Dallas' 5 Best Coffee Shops

1. Cultivar. This shop was the first in Dallas to put the craft first and foremost, from roasting to preparation. One of their great strengths and weaknesses is that they share space with Good 2 Go Taco. Great coffee and breakfast tacos make for good bedfellows, but the space lacks the intimate feel of many shops in town. Good things are on the horizon though for Cultivar, as they are about to begin a direct trade program as well as open a second location in Denton this spring.

2. Davis Street Espresso. If I had to describe Davis Street Espesso in one word, it would be simple. A stripped down menu combined with a space free of distractions (that whole no wifi thing) leaves room for old fashioned past times like conversing and thinking. Don't make the mistake of confusing simple for bad; their roasted on site coffee is some of the best in the city, not to mention their baristas are friendly and knowledgeable, making a trip to Davis Street Espresso anything but ordinary.

3. Weekend. This coffee shop is a 60-minute vacation from whatever complicated feelings you may have about our fair city. One step inside and you are transported to another, more metropolitan place. Even if you can't afford anything else at The Joule, get yourself a cappuccino, and enjoy one hour of high-end people watching. Weekend uses Victrola Coffee Roasters out of Seattle, WA, and you can't go wrong there. Bonus: best bathroom of any coffee shop in town.

4. Ascension. The baristas at Ascension have an unparalleled zeal for the craft of coffee. And they recently erased any complaints I had about them by beginning to bring in beans from a variety of small, quality roasting companies from around the US and Canada. The space maximizes the use of natural light; making it made for sunny and cloudy days a like. Though on a sunny day you might be more inclined to sit on the patio with a beer, but who could blame you.

5. Mudsmith. The service at Mudsmith is a little spotty. They use Avoca Coffee out of Ft. Worth for their beans and that is a good start, but depending on who makes your drink and how much sleep they had the night before the service quality could range anywhere from amazing to please do everyone a favor and go back to bed. I point this out mostly because everything else about Mudsmith makes up for the spotty service. It is my favorite place to go when I know I'm going to stay for a while. I love their long bar space, they play great music, and the people watching is out of this world good. If you decide to stay for a while, too, I recommend following your coffee up with a beer.