Louisville's quirky independent coffee shops aren't limited to Bardstown Road. Here are four more local coffee shops, all with that essential ingredient for a coffeehouse--free Wi-Fi.
Blue Mountain
400 E Main St
www.bluemountaincoffeehouse.com
The bartender was friendly and props for trying the coffee house-tapas restaurant combo, but the sandwiches and desserts were frozen and the staff behind the counter was as discombobulated as the coffee shop's Web site. The service was slow and when we asked if a sandwich came with mayo, the server just said, "I don't know" and shrugged.
Derby City Espresso
331 E. Market St.
www.myspace.com/derbycityespresso
A quirky place that reflects its owner, Matthew Landan, DCE is like going to have a drink of coffee at a friend's place. My latte was great; too bad I can't hold off until it opens at 11 a.m. for my first dose of espresso. DCE also has a quirky yet wide selection of beers and often has live music at night. Currently it is home to the Unconscious Collective art exhibit.
Java Brewing Company
2309 Frankfort Ave., 516 West Main St., 462 S. 4th St. and 135 S. English Station Road
www.javabrewingco.com/
There are four locations in Louisville, although I've only been to the one on Frankfort Ave. The espresso and atmosphere were great, although I'd be apprehensive about ordering wine by the glass here--the bottles had been opened the night before and were sitting in the sun all day.
Quills Coffee
930 Baxter Ave.
www.quillscoffee
Quills reopened last month after relocating from Kentucky Street. The beautiful new modern shop, decorated with rotating art and lots of wood (love the big table in the window) has many fans. The espresso was ok, not great. I'm not a tea connoisseur, but it did have an interesting and lengthy tea menu, which seemed to attract a lot of business.
(Photo: Flickr/journeyscoffee)
