The Best Coffee in Pensacola, Florida
Josh and I love coffee. We love to make it, love to drink it, and love to share it with friends. Hanging out at coffee shops is our thing—any time we travel somewhere new, exploring local coffee shops is where you would be most likely to find us. We revel in a well-crafted cup of coffee.
Have I mentioned we really like coffee?
When we moved to Pensacola in the summer of 2018, I was four months pregnant, and could barely handle drinking even a sip of coffee—not because I didn’t want to or had an aversion, but because it felt like I was hyper-sensitive to caffeine! Even eating a small amount of dark chocolate would give me the jitters.
It was so strange to be in a new city and not be able to fully partake in one of our favorite activities to do together: coffee dates. After Baby Strebe was born and I ventured out into the world again, I finally got to enjoy a full cup of coffee at our favorite local spots.
Wondering where to get a good cup of coffee in Pensacola? Here’s our top five favorites:
My go-to: dirty chai + almond croissant (or pain au chocolat)
Craft Gourmet Bakery
Yes, this place is primarily a bakery… but their coffee is amazing! This is my hands down favorite coffee spot in Pensacola. Also, Chef Jordan’s pastries are some of the best I’ve had in the US since we moved back from Europe. If you think I’m a coffee snob, that’s nothing compared to my opinions on baked goods. My go-to is a dirty chai and an almond croissant.
Pros: excellent espresso drinks, friendly baristas, delicious baked goods, plenty of seating, easy parking
Cons: a little pricey
Me, preggo, hanging out at Constant Coffee on a coffee date
Constant Coffee
This little shop off Scenic Highway, and their new location on Palafox, is a great place to enjoy a quality craft coffee, tea, or house-made old-fashioned soda (as in phosphates, creams, and shrubs).
Pros: great coffee, laptop-friendly work/study space, good food, well-priced
Cons: seating isn’t super comfortable, parking can be difficult
Bodacious Brew
This is the local powerhouse craft coffee shop in Pensacola, with multiple locations around downtown. It’s a popular place for locals and tourists alike. We love their honey lattes and pizza!
Pros: great locations, good coffee
Cons: on the pricey side, limited street parking, limited seating, and can get very busy
Fosko Coffee Barre
This spot on Palafox has a beautifully designed interior and also serves made-to-order crepes. It’s a great location to stop in for an air-conditioned break after walking around the nearby Palafox Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. I’m a fan of their signature Foskolina, featuring their house cold brew. They’re also the only place in town that has an Oji tower, a Japanese slow-drip system for cold brew, which is delicious when they have it available.
Pros: good location, good iced coffee and cold brew, good crepes, very Instagrammable, good seating
Cons: personally, I’m not a fan of how they do their espresso drinks or for their flavored syrups… and I wish they used ceramic cups for hot drinks instead of double-walled plastic mugs.
French Silk Iced Latte (above), the perfect treat on a hot day at the Palafox Farmer’s Market
Mrs. Jones
Not technically a coffee shop, but this is one of my absolute favorite local coffee businesses. Mrs. Jones is a mom-preneur all about cold brew, and I’m obsessed with her formula. She makes all sorts of fun flavors year-round and sells primarily at the Palafox Farmer’s Market, though she recently opened a local cafe and retail space (co-owned and operated with two other awesome local businesses, Big Jerk Soda Co. and Nomadic Eats), and you can find her products at various grocery stores and cafes around town.
Pros: amazing cold brew, rotating seasonal flavors, punch card reward system, provides drink recipes so you can “be your own barista”
Cons: no seating (at Palafox Farmer’s Market), exclusively cold brew
Honorable Mentions:
Polonza Bistro
Polonza makes great craft coffee—they actually use the same beans as Craft Gourmet Bakery—but they did not make my list because the atmosphere is more restaurant than coffee shop. I also don’t love TVs in restaurants, unless I’m in a sports bar.
A latte and a spicy maple chai (above) from George Bistro + Bar
George Bistro + Bar
Similar to Polonza Bistro, George makes good craft coffee, but their focus is on the restaurant, and their food is delicious. They’re one of my favorite restaurants in Pensacola. But I’d rather come here for brunch (which I highly recommend) than just for coffee.
Chicory coffee is the coziest way to spend a rainy morning in Pensacola
Ruby Slipper
Another one of my favorite brunch places in Pensacola, but again, they’re a restaurant, not a coffee shop. But this chain from New Orleans serves French Truck coffee, of which I’m a fan, and they make an amazing iced vanilla latte that I can’t resist. I would be willing to stop in just for one of those. But then I don’t think I could resist ordering a bacon praline waffle, either. It’s an “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” situation.
Okay, now I’m hungry… and ready for another cup of coffee.