Coffee, coffee, coffee! ...and LOVE!

Happy Valentines Day! Since it's a day all about LOVE, why not talk about one of our biggest loves? That's right, coffee!

If you are a Gilmore Girls fan like we are here at BethLynn Designs you know coffee is important. Even if you aren't a coffee drinker, maybe you prefer tea, you still can't deny the importance of coffee in the world of Stars Hollow and Lorelai Gilmore. Here in the Dallas and Fort Worth area of Texas there are plenty of coffee shop options and in this blog I'll list a few of our favorite spots in honor of Lorelai and her insatiable need for coffee. Plus, it's the day of love and coffee is the same thing as love, right?

First up, let's talk our favorite because why save the best for last when you can enjoy it right away? A quaint little spot in historic downtown Plano, Texas you'll find Fourteen Eighteen Coffee House nestled among the cute shops and cobblestone main street. You can almost imagine the hustle and bustle of the downtown streets and businesses in another era. Brewing up Oak Cliff Coffee and a lot of glorious froth, this one is a top pick! Their coffee is superb, but what we really love about this place is the people, the atmosphere and the cozy couches. Really, the people make this place special! Baristas quickly get to know your usual order and they love to call you by name. With colorful decor, fluffy couches (so fluffy!) and plenty of tables and bar areas for work - there's no wonder why this place attracts a lot of customers. When you walk in, you'll notice ...well, it kind of feels like you belong. Makes you feel like you just want to cozy up, take off your shoes and stay a while. But, maybe don't take off your shoes, eh? They also have wonderfully beautiful pies, muffins, cookies and breakfast tacos in the morning if you're feeling those tummy rumbles. We LOVE 1418.

Just down the red cobblestone main drive from 1418 you'll find another cute coffee shop.  XO Coffee Company.  XO is both coffee and cafe with a great menu full of yummy grub. It's cute and quaint with plenty of little tables indoor and a couple of tables outdoor for when the weather is awesome. You won't find a fluffy, squishy couch to sink into at XO, but the ambiance is adorable and fun! XO makes the PERFECT Valentine's Day destination, too! I mean, XO, right?

Next up, North of Dallas, we have Mochas and Javas in Frisco, Texas. Mochas and Javas Coffee Shop is a little slice of peace and quiet sitting adjacent to busy Eldorado Parkway and just what your day needs. Good workspace tables, cozy leather chairs and yummy treats to go with your java of choice. Oh, and if you're eating keto they will brew you up a keto bulletproof coffee that is absolutely delicious! Mochas and Javas was previously Coffee N Cream, but the ownership change had zero affect on the fabulousness of this coffee shop.

If you'll be in Frisco for a bit, we'll just tell you about several places to get your caffeine jolt in a tasty way. In downtown Frisco you'll find the ever popular Summer Moon coffee shop! Summer Moon is small, but their delicious coffee is worth the busy, often full space of this old downtown coffee destination. When you go, make sure you give their own house specialty, Moon Milk, a try in your coffee and grab a sweet macron while you're at it! Plus, they have an adorable little gazebo outside that has you dreaming Stars Hollow dreams! What I really love about this coffee shop is their mugs.  Unique from many of the other shops and feels like a favorite mug you'd grab out of your cabinet at home. I mean, just LOOK at that honeycomb mug! In love!

Near downtown you'll find Frisco Square, home to a couple of great coffee stops. First, Nerdvana. If you love board games and coffee, Nerdvana will be paradise for you! Big tables, games to play while you're there, good eats and good coffee ...and all right on Main Street. During the holidays, you could do a little ice skating in the little outdoor ice rink, too! Connected to the coffee shop is a full restaurant with spirits and wine as well.

Also in Frisco Square you'll find a NEW coffee shop! Renew Coffee and Bakery. If you love the look of old downtown boutiques, the wonderful turquoise door of this shop will have you swooning! The decor is welcoming and beautiful and they have a fabulous large table for getting work done. They have sweet treats, yummy coffee and unique tea. Their grapefruit tea is fantastic..and beautiful!

Rolling on the south east side of Frisco we have a couple of great coffee recommendations. The Aussie Grind will give you a taste of Australia with great dining choices to go with your java and their cute shop with leave you wanting more! It's only open for breakfast, brunch and lunch so plan your trip early, but it will be well worth it for good eats, treats and, of course, coffee! Their cute koala logo will have you snapping pics of your to go coffee for sure!

Next stop is a spacious coffee shop with large work tables nestled inside a beautiful apartment complex. Karmic Grounds coffee shop has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and serves up pizza and other foods as well as delicious coffee and tea. I absolutely love the lotus flower art logo on their wall. Beautiful!  Parking can be a little challenging in the area, but well worth it once you get inside! Plus, you can grab coffee late at Karmic if you're like me and still want that caffeine fix oh, say, around 10 pm.

Still in the south east side of Frisco, you'll find The Book Shoppe and Coffee. This little book shop is beautiful inside and out and the coffee bar is great. A few sweet treats and boasting a host of Christian based books this coffee shop is BIG on books, books and more books! A great spot to grab a caffeine jolt and a good read! You may even find and interesting in-store workshop for your Saturday afternoon.

