When I decided to start writing about some of our favorite places here in Springfield, Missouri, I realized I’d probably be talking a lot about coffee shops. With SGF being home to several great independent spots, over the past year and a half or so (pretty much timing up with the start of the pandemic), Bekah and I have shifted away from our Starbucks habit and toward some of these awesome local shops. So, while choosing which of these coffee places to start with wasn’t easy, I landed on Kingdom Coffee for one reason: they recently opened a second location!

I first got to try our Kingdom Coffee at their downtown location — which is conveniently found just across from Springfield Brewing Company, down the street from the Moxie, and also pretty much right next to the free McDaniel parking garage. Looking at their menu, the first item that grabbed my attention was the lavender sage latte. This one lived up to the hype I created for it as it delivered on both flavors without being overwhelming. In fact, while Bekah typically turns up her nose at my lavender selections, the Earthiness that the sage brings to the mix made her a fan as well. Our second pick on that initial visit was the brown sugar latte, which we altered with oat milk. Once again, this was a winner that has become one of our go-tos. In particular, I think the oak milk substitution works quite well.

Another thing I love about Kingdom in general is the artwork that adorns their cups and other products. I’m not exactly sure how to describe it, but I find it very appealing — not to mention that I’m just impressed they spent the time and money to have customized cups. They also have customized glassware if you order a “for here” cold beverage, such as the seasonal “Spice Girl” beverage Bekah tried (and enjoyed). I also appreciate that both locations are open on Sundays whereas several of our other favorites in town take the day off.

Wait, both locations? That’s right — as of a few months ago, Kingdom Coffee now has two stores in town. Even better, the new addition is closer to our apartment. Found at Lone Pine Avenue and Battlefield Road, the shop shares a building with a place called SWETCycle that’s seems to have been “coming soon” for weeks now. In any case, the true highlight of this location is its backyard, which happens to be the Galloway Creek Greenway trail. Thus, the small but shaded patio serves as a lovely spot to enjoy a bit of nature as you sip your drink.

Speaking of small, the Lone Pine location is considerably smaller than the downtown spot. This hasn’t been too much of an issue for us, however, as we’ve always taken our beverages to go. But, once the pandemic is actually over, I could definitely see us spending some time working inside of Kingdom on Lone Pine for a change of scenery (and scenic it is).

Going back to the drinks, we’ve also become fans of their season selections. With autumn kinda-sorta-almost being here, we decided to try the PSL on our last visit and loved it. Meanwhile, as I mention, Bekah previously tasted one of their summer drinks and found it to be refreshingly different as well. I should also mention that Kingdom sells whole bean coffee, which we’ve purchased and made great use of recently.

At this point, it’s hard to declare what my favorite coffee shop in town is as they all have something slightly different to offer. That said, Kingdom has quickly become of our top spots thanks to it’s beautiful location along with its tasty and unique menu. So be sure to check them out on Instagram and swing by for a cup if you’re downtown or down on the southside.