5 Of The Best Locally Owned Coffee Shops In Memphis!

One of the best things about travel is trying local food and drink to get a taste of the culture and traditions of a new city. When you’re traveling on the Great River Road, the variety of food types and preparation from the start of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico offers many possibilities for taste testing local and regional spices and recipes. Oftentimes the perfect places for such experiences are the locally owned restaurants and cafes, and if you’re traveling to a bigger city on the Great River Road, the possibilities are in your favor.

One great example is Memphis, Tennessee where the options for dining and receiving genuine southern cooking for every meal are endless, including a morning or afternoon stop for coffee. Here are some of the best locally owned coffee shops to check out the next time you find yourself in Memphis. From the best blends in the south to experimental brews, these destinations have it covered when it comes to offering Memphis’ best cups of coffee.

Photo by Tamp & Tap

1. Tamp & Tap

Priding themselves on being one of the only Memphis restaurants to offer gourmet coffee, gourmet food, and some of the best local craft beers on tap, this untraditional coffee shop does a little bit of everything. Located in the downtown Memphis area, Tamp & Tap makes everything made-to-order to ensure quality and freshness and offers a fast casual atmosphere perfect for getting some work done or grabbing a quick takeout order.

With an extensive coffee menu, Tamp & Tap offers the basics, from espresso to latte to cold brew options, but they also have great specialty drink options with Tennessee style names like the Tennessean, a white-chocolate caramel latte, or the Choctaw Rocket, an espresso infused with honey, soda water, and a splash of cream served on ice. Along with the craft beers on tap and the delicious breakfast and lunch options, Tamp & Tap might become your new favorite spot to stop on the Great River Road.

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Photo By Café Eclectic

2. Café Eclectic

Family owned and run, this local coffee house has been serving up original Memphis style coffee and food since 2008. Nothing is better than supporting small, local businesses, especially when they give back to the community. Café Eclectic is locally and environmentally conscious, making use of local vendors whenever possible and participating in Project Green Fork since they opened their doors, which entails composting all of their food scraps, leftovers, coffee grinds with Compost Fairy, and recycling with Get Green Recycle Works.

On top of going the extra mile to help the community and environment, the best part is you won’t be able to get enough of their breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, their bakery treats, and of course their artisan Illy coffee that you won’t find anywhere else in Memphis. With everything on the menu made in house, from scratch, pastries made fresh daily, and breakfast served all day long, Café Eclectic is everything you could ever ask of a coffee house.

Photo by City & State

3. City & State

Whether you’re looking to shop or grab a cup of coffee, City & State has you covered. Located east of Midtown, this unique, locally owned shop offers both great coffee and genuine handmade goods from around the country. Celebrating quality, heritage, and fair trade, the goods and products in City & State’s shop range from skin-care products to kid’s toys to home goods to specialty nut butters from makers across the country.

Here you can grab a cup of your favorite coffee and browse the unique and storied items to find a perfect gift for a special occasion or a little something for yourself. Stick to your tried and true espresso or tea, or check out the seasonal menu to see what flavorful and experimental concoctions they have brewing. Either way, you will not soon forget this unique and gorgeous locally owned coffee house and you may find yourself wishing to visit again soon.

Photo by Otherlands Coffee Bar

4. Otherlands Coffee Bar

The artsy vibe of Memphis’ Midtown district is on full display at this eccentric coffee bar. Found in the historic Cooper Young district within Midtown, Otherlands embraces natural light, funky colors and sofas, and mismatched chairs, making it a unique and casual spot to hangout. With great choices for food and a variety of drinks, you never know what you might try.

Here you can enjoy yourself in the exotic atmosphere while finding the usual suspects on the coffee menu including lattes, macchiatos, Americanos, and blended frozen drinks. More bonuses are their homemade Italian sodas and their vegetarian friendly food menu featuring veggie burgers, bagels (with dairy or vegan cream cheese), tuna melts, and breakfast burritos. This unique little Memphis coffee spot has a lot to offer and will be a visit to remember, which is why it is one of the best locally owned coffee shops in the area.

Photo by Porcellino’s Craft Butcher

5. Porcellino’s Craft Butcher

Serving up gourmet coffee and tea drinks in a beautifully crafted space and atmosphere, Porcellino’s Craft Butcher is another great locally owned coffee stop in the Memphis area. Primarily known as a craft butcher shop, the shop also features many delicious coffee blends and bakery items. If you’re looking for a great space to hang out or work for a few hours, Porcellino’s creates a great atmosphere with fresh-cut flowers on the tables and lots of natural light.

Grab a coffee prepared just the way you like it, including pour-over and cold brew. Or maybe you’d like to try nitro coffee where creamy textured coffee is pushed through a keg with nitrogen. Porcellino’s offers endless possibilities to satisfy your coffee cravings, and pairing it with one of their freshly made bakery items, like the popular pies and breads or a more savory item like the cinnamon roll pudding, is a perfect combination for any season. If you do find yourself craving something more filling, the breakfast, lunch and dinner items are a great choice as well, making Porcellino’s a great choice any time of day.

Content Writer and Social Media Coordinator. I paint, listen to music, and play with my dogs a lot. When I’m not doing all that, I love to read and try new things.

Maeve Miller

Writer, River Travel Magazine