When another new coffee shop was announced recently on Sixth Avenue in Dayton, we decided to take a deep dive into the coffee shops on the street. Each has its own take on the drink and an ambiance for everyone. Grab a friend and have a cup.
Elliott Coffee
With Elliott being the newest kid on the block, it’s only natural we visit it first. Elliott Coffee redesigned an old gas station to an unpretentious space for gathering around a good cup of coffee. The unique space occupies two buildings, a walkup window for ordering that also has outdoor picnic style seating and a second indoor space with seating for larger groups to converse or for you to curl up in the corner with a book and drink.
Elliott’s drink choices include hot and cold-brewed coffee, espresso drinks, matcha and chai. House-made flavors – local honey and salted cinnamon mocha are just two – can be added to any drink. Elliott also has been creating a variety of creative drinks to celebrate its opening. To pair with their beverages they offer light bites of seasonal toasts and pastries.
As with the majority of the spaces in Dayton, Elliott Coffee is very community focused, and in return the community has already shown its support: Community support helped to fund the project.
Unataza Coffee
If it weren’t already apparent, good coffee is easy to come by on this street. This Latin American-influenced coffee shop, though, offers flavors you can’t find just anywhere. The décor exudes Latin American pride: bright, bold colors with plants, pottery and woven basket art decorate the walls. The storefront is nearly all windows, adding extra sunshine to the already bright atmosphere.
Featured beverages rotate monthly, but Unataza also offers coffee shop staples with a Latin flair, like a dirty horchata, with espresso, white rice milk, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and sugar. The featured summer drinks are an iced orange coffee and cafe con miel. These are enhanced with refreshing citrus to beat the heat.
Outside of drinks, Unataza offers a flavorful menu, also Latin-American inspired. The cauliflower bowl is most popular: Cumin-dusted cauliflower rice is topped with queso, grilled sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes and house-made black bean salsa, then finished with cilantro and lime. If your mouth isn’t watering already, there also is also a variety of tacos, wraps and plantain chips. It’s a filling, flavor-packed lunch.
Roebling Books and Coffee
The crawl wouldn’t be complete with a visit to this NKY staple. Like its other two locations in Covington and Newport, Roebling Books and Coffee is a hybrid coffee shop and bookstore. This location feels more open than the original, at the foot of the Roebling Bridge in Covington.
The entrance, where guests order, has more seating space, and the pops of bright pink add vibrancy. This location is ideal for those wanting to socialize and spread out. Booklovers just need to step into the room behind the barista bar, where hundreds of books line the wall. Like all Roebling Books and Coffee locations, it’s reminiscent of a home library. Classic literature to new releases, Roebling has a genre for all interests.
This location serves toasts, sandwiches and smoothies to snack on. Roebling’s coffee covers the classics – drip coffee, iced coffee and espresso-based beverages. The specialty drink menu is small in comparison to larger chains, but what Roebling offers is more than a traditional latte. The Redlegs Latte with raspberry and white chocolate is a great sweet treat to kickstart the day. Their Newspring latte with white and dark chocolate pairs best with the latest edition of LINK.
What to Know If You Go
Elliott Coffee
Location: 825 Sixth Ave., Dayton
Hours: Sunday, closed; Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Website: elliottcafe.com
Unataza Coffee
Location: 603 Sixth Ave., Dayton
Hours: Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, closed.
Website: unatazacoffee.square.site
Phone: 859-261-8292
Roebling Books and Coffee
Location: 301 Sixth Ave., Dayton
Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Website: roeblingbooks.com
Phone: 859-308- 7086