No need to settle for Starbucks or Dunkin’ when there are great local coffee options.
Life as a college student can be a lot of things: stressful, fun frustrating and exhilarating. But, it is rough out here, and we all need a belt to buckle up for the rollercoaster of emotions. My belt is a common one, but one of the best: coffee.
I started loving coffee when I was around 11 years old, after my aunt let me taste a Frappuccino from McCafé. I came home and declared to my mom that from now on I would drink coffee in the mornings. She complied but only gave me coffee with a lot of milk.
At 13 years old, I upgraded to black coffee in the mornings. This opened many doors and soon I was tasting every coffee flavor and making it in every way possible from iced to hot and plain to caramelized.
If there is one thing I miss from my house when I’m away at college (other than my family), it is our espresso machine. I often daydream about the smell of fresh coffee brewing and the creations I made with different coffee creamers and syrups available in our DIY coffee bar.
Although they can never beat my homemade coffee, I have set on a mission to find local cafes that will help me miss the espresso machine a little less. I made a comprehensive list, both for you and for me, to keep track of those coffee places in Gainesville.
1. Opus Coffee
This one might be a given, but it must be mentioned.
Opus has nine locations in Gainesville, one of them in Norman Hall and multiple UF Health buildings. My personal favorite location is the one at Innovation, 800 SW 2nd Ave., because it is the perfect stop on my way downtown.
It has a variety of drinks and seasonal options and a lot of seating available at most of their locations, which makes Opus the perfect place to get your caffeine boost and finally write that paper you’ve been procrastinating.
My favorite coffee is a common macchiato, the best cold tea is the berry bliss and my favorite seasonal drink this fall is the cortadella (cortado with Nutella).
2. Pascal’s Coffeehouse
Although it does not have much variety, Pascal’s ranks this high for me based on vibes, taste and location. The coffee tastes great, and the space is designated a “Christian Study Center,” but is open to anyone who wants to choose from the many seating options and study for a test. This cafe is in my top favorites because it is a short walk away from Library West, making it an ideal place to study for a bit before returning to campus for class.
I always go for the basics and order a hot cappuccino, but the iced oat milk latte is also great, and I was recently delighted by their cold black citrus monkey tea.
3. Curia on the Drag
This one is a little far from campus, an 11-minute drive. But what it lacks in closeness it makes up for in options. There are a lot of seating options, from hammocks and couches to simple chairs and the bar counter.
What makes Curia amazing is both the coffee and tea varieties and the fact that right outside there is a Curia food truck, as well as a shop inside the cafe with pre-made foods and pastries.
The café Cubano wakes me up every time, and the raspberry green tea helped me hyperfocus on my studying. From the food truck, I highly recommend the black bean burrito and any tacos that are to your liking.
4. Concord
This cafe is the poster boy for “simple but effective.” It has all the basics in coffee and tea and a big seating area, along with games on their tables like connect four (which I won against my friend, by the way). It is right under the Gator Wesley Foundation, a Methodist campus ministry, and just a little way down the road from Pascal’s.
Concord ranks No. 4 because of their location and their games. It is a nearby place to sit, do some homework, take breaks to play boardgames and get a good coffee.
I have only tasted their tea latte and their cappuccino, but they are both amazing drinks.
5. Karma Cream
If only it was closer, Karma Cream would be at the very top of this list. Its products are organic, fair trade and locally roasted. It also has a variety of ice cream, all vegan and organic.
It is located down West University Avenue, closer to Downtown. The place has a lot of seating areas and charging spots and offers free water and reasonable prices. To add to it all, Karma also offers food; sandwiches and pastries are on display.
I order cappuccinos like everywhere else, and Karma makes them delicious. It has good chai, and the ice cream flavors offer a fun variety that you have to be there to taste. The pastries change every day, but I had a tasty muffin, and my friend had a club sandwich she complimented on the way home.
6. Wyatt’s
This one has the same issue that Karma has – it is too far from me. Located in the smack-middle of Downtown Gainesville, Wyatt’s is a small corner cafe with great barista talent and a variety of coffees and teas. Wyatt’s also offers new pastries every day to accompany the need for caffeine, and the one puff pastry I had a couple weeks ago was the highlight of my day.
The seating is a little limited, so if you plan to attend during the rush hours of the afternoon, plan on taking the coffee to-go and sitting somewhere else.
I was lucky to find seating and finish my notes for macroeconomics. I drank one of their specialties, The Wyatt, and afterward tasted their refreshing peach raspberry lemonade.
7. Maude’s Classic Café
Maude’s, like its title announces, is a classic. It is further Downtown and therefore farther away from me, but more than once, the walk has been worth it. It is a staple in the area with great food for mornings and nights alike, amazing coffee, artsy vibes and a spacious outside patio.
In here, seating won’t be a problem, but the later it gets the less I recommend going to do homework. The way I see it, Maude’s is a reward for doing work, a break from it rather than a tool for it. So, I recommend this café for a brunch with friends or an evening wind-down.
I have not been at night, but the Osgear’ Egg Breakfast Special never fails on my mornings and the mocha latte is a gift from the heavens.
Final thoughts
I only named seven, but there are many more cafes around Gainesville I haven’t had the pleasure to explore yet. That is the magic of small towns and their local stores, there is so much variety you end up choosing a small coffee shop over the $6 Starbucks every time.
I hope I leave you with a good reference list and with the itch for adventuring around town to find all the options I couldn’t name.