Caffeine Overload: the 5 Best Coffee Shops in Tulsa

By Chloe Graves

Call me a middle-aged woman, but don’t talk to me until I’ve had my morning cup of coffee. Consuming unthinkable amounts of caffeine within a single day brings me more joy then I would care to admit. Latte, nitro brew, or just a good ole cup of coffee, doesn’t matter to me. Especially in a time that finals are nearing. Listen, I get it. You need a cute indie coffee shop to go sit and study at in order to actually get work done. But there’s one problem; you have no idea where to go.

Coming from a coffee guru, I visited five of the best local coffee shops within a 10-mile radius of Jenks High School, ordering a honey lavender latte at each. Here’s the criteria I took into consideration; the aesthetics, the smoothness of the coffee, and the overall creativity regarding the menu items in order to determine the ranking of the following coffee shops.

4. Mojo’s Mercantile and Coffeehouse

A convenient coffee shop for Jenks High School students to stock up on small town charm.

Mojo's Mercantiles' festive sign outside their shop.

While Mojo’s has no lack of small town charm and friendly atmosphere, indie is not quite the word I would use to describe the Jenks coffeehouse. Mojos has a surplus of items for sale, ranging from coffee cups to puzzles to art, making it an eclectic group of items that can be slightly overstimulating. Afterall, that is what makes a mercantile a mercantile.

As for the coffee, I must say it was a bit acidic for my liking, but the honey lavender flavor did mix smoothly with the coffee. Not to mention the presentation was aesthetically pleasing, serving my order in a white glass mug. It also can’t be ignored that it is quite convenient, considering it is located directly adjacent to Main Street Jenks.

Their seasonal menu was very broad and fun, something I had never seen before. Displayed on a chalkboard with artsy christmas drawings was a seasonal menu named after Christmas characters such as Santa Clause. It added a different aspect than most coffee shops, making the drinks on the menu more enticing to order and enhancing the overall experience. Their creativity definitely gave them some brownie points.

However, the idea was there, but the delivery was iffy. I saw the effort with the cute book pages splattered on the walls and the antiques scattered about the shop, but it seemed like they couldn’t pick an aesthetic. They combined multiple resulting in a bit of a clutter.

Nevertheless, I would recommend it as a quick and easy place to study and order a honey lavender latte from less than a mile from the school!

3. Sona Coffee

A modern coffee shop that most people could picture when they think of a cafe.

The outside of Sona coffee.

Sona: modern, pleasant, sweet. Located on Memorial is a quaint coffee shop that is different from the others, as it leans away from the indie vibe and more into the cool-toned simplistic vibe. We all know what I’m talking about; funky, angular shapes, gold accents, marble countertops, and wooden floors.

Sona was like a breath of fresh air, a cold drink of water on a hot summer day. It’s very clean and crisp, setting it apart from the other coffeeshops I visited. Yet, I can’t help but be more of a sucker for the more eccentric shops landing it at 3rd place, however, that is just personal preference.

I would say the coffee was pretty good, but fairly average. It was overly sweet and the coffee felt diluted. Nevertheless, it was coffee and I drank it because it was decent and helped give me a midday pick me up. It was just different from any other coffee I’ve ever had as well.

One thing I was particularly pleased with and a reason I will indeed be making a return to Sona for, is the fact that they serve smoothies. I was deeply interested in this and figured I might as well try one. It gave the menu a variety of drink options and really stood out to me when compared to its competitors. I found it to be a very bright spark of fun creativity in the coffee shop.

2. Nordaggios Coffee

A place to go when really craving a good cup of coffee and a calm environment.

The outside of Nordaggio's.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one ranking so high on my list. Nordaggios was edgy without even trying, giving the atmosphere a nice vibe yet not shoving it in your face.

The decor was interesting with coffee bags hanging about and copies of famous pieces of art in strictly neutral colors. The shop was small, giving it a more homely feel with a variety of different types of seating arrangements.

The coffee itself was one of the best coffees I’ve had in a while. While many honey lavender lattes can be overpowering and take away from the coffee, the flavors blended perfectly and made the experience more than blissful. I would say the coffee is definitely the best aspect of Nordaggios and something everyone should get to have a cup of at least once in their life.

As for the creativity of the menu, I would definitely say that this is the weakest aspect. It was pretty average with a variety of flavors that could be added in with a few specialty drinks. However, if the coffee is good, there is no need to make it complicated, so it only loses a few points on that aspect.

1. Shades of Brown

Perfect for studying and immersing yourself in an aesthetic world.

Shades of Brown's remarkable menu.

Shades of Brown is perfection at its finest. From the creativity, to the coffee, to the vibe of the entire shop, I fell in love as soon as I stepped through the door.

I am a lighting person through and through, if a coffee shop has dim lighting, I immediately appreciate it more, especially since it’s one of the first things one notices. And you know what is practically Shades of Brown’s middle name? Dim lighting. Especially considering it is illuminated with antique lamps instead of harsh overhead lights. Shades of Brown have their shading down!

The furniture ranges from couches, to wooden chairs, to tables, all appearing to be pieces that the owners slowly gathered overtime, making it charmingly unique and cozy. Covering the walls is real art that is being sold by local artists, something that can really be appreciated and is constantly shifting and changing as the art is being sold and new pieces are coming in.

As for the coffee, honestly it is the shop's weakest aspect when it comes to honey lavender latte. The blonde barista boy called my name and I walked swiftly to the coffee bar to pick up my drink, giving it a big whiff. I admired the delicate foam art, cringing before ruining it and taking the smallest sip. I thought about it, went back for a gulp this time, and then puckered from the sweetness. While the coffee was still pleasant, it was just a wave of unexpected sugar that was a tad too much.

The menu was one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen, with drinks named after underground indie bands to just come up with the most random, exciting titles. It makes you want to order them just so you can say you got, “The Velvet Underground.” Not only are the names funky, but the actual concoction that is the drinks are strange, yet make sense. I mean the drinks include anything from black pepper to rootbeer.

This taught me that coffee isn’t a source of energy or a way to quench your thirst, but a recreational activity. And that with much thought, your morning coffee will be more of an experience rather than a mundane daily ritual.