 Next, let's talk favorites again shall we? Just a bit toward the west you'll find a gem of a shop, The Nest Cafe. It's just below a beautiful apartment neighborhood and they have so many spectacular menu items. They have plenty of seating, big work tables and even a small patio area. Their coffee is delicious, but their food is out of this world. Stop in for breakfast or brunch and I'm certain you'll soon be heading back for more! Their waffles are fluffy goodness, their avocado toast will make you feel like you must be in California and their Winnie the Pooh latte is a DEFINITE favorite... with honey, of course! Pooh Bear wouldn't have it any other way!

Before heading south, you could make a quick stop at The Lounge Coffee and Tea Bar. They brew Oak Cliff coffee, too so we knew this place was going to be good and they did not disappoint. SO good! Their shop is small, but there are several quaint tables perfect for quiet work or a moment to relax. There's a big table for work as well. If you like tea, you simply MUST give their Island Breeze coconut tea a taste. You can pick up a gallon and take it home with you, too. Delicious! At Valentine's Day they have the CUTEST pink and red bagels and they are GOOD! Oh, and if you're into MORE sweets than what you find at The Lounge, just around the corner you'll find one of our favorites stops, The Cookie Rack, serving up gorgeous, melt-in-your-mouth iced cookies that will have you addicted in no time. They pair perfectly with The Lounge coffee! I'll save more details on the subject of our favorite sweet spots for another blog post *wink*.

In this suburban area north of Dallas, you'll find several fabulous coffee shop finds where you can enjoy delicious coffee and some fabulous bites to eat! Like McKinney Coffee Company, Maple Street Biscuit Company (MUST try their biscuits and yummy salads too with Bluegrass music playing in the background), Scooter's Coffee Drive Thru, Pearl Cup Coffee (with two area locations), Mud Leaf with fun in-house swinging chairs, Annie's Sweets and Treats where you must try their yummy Taiyaki and see their absolutely adorable shop, Casa Linda Bakery with cookies, cakes and great grub and gorgeous coffee froth - even to go!, Detour Donuts and Coffee with yummy coffee, fabulous macrons like this unicorn one and out-of-this-world donuts ....and also Duino Coffee where you can relax on their cozy couch and sip under a gorgeous lighting fixture that is a work of art!

Speaking of a work of art... Pink Coffee Roastery and Cafe in Garland, Texas is the CUTEST shop! I mean, pink is my love language and this place speaks to my heart..not to mention how perfect this is for Valentine's Day! 

All this listing and reminiscing of coffee shops we've visited reminds me there are just so, so many fabulous places out there to get your java fix ... and this is just in our little corner of the world! I'm already planning the next place we can go visit because a girl can always go for more coffee! Speaking of more, you MUST put La La Land Kind Cafe on your list of coffee stops to visit! Bright, cheerful, cute, delicious, and YELLOW!!! I mean, this place will have you smiling ... and that's before you even take a bite or a sip! Their iconic yellow truck out front of this cute little house-shop will have you snapping pics with your coffee for sure! So cute, so GOOD, MUST GO! We visited La La Land Cafe to celebrate my daughter's birthday and it was simply fabulous! I couldn't help but think that my own mom would completely LOVE this place since coffee and yellow were some of her favorites. And can I just pause a quick moment and tell you about my oldest of two daughters? She is my ride or die coffee buddy as we seek out fun and fabulous new places to try. In fact, she's usually the one researching our next coffee adventure. So many great memories and more to come! Some day when she is off to college, I will miss our coffee-seeking excursions so I am soaking it up and enjoying every minute, just like La La Land seems to have soaked up and bottled tons of glorious sunshine with their adorable, bright, cheerful yellow ambiance. Can't wait to get back to this jewel of a coffee spot! Get out and give it a try - you won't be sorry! Maybe we'll see you there!

I'll round out this blog about coffee, coffee, coffee with a few last minute java spot mentions. Like I said, there are so many more out there to try and believe me when I say we'll be out there finding them and getting that caffeine fix, no doubt. We already have some new ones on our list to try! I may even need to write another blog ..eventually. Until then, let me tell you about a few other great stops. There is Ascension Coffee and Wine bar with several locations near Dallas. They are always good! We have visited a few locations.

Sweet Waters Coffee and Tea has several area locations as well and they are always delicious, great people who get to know their "regulars" and yummy treats to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Out in Colleyville, Texas you'll find this cute gem of a shop; Buon Giorno Coffeehouse. It was cozy and comfortable with a few patio tables, a rocking chair out front, a couch, a work table and board games and books for those times when you want to stay a while and relax with friends.

Last, but certainly not least, if you find yourself in Fort Worth, go check out Craftwork Coffee Company! This place is where it started for me. It's the place that inspired me to partner up with my coffee buddy and get serious about visiting area coffee shops and write a little blog post about our adventures. It's a beautiful shop with these cool work rooms you can rent for meetings. They also have unique co-working memberships for you to schedule work time alongside your coffee time. The area is great, people were awesome and their shop is lovely. Did I mention their coffee is GOOD? It's SO GOOD!

There you have it!  Well, at least that's my coffee shop story, so far.  It is ever evolving as we are always exploring because what would life be without coffee? Lorelai Gilmore would certainly agree and I'm so happy to have my "Rory" coming along on our exciting coffee journeys for memories to last a lifetime. Until I write about coffee again, I wish you all a love-filled Valentine's Day full of coffee, of course! Cheers!

-Marva

Owner, BethLynn Designs