Top 3 Coffee Places for Studiers in South Dallas Area

So you're there, again, in one of those unbearably silent desks in the back of the library. The library where you can't make a peep, can't bring in your coffee cup, can't concentrate, can't relax. You need to get out somewhere that you can drink a cup of coffee, be surrounded by the sound of light music, be in the company of other people who are also drinking their coffee and enjoying a book or working on their laptops.

So, pack up your books and your laptop and head out to one of these cozy study places. As a student myself, I will tell you the perks and not-so-perks of each of the following places. But don't take my word for it: visit them and find out for yourself what can become your newest study hang-out!

Panera Bread in Cedar Hill

www.panera.com
416 East Pleasant Run Road
Cedar Hill, TX 75104
(469) 272-3600

For food: This Panera Bread is a gem. For starters, the food is great. Whether you want unlimited refills of coffee (several types of brews available) for only $1.59, or their soup-and-sandwich combo for $5.99, the food is well-priced and delicious. It's a great place to go for food or drink at any time of day: the bakery items, the soups, and the coffee drinks, are all delicious.

For study: As for study areas, the store is divided into roughly four quadrants, each of which has an assortment of tables and booths. There's even a fireplace with two plush leather couches in front of it. The store offers free wireless internet, making online research simple. However, there are not many electrical outlets. So if you want to be able to plug in your computer, you need to get there at the right time and land one of the good tables where you can plug your laptop in.

The traffic in Panera depends on the time of day. Around mealtimes, especially lunch and dinner, the place can be bustling. But during the mid-morning and afternoon hours, it is rather quiet. Besides, no matter the time of day, there are a couple of quieter corners and several booths that a serious student can hide away in to keep from being distracted by the other customers.

For ambience: The ambience at Panera is very enjoyable. Quiet jazz music plays overhead, people mill in and out, the sounds of a kitchen echo quietly from behind the counter. You can always smell fresh bread baking. It's almost like studying at home in the living room while your mom is out in the kitchen baking and humming to herself. It's a very homey, comfortable environment.

America's Best Coffee

3751 Matlock Road
Arlington, TX 76015-4341
(817) 557-3375

For food: America's Best Coffee has a good selection of drinks, comparable in name and type to the selection you'd find at Starbuck's. Of course, they'd argue that their drinks are better. Every specialty mocha or latte I have tried there seemed to have a unique flavor, different than what I expected. It may not have struck a chord in my heart as "America's Best," but it was palatable. And the dessert row there is quite alluring. The cheesecake is delicious.

For study: This cozy little coffee shop is a lovely place to study. They have free wireless internet, and there are electric outlets everywhere. Besides that, there isn't an uncomfortable chair in the house. The place is full of plush chairs, a couch, and a great cushioned bench along one of the walls, with little round tables in front of it.

For ambience: The place is warmly lit with lamps and other artistic lighting, and decorated with bold, earthy colors - green, red and brown. There is a television above the fireplace, but the volume is low, so it is not distracting. In the later evening hours, people gather for different activities - poetry, henna, games - depending on the evening, giving the place a relaxing feel. Most of the patrons seem to be young, college-aged. More people can be observed "hanging out" there than actually studying, but for some of us, that's where we feel most at ease.

Standard & Pours Coffee & Stocks

www.standardandpours.com
1409 S. Lamar Suite #012
Dallas, Texas 75215
Basement of the South Side on Lamar Lofts
(Historic Sears Building)
Street entrance at Belleview St - Free Parking!
(214) 565-0383

For food: There are unusual food selections at this unique, exquisite tucked in the basement of an apartment building in the somewhat desolate, deserted section just south of downtown Dallas. There are also alcoholic beverages, sodas and juice (not that I advise mixing a drink with your studies, just sharing the facts of the place). The hot chocolate is lovely, as are the mochas: just sweet enough, but not too much.

For study: People come to this locale to read all sorts of news about stocks and finance. But students frequent the place, too. The chairs are comfortable, the tables sturdy, the couches alluring. Again, there is free internet and outlets for plugging in your computer. Even better, there is a computer already at Standard & Pours, where you are welcome to check your email or surf the web. You probably won't want to plan your study sessions at this coffee shop in the evening, when musicians and bands come to play on the stage - but you might want to study in the afternoon and stick around for some good evening music.

For ambience: The place can't be beat. It's a gem tucked away in a rather skeletal, lonely part of the city. It has an artsy smack to it, perhaps because it's frequented by the artists who live in the apartments in the higher stories of the building. The ceilings of this basement shop are high and the pipes that run across the top give it a hidden-away feel. The place is lit with warm lamps and a row of tall windows across the top of the wall on the north side of the store. This is one place you can really get away and hide from the world for hours - that is, unless the world hears how great a little cove this is, and follows you there!

Now that you've read about some great study nooks on the south side of Dallas, gather up your books and laptop, hop in your car (or take the public transportation to Standard and Pours, which is just a couple of blocks off the DART train line)...and get to work while enjoying the relaxing ambience of one of Dallas's best coffee places.