Known for its business in the front/party in the back mentality, and a motto of Rise & Grind, Ampersand opened in West Seventh with a legit speakeasy in the back that comes to life after hours. The location on University is “only business” however,  where co-eds set up their laptops and stay awhile.

Ampersand’s full array of specialty drinks include the Honey Latte, which adds natural sweetness to the classic latte. It’s one of the best coffee drinks in town.

Arcadia Coffee is a coffee shop and roastery in Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood. It opened with big dreams of being a space for creatives and people who want to communicate through the arts. It’s about food, artwork, music, literature — and some serious coffee.

With its industrial design and hippie chic vibe, Arcadia certainly makes an impression. Serving avocado toast, herbal teas and smoothies, this shop is almost a little slice of Austin in Fort Worth.

Dallas-based Ascension Coffee opened its first Fort Worth location with a large vision. This is a 2,420-square-foot restaurant with a killer patio overlooking the Trinity River.

The WestBend coffee shop serves all three meals (Fort Worth’s Ascension boasts a full menu and a full bar) and every possible snack in between. House-roasted beans are the star of the show. Ascension even serves an ancient Kyoto-style cold brew called Doki-Doki.

This is a Fort Worth-based artisanal coffee roastery. AVOCA Coffee Roasters’ obsession centers around micro-roasted beans. With many single origin and blends available — and plenty of cool spaces in the coffee shop for unwinding — this was one of Fort Worth’s first independent coffee shops.

It’s stuck around for good reason.

One of the first independent coffee shops to hit East Fort Worth, Black Coffee specializes in sourcing and roasting its own beans and building community. House specialties include the Black Eye made with espresso coffee and specialty-brewed coffee, and the Lavender Honey Latte, a blend of espresso, raw honey, lavender syrup and steamed milk.

It’s worth dropping in for a local croissant or breakfast taco as well.

Brewed started as a shop that serves brewed coffee in the morning and brewed beer at night, with an all day menu. The space still does double duty now, with breakfast and brunch until 3 pm. Then, it transforms into an event venue after hours.

What should you order? The John Wayne is an espresso floated on a shot of cream, and the Thai-licious is a take on a Thai coffee with cinnamon syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Both help Brewed live up to its name.

At Buon Giorno, the craft coffee is inspired by Italian tradition. That’s why several varieties of espresso are roasted in house. Buon Giorno hopes to entice visitors to linger over a “slow” cup of coffee. It’s no surprise that the roastery highlights its espresso drinks, along with French presses and Italian sodas. There is an interesting selection of savory and sweet pastries to complement your cup.

This unique drive-thru format picked up during the pandemic, bringing contactless service and convenience. Along with coffee, cold brew and lattes, Carter’s Coffee serves the richer and sweeter Vietnamese coffee (made with espresso, sweetened condensed milk and half and half), along with chai lattes and cappuccinos.

To warm up your breakfast routine, there are also bowls and sandwiches with brisket or bacon.

A Fort Worth coffee shop and workspace combo, Craftwork brings serious beans to hotels and high-rises. This is a spot where things are kept simple, with different beverage sizes, a handful of signature drinks and a select curation of house-made syrups. Craftwork features small batch roasteries from around Texas, as well as selection of locally baked snacks.

Crude is the perfect fusion of barista-style craft coffees and homemade, small-batch desserts. Owner Teresa Bloodworth and her son, Corey Bloodworth, have created a place to sit down, spread out and escape from the ordinary. Complete with a chandelier overhead.

Whether you like traditional coffees and cappuccinos, or prefer something more exotic, Crude has you covered, brewing Cultivar coffee. Save room for scratch-made desserts like crème brulee, bread pudding, tiramisu, strawberry cake and apple tarts.

A rarity on Fort Worth’s Westside, this new gem aims to serve craft coffee, cultivate creativity and create connections. The modern interior is punctuated with pops of sunny yellow. One of Lasy Daisy’s most special drinks is not made with coffee. The Holly Blue is a spritzer made with butterfly pea powder (giving it a blue hue), topo chico, lemon juice and simple syrup.

Started in North Richland Hills in 2009, Roots spread its wings by adding a Southside Fort Worth location to the mix. Roots features Novel Coffee Roasters beans. Owner Janice Townsend added wines by the glass and local craft beer on tap to the menu in 2017.

Whether you hit Roots for a morning cup of coffee and a house-made gluten-free muffin, or in the evening for a glass of wine and a cheese board, it’s a worthy stop.

Formerly named Sons of Liberty, this downtown hotspot is now known merely as Sons Coffee. The edgy and thoroughly urban coffee house fronts onto busy Lancaster Avenue. This coffee shop is great for a quick pick up. Along with its nitro cold brew, the earthy rosemary oat milk latte is a new favorite at Sons.

Austin-based Summer Moon is known for its wood-fired coffee roasts and its distinctive sweetener — Moon Milk. Moon Milk complements the oak-roasted undertones of its coffees, rather than overwhelming them. Now with two Fort Worth locations, Summer Moon brings a Hill Country vibe to the city. The case is filled with a collection of local pastries and snacks.

The owners of next door wine bar Thirty Eight & Vine, Sam and Jennifer Demel rebranded the former Craftwork Coffee space in The Foundry. The co-working and coffee hub is still a Foundry District fixture. Locally sourced nibbles, including fresh kolaches, and a full array of coffee drinks in the bright, window-filled space, are completed by patio seating.

Trinity Coffee House makes for a good Fort Worth coffee pilgrimage.

If you work near the courthouse, Vaquero is likely your first stop in the morning. Christopher Rushing and Jonathan Heath opened this local upstart in 2018. The cozy space offers the choice to observe passers-by in the glass-encased storefront. You can lounge in two, deep comfortable leather couches. Or watch the baristas at work in the open espresso bar.

Vaquero’s signature Horchata Latte and its mesquite smoked espresso shot, known as the Sid Richardson, are notable.