I Tried the 5 Best Coffee Shops in Springfield, MO: Here’s the Verdict

When it comes to finding the best coffee in Springfield, Missouri, it’s a hard task.

It’s like choosing your favorite cashew chicken restaurant…good luck.

I tested a few of the top-rated cafes in the local area.

The Notable Mentions: Springfield’s Oldest-Running Coffee Spots

Mudhouse Coffee has been a local favorite for decades. It’s a solid choice.

Even the Potter’s House has been a fan-favorite – although not so much for their coffee flavors, but more for their social atmosphere (the vibe).

Classic Rock Coffee Company can also a be a nice spot for consistently well-brewed coffee.

There are Literally Hundreds of Coffee Shops in Springfield, MO

Countless locally-owned, independent coffee shops have sprouted up over the last 5-10 years:

• Brick & Mortar Coffee
• El Cafecito
• Coffee Queen in the Wild
• LoveCraft Farms Coffee
• Brew 21 Extra Chromosomes Coffee Co.

Without counting the big-box franchises like Scooters, 7-Brew & Dutch Bros, I haven’t even scratched the surface.

By the time you’ve finished reading this blog post, some of these cafes will have (God forbid) gone out of business and a new batch of mom-and-pop coffee shops will have taken their place.

It is what it is. About 50% to 75% of independent coffee shops fail within 5 years of opening.

Here’s the bad news. There aren’t a lot of “great” coffee spots here like there are in St. Louis or Kansas City, Missouri.

Despite the massive urban sprawl and the outright heinous amounts of standstill traffic, Springfield continues to vibe as a “small town.”

The coffee options are slim. Yes, before you ask, I’ve tried most them.

Ranking the Best Coffee Shops in Springfield, Missouri

The Winner: Kingdom Coffee

Okay.

Kingdom Coffee remains my die-hard favorite coffee shop in Springfield.

Their lavender coffee latte is a solid pick. Their house blend was, if I’m being honest, the “least worst” out of all five shops listed here.

One more thing.

And I’m not joking. When it comes to straight black coffee and cream (no sugar – you don’t need it), the BEST spot to go to is Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe in downtown Springfield, Missouri.

It is just unbelievably good, especially considering the fact that they are NOT a coffee shop, but a breakfast restaurant.

The Runner Up: Architect Coffee

I started by testing their light roast and medium roast house coffee blends. First, I tested the base flavor profile without cream or sugar, then I adding some cream for a brief re-evaluation.

Flavor Profile: the light roast had a deeper, bolder nutty flavor with citrus notes, while the medium roast was very acidic, bitter, and pungent. The flavor profile became very balanced with just some cream.

Their house coffees aren’t exceptional, but they’re also not terrible either.

Honestly, grab the breakfast burrito here (and the one at Roots Coffee Bar). It’s consistently good.

Traveller’s House Cafe

I tried their black dark roast drip coffee – which was largely indistinguishable from the base profile of most other competitors. The iced mocha latte is one of my favorites.

Warning: it depends who makes it. Sometimes there’s a bunch of chocolate syrup and sugar, other times it’s pretty sparse.

Here’s the verdict.

There’s a reason why they’ve managed to nab three prime real estate locations in the city (including the airport).

Traveller’s House Coffee delivers some solid, great-tasting lattes and espresso drinks.

I recommend it.

Personally, my homemade Nespresso Cafe recipes beat them (and it’s not even close). Following some of these recipes at home will save you money AND take your tastebuds on a roller coaster. Real talk.

The Coffee Ethic

I got their seasonal rosemary latte. It’s actually very herby, milk-heavy, creamy, and decadent.

I did not forget to try their black drip coffee blend to give a fair blank-slate comparison between the other coffee shops.

Flavor Profile: the dark roast version is incredibly acidic and bitter with a full-bodied profile, whereas the medium-roast is a slightly less intense version.

Eurasia Cafe

I had their lavender latte with full fat whole milk. It’s pretty darn good, but Kingdom Coffee still beats them out with this brew. Eurasia’s blend is almost medicinal, with comforting herbal notes that remind me of sage or rosemary. It’s a nice winter-weather beverage.

I’ll be honest. Kingdom’s lavender coffee blend had more sugar in the mix and a subtler lavender flavoring.

I didn’t forget.

I tried their standard dark/medium roast drip coffee just to test the flavor profile. No cream. No sugar. Just a straight taste test.

Flavor Profile: the dark roast version is incredibly acidic and bitter with a full-bodied profile, whereas the medium-roast is a slightly less intense version. The water/grounds ratio was off that da; therefore, it tasted a lot more watery.

Echelon Coffee

I DID NOT try everything on the menu. There are probably great-tasting lattes and espresso blends available.

I did try the drip coffee (house blend) to test the light roast and medium roast options.

Oh boy. They were insanely bitter and acidic. It was rough even AFTER adding cream and sugar.

Sorry. I can’t exactly recommend this one. Disagree is you want. Some people seem to love it. I was not one of them.

How I Reviewed and Ranked These Springfield, MO Coffee Shops

The Methodology

To make things fair, I made it a point to only try the house blends (light, medium, and/or dark roast) that were available.

First, I drank them black. Then, I tried them with cream (sometimes sugar), and, lastly, drank my specialty coffee just for personal enjoyment.

I also didn’t eat or drink for 1-2 hours beforehand.

The Context

When it comes to coffee flavor profiles, I’m not a professional (Q Grader). These pros rate coffee on roast profile, quality, and flavor characteristics. They go through a lot of training. Even that isn’t enough.

You need to have a sensitive, refined palate to identify and process the broad array of subtle flavor notes within coffee.

While I’m not knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, I’m also not the wine-sipping intellectual savant when it comes to distinguishing coffee flavor profiles.

Keep all of this in mind!