True West Coffee
313 Main St., Hamilton; truewestcoffee.com
True West Coffee is one of Hamilton’s beloved gathering places. Founded in Hamilton in 2011, the shop is in a 150-year-old, two-story home in the city’s downtown region.
The coffee shop has an extensive coffee menu with espresso drinks such as lattes, fraps and cappuccinos. It also has pour-over single-cup brews as well as milkshakes, smoothies and sodas.
The lattes, iced and hot, are among the coffee shop’s most popular selling items. The most popular latte is the Pot o’ Gold, which has caramel and vanilla.
Offering food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu at True West Coffee has breakfast items, salads and gourmet sandwiches. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.
True West on Wheels is seen at events such as Hamilton Flea, Operation Pumpkin, and other local activities.
Jupiter Coffee & Donuts
5353 Dixie Hwy., Suite 5, Fairfield; https://jupiter-coffee-donuts.square.site
Jupiter Coffee & Donuts is known for its in-house, roasted coffee blends. It also has themed lattes and frappes and sells signature apple fritters. Jupiter Coffee & Donuts is also one of the stops on the Butler County Donut Trail.
Hours are 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Closed Monday.
RedLife Coffee
22 N. College Ave., Oxford; redlifecoffee.com
Owned by The Calvary Church, RedLife Coffee in the historic Alexander House and opened its doors last year with a mission to serve people and be part of the community. It has coffees, espressos, lattes, teas, cold brews and more as well as crepes, snacks and treats.
The crepes are named after the people who created them. For example, “The Taylor” was named after a person that came up with the recipe. “The Taylor” is a unique twist on a classic crepe combination. The single crepe includes a combination of strawberries, Nutella and marshmallow fluff topped with cinnamon.
Formerly an historic home, the interior space has various rooms, including a living room, dining room, study and a great room. Outside, there’s a front porch, a deck, and a back patio.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Sunday.
Immortal Vibes
Credit: TV Hamilton
Credit: TV Hamilton
230 Main St., Hamilton; immortalvibes.com
Immortal Vibes is a cool combination of guitars, espressos and spirts. From morning to evening, it’s a ’90s-vibe coffee shop and a casual bar with craft beers on tap with a large selection of bourbons and other spirits. It has a unique and hard-to-find collection of guitars hanging on the walls, and some are available for customers to play or purchase. There is live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cavu Coffee
7755 Cox Lane, West Chester Twp.; facebook.com/cavucoffeeboutique
Cavu Coffee is a boutique beverage venue with specialty coffee beverages, including pour-over and syphon extraction methods. The shop exclusively brews beans from La Terza Artisan Coffee Roasterie. All of the chocolate, caramel and seasonal sauces are handcrafted at the store. Cavu Coffee also offers organic teas, smoothies and baked goods.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Coffee By Inferno
640 S. Main St., Monroe; facebook.com/coffeebyinferno
Four local volunteer firefighters and service personnel teamed up to open Coffee By Inferno in Monroe last February. They also share a companion business — Victory Lane Pizza. Two couples, who reside in the German Twp./Gratis area serve as the co-owners, including Sarah and David Terrell and Jeff and Melissa King. The friends and fellow volunteers met a decade ago. They serve as volunteer firefighters at Shawnee Fire District.
The shop has given the owners a chance to bring “a little bit of positivity to people,” and on every coffee cup, they write a positive message to bring a smile to people. The hope is that a positive message combined with a great cup of coffee, customized for each guest makes somebody “feel welcome and special in that moment.” Messages say things such as “Believe you can and you’re halfway there,” “You are loved” and “You’re sunshine on a cloudy day.”
Hours are 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Village Perks
315 N. Main St., Seven Mile; facebook.com/thevillageperksllc
Village Perks serves organic, fair-trade roasts, frappes, espresso-based drinks, smoothies and teas. One popular cold drink is the Dragon Fruit Limeade Refresher. Another signature favorite is the Blueberry Lavender Matcha Latte with cold foam.
The breakfast menu includes biscuits and gravy, a house-made waffle and a breakfast burrito, to name a few.
Hours are 4:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Triple Moon Coffee Company
1100 Central Ave., Middletown; facebook.com/triplemooncoffee
This small-town coffee shop has a welcoming atmosphere with comfortable meeting spaces. It gained extra notoriety when it became a spot visited by director Ron Howard when he was in town filing the “Hillbilly Elegy” movie.
Specialty drinks include handcrafted espressos, lattes and smoothies. Breakfast and lunch food items are available. Sisters of the Moon Sandwiches include “Moon Over Italy,” “Turkey Deluxe” and “Fresh Egg Salad,” to name a few. Plus, there’s a cozy nook with books and games.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.
State Street Coffee
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
938 W. State St., Trenton; statestreetcoffeeinc.com
State Street Coffee is known for its coffee and espresso flight options. A few of the popular options include State Street Cold Brew and Vanilla Cold Brew with Cream. Specialties include coffees, teas and pastries.
State Street also has Girl Scout Cookie Drinks, including “Thin Mint,” “Samoa,” “Peanut Butter Patty” and “French Toast.”
Hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday; and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
There’s more
Other local shops to visit include Coffee Cup Overflowing in Hamilton; Kofenya Coffee in Oxford; Fairfield Coffee in Fairfield and Fringe Coffee House in Hamilton.
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