by Aliyah Armstrong | staff writer
If you’re tired of waiting in line behind everyone from school at Dunkin’ Donuts or always having your study dates at Starbucks, here are some of the best places in San Antonio to get your coffee fix.
Aspen’s Brew
11255 Huebner Road
210-561-5551
http://www.aspensbrewcoffee.com/
Aspen’s Brew definitely takes the cake for some of the best coffee in San Antonio. It’s not only the coffee that is good but the desserts and the atmosphere that make Aspen’s Brew a great spot. The coffee shop is very roomy and spacious with plenty of tables and plenty of students studying around those tables but without the amount of noise that usually accompanies those things. Order a mild coffee and you receive a drink that is smooth and not too bitter and overall is a fantastic choice. Add a slice of their delicious carrot cake and you have great brain food for studying. For those, looking for something more than just a plain coffee, you can’t go wrong with a caramel latte. It was the best out of all the caramel latte I tried. Sadly there was no creative latte art but that didn’t matter because the flavor of the latte was the true art. Although it didn’t taste too much like caramel, the latte was smooth and light but not as foamy as the others I tried which worked well with the flavor of this drink. For the non-coffee drinkers, the chai latte is an excellent option. It is buttery and creamy and a little sweeter than most but you still taste the flavor of the spices. It definitely competes with Mildfire for the best chai latte in San Antonio. The only drawbacks of this awesome coffee shop is that the specialty drinks took a long time to make, so long that I had time to go around the corner to another store, try-on shoes and then the drinks were finally ready (they do deliver your drinks to the table so that makes it a little better). As long as you’re planning to stay a while, Aspen’s Brew is an excellent choice. You can keep on studying while they make your drink and then enjoy delicious coffee when it finally arrives.
Mildfire Coffee Roasters
15502 Huebner Road Suite 101
210-492-9544
If you’re not paying attention, you may drive right past Mildfire. It’s a fairly small shop but the coffee packs big flavor. They’ve put as many seating areas and table as they could fit comfortably so it is still a good place for studying but your large group may have to split up. The server was really nice and knowledgeable about the coffee and even recommended something to drink, the iced Americano. The iced Americano was bitter which makes it perfect for those who do not like sweet coffee. The hint of acidity was complimentary and did not overpower the coffee. Once again I tried a caramel latte so I could really compare the coffee shops and this particular latte was more bitter and quite a bit stronger than the rest but still creamy and foamy. There was no pretty design but a design contributes nothing other than a good Instagram photo. The chai latte I had here was definitely the best out all that I tried. It had the perfect amount of spice and it was frothy and creamy and very pleasant to drink. It was the kind of drink that warms your insides on a cold day and I definitely would order this drink many more times.
Olmos Perk
5223 McCullough Ave
(210) 858-2956
This coffee shop was definitely the most visually appealing and I feel like it would draw a lot of students in if they were aware it existed. It was very modern and it had several private cubicles for studying. You can bring dogs to sit outside, they make your drinks very quick and they offer a 15% student discount. You don’t even have to ask for it, they tell you straight away, not even Starbucks does that. The staff is very friendly, you can request latte art, and they even ask you what kind of milk you want. The atmosphere is what really pushes this coffee shop above Local Coffee because sadly the coffee and other drinks are only okay. The black coffee was very watery so you can’t really get the full flavor. It was definitely not brewed strong enough and nothing could really save it. Even though I was looking for the best coffee in San Antonio, I had to try the chai latte here because it was raved about in online reviews. After trying it though, I can’t say it’s worth the hype. There was not nearly enough spice from the tea and creaminess of the skim milk was overpowering. The milk produced a texture that coated your tongue and made the chai latte very unpleasant to drink. The caramel latte here is just a little bit better than the one at Local Coffee because it has the most bold coffee flavor out of all the places and it is very smooth.
Local Coffee
700 E Sonterra Blvd #1113
(210) 530-8740
Local Coffee comes in at number four on the list of the best coffee in San Antonio simply because if you order just their house blend coffee you may be a little disappointed. That blend makes for a very acidic cup of coffee that kind of makes you want to go back to Starbucks. That being said, a latte, plain or flavored, is a good choice for those people looking for something other than a plain coffee. The latte was really frothy and milky just like a latte should be, yet lacked the off-putting acidity of the House coffee. It was not too strong or bold and didn’t require any sweetener and was very pleasant and smooth to drink. So if you’re looking for good coffee and a cool atmosphere close to home, aim for a latte at Local Coffee.
Bottom line, Aspen’s Brew is the some of the best coffee you can have in San Antonio. Mildfire was a close second and Olmos Perk is great for those on a student’s budget. Head over to Local Coffee because it’s in the neighborhood. All of these coffee shops are awesome places to check out if you’re searching for somewhere where you’re not just another misspelled name in a sea of people.
