Columbian's and Their Coffee
There is no shortage of places for the citizen of Columbia to get their coffee. The District is home to what sometimes feels like a beautiful, endless array of places to grab your daily cup o’ Joe. How do you figure out where to go? Let’s review the options.
Lakota is well-known among students and locals alike. This coffee shop is open late and always full of people working diligently, catching up with old friends, or burying their head in a good book. Lakota roasts a wide variety of coffee and bags can be found in multiple stores around towns. If you need more in your belly than coffee, they also serve up multiple types of pastries, sandwiches, soups, and smoothies! This CoMo classic has been serving the citizens since 1992.
Shortwave Coffee recently opened their second location, they remodeled one of the best places to people watch in the District. This beautiful shop has massive windows looking out onto 9th and Cherry Street! Shortwave even roasts their coffee beans less than a block away at their Alley A location. This location has already hosted many group meetings, projects, interviews, and first time meetings. It’s easy to understand why, this location serves food and they built phone chargers into the table !
Shortwave Coffee is a great-smelling gem in Alley A. They serve homemade baked goods (their fluffy chocolate chip cookies are a go-to) and are known for their light roasts. They focus of the natural flavors of their coffee beans and only create lighter roasts to emphasize that taste. They are also a great spot for those who don’t drink coffee, they make an excellent spicy chai tea latte and have many cooler drinks for those looking to get caffeinated in the summer!
Coffee Zone is known for their signature beverage, Rocket Fuel. This pleasant, quiet coffee shop is a great place to relax, meet up with colleagues, or buckle down and get some work done. Regulars can be found at almost any time of the day hanging out right outside the door. Coffee Zone has some excellent baked good (highly recommend the cinnamon rolls) as well as a wonderful Mediterranean menu. They have been a daily staple to locals since 1994!
Fretboard Coffee is just as unique as the place it can be found in. This hidden gem of a coffee shop is on of the entrances into the artists catacombs of Artlandish. It has been the central meeting location of the North Village Arts District for years and as implied by the name, the host of many performances! They are known for their coffee ice cubes, unique roasts, range of tea flavors, and original lemonade flavors. You can grab a donut from Harold’s there and enjoy your drinks on a beautiful patio. PS- they also have a coffee truck
Three Story Coffee is one of the newest coffee shops to grace the District with it’s presence. It is a favor in the Missouri capitol, Jeff City, and can now be found on the edge of the North Village close to Columbia College. Their shop is extremely aesthetically pleasing and they serve up some excellent coffee and pastries. Plant fans, beware, you will fall in love!
