Whether iced or hot, guzzled on-the-go or sipped in a comfy armchair, there’s no denying coffee fuels San Antonio.

Numerous national chains and mom-and-pop coffee shops have percolated up across the Alamo City recently, so here’s a rundown of essentially locally owned ones worth checking out. 

Theory Coffee 2347 Nacogdoches Road, (210) 570-4407, theorycoffeeco.com This locally-owned coffee trailer offers quality brews to cappuccino-craving commuters at 410 and Nacogdoches. Grab an iced latte — a fan favorite — to escape the hustle and bustle. Photo via Instagram / theorycoffee
Shotgun House Coffee Roasters 1333 Buena Vista St., (254) 913-9031, shotgunhouseroasters.com Tucked away inside a longtime sewing factory turned into a multi-suite creative space, Shotgun House Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee shop and roastery. Owner Eddie Laughlin uses a San Franciscan roaster that can process approximately 25 pounds in an hour. Satisfy your coffee needs here. Photo via Instagram / shotgunhouseroasters
Tandem 310 Riverside Dr., (210) 455-5400, tandem-satx.com Bike-themed beverage shop Tandem offers a vast array of coffee and espresso drinks as well as alcoholic beverages. Its hours stretch from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., so the space serves as anywhere from a study space to a night out to an early morning pick-me-up. Photo via Instagram / tandemsatx
Vice Coffee 123 Heiman St., instagram.com/viceversa.sanantonio Vice Coffee offers a fun take on coffee featuring an Instagram-worthy interior filled with plants and vinyl records spinning all day. The shop is located in historic St. Paul Square, which has welcomed a growing number of new tenants in the last few years. Photo via Instagram / beautyhaussa
Gold Coffee 1913 S. Flores St., (210) 667-6141, facebook.com/San-Antonio-Gold-2256302247917620 Gold Coffee has quickly become a fixture in the San Antonio coffee community, known for their fun, friendly atmosphere in their small Southtown space. They also offer good coffee of course, featuring beans roasted by Cat and Cloud in Santa Cruz, California. Photo by @thelocalbuzzz via Instagram / sanantoniogold
Olla Express Café 2015 NE Interstate 410 Loop, (210) 763-7303 ollaexpresscafe.com Andrea Ley quit her full time job in 2017 to pursue a career in coffee, but with a new concept for the city of San Antonio. Preparing drinks as a tribute to the way coffee was brewed in Mexico, Olla Express Café started as a truck and now has a permanent brick and mortar on San Antonio’s Northeast side. Photo via Instagram / ollaexpress
R + R Collective 1010 S. Flores St., (210) 888-1100, rrcollectiveco.com R+ R Collective offers patrons a multitude of options upon entering the Southtown store’s door. The mixed concept space features an impressive tea bar and a plethora of health and wellness products. Photo via Instagram / localthreadstx
Early Bird Coffee Multiple Locations, (210) 550-2606, facebook.com/earlybirdcoffee.sa Slinging drinks from an airstream at the Huebner Oaks shopping center for 3 years now, Early Bird’s success has led them to secure a brick and mortar set to open at the end of summer 2022. Photo via Instagram / earlybirdcoffee.sa
Stranded Coffee 1203 S. Alamo St., strandedcoffee.com In an ode to the emo kids who now have caffeine addictions, Stranded Coffee, whose logo is an homage to Warped Tour, serves drinks out of its coffee truck in Southtown. Its menu features espresso drinks using beans roasted by Proud Hound Coffee in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo via Instagram / strandedcoffeeclub Credit: Photo via Instagram / strandedcoffeeclub
Bright Coffee 1705 Blanco Rd., brightcoffeesa.square.site With an abundance of natural light, plants and pastel colored furniture, Bright Coffee’s interior matches its name. Its menu features creative drinks and flavors as well as traditional offerings, made possible by beans roasted just across town at Estate Coffee. Photo via Instagram / brightcoffeesa
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery Multiple Locations (210) 277-0555, commonwealthcoffeehouse.com. Starting out of a homey bungalow off Broadway in 2015, Commonwealth Coffeehouse has since expanded to four locations across San Antonio, each offering the same great coffee and French-inspired pastries. Their Francophile menu includes Croque Madame, Croissant Bechamel, and even some incredible Avocado Toast. But fear not, they know they are in SA & they serve breakfast tacos until 11 a.m. Photo via Instagram / commonwealth_coffeehouse
On the Grind 5421 Walzem Road, otgcoffee.com On the Grind caters to a wide clientele, priding themselves on an array of flavored coffee and sweet caffeinated drinks. They also open just before dawn at 5 a.m. so you can get your energy early. Photo via Instagram / onthegrindcoffee
