Coffee- you either hate it or you are slightly obsessed with it. You either grew up with it or just started to drink it when you started college because you are a PR major who usually goes to bed around 3 a.m. (not that I know anyone who did this her freshman year of college).
Luckily, Tuscaloosa is home to a variety of different coffee shops. Whether you are looking for a quiet place to grind out some homework or just catch up with some friends and spend way too much money, here are some of the most popular coffee shops around Tuscaloosa!
Strange Brew
Tuscaloosa’s newest coffee shop from Starkville, Mississippi! Located right next to Gallettes, this STRANGE is notorious for its out-of-the-box specialty coffee and pastries. After hearing about it from my group in one of my classes (along with one of my PR besties saying she had had it three times that week already), I decided to give it a try. If you are like me and prefer sweeter coffees (the amount of coffee creamer I went through freshman year good grief), then Strange Brew is the place for you!
So far, I have only tried two of their specialty coffees (they are that good)- The Crimson & White and the Darth Mocha. Originally named the Maroon & White (because you know Mississippi Bulldogs), this now Tuscaloosa inspired drink (Roll Tide) is a latte mixed with raspberry flavoring and white chocolate. Surprisingly, many people aren’t fond of this combination, but I’m here to tell you it works! One sip of this sweet drink and I was tempted to shout “Go B***dogs” for making such a delicious drink!
The Darth Mocha on the other hand is mixed with dark chocolate and milk chocolate, topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean for an extra boost of energy, and according to Strange Brew, it is “the latte you have been looking for”. First off, I love the name (which is another reason why I decided to try it) and secondly, this sweet drink is sure to give you the boost you need (this is the one I’ve had multiple times it’s so good)!
Strange Brew is also home to some wild and delectable pastries! Every time I go in there, my mouth starts to water just by looking at the glass case holding all kinds of goodies (the biggest pastries I have ever seen I swear). The only one I have tried is the sausage and cheese ball, which adds a ‘kick’ to your breakfast (its spicy)!
So, if you are like me and prefer the sweet coffees in life or need that extra boost when it comes to pulling an all-nighter (its open until 11 p.m.), then head on down to Strange Brew!
Overall rating: 9/10 (a little strange but so good)
Heritage House
And the award for the cutest little coffee shops in Tuscaloosa (there are two of them) goes to Heritage House! I first heard about this place back during my freshman year and after my first visit, I instantly became a fan! These little coffee shops offer a variety of different specialty drinks and pastries for anyone anytime of the day.
While it’s been a hot minute since I’ve paid Heritage House a visit, one specialty drink I highly recommend would have to be the Sugar Daddy (yes that’s what it is called). This drink includes caramel sauce, vanilla syrup, espresso, steamed milk, and whip topping. While this drink may seem like a cavity in a cup, all the elements mixed create the perfect drink for any sweet tooth (like me)!
What’s better than their drinks? THEIR PASTRIES! While they do offer breakfast and lunch menus (their chocolate chip waffles are out of this world), I prefer to accompany my drink with one of their fabulous pastries they have to offer. From scones to cinnamon rolls (big boy cinnamon rolls) to cookies and cake, I can guarantee that Heritage House will have something to your liking!
So, if you are willing to splurge a bit on the sweeter things in life that Heritage House has to offer, then I recommend you try Heritage House!
Overall rating: 8.5/10 (go get you a damn good pastry now)!
Monarch
I swear every time I go here, it is slammed packed it’s that popular. I first heard about this place from my roommates last year (their go-to coffee shop when trying to grind out some homework). While my wallet could not survive coming here daily, I do have to admit, its defiantly in the top three of my favorite coffee shops to go to!
Now I will admit, in the few times I have been here, I have NOT tried their coffee (hold your horses). For me, I didn’t see any enticing specialty drinks while observing their menu (but that doesn’t mean I won’t try their coffee one day). What got me sold on this place was their hot chocolate (I would consider myself an expert in this field). This (hands-down) is the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my life. This German chocolate inspired coco is perfect for anytime of the year (yes, I said anytime) and leaves a warm, spicy after taste.
And while they might not have as many pastry options as Heritage House, their ham and cheddar scones are truly exquisite! First time I had this delicious breakfast scone, I was heading to work early in the morning. With my scone in one hand and hot chocolate in the other, I was ready to take on the day (and it was a long one)!
So be sure to treat yourself to a $20 morning breakfast and hot chocolate (or any specialty drink or coffee) every now and then! You won’t regret it!
Overall rating: 10/10 (BEST HOT CHOCOLATE IN TOWN)
Starbucks
Now listen, I can roast Starbucks (knee slapper) all I want saying its overrated (which it is), but at the end of the day, it is pretty good coffee (as well as pretty damn expensive). During the summer last year, my co-worker and I would get Starbucks at least twice a week after that day’s Bama Bound session for the extra boost to get us through the day. My preferred drink was a white cholate mocha with 4 extra pumps of White Chocolate Mocha syrup, and whip cream topping (my gosh I can’t believe I just typed that out). Complicated? Very. Worth it? Yes!
So, if you are willing to wait at least 17 minutes for a coffee (we live in Tuscaloosa and there has never been a time where the line wasn’t long), then be sure to check out your local Starbucks (my goodness there is one on every corner in Tuscaloosa I swear)
Overall rating: 5.8/10 (I got to 1.) be on campus 2.) be really sleep deprived or 3.) be heading to early morning service for church if I plan to stop by Starbucks)
*Score is in comparison to other coffee shops! I do like Starbucks! *
Turbo
Man, I had so many people recommend and hype this place up all for me to waste $11 on some nasty coffee and a nasty cinnamon roll (how do you mess up a cinnamon roll). For this week’s content (coffee obviously) Brad and I also wanted to try some new coffee shops around the Tuscaloosa area for our YouTube short and Tik Tok (click here to watch my adventure/experience with Turbo coffee). I chose to try Turbo; my expectations set high.
The order- a latte with a pump of vanilla syrup and a cinnamon roll warmed up to-go. Sounds like the perfect way to start your morning, right? Wrong. I woke up early to get watered coffee grounds and a cardboard tasting cinnamon roll (or what I assume cardboard would taste like). When I got home, I even tried adding more creamer into the coffee to sweeten it up (again, I like my coffee creamer) and it didn’t help much. And the cinnamon roll LOOKED and SMELLED amazing (in case you miss the first time, click here to see my Turbo experience). All I learned from this experience was that looks can be deceiving (and they were in this case).
The only positive experience from this was the cute little RMFT sticker I purchased while there (good for them for supporting local businesses).
So, in conclusion, I’m out $11 (not including the sticker). If you want to try Turbo, be my guest.
Overall rating 1.99/10 (and that’s only because I got a cute ass sticker)
By Madison Corley and Brad Hachtel
BE SURE TO CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND TUNE INTO TWITCH EVERY SUNDAY @5 TO HEAR BRAD AND MADISON’S POINTS OF VIEW!
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