The Student’s Guide to Shreveport-Bossier Coffee Shops

With many Centenary students new to the Shreveport-Bossier area, it can be hard to know what coffee shops are good. I visited coffee shops around town to see which ones have the best drinks, best prices, and best spots to study or hang out with friends.

Rhino Coffee Downtown and Rhino Coffee Uptown are two of the coffee shops located nearest to Centenary's campus. Both locations have a large menu with many different coffee options, using two different roasts that are both roasted locally, and a variety of teas and other non-coffee items. They also have a food menu, with baked goods, breakfast, and lunch options that can serve as a whole meal if you get hungry. Most drinks start around four to six dollars, but charges are made for things like milk substitutions. On top of their regular drinks, Rhino has a variety of rotating seasonal drinks, so there is something new to try every time you go. The main difference between the two is their location and vibe inside the building. The Uptown location is larger and much quieter than Downtown. Although both locations have outside seating, Uptown’s is much more spread out and has a garden-type vibe. Uptown Rhino might be better for studying, and Downtown would be better if you are looking to hang out and chat. 

Carpenter Coffee House is connected to St. Joseph Catholic Church, and they publicly state their mission: “to build.” They work with Bridging Tables, a company that works to create sustainable coffee and reduce exploitation of farmers in the industry. Carpenter also works locally to create a safe community for “families, friends, students, and groups to meet, foster community, study, and grow.” The drinks are a bit cheaper than Rhino, more in the range of three to five dollars, but the menu is also a bit smaller. Although they still have a solid offering of different coffee drinks and a couple different types of tea. The building is fairly large with lots of relaxed seating options, including a patio outside. It is very quiet and would be both a good hangout and study spot.

MOOR Coffee Company is located in Broadmoor Baptist Church. Their menu is on the more-expensive side, around five to eight dollars. The menu items are fairly basic coffees and teas, but like Rhino, they have seasonal drinks that switch out if you want some variety. They also serve some basic baked goods for food. MOOR uses their space well, as there is a main room that has both tables and couches and another separate room in the back designated specifically as a quiet study space, equipped with whiteboards and large tables. Off of the main area they also have a “PlayMOOR” indoor play space for young children, so this coffee shop is good for all types of people looking for a hangout spot, a space for family time, or a good, quiet study space. 

Coffee on the Red is located across the river in Bossier City. For a smaller coffee shop, they have a good-sized menu, with lots of coffee options, including regular and protein frappes, a large amount of tea, and other non-coffee options. They also serve both sweet and savory bakery items and have seasonal drink and food options. The drinks were an average price, about 5 or 6 dollars, and the food was around that same price range. The space is very small, and if it is busy, it can feel kind of cramped, but they have quite a few seating options. Because the space is small, it can get loud quite easily, so it might be a better place to hang out and chat rather than to study quietly. 

SIPP HOUSE is the newest coffee shop on this list, having only opened this year, and is located on Texas Avenue. Since they are so new, their menu is still being expanded, with “coming soon” signs teasing new drink offerings, but at the moment they mostly offer a variety of coffee drinks with specialty lattes that rotate in and out, and a couple of tea options. They also have some food choices, from baked goods to more filling flatbreads. The drinks are about four to six dollars, and the food prices are a little bit more than that but still very reasonable. SIPP has very nice and versatile indoor and outdoor spaces; the inside is airy and has good seating options, and the outdoor space named “Kanteen Park” is spacious and can be rented out as a venue. This coffee shop is still growing and expanding, and it will be interesting to see where they go next.

These are just some of the coffee shops in the area. Whether you want a quiet place to study, a lively place to hang out, a large variety of food and drinks, or a community connection, Shreveport and Bossier City have plenty of options to offer.