Cool Beans Cafe 12656 West Ave, (210) 272-0039, coolbeanscafetx.com Dog-friendly coffee shop Cool Beans Cafe prides itself on being a fun and relaxing local coffee bar. Located in the La Cantera area, this shop offers a caffeine fix for you and a doggy menu for four-legged friends. Photo via Instagram / coolbeanscafe16
Brown Coffee Company 812 S Alamo St. #115, browncoffeeco.com Calling all coffee snobs: Walk into Brown Coffee Co. and you will immediately understand that this place is serious about its beans. The minimalist design is sleek and clean, providing few distractions from the main point of focus. What’s even more minimalistic than the decor is the actual coffee menu itself. Brown’s knowledgeable baristas craft coffee and espresso beverages from their in-house roasted beans. Walk in a coffee novice and leave a neophyte connoisseur. Photo via Instagram / browncoffeeco
Mila Coffee 2202 Broadway, (210) 929-3678, facebook.com/milacoffeesat While this mobile food truck may be tiny, it’s packing some big flavors. Located in the Broadway News parking lot, Mila Coffee serves up some of the most delicious brews you’ll ever taste. If you don’t know where to start, try the horchata cold brew or vanilla latte — the latter is made using Mexican vanilla beans. Photo via Instagram / coffeeforcourtney
Estate Coffee Co. 1320 E. Houston St., Suite A101, (210) 667-4347, estatecoffeecompany.com This unique coffee bar takes their beans seriously, sourcing them from family-owned importers and roasting in-house. Their location features a full coffee bar and seating around their roaster for an immersive and up-close experience. Check out their summer menu for fascinating and creative drinks such as an Orange Espresso Tonic or Iced Pineapple Latte. Photo via Instagram / estatecoffeeco
Halcyon Southtown 1414 S. Alamo St., Suite 101 (210) 277-7045, halcyoncoffeebar.com Halcyon Southtown is so much more than a coffee shop. Of course they serve every classic you can think of, but from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., they also serve brunch. That’s right, brunch. If you happen to pop in on a Saturday or Sunday during these hours, you can grab some Benito Eggs Benedict with hash browns along with your morning coffee. Oh, you’re feeling a pastry too? Don’t worry, Halcyon’s got you covered. Photo via Instagram / she.seeks.beauty
Candlelight PourHouse 107 Kings Court, (210) 738-0099, candlelightsatx.com. Candlelight Pourhouse is a sweet little spot known for its spacious secret garden and tasty weekend brunch from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. They’ve got plenty of tasty dishes to choose from, including Eggs Benedict, fluffy waffles and even Chilaquiles. What more could you ask for? Photo via Instagram / chowdowntx
Olmos Perk 5223 McCullough Ave., (210) 492-1104 Olmos Perk is the perfect cozy coffeehouse to catch up with friends, offering quality coffee, full breakfast and lunch menus and house-made pastries to boot. With several universities nearby, this coffee shop is also the perfect study spot for students looking to enjoy a bite to eat and a latte while they work. Photo via Instagram / olmosperk
Local Coffee Founders 302 Pearl Pkwy., (210) 530-1004, localcoffee.com Since it first opened in San Antonio in 2009, Local Coffee has experienced huge success. It eventually grew into a roasting company with 11 locations across Texas. These days, however, founders Robby and Neesha Grubbs have scaled back their operation, selling their other locations and adding “Founders” to the name of the Pearl location to indicate that it is the only original Local Coffee in San Antonio. It’s a go-to staple for San Antonians, and definitely worth more than a couple of visits. Photo via Instagram / localcoffeefounders
Merit Coffee Co. Multiple Locations, meritcoffee.com With five locations across San Antonio, Merit Coffee is sure to be nearby when you are in need of a coffee fix. This Texas-based coffee chain travels around the world to source their beans, which they roast out of a renovated warehouse in South San Antonio. Those beans are then sent out to their various locations to be made into a quality cup of joe for their customers. Photo via Instagram / meritcoffee
Clear Light Coffee Co. 12656 West Ave., (210) 272-0039, clearlight.coffee Clear Light Coffee offers an eclectic yet simple aesthetic to enjoy your drinks. This caffeine supplier is located just north of Castle Hills. Photo via Instagram / clearlightcoffeeco
Amaretti Coffee 1800 Broadway, (210) 481-4141, instagram.com/amaretticoffee In what used to be Brown Coffee’s space, a chai and tea-focused cafe from Nirav Amarnath has moved in. Amaretti Coffee offers a wide range of espresso drinks and custom teas. Photo via Instagram / amaretticoffee
Red Runner Coffee Multiple Locations, (210) 868-5610, redrunnercoffee.com With three locations to choose from, Red Runner offers quality coffee and speedy service. Their menu also includes more options than your traditional third wave shop. Photo via Instagram / redrunnercoffee