Ah, coffee, the revered morning ritual for millions across the country and even more around the world. A steaming cup of coffee in the morning might truly be the best part of waking up. 

Though there’s a contentious debate about whether coffee is doing you good or causing you harm, the simple fact remains that for many, coffee is an essential part of a focused, productive day.

Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day, and following soon after is International Coffee Day, which takes place on Oct. 1. Both of these holidays present a special opportunity to celebrate this wonderful world commodity. If you’re a coffee lover, celebrate these joyous java holidays by enjoying a hot, or iced, cup of coffee at a local cafe. Need some recommendations? No worries. Here’s a roundup of local cafes that await your presence.

Collins Quarter

Collins Quarter is an Australian-style cafe with two locations, one on Forsyth Park and one on Bull St. They offer a good range of cafe drinks including espresso, signature coffees, and hot and iced brews. Their Spiced Lavender Mocha is a fan favorite, featuring dark chocolate, sweet spices and lavender to uplift the senses.

The Coffee Fox

Located on a Broughton St. corner, The Coffee Fox is a craft coffee shop vending a variety of cafe drinks in a chill environment. If you like espresso and Latin flair, go for the Horchata Latte, which is made with Mexican sweetened milk.

Foxy Loxy

Foxy Loxy is The Coffee Fox’s sister store, and it’s equal parts coffee shop, bakery and tex-mex cantina. It’s located on Bull St. across from the library. They’ve got standard espresso drinks that can be prepared iced or hot, and signature drinks that mirror what’s available at The Coffee Fox.

Gallery Espresso

Also located on Bull St., you’ll find Gallery Espresso, a cozy cafe that operates in part as an art gallery, featuring different exhibitions regularly. The Gallery Espresso house blend is a robust dark French roast, perfect to enjoy as you contemplate the interesting artworks adorning their walls.

Java Burrito

Java Burrito is a relative newcomer to Savannah’s coffee scene, but they’ve already gained a steady following. Sitting on a Broughton St. corner, Java Burrito is both a burrito bar and a cafe with a good mix of coffee drinks on the menu. They offer a seasonal rotation of espresso drinks and coffee roasts, and you can add their liquors to your coffee to make the drink extra fun.

PERC

PERC is a roaster and cafe on East Broad with an industrial-chic atmosphere offering house-roasted craft coffee and pastries. You can choose your vibe, mild, wild or decaf, and your style — options include drip coffee, espresso, flash chilled, latte and others — to enjoy a tasty cup of joe that’s uniquely your own. You can also opt for one of their signature bevs or manual brews.

Savannah Coffee Roasters

On Liberty St. across from the Savannah Civic Center sits Savannah Coffee Roasters, which has been operating since 1909. Though the location has changed over the years, their commitment to pouring art into every cup remains the same. They’ve got all of the cafe classics as well as some distinct drinks. lf you need something that’ll wake you up in the morning, try the Shot in the Dark, which is their house-roasted, brewed coffee with a double shot of espresso.

The Sentient Bean

Just across from Forsyth Park is The Sentient Bean, an unassuming coffee house vending vegetarian dishes and delicious cafe drinks. All of their coffee is 100% fair trade, organic and shade grown, so you can feel good about drinking it. They offer their coffees hot or iced to suit your desires. Enjoy your coffee inside or take with you on a stroll through the park.

VEL

VEL is a brand-new, state-of-the-art cafe/coworking space located on Bull St. VEL is imagined as an extreme coffee shop designed to help get you in the zone. They have a curated menu of nootropic coffee drinks to stimulate the mind and get creativity flowing. For peak performance, try the Free Drive. It’s espresso, honey, lavender and a special mushroom blend. You can have it delivered by Iris, their cool coffee robot that is ready to serve you at a moment’s notice.

Vic’s Coffee Bar

Vic’s on the River, which is located on River St. as you can probably guess, is a restaurant with a small cafe vending a variety of cold, hot, and frozen coffee drinks. They’ve got all the classics, like Americano, lattes and the like. But if you’re looking for a really good time, go for something boozy. They’ve got Irish Coffee, White Russians, Mexican Coffee and more.

This round-up is in no way exhaustive, and there are plenty of other great coffee houses around town that are perfect for your Coffee Day celebration. It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you enjoy a nice cup of joe in time for the coffee holidays. Cheers!

This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 4, 2022.