The cinnamon honey latte at Tribes Coffeehouse.
An Americano from Downtown Subscription.
Glory of Unicorns, left, and Murmuration of Starlings from CrashMurderBusiness.
The cinnamon honey latte at Tribes Coffeehouse.
An Americano from Downtown Subscription.
Glory of Unicorns, left, and Murmuration of Starlings from CrashMurderBusiness.
A couple weeks ago, I ponied up north of three bucks for a cake pop for my 5-year-old, angled my phone’s payment screen at a scanner’s red beam, and decided it’s time to take a break from chain coffee shops.
It wasn’t just the cake pop. I’d been thinking lately about the embarrassment of riches we have in this town when it comes to locally owned coffee options. Standout roasters, funky hangouts, even a few drive-thrus. Not to mention the restaurants, bakeries, cafes and food trucks where the coffee bean choice and espresso service are points of pride. Attempting to make a complete list of local Santa Fe coffee choices would be a fool’s errand.
Before the pandemic, I used to spend hours working in those kinds of spaces. But in the two-plus years since, I’d forgotten how the character of a coffee shop can be just as appealing as the taste of the drink.
So, I decided to rekindle my love of local coffee shops by visiting three I’d never been to before: south-side favorite Tribes Coffeehouse, bustling side-street gem Downtown Subscription and a new spot, CrashMurderBusiness.
Like many of the terrific restaurants in the south-side’s San Isidro Plaza (including Plaza Cafe Southside, Santa Fe Capitol Grill and about a half-dozen others), Tribes is fairly unassuming from the outside. Inside on a recent Saturday, though, things were bustling. Customers sat in ones and twos at tables around the L-shaped space with a dominant counter in the center. Local art hangs everywhere, lending a cozy charm; jewelry and other items are for sale behind the glass counter.
The menu is brightly hand-lettered on big blackboards, including one just for specials. I ordered the cinnamon honey latte ($4.50) from the specials menu — the person who took my order said it’s popular, and I see why. This cinnamon-forward drink is warming in all the right ways, with the honey providing a touch of sweetness without being cloying.
The biggest surprise for me wasn’t on the drink menu; it was the sheer size of the rest of the menu. There are breakfast and lunch burritos, Frito pie and enchiladas, migas and omelets and bagels, and that’s not even half of it. I have the feeling Tribes will soon be a dining destination for me in addition to a solid spot for local coffee on the south side.
A few days later on a wonderfully warm afternoon, I turned off Paseo de Peralta onto Garcia Street and was surprised to snag a spot in the parking lot for Downtown Subscription, since it always seems packed when I happen to drive by. This place is a skipping stone from the Plaza and all that, but still somehow manages to feel off the beaten path. Inside the high-ceilinged shop, customers pack into a dense cluster of blond-wood two-tops, perhaps with a magazine or newspaper from the well-curated racks of print offerings for sale.
The counter takes up the back wall, with a posted menu of coffee, tea and specialty drinks, and glass displays of sandwiches, pastries, bottled and canned drinks, and other items. At the barista’s suggestion, I ordered an iced Americano (about $3.50) and added a generous pour of half-and-half.
I took my drink outside and discovered a beautifully landscaped brick patio with chairs and small tables covered with white canopy umbrellas. It’s one of those surprising Santa Fe spaces so picturesque it forces you to take a moment and simply appreciate the beauty around us.
I’ve been meaning to stop by CrashMurderBusiness since it opened on Montezuma (next to the new Chocolate + Cashmere location), but wasn’t sure what to expect. Would a coffee shop with drinks named after groups of animals (Streak of Tigers, Celebration of Polar Bears, Maelstrom of Axolotls) be too hip for me?
I decided to answer the question in the best way possible: by bringing my 5-year-old in with me before preschool. Turns out, we felt more than welcome — the barista greeted us with a smile and pointed my daughter to the Glory of Unicorns ($4), a coffee-free maple vanilla steamer with a charming smattering of blue, gold and purple edible glitter on top.
I chose the Murmuration of Starlings ($6), made with single-origin espresso, milk, rosemary and thyme, vanilla and burnt honey bitters. The drink was complex, mildly sweet, with a rich herbal quality. Each specialty coffee and noncoffee beverage here is as intriguing as its name, with the kind of menu that begs to be worked through from A to Z, one visit at a time. (And yes, traditional drinks and a number of bottled and canned options are available, too.)
The space is as thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing as the drinks — bright and airy with pendant lighting, a great but not overbearing music playlist, and a modern-meets-Victorian-meets-Santa Fe feel. There are tables along one side and a lovely living room-like space on the other side, with a few carefully chosen books and magazines that invite perusing. It’s a peaceful, pleasant space that invites calm enjoyment (even my kid kept her cool for a solid half-hour here).
I never saw a cake pop on the menu at any of these shops. But now that my daughter knows there’s such a thing as a Glory of Unicorns, I doubt she’ll ever even think to ask. And that’s just fine with me.
When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Where: 3470 Zafarano Drive, Santa Fe
More info: Call 505-473-3615 or visit tribescoffeehouse.net
When: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
Where: 376 Garcia St., Santa Fe
Info: Call 983-3085 or find them on Facebook
When: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: 312 Montezuma Ave., Santa Fe
More information: Visit cmbcoffeeshop.com
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