STAFF WRITER – KENDRA TURNER
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT 4, 2023
Looking for a place to study or visit for a daily sweet treat? San Antonio is home to dozens of local coffeehouses and shops with unique specialties. These are just a few shops that San Antonio has to offer.
Vice Versa Coffee & Vinyl Records is located in the heart of St. Paul Square by the Alamodome. Celebrating its oneyear anniversary in 2023, the coffee shop has already impacted the local community. Besides just selling coffee and delicious pastries, Vice Versa sells records and offers listening spaces to enjoy tune s . while also hosting public events like poetry and chess nights. Last year, Vice Versa created a space for people to study, relax and feel at home. Unfortunately, the coffee shop’s AC broke down last June, forcing them to close for days. They posted a statement, via Instagram, stating, “Here we are four months later, and still trying to crawl out of that hole.” Due to this event, Vice Versa is asking for help from the community.
There are various ways to help this beloved coffee shop by simply buying a coffee, sharing events, attending their jazz nights or donating directly to their GoFundMe. Their link, posts and stories are available through their Instagram @ viceversa.sanantonio. New to San Antonio? Visit the Historic Pearl. The Pearl supports various restaurants with different types of cuisine and small businesses with curated and handcrafted pieces. They host a farmers market every weekend, and special night markets throughout the month of October. The Pearl is home to Local Coffee Founders, located in the corner of the Pearl. whether farmers market or roaming the pearl, Local Coffee provides a mid-day pick me up.
Their menu boasts a selection of in-house syrups including flavors like Mexican vanilla and salted caramel, to add something special to your drink. Their inhouse horchata provides a delightful twist on traditional coffee offerings. The shop has a warm atmosphere making it perfect to sit down and work . If unsure about an order, the friendly baristas will help. Another San Antonio gem is Indy Coffee Club off UTSA Blvd. This coffee shop focuses on Texas and American Southwest culture. They are known for their cereal milk latte, a drink that combines the comforting flavors of cereal-infused milk with the rich taste of espresso to create a nostalgic drink. Similar to Vice Versa, Indy Coffee hosts different events like the FotoSeptiembre that happened earlier this month, showcasing the life of San Antonio on film. San Antonio coffee shop honorable mentions are Stranded Coffee, Theory Coffee and Bright Coffee. Stranded Coffee is a coffee truck that offers seasonal menus with fun syrups and flavor combinations. It’s located next to another truck that offers breakfast tacos for a morning combination of tacos and coffee. Theory Coffee is another coffee truck that offers a simple menu but is locally recognized for one of the most delicious espressos in San Antonio as well as savory kolaches and perfectly buttery pastries. Bright Coffee is an option closer to campus and an ideal study space. Keeping a calm and laid back ambiance, the spacious environment full of plants helps studying students relax and focus while in a beautifully eyecatching space.
Besides a traditional coffee menu, Bright Coffee infuses Korean inspirations into their creations, resulting in fun drinks like their fan favorite banana milk latte and caffeine-free red bean latte. Marketing senior Yael Balbuena told The Rattler, “Bright Coffee is one of my favorite environments to study at. The staff is incredibly friendly and know how to make a perfect cup of espresso.” Currently for the fall, Bright Coffee is offering a ghost banana chai latte with banana sauce and milk, as well as a pumpkin espresso with homemade pumpkin syrup. San Antonio coffee shops have much to offer in terms of suiting an individual’s caffeine needs and vary in a combination of ways. Most places are so appealing due to their emphasis on fostering a sense of community and culture. When next in need of a caffeine fix, any one of these places have something perfect in store.