Unfiltered.

Get Your Craft Coffee In A Hurry At Dallas' Best Drive Thrus and Walk-Up Windows.

Welcome to Unfiltered, our weekly feature that explores the Dallas coffee scene — and how it often manages to thrive in the most unusual places. Given that we live in a time when Starbucks locations are about as prevalent as the golden McDonald's arches, when new coffee shops seem to open every other week and when almost everyone uses a ChemEx to brew their coffee, we're here to show you some alternatives — for when your coffee shop routine becomes monotonous or when you're just looking for something different in your caffeine endeavors.

As a culture obsessed with high-quality instant downloads and fast-casual restaurants, speed is on par with quality. In the coffee world is no exception. While gas stations offer convenient, not half-bad options these days, they still lack the variety and locally-sourced goodness of the craft coffee experience.

Rather than loading up on sugar to disguise the taste of fast food coffee sludge, settling for Starbucks or trying to guess the brew time of that gas station urn, just know there’s a better way. The Metroplex has some great alternatives if you’re looking to grab some Joe to-go.

Here’s a few of our favorite drive thrus and walk-up windows to get that coffee fix in a hurry.

Cafe Salsera.
Deep Ellum.
As Deep Ellum starts to fill out with trendy eateries, one underrated addition is the coffee walk-up window at Cafe Salsera. Alongside offerings like Cuban coffee and horchata lattes, you can take salsa lessons from the owner on Tuesdays.

C! Señor.
Bishop Arts.
The DFW’s burgeoning Cuban coffee scene has another contender in this Bishop Arts walk-up. Rarely does under a fiver get you more than standard drip, but espresso, Americanos, cafe Cubanos and cafe con leches are all under $3.

Local Press + Brew.
Oak Cliff.
As temperatures take their seasonal hike to hell, cold coffee from Local Press + Brew’s walk up and bike-friendly window is the perfect relief. Because nothing says summer like an almond latte, made with fresh cold-pressed almond milk.

Coffee House Cafe.
Far North Dallas.
The best part of the CHC drive thru menu is the very thirsty sizing option, because no trip through the suburbs is complete without a 30 ounce cold brew.

Start.
Uptown/Upper Greenville.
The healthy fast food options at Start will make you feel good, but coffee from Full City Rooster will feel even better. Not to mention, there’s housemade pumpkin spice all year round.

White Rock Coffee.
White Rock.
The heart of the suburbs is usually the land of the “Fivebucks,” but the White Rock Coffee drive thru offers coffee at a surprisingly low price point, a perk of roasting their own coffee.

State Street Coffee.
Uptown.
Even with a smaller-than-average barista staff, the walk up window at State Street is a hidden Uptown treasure. Between the owner’s extensive drink recipe knowledge and fresh Novel coffee, you’ll be happy to step out of the ordinary.