Hello!! My name is Sara Grace Dancy, and I am a member of PC ‘23 here at Chi O Zeta Zeta. In case we haven’t met, I’ll give you a 5-second summary of my defining characteristics. My personality consists of working out, being a Texan, cooking, re-reading Little Women, and coffee. Anyone who knows me knows I love coffee. I love joking with my friends by saying that coffee is my “love language” because frequenting coffee shops is my favorite way to spend my time. Coffee is especially important to me because it runs in my family! My dad expertly trained me to be a coffee snob from a very young age. As I’ve grown up, it has become something that we have bonded over, and routine coffee dates with my Dad are one of the things I look forward to most when I come home. This love for coffee that he instilled in me has carried over into almost every aspect of my life. I have been a barista for a little over four years now and have worked in everything from a commercial coffee shop, serving coffee at weddings, and most importantly serving as “the Dancy home barista” alongside my Dad on our trusted Breville espresso machine.
Since being a student at Samford, I have taken it upon myself to visit every coffee shop in the Birmingham area. Throughout the year, I kept a ranking in my journal of my thoughts and takeaways from each shop to share with friends when they needed a place to go. Although I’ve been to more than the five listed, consider these shops my most loved recommendations for the next time you need a place to take a friend, study, or just enjoy the peace brought by a cup of coffee.
1) Seeds Coffee
Seeds was one of the first coffee shops I tried after moving to Birmingham, and it has stood the test of time as it is still my favorite. Seeds prides itself on coffee that is mindfully sourced and mindfully roasted, which has created a higher quality of coffee and service. I am a big fan of turning coffee into a community and I love the community that Seeds has created in their shop. Their signature lattes are amazing, as well as their pour-overs. I consistently order their Lavender Citrus latte. Nothing beats the combination of espresso and citrus, in my opinion. Bonus points because they have housemade pastries, including Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins, which are my all-time favorite.
2) June Coffee
June has been my tried and true favorite for weekend mornings. With its large patio and the fact that they’re right next door to Last Call Bakery, it is the perfect spot for a Saturday morning in the sun. My favorite drink is the Orange Fig Latte because I can’t get enough of the citrus-flavored lattes. One of the highlights of June is their unique seasonal menu! They release new drinks around every 3-4 months, and I am always impressed by the creativity and craft behind the drinks.
3) Cala Coffee
Cala Coffee has two locations, one in Cahaba Heights and one in the downtown Birmingham area. I frequent the Cahaba Heights location as it is close to campus and has lots of seating with a large outdoor patio. My favorite thing about Cala is their house-made syrups. They have a large variety of latte flavors, but I rotate between just a plain honey latte and their Brown Sugar latte; Both are amazing. Cala is very aesthetically pleasing, and I love the cohesiveness of their brand; everything from their logo, coffee packaging, and inside decor is picture-perfect. I always recommend Cala as the place to take a friend who is visiting town. The inside is adorable, the coffee is good, and they have a large variety of beans to choose from for a souvenir!
4) Caveat Coffee
I went to Caveat for the first time when I toured Samford as a junior in high school and, over time, I have grown to love it more and more. My go-to at Caveat is just a latte with raw honey, iced of course. Their standard lattes are pretty sweet, so if you’re like me and enjoy less sweet coffee, I would suggest asking for your latte “half-sweet”. Caveat is located in an old blue house in the downtown Homewood area, making it the perfect place to stop after a morning working out at Supertone or a day shopping downtown. While I am not a fan of coffee shops with drive-thrus, they have a little drive-up window on their bottom floor, making it the ideal spot to stop by and get a quality latte on your way home. Their outside seating is on their back patio, which is perfect on Fall and Spring afternoons, and their inside is calm and quiet.
5) Santos Coffee
Although I tried Santos for the first time a few weeks ago, it has become a new staple in my coffee shop rotation as I approach finals. Santos has several locations across Birmingham, but my favorite location is the one in downtown Homewood. One of the things that sets Santos apart is their hours! They are one of the few coffee shops in Birmingham that is open until 6 pm, making it my go-to study spot. I switch up my order at Santos a lot but have found myself loving their Coconut Latte as well as their Honey Lavender Latte.
Trying all the new coffee shops and slowly turning into a regular at some of them has been one of my favorite parts of Birmingham. I hope this list will recommend a new place to try or remind you of an old coffee shop you haven’t been to in a while. Regardless, let this serve as your reminder to take your friends to coffee, it is a love language after all.
