4 SOUTH FLORIDA COFFEE SHOPS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT
What if I told you that there is more to coffee than Starbucks and Dunkin’?
Okay, I’m guilty: Starbucks has always been my to-go spot but as of lately, I’ve been exploring other coffeehouses because I’ve been wanting to expand my horizons and taste palette.
I was in South Florida for the first week of December and for obvious reasons, a majority of my time was in spent in quarantine. When it was time to go out, I made it my intention to visit local cafes in Palm Beach County. I’m glad that I did because I discovered some dope spots and because smaller businesses are the most impacted by COVID-19, this gave me a chance to pour back into the community.
If you live in Palm Beach or plan on visiting one of these days, check out my list below:
I found Carmela Coffee quite easily: I just searched “coffee” on Google maps and there you have it. After my first visit, I knew that I would be checking them out again before I left town. On both occasions, I ordered an iced caramel macchiato with oat milk, and for food, I ordered their three cheese and pesto spinach flatbread and spinach empanadas (the way to my heart is cheese and bread). I really appreciated their variety of food options; I’m a pescatarian and sometimes it’s a little difficult to find coffee shops that have food options for non-meat eaters, besides pastries and oatmeal. For you avocado lovers — not me, but I won’t yuck your yum —they have a whole menu full of avocado toast.
SUBCULTURE COFFEE, WEST PALM BEACH
Subculture Coffee is actually not a new fave but I had to add it to my list. I used to frequent when I lived in Florida. Located on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, I’ve always loved the “best of both worlds” atmosphere: inside, it’s a very laidback, neutral-toned space but when you step out into their outdoor area, your eyes immediately catch the vibrant mural with the colorful chairs to match. Other than coffee, their menu includes breakfast items, pastries, acai bowls and smoothies. This time around, I just ordered an iced coffee with oat milk + coconut syrup, and went outside to relax and observe my surroundings. When we reach a level of normalcy, I recommend checking out their outdoor events and open mics.
Next door to my favorite South Florida music venue, Propaganda, Common Grounds is located in Lake Worth. What I admire about this shop is the welcoming, small town atmosphere - it kind of reminded me of a real life, coffee shop version of Cheers. Now typically, I like to look at menus online before I go places (gotta stay ready) but this time, I went inside with no idea of what I wanted. Their food menu is quite simple, with their focus being mainly on breakfast and lunch so I ordered egg and cheese on a croissant. My friend and I were about to just order an iced coffee until we overheard someone order an eggnog dirty chai latte, so we copied.
It was so good, I was tempted to order another one but I wasn’t trying to trigger my anxiety with caffeine so I changed my mind. I totally recommend it — the drink, not triggering your anxiety.
JOHAN’S JOE, WEST PALM BEACH
Johan’s Joe is a Swedish coffee bar that was recommended to me on Instagram (thanks @its_eliya!). Similar to Carmela’s, I admire their unconventional coffee shop aesthetic: the high ceilings and well lit space make their shops feel spacious and comfortable. Johan’s also opened my mind to new flavor combinations. I tried their Iced Löfberg’s Coffee, Cold Brew Ginger, and they even have a Coffee Lemonade - I never knew that these combinations could even go together but hey, I said that I wanted to expand my taste palette so I’ll be trying it the next time.
What’s your favorite coffee shop in your area? Share below!
