Coffee is both commodity and luxury, available by the utilitarian pot or the skilled hand of a barista. When you want a great cup of coffee that you don’t have to make yourself, Dallas is ready with its arsenal of coffee shops offering high-quality drinks in cozy environs. They’re an eclectic bunch, with influences pulled from across the world, so there’s always something new to try. The next time you need a liquid wakeup call, need to get work done outside your home or office, or simply want to enjoy a leisurely dose of caffeine in a comfortable chair, point yourself toward one of these Dallas coffee shops.
Ascension Coffee
Multiple locations
Ascension Coffee opened in the Design District in 2012, helping to usher in the new wave of Dallas coffee shops that have proliferated during the past decade. The concept has since expanded to multiple locations, including at Crescent Court and inside an old chapel in East Dallas. The coffee is spot-on, with classic drinks like cappuccinos and flat whites joined by adaptogenic mushroom-laced lattes, Kyoto-style cold brew and a slow bar serving unique pour-overs. And the food menu is more varied and extensive than most coffee shops. Go early for Aussie-inspired breakfasts, then stick around for salmon Benedict, sandwiches, burgers, salads, grain bowls and wine.
Cafe Duro
Lower Greenville
Duro Hospitality is behind some of Dallas’s most compelling restaurants, including El Carlos Elegante, Mister Charles and Sister. Next door to the latter, you’ll find Cafe Duro, a European-style all-day cafe that’s peddling coffee, pastries, panini, wine and spritzes. Start with a simple espresso shot to caffeinate your morning, or linger over more elaborate concoctions, like the salted pistachio caramel nitro latte or a glass of banana horchata spiked with your choice of espresso or matcha.
Wayward Coffee Co.
Oak Cliff and Design District
Wayward began as a 1975 Volkswagen bus before opening a brick and mortar location just west of the Bishop Arts District and, more recently, a second location in the Design District. Both shops are sunny and comfortable, with plenty of green plants, but the Design District spot has a “community room” that can be reserved for meetings and quiet work sessions. As for the coffee, they do all the classics well, including espresso shots, Americanos, cappuccinos and cortados. The menu also features special and seasonal drinks, plus a thoughtful selection of teas.
Houndstooth Coffee
Multiple locations
This Austin import opened its doors in Dallas in 2014. The Sylvan 30 shop has since been joined by two more — one on Henderson and another at 75 and Walnut Hill. Each is a looker, but the original was named the most beautiful coffee shop in Texas by Architectural Digest. And, importantly, it’s also home to an adjacent sister concept, a cocktail bar called Jettison. Then when you’re in need of coffee, Houndstooth abides, with expertly-made cortados, flat whites, cold brews and other essential eye-openers.
Chimlanh
The Cedars
Chimlanh is a collaborative effort from Sandwich Hag’s Reyna Duong and Jinny Cho of Detour Doughnuts in Frisco. It opened in 2023, marking the first Vietnamese coffee shop located in Dallas proper, and it operates out of the same space as Sandwich Hag. Coffees are slow-dripped through traditional phin filters and available black or sweetened with condensed milk and coconut cream, while the menu also features non-coffee options like homemade strawberry-hibiscus lemonade and mango spritzers. If you’re hungry, Chimlanh offers a fun selection of snacks, pastries and desserts, like egg and sausage croissants and oatmeal cream pies.
La La Land Kind Cafe
Multiple locations
Kind Cafe is more than just a name — it’s the ethos at La La Land, which began with the purpose to hire and mentor foster youth and those who’ve aged out of the foster care system. The cafes are bright with white and yellow decor, and employees have sunny dispositions that they pass onto each customer, so visitors feel good before they take their first sip of coffee. Those coffees range from simple espressos and cold brews to creative lattes featuring lavender and butterfly pea flower. The toast-focused food menu is flush with avocado and other toppers, like white truffle burrata.
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Downtown
Weekend Coffee is tucked snugly into the Joule, one of our favorite luxury hotels in Dallas. The tiny counter service spot has seating that spills out into the lobby, where you can comfortably enjoy your Americano or Spanish latte made with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Pair it with a fresh muffin, ham and cheese croissant or a breakfast taco. Pro tip: you can enhance any drink with a dose of CBD oil.
LDU Coffee
Multiple locations
Australia’s coffee culture is on full display at LDU. Brothers Mark and Adam Lowes ran a shop in Perth before moving stateside and choosing to share their coffee-related passion and know-how with Dallas. They describe their coffee as a “supercharged take on classic Italian espresso,” with a profile that’s bold, strong and heavier in texture. See for yourself by ordering a shot of espresso, a flat white or the Captain America, which is a strong black coffee. Keep your jitters at bay by snacking on the craveable toasted banana bread or a grilled sandwich stuffed with egg, bacon, roasted tomato, cheese and spicy sauce.
Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters
Expo Park
Because it’s a roastery, Noble Coyote coffee can be purchased by the bag and is used in shops and restaurants all over town. But if you want to drink straight from the source, visit their coffee lab in Expo Park. It serves all the familiar espresso drinks, plus pour-overs, cold brew and teas. Noble Coyote also hosts monthly cupping sessions where interested parties can sign up to taste a few coffees and learn about their origins.
La Reunion
Bishop Arts
This comfortable all-day hangout slings caffeine each morning then transitions into a bar come evening, so there’s no reason to leave. If you’re here for coffee, they’ve got all the classic options — espressos, Americanos, cortados — plus nitro iced coffees, Kyoto cold brews and matcha lattes. When hunger strikes, fill up on breakfast tacos, BEC sandwiches and hot honey ham croissants.
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