Ray Davies said it best when he sang, “I’m so tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for yoo-oo-oo.” We’re looking at you, home coffee pot. We’re tired of waiting for you to brew another weak pot of off-brown liquid. The best part of waking up … is rolling into one of the ever-expanding number of great metro coffee shops for a cuppa go juice.
By Greg Elwell
Photos Garett Fisbeck, Erick Perry and Gazette file
Clarity Coffee
431 W. Main St.
405-252-0155
Clarity Coffee owners Chelsea and Steve Willingham are big believers in local roasters, but their new shop is focused on bringing the best coffees in the world to Oklahoma City customers. The Willinghams and staff are laser-focused on putting the coffee to its best use with expert preparation and customer service.
Junction Coffee
Mobile
Roll up to the corner like, “What up? We drive a big bus.” Anybody who has asked for coffee delivery has a kindred spirit in Junction Coffee, a beautifully restored double-decker bus piloted by Nick and Lori Bollinger. This traveling cafe swerves into place before serving up handcrafted espresso drinks and tasty breakfast toasts. Drink up top for the view or share stories downstairs with the friendly owners.
All About Cha
3272 S. Broadway Road, Edmond
405-340-9959
Me: “I’ll have the cha, please.”
All About Cha employee: “Do you mean chai?”
Me: “No. The sign says you’re ‘All About Cha,’ so I’d like to try your best cha.”
All About Cha employee: “Oh, you’re Greg. They warned me about you.”
Me: “Please let me stay and have tea.”
Vintage Coffee
1101 NW 49th St.
405-752-0038
It’s fresh. Don’t bother going into Vintage Coffee and asking for something in a 2003 because they don’t have it. The barista will look at you like you’re weird and insist Vintage brews coffee fresh every day and that there’s no such thing as a magnum of 1988 Grand Cru Mocha Latte Reserve. That means you and I must settle for delicious hot or iced coffees in a variety of delectable flavors.
Leaf + Bean
321 N. Oklahoma Ave.
No matter how much caffeine you need, do not steep tea leaves in coffee. And do not brew coffee with steaming-hot tea. Those are two great tastes that do not taste great together. If you do mix them up, make sure it happens in your stomach after you buy a tall iced tea (leaf) and a scalding-hot latte (bean) at Deep Deuce’s Leaf + Bean. It’ll taste much better that way, though your eyeballs might vibrate out of this reality.
Cafe Condensa
300 Park Ave.
405-702-5007
From the geniuses who brought us Cafe Kacao comes downtown’s Cafe Condensa. Even people who hate reading have a reason to visit the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library now. Strap in for some pure, uncut joy when you order the irresistible horchata latte or the devilish Nutella latte. There’s also cold brew if you’re hardcore and a green tea latte if you’re absolutely not hardcore.
Gray Owl Coffee
223 E. Gray St., Norman
405-701-2929
Hoo do you think you are, swooping into our local coffee scene without winging your way by Gray Owl Coffee? It’s a great place for the usually nocturnal denizens of Norman to refill their tanks for a long day of learning. How many sips does it take to get to the bottom of the shop’s café au lait? Just enough that you and your parliament will likely need to order a pastry or two to make it through the afternoon.
