Barista Parlor Makes This Coffee Lover Very Happy

East Nashville keeps enticing me with its cute little houses, good restaurants and the fact that my friends keep insisting on moving there. Until recently, I went there only when I had to, not because I dislike it but because I'm lazy and it's usually out of the way for me. But  now, East Nashville has given me a reason to be there much more often than I care to admit and that reason is a little coffee placed called Barista Parlor.

You're probably thinking, "oh boy, another coffee place? When's this trend going to end?" In my opinion, it's not going to end any time soon and looks to get a little bigger here in Nashville. As the appreciation for really good, local, craft coffee shops like this or Crema or Dose grows, so will the number of shops. That's just my opinion though, but I hope I'm not wrong because I, personally, can't have enough good coffee!

Tucked into the back of a nondescript beige building on Gallatin Ave and Stratton, Barista Parlor was built into an old car repair shop so once you've found the red garage doors, you're there. The interior is cool and really modern with a mix of wooden stools and mismatched chairs that line the long, wood tables made of what looks whole slices  of tree trunk. You'll notice little holes in each table - those are for the cardboard men you you get when you place your order and you stick them into the tables so they stand upright and the staff know where to find you when they bring you your coffee. Cute.

There are no coffee dispensers/urns with brews that have been sitting and stewing all morning, only made-to-order coffee by the cup. Currently, they use an espresso machine for the usual suspects (lattes, cappucinos, espressos) and two pourover methods using the V60, Chemex or you can also get coffee brewed using a siphon. If you haven't had pourover coffee, you must - it's light, smooth and so tasty you may never go back to coffee brewed in a pot. Don't worry, you'll still get the caffeine jolt you seek but without tastes-like-mud flavor or texture. They aren't a roastery but they do sell a carefully selected line of beans from other quality companies like Intelligentsia, Counter Culture (they also sell the kettles) and Mad Cap.

Shelves on the wall display the coffee that's for sale. LOVE the old Coca Cola crates used to hold yummy bars of chocolate. (Image courtesy of Barista Parlor on Instagram)

The long tables are in a horseshoe formation around the the coffee bar so, if you like, you can sit front and center and watch your coffee being prepared or sit a little further back for a little bit more quiet. A huge piece of art by Isle of Printing's Bryce McCloud is mounted on one of the walls. From afar you'll see that it's a pixelated sailboat but get closer and you'll see it's a mosaic of individual, letterpressed squares of sea creatures. Brilliant stuff, go have a look while you're waiting for your coffee. They also serve food and I highly recommend the waffles (with a side of Porter Road Butcher sausage) which go well with a cup of Intelligentsia beans brewed using the V60. Hours are from 7am to 2pm everyday, 8am - 2pm on weekends and the kitchen closes at noon. They will be extending their hours sometime in June.

It was bustling right up till they closed and I expect it to get more and more crowded as word spreads that they're open. But don't let that deter you - if you can, stop by and give it a go. Grab some chocolate (from Olive & Sinclair, Taza and Sweetteeth) while you're there to go with your coffee if you're on the run, or a pastry. I had a raspberry galette the last time and it was just the pick-me-up I needed!

They don't have a website yet (I am eagerly awaiting its launch) so in the meantime you can check them out on Facebook. If you're like me and prefer Twitter, you can follow them at @BaristaParlor.

UPDATE: Just found out Barista Parlor no longer serves waffles on weekdays, just during weekends for brunch.

Barista Parlor
519B Gallatin Ave in East Nashville

You can read more on Tabitha's love for coffee and the various methods of brew/pourover here and here).

The opinions expressed in Her à la Mode are those of the blog's writer and not necessarily shared by Southcomm or its partners (or you, quite possibly). Tabitