that has a changing table (both locations have changing tables). And the changing table is always CLEAN.

  4. Glad to see Barrio Barista made the cut, one of my favorites! Rosella has my favorite breakfast in town – avocado toast + baked eggs. I’ve been wanting to try Press for a while. Great post!

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