Casablanca Coffee: Desert Hot!

Casablanca Coffee
602 12th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 942-7666

Casablanca, at the Icon in the Gulch, has been around for a little more than a year, and if the Gulch needed something to hold it over until the recession ends and more stores open, it's a coffee shop. Sure, it could have been a crappy Starbucks, but thankfully, they chose an independent coffee shop, and that bodes well for all locals.

Now Casablanca has a lot going for it, Drew's Brews, an excellent brew based in Nashville, is served, and it's mild and familiar taste is comforting. They have a plethora of coffee drinks, ranging from basic brews, all the way to the high end espressos. They also cold brew their iced coffees, which gives a much less acidic flavor, and is much more refreshing. They also have a selection of baked good, wifi, and unique sodas. This is all standard to coffee shop, and to be expected.

A nice touch is that they have classy and very comfortable tables and furniture. I have grown tired of the cheap Bohemian look, especially when nothing matches, and Casablanca will have none of it. They also carry the Casablanca "theme" into the shop, so it has a touch of desert all around: very pleasing to the eye.

Now I do find it odd that a coffee shop feels the need to double as a semi-bar. I guess they figure they can stay open later by selling beer, but I don't get it, and would rather they stick to coffee. I get that people like something to drink with their live music, which is also offered in the evenings, but it's still weird to go into a coffee shop and have beer pushed on me.

However, as a coffee shop, it serves the Gulch very well. The baristas are knowledgeable and offer good service. They're generous with their products, and everything they do it first class. So if you're between downtown and the West Side, Skip Fido (always skip Fido!), don't feel the need to run down to Bongo Java or downtown to Dunn Brothers (though hit those places when you're nearby), and avoid the traffic to Crema. Grab a Casablanca: a great representative for the Gulch.