Dallas has plenty of chain coffee, but the city's independent cafes are where the good stuff is. Some roast their own beans, some pour coffee from guest roasters around Texas, and a few give part of every sale back to the community. Here are eight independent coffee shops worth your time, grouped by neighborhood so you can plan a morning around them.
Every name and address below was checked against at least two public sources, including the shops' own websites, local press and map listings. Hours change, especially on Sundays and holidays, so check before you go.
Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff has one of the best coffee scenes in the city, with several shops a short drive from each other.
Davis Street Espresso
819 W Davis St, Dallas, TX 75208 · North Oak Cliff
The espresso bar of Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters, a Dallas roaster founded in 2008. The menu is short on purpose: espresso drinks made with the roaster's own beans, drip coffee, cold brew and local pastries. There are no flavored syrups, and local coverage notes there is no Wi-Fi either. This is the place to go if you care most about the coffee itself.
Wayward Coffee Co.
1318 W Davis St, Dallas, TX 75208 · Winnetka Heights
A small cafe a few blocks west of Davis Street Espresso. Wayward serves Cat & Cloud espresso from Santa Cruz along with rotating guest coffees from Texas roasters. The room is tiny and the patio fills up on weekend mornings. Wayward also has a second Dallas shop at 2025 Irving Blvd, Unit 102, in the Design District. Both list hours of about 7 am to 7 pm daily.
Slow and Steady Coffee
1805 S Edgefield Ave, Dallas, TX 75224 · Elmwood
A roaster and cafe in a converted house in Elmwood. Everything is roasted in house, and the menu covers espresso, pour-over, chai and breakfast biscuits. There is room to work and a back patio. The shop lists weekday hours starting at 6:30 am, so it is a good pick for an early start. Check before a weekend visit.
Downtown and the Farmers Market
Palmieri Cafe
920 S Harwood St, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75201 · Dallas Farmers Market
An Italian coffee shop and bakery inside the Dallas Farmers Market, started by Corrado Palmieri, who moved to Dallas from Lecce in southern Italy. Expect Italian-style espresso and pastries baked in house. Palmieri also has a second cafe in Bishop Arts. Pair a visit with a walk through the market stalls.
Oak Lawn and Uptown
Union Coffee
3705 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas, TX 75219 · Oak Lawn
Union is a nonprofit coffee house and community space. A portion of what you spend supports local causes, and the shop hosts community events in the evenings. Map listings show it open into the evening on weekdays, which makes it a useful stop when most cafes have closed.
Magnolias Sous Le Pont
2727 N Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201 · Harwood District
A cafe in the Harwood District that serves coffee alongside breakfast, sandwiches and salads, plus a small selection of gifts. Its website lists daily hours of 7 am to 5 pm. It shows up on most local lists of the city's best coffee and makes an easy stop if you are working or sightseeing near Uptown.
East Dallas and Lake Highlands
Be Kinder Coffee
6500 Greenville Ave, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75206 · Greenville Avenue
A nonprofit cafe set inside an office building on Greenville Avenue. Be Kinder trains and employs refugees, and its Vietnamese coffee has built a following on its own. Because it sits inside an office building, it is easy to miss, so look for the suite number.
White Rock Coffee
10105 E Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75238 · Lake Highlands
A local roaster with several Dallas locations, including Lake Highlands, Lakewood and Preston Hollow. White Rock runs a training space called the Brew Lab, where it teaches coffee classes. The Lake Highlands shop has a drive-thru and a patio and lists long daily hours. It is a good stop on the way to or from White Rock Lake.
Tips for a Dallas coffee crawl
- Do Oak Cliff in one morning. Davis Street Espresso and Wayward are on the same street. Slow and Steady is a short drive south in Elmwood.
- Go early on weekends. Small cafes with small rooms fill up fast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you want a table, aim to arrive before 9 am.
- Check Sunday hours. Some neighborhood roasters close or open late on Sundays. Look at the shop's website or map listing the day you go.
- Buy beans to take home. Roasters like Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters and Slow and Steady sell whole beans. Ask the staff what they are drinking this week.
- Bring cash or a card, not a plan. The best part of a coffee crawl is the conversation at the counter. Ask what is new on the menu and try it.
Why choose independent coffee?
Independent cafes are run by people who care a lot about one thing. You get coffee from roasters who know where their beans came from, baristas who remember your order, and rooms that feel like the neighborhood around them. The money you spend stays closer to home, too.
Know an independent Dallas coffee shop we should add? Let us know and we will check it out.