Fort Worth is a bustling city of makers and crafters, social butterflies and coffee drinkers. They all come together at Craftwork Coffee Company’s three locations around the self-proclaimed Funky Town. If there are two things we love, it’s coffee and funky, so of course, we had to check out Craftwork! (Cue Lipps Inc. )
Inside Craftwork Coffee Company on Magnolia Avenue.
Craft meets Work at Craftwork Coffee Company
Craftwork Coffee Company is equal parts craft, and work: hand-crafted coffee drinks next door to shared work spaces. Half of each location is comprised of communal and private work spaces, and conference rooms, which can be reserved as needed with a membership. It’s a perfect fit for makers and entrepreneurs who don’t need – or don’t want the expense of – a dedicated office. At Craftwork, you can drop in, get a coffee, get things done, and get going. Membership comes with office support, Wi-Fi, even a mailing address. Most importantly, it also comes with a discount on coffee.
If Craftwork Coffee was a mullet, that’s the “office in the front” half. The party in the back, as it were, is the coffee shop. Although each location is different, they have a lot in common besides the menu: Modern minimalist interiors, long community tables, a few intimate seats, and a sense of community.
From appearance to attitude, the shops reflect the busy, entrepreneurial spirit of Fort Worth. People come in to “get sh*t done” as much as for the coffee. At no time have we gone into any Craftwork Coffee location and not found it busy.
That busy-ness, though, is part of the attraction. You can feel the energy from young makers and shakers conducting business, whether that’s coding, creating, or just making connections. It’s an infectious vibe, and we always find our time at Craftwork Coffee is productive.
Gettin’ busy at Craftwork Coffee Company in Fort Worth.
That’s not to say that you can’t meet your friends and visit at Craftwork Coffee. There’s always some of that going on, too. Each location is rather small, and they fill up fast. Unless you’re intent on spending quality time with work or friends, we’d suggest grabbing a coffee to go when it’s busy, and exploring the neighborhoods for Fort Worth!
Craftwork Coffee’s Neighborhoods
Fort Worth is a city of neighborhoods, from electic and rustic, to modern and glossy. Each location of Craftwork Coffee Company is a great starting point for exploring a few of the city’s favorite areas, with a great latte in hand!
Foundry District
Note: Over the 2020 holiday season, Craftwork Coffee Co. permanently closed the Foundry location, citing insurmountable losses during the Pandemic. New owners, and a new name, are now in place: Trinity Coffee House, using Craftwork’s coffee beans. We have yet to visit Trinity (again, due to the Pandemic), but are leaving the details in place as the neighborhood is a Fort Worth highlight.
In the Foundry District, Craftwork Coffee is across the street from Inspiration Alley, a collection of street art that serves as the creative hub of the area. Walk around, and you’ll see artwork on many buildings, plus the #28Mantras: inspirational messages sprayed on walls throughout the Foundry District. One wall of Inspiration Alley belongs to venerable record purveyor, Docs Records & Vintage. Being the largest record store in town, and now with a lot more than just records, it’s worth a visit while you’re in the neighborhood.
Near South Side
The Craftwork Coffee on Magnolia Avenue is in the middle of Fort Worth’s Near South Side “restaurant row.” The turn-of-the-20th-century buildings have been renovated over the past 20 years, and host just about every cuisine you can think of, plus a few more coffee shops. You’ll also find street art and temporary installations throughout the year, plus the annual ArtsGoggle. Fort Worth Zoo and the University area are just five minutes away.
Craftwork – Magnolia: 1121 W. Magnolia Avenue.Open Monday through Friday, 6:30am to 9pm; Weekends 7:30am to 9pm.
Cultural District
The Camp Bowie location is in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District, making it the perfect place to stop for a pick-me-up between visits to the area’s museums and attractions. Nearby are the renowned Kimball Art Museum and Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Casa Manana theatre, and the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.
Craftwork – Camp Bowie: 4731 Camp Bowie Boulevard.Open Monday through Friday 6:30am to 6:30pm. Weekends 7:30am to 6:30pm.
Pastries and more from Black Rooster Bakery at Craftwork Coffee on Camp Bowie Boulevard.
Craft Coffees & More
Craftwork Coffee’s aim is to make craft coffee accessible, with a simple and affordable menu: just a dozen items, priced from $3, and a one-size-fits-all approach for pour-overs, cold brews, and espresso drinks. Seasonal options (such as the yummy Winter Weasley and La Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate, from $5) are completely worth the splurge when they’re available. Milk options include the standard dairy, plus Soy, Almond, and Oat. In addition to coffee, they carry a limited selection of juices, sodas, and waters, plus Chai and tea selections.
