Why do most coffee shops in Alabama have to face a parking lot? Why the heck is everything another…read moreugly strip mall? What makes it even sadder in the case of Santos, is they tried to make the exterior a little more enjoyable by putting some nice tables and even a swing outside. Sadly, without any plants separating the area from the parking lot, the entire vibe of this coffee shop, both looking out from inside and sitting outside is not that great. But, vibe aside, let's talk about how it got here. Santos is a family owned small chain. The main owner, Wendy Madden, opened the first coffee shop in 1993 in Tuscaloosa and since expanded into Santos Coffee we know today. The establishment pays homage to Guatemalan saints and ancestral lands where coffee is sourced from, from family's original plantations. The beans are roasted in Birmingham after being imported from Guatemala. The coffee is absolutely excellent here. Seriously, a very tasty latte. Oddly, they do not have an option to get it in a mug, so there is no way to avoid the plastic coating and the flimsy paper cups. Also there wasn't even a design on top of the latte...but ok, maybe that's slightly picky to highlight. Thus, Santos as a whole is a good coffee shop for to go orders. With excellent coffee quality, this is where they really shine. With that said, the vibe and serving methods need work.

Super clean and the aesthetic I could spend hours here and work…read more The staff were really nice. They had good options for food and for drinks outside of coffee! Free water, which I love because it's self serve. Only thing I would change is the energy shot. It would amazing if they served an energy shot actually. I was expecting like a mini juice shot packed with vitamins and suppl

Drinks were great. Fast service good prices. I love how the back wall has pictures of all the…read moredrinks with the ingredients listed! Atmosphere was a vibe

The drinks weren't awesome. Our cake slice had mold on it... just a "trendy" place in my opinion…read more.. teenagers seem to love it.... It was packed with them.

1. Customer Service needs a lot of improvement: associate didn't know clear understanding of the…read moreingredients in shakes. 2. I'm not sure real fruit was used except I did see what I thought were blueberry seed??? 3. The shake tasted heavy with powdered shake mix and was too sweet. But maybe my expectations were too high, thinking they would be at least close to smoothie king or planet smoothie.

The menu is good but the customer service sucks. I was standing there trying to order for about 5…read moreminutes while the two girls working were just talking to their friends. They did not acknowledge me at all and just staying talking about their plans for the afternoon.

I had the chance to visit during an event, and it was a great first experience! The person taking…read moremy order was incredibly helpful and patient, offering recommendations based on what I was looking for. His suggestion--the Honey Cinnamon Latte--was absolutely spot on. This was actually my first hot latte since I usually order my coffee iced, and it completely changed my mind. It was warm, flavorful, and the perfect balance of honey and cinnamon. I'll definitely be branching out and trying more hot drinks in the future because of this experience. The shop itself was very clean and had a welcoming atmosphere. I also liked that they had games available, making it a great place to relax, meet up with friends, or even get some work done. While I can imagine this location gets pretty busy during the week, visiting on a Sunday made for a stress-free experience, and I had no trouble finding parking. Overall, I had a wonderful visit and will definitely be back to try more of the menu!

I stopped in on a Friday morning due to seeing a post on IG the night before for a BOGO coffee. It…read moresaid to mention the post and you'd get a BOGO. I did notice the post was from March however it just freshly popped up on my timeline. When I mentioned it, they unfortunately weren't honoring it. But no big deal! I noticed when I walked in that there was plenty of seating which I love for a coffee shop. The menu is very small. But the place is pretty new. They have only a few basic flavors but I would assume they will get more as time passes. I love the uniqueness of a coffee shops menu so it was a little disappointing. Nonetheless, I was still excited to try. The barista recommended the Manu, the vanilla & cinnamon latte. It's actually pretty good! Nothing I would run back to. But the location is very convenient for me. The baristas, Kerrick and Lex, were very helpful in choosing my order.

My husband and I have been on the hunt for the best bobas in town! We had a taro smoothie, the…read morefirst time turned out great but the second time they did not blend the ice thoroughly. So we were biting on chunks of ice, which was not enjoyable. Although we had that issue we would go back again and let them know what happened. The ambiance is casual and the service was fine. The tapioca pearls had a great texture and size, and I enjoyed the taro flavor.

Ordered a jasmine milk tea. It's basically jasmine-flavored iced water. For $8 (order + tip), this…read moreis basically a fancy water.

First time getting to visit this place while we were out running errands on a beautiful Saturday…read moreMorning. The workers were all kind and running the two lanes extremely efficiently. We barely had to wait long to get our drinks. After it finally came for our turn to come we got to taste the drinks and they were fantastic. We will definitely come through to order again soon! The iced Chai drinks are delicious.

I always like to try new coffee places and since I've never been to a Dutch Bros, I had been…read moreanxiously awaiting their opening. But here lately it's been so busy they have police directing traffic so I decided to wait a few weeks before I tried it. I went on a Tuesday morning and I ended up ordering the golden Eagle hot. I could tell there was a new person taking my order, but he did very well. It did not take me long to get my drink but the way the drive-through is that you have to wait behind people so it's not a two lane drive-through like some other coffee places. You can download the app and then get some freebies after a while. I will definitely be back.

O'Henry's is a great place to work from. The dinning room is huge and it has a mix of tables and…read morebooths. There's a large food and beverage menu. I ordered a latter with nonfat milk. It was good, but not memorable. While the dining room is large, it's freezing. I had sweater on and I was shaking. My friend told me it's like that all the time. We ended up moving to a booth in the back, which was more comfortable and a little warmer. It does get loud as the day goes on, so I recommend bringing headphones.

I visited O'Henry's for the first time and will definitely be back! It's very close to my house,…read moreand I specifically wanted a spot where I could sit outside, enjoy the nice weather, and get some work done. The outdoor seating was perfect for that. I ordered one of their Valentine's favorites, the Everybody Loves Raymond with oat milk, and my friend got the Wedding Cake. My drink was so good -- definitely a new favorite! The inside was also very nice with a great atmosphere if you need a place to study or work. It had a comfortable, productive vibe without being too loud. Looking forward to coming back and trying more from the menu!

Caveat can get pretty busy, but they have lots of tables, as there is seating upstairs (main…read moreentrance level), downstairs, and outside. They have outlets at not all, but several tables, so it can be a nice place to bring your computer. Music isn't very loud, so not too distracting. Parking can be difficult sometimes - there are only a few spots behind the building and a few in the front. Other than that, there is street parking on the one way next to the building, or on 18th (main drag through downtown Homewood). They have a drive-thru, but it's a bit odd at first glance. You either enter from the one way street paralleling it or from the alley that runs behind the building. It looks like you're driving up onto the sidewalk! If the line of long, it might be a bit of a wait, so I wouldn't count on it if you're in a hurry. I always get an Iced Blueberry Vanilla latte, and it's ~$7. Their rotating seasonal menus have some pretty interesting combinations that I always like to try!

Had a really nice Saturday morning at Caveat Coffee sitting on the patio with an iced blueberry…read morevanilla latte -- such a good combo and not overly sweet. It really did taste like a blueberry muffin. The patio had a relaxed, cozy vibe that made it easy to just slow down and enjoy the morning. Only downside was parking. I had to circle the block twice before finding a spot, so just be prepared if you go during a busy weekend morning. Thankfully, they do have a drive-thru option which is a huge plus if you're short on time or don't want to deal with parking. Definitely still worth the stop for the coffee and atmosphere!!!