Drinking Coffee on Tulsa Time

Welcome back to another blog post! I’m really excited to share this post with you all about one of my favorite things: coffee! I love drinking iced coffee during the summer and there are a few coffee shops around the greater Tulsa area that are some of my favorite and regular spots. Another thing I love to pair with coffee is a sweet or savory treat. Most of my regular spots have great options for eating gluten-free, so it’s very exciting for me to have tons of options. I also love that these are all local business that I can help support. Thank you to all of the family members and friends who went to the coffee shops with me and helped me try out all kinds of things. If you live near Tulsa, Oklahoma and are on the lookout for a coffee shop to try out, here are some recommendations for you.

Chimera

212 N. Main Street Tulsa, OK 74104

Chimera is one of my faaaaavorite coffee shops ever! Their coffee is tiny, strong, and comes in the cutest cups and pots. Chimera has a detailed menu for their drip coffees which describe the coffee blends, aroma, and hints of flavor so you can always find a coffee you’re in the mood for. Chimera also has amazing breakfast tacos and most of them are naturally gluten-free.

CHOCS (Coffee House on Cherry Street)

1502 E. 15th Street Tulsa, OK 74120

CHOCS is one of my absolute favorites for gluten-free pastries! The most recent time that I went there, it was toward the end of the day and their stock was not so full at that point, so I got a gluten-free Sugar Cookie. I have had this kind of cookie before and they are HUGE, you can definitely share one with someone. I attached some other pictures of sweet things that I have had there before as well, i.e. gluten-free Lemon Cake, gluten-free Lavender Cake, gluten-free Sweetie Cookies, and gluten-free Cherry Limeade Cupcakes. As far as coffee, one of my favorite drinks there is an Iced Honey Badger. This drink consists of honey, cinnamon, espresso, and milk. This drink reminds me a lot of the Cinnamon Dolce flavor that Starbucks has, but this drink is a local version and very smooth. My sister that went with me got an Iced Polar Bear which consists of white chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, espresso, and milk. This drink is so yummy, a good blend of chocolate and spice.

Heirloom Baking Company

1441 S. Quaker Ave Tulsa, OK 74120

I got to Heirloom right as it was closing for the day, so I wasn’t able to order a coffee, but I highly recommend a plain Iced Latte. Heirloom brews Topeca Coffee, which is a local brand, and fair trade. One of my favorite baked goods at Heirloom is the gluten-free Lemon Poppy-Seed Muffin. This time that I went, I got a gluten-free Fudge Mint Brownie and a gluten-free Blueberry Bar. I have had the brownie before and it is very rich and creamy. The blueberry bar was a new item for me and it tastes like a cake consistency and super delicious.

Old School Bagel Cafe

3723 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74105 Brookside Location

6805 S. Yale Ave Tulsa, OK 74136 South Tulsa Location

Because you know I’m all about that….bagel. Hahaha. But seriously, yes I am. Old School has some of my favorite drip coffee ever, i.e. Hazelnut, Hawaiian, and a Creme one that I can’t remember the name. Old School makes their own bagels daily and has Udi’s Gluten Free Bagels available. There are probably about 30ish different types of bagels and the ones I have had are delicious! My favorite is a Breakfast Bagel on a Multi Grain Udi’s Bagel. One of my sisters always get the 4-Cheese Bagel with marinara sauce, a close second for me. And another recommendation is the Fifth Avenue, which is turkey, ham, bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and red onion. And it’s even better toasted.

Shades of Brown Coffee & Art

3302 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74105

I hadn’t been to Shades of Brown in a long time so I wanted to stop back by and get some java. There are hardly any options for gluten-free treats, other than packaged granola bars, etc, at this location. However, this time I got the Iced Santa Paula, which is apparently a staff favorite, and it’s a dark chocolate mocha with orange zest. This was a new drink for me and tasted just like one of those chocolate oranges that come in foil, only in the drink version. So good. My sister got an Iced Caramel Latte, which started off very strong but finished with a very smooth, toasted flavor.

Topeca Coffee

115 w. 5th Street #169 Tulsa, OK 74103 Located in The Mayo Hotel

100 E. 2nd Street Tulsa, OK 74103 Located in The Hyatt Regency

I had some of the most fun going to Topeca! Some of my close friends work for this company and one of them was able to give me a tour around the roastery, lab, and production site. Topeca Coffee is a true gem to Tulsa as it helps to set our town apart from others, in the way of coffee as an art and appreciation. Topeca has a few locations around Tulsa and they also own Heirloom Bakery (see above) and Hodges Bend, also in Tulsa. Topeca Coffee is a family owned business with fully integrated involvement from seed to cup. Coffee beans are purchased 50% from El Salvador, with relationships growing between farmers in Africa and Brazil. Buyers from all over the US have purchased Topeca coffee beans and the roastery site has been used as a training ground for other roasteries and baristas from all over the country. Topeca Coffee is certified through the Specialty Coffee Association of America (www.scaa.org). Thanks for making me coffee and showing me around, Tyler!!

Scoops & Grinds

1023 W. Main Street Collinsville, OK 74021

This coffee shop isn’t necessarily in the Tulsa area, but if you live in the Owasso area or just want to take an evening drive out-of-town, Scoops & Grinds is a great place to try! This coffee shop has classic, handcrafted beverages and a variety of flavors of gelato and sorbet. I have had the Dirty Chai Latte before but this time I got a Breve Latte (half and half cream instead of milk….yeeessss). This drink was great for the end of the day as it was very foamy, frothy, and had a great natural sweetness. I got a Pineapple Mango sorbet and my sister got an English Toffee Gelato, sooo yum! Another flavor that I have had before is the Candied Bacon Vanilla Gelato, awesome combination of sweet and salty. Plus, who doens’t like bacon??

I hope you enjoyed reading this, I had tons of fun visiting and writing about these coffee shops 🙂

Love from, Amy.