My grandad used to say that the only way coffee kept him awake was if there was any left. A lot of us love coffee, and it comes in a ton of variations these days: espresso, cold brew, lattes, and much more. Here are 7 coffee shops in Gaston County for you to try – on the way to work, when you’re looking for a place to chat, study, work remotely or (gasp) chill out.
1.Catwaba Coffee 117 North Main Street, Mount Holly. The place to see or be seen in Mount Holly. They serve a large variety of hot and cold drinks. They also serve scones, cookies, cheesecakes and more, and are planning on adding breakfast and lunch items. If you like the sweet stuff, be sure to try their specialty lattes- we like the Almond G or the no sugar added vanilla.They often have singer/songwriters perform on the weekends. Small coffee starts at $1.50, they are open 7a-8p. More here…
2. Caravan Coffee and Dessert Bar, 7 South Main Street, Belmont. A local institution, and still a hopping place. Next door to Brenda’s Cake Gallery (same owners) means they always have great muffins, scones and the like. Did we mention they have great muffins? They’re worth the trip all on their own. House beverage recipes include Caramel Apple, Banana Nut Crunch, Lady Luck (Irish cream and white chocolate) and Peppermint Patti. If you don’t care for coffee, try the chai tea, hot latte or a summer freeze. A simple brewed coffee will cost you a $1.50 for a 12 oz. cup. More here…
3. Mug Shots, 4 North Main Street Belmont, and also on the campus of Gaston College.They say they are the shop for coffee purists, and their fans agree! People love the salted caramel latte, the Chemex pour over (a must for the real coffee lovers!) and the pastries and kombucha. At night the shop becomes a bar and restaurant called Station, and there is a 
doorway leading to South Main Station Cycles in the back of the building. Lattes, espressos, and house made syrups are available. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and are open 7a-7p, 8a-6p Sat & Sun. A small balanced black coffee is $3.85 More here…
4. Floyd & Blackies, 137 8th Avenue, Cramerton. It’s not every coffee shop that also rents kayaks, but this one does. They also have wonderful looking baked goods (the wife owns Floyd & Blackies Bakery) and they serve a wide variety of coffees, real fruit smoothies and serve breakfast. They also have open mic nights, and just right for the upcoming hot summer nights-they serve Hershey’s ice cream! A small coffee starts at $1.65 See more…
5. Java House Cafe, 200 West Main, Gastonia. If you work in downtown Gastonia, you’ve probably been here. Formerly in Eastridge Mall, Java House is now located 
downtown near the Rotary Pavilion. More of a combo cafe/coffee shop, they serve fresh brewed hot or iced coffees, lattes, frappes, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and salads. For you music lovers, they will be open extended hours every night of the summer concert series held in the Rotary Pavilion. A Colombian medium roast coffee is $1.75 More here…
6. 1 Mission Coffee Company, 129 South Main Street, Stanley. 1Mission is part of a non-profit focused on Haiti. They offer cold brew, espresso, smoothies, boxed coffee to go, bagged beans, pastries and teas. They are open 6:30a-10:30a, and 2:30p-6:30p. Espresso starts at $1.00, Small coffee is $1.50. Find out more…
7. And, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the corporate standby: Starbucks, locations at 630 Park Street, Belmont, at the Harris teeter in Belmont, the Ingles in Dallas, and the Target in Gastonia. We weren’t going to even include Starbucks on our list of hometown coffee joints, but to save us from an overcaffeinated onslaught of “you forgot to say Starbucks” comments, we tossed it on the list! You know what they have and what they serve-they have tall, grande, venti, and trenta, which corresponds to small, medium, large, and extra large. So why don’t they just say that? A small coffee is $1.85 (although we’re willing to bet not many people order a small black coffee at Starbucks) Check it out…
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