Late night

Tie: West Oak Coffee Bar and Cafe Brazil. The late night game used to be claimed by Aura Coffee, but they're only open 24 hours during finals nowadays. Both West Oak and Cafe Brazil are open until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. So if you're wanting that extra boost to help make it to 2am, they're gonna be your best bet. Also, remember that Harvest House has coffee and Black and Blue (nitro cold brew) on tap that you can get whenever you're there.

Have a Meeting

Zera Coffee Company has a great large(ish) meeting space that they allow groups to use in their space on McKinney St. Seven Mile Cafe is also a great place for a meeting. There are always plenty of large tables with easy access to outlets. The area is spacious enough that you don't feel like the table next to you is eavesdropping nor do you feel as if you have to whisper. The wi-fi is fast, too. If your partners are in a drinking mood, Harvest House before 4pm can be a good spot for meetings. If you have a larger crowd, they have that one awesome long table and you can spread out on top of.

Shift Coffee is another good spot for meetings. They never mind you pushing a few tables together if you need and the outside tables will allow you to not have to worry about how loud you're talking and - if the weather is nice - you can have a great meeting outside. The space on South Locust doesn't have as much walking traffic as the shops directly on the square so you can concentrate fairly easily and it is easier for members of your meeting to find traffic.

Proximity to Donuts

Cultivar definitely wins this one since they are inside the same space occupied by Hypnotic Donuts. Now, let's just get them open later than 2pm on weekdays.

If you're out late at night on the weekends and craving coffee and donuts, stop by the backdoor of Queenie's on Austin St. for some "backdough" stuffed donuts that you can take down to Harvest House and eat along with some cold brew coffee.

People watching

Jupiter House is a great place to set up and people watch. In one sitting, you may be witness to an argument between a young punk rocker and a homeless man and see the most beautiful dog in the world walked by all in a span of ten minutes. Yeah, sure dogs aren't people, but we'd pretty much always "dog watch" more than we would "people watch." That said, there are always interesting people and things at happening at Jupiter House. Aura Coffee (ex-Big Mike's) is another great place to people watch due to its proximity to UNT/Fry St.

Cooling Off

Cold brew coffee is going to be an important part of your summer. Loco Cafe has you covered if you're out and about during breakfast or lunch hours. Stop by and grab one of their "Icebox coffees" and that 100-degree weather won't bother you at all. Shift and Cultivar have our favorite cold-brews in town. Both are sweet enough naturally that they need no sugar and have low-levels of acidity that you can drink them straight. Shift and West Oak also have seasonal drinks in the summer that will normally cure what ails you (i.e. the heat). If you like drinking cold-brewed coffee that has been infused with nitrogen and is as thick as Guiness, head over to Harvest House. If you're into buying concentrate for use at home, Target sells Chameleon cold brew sometimes if you're into shopping on Loop 288. Oh, and if it is true that chocolate milk helps your muscles after a work out, West Oak Coffee Bar has the stuff on tap. Dead Beat Coffee used to make some good cold brew, but we don't know where those dudes disappeared to.

Specialty Drinks

If you're looking for a local equivalent to larger coffee chain's season specialty, West oak Coffee Bar often has rotating specialty beverages that are both fun and beautiful. Shift also has seasonal beverages that they bring out every once in a while. You can read about one of our faves here.

Entertainment

West Oak and Zera's both have shows every once in a while that are definitely worth going to. Both Jupiter House and West Oak have rotating art displays that are always worth checking out, too. Harvest House, of course, has larger shows all of the time, but their vibe trends way more trendy bar/bier-garten than it does "coffee shop" at that time of night.