The café menu is limited to a selection of cookies, brownies, and pastries, frittatas, scones, muffins, and oatmeal. (The selection varies slightly by location.) Our favorite is the Camp Bowie location, where you can sometimes catch breakfast tacos by Fort Worth’s famed Taco Heads, which is just five minutes away near the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. It’s a great stop for a beloved local flavor before/after your coffee break.
Craftwork Coffee Company roasts their own coffees in Fort Worth’s historic O.B. Macaroni Building, and you can purchase a bag of beans at any location. You’ll also find a selection of Craftwork Coffee’s iconic FTW memorabilia (patches, stickers, cups, and t-shirts), and coffee accessories. Unique to the Foundry location are micro-retail shops; small storefronts by local makers. During our last visit, there was a fun t-shirt shop, and an artist’s gallery.
Inside the Foundry location of Craftwork Coffee Company.
Our Favorite Craftwork
Being locals, we visit Craftwork Coffee when we happen to be in their neighborhoods, exploring town or attending events. When we want to get some work done, the Foundry location was our favorite. We loved the aesthetic; it’s a change of scenery that suits our senses. The shop was usually busy with local entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and creatives, and the energy was palpable. Another reason we liked the Foundry location: plenty of seating, and more comfortable. However, we do wish there were more outlets; which is true at all locations.
Since the Foundry outlet has closed, the Camp Bowie location, our former Number Two now gets top honors. We love the area, surrounded by Fort Worth’s Cultural District and gorgeous old homes, with great eats mere steps away. Plus, there’s a cozy little section just right for sitting down with a good book or good friend, and a great latte.
Expansion
Craftwork Coffee has recently expanded with two new cafes now open:
- Fort Worth
- The fourth Craftwork Coffee house in Fort Worth is at The Cooper, an apartment building on the historic Southside, not far from the Magnolia location. It’s the first to serve a residential clientele, but is open to the public as well. Craftwork at the Cooper also serves “a select curation of craft beer, select wines, and light grab-n-go food.”
- Austin
- The first Craftwork outside of Fort Worth has opened in north Austin’s Domain district. Nestled on two floors of the new Flatiron Building, the cafe offers common areas, shared workspace, and more private booths, and caters to remote workers, freelancers, and of course, coffee lovers.
Craftwork at the Cooper: 1001 West Rosedale Street.Open Monday through Friday 6am to 11am, and 4pm to 9pm. Weekends 9am to 7pm.
Ratings
Normally, when we rate a coffee shop, it’s just that one shop. Although there are three Craftwork Coffee locations in Fort Worth, we think one rating will cover them all since each location completely upholds the company’s mission and standards.
Our ratings, on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 being stellar, and a perfect overall score being a 10:
- Overall: 8.75
- Coffee: 5
- Even discounting the seasonal coffees (because they’re not always available), Craftwork scores high with smooth and tasty espresso drinks, and rich, balanced brewed coffees. Craftwork is truly one of our favorite local coffee chains.
- Coffee Menu: 4
- There is beauty in simplicity, and Craftwork Coffee’s minimalist menu lets baristas focus on making a few great drinks. That said, we would appreciate the addition of Coconut Milk to the dairy options.
- Eats Menu: 3
- While we appreciate the simple coffee menu, we could sure go for a few more nibbles. And frankly, what we have had has just been okay. Thankfully, the coffee makes up for it.
- Cleanliness: 4
- For the most part, Craftwork Coffee locations are kept very clean, from the tables to the toilets. Even when busy, tables and counters were cleared. Just as important, the barista’s area, always in full view, is always clean and tidy.
- Atmosphere: 4
- With three locations, it’s easy to say there’s something for everyone. As we mentioned, we always find our time at the Foundry location to be more productive than usual. Together with its Mid-Century look and the comfiest seats in the chain, it’s our favorite of the bunch, and raises the score to a 4.
About the ratings:
We use a simple and subjective scale of 1 to 5, based entirely on our experience and judgement as “civilian” coffee drinkers who frequent cafes and coffee shops. The scores for everything except Coffee are averaged, then added to the Coffee score. Thus, a shop with fantastic coffee and zero aesthetic appeal could rank higher than a very nice presentation that serves mediocre coffee. This system is under continuous evaluation and refinement, and updates are made as warranted.
Have you been to any of Fort Worth’s Craftwork Coffee locations? We’d love to hear about your experience, as well as other coffee shops you’d recommend! Just leave the details in a Comment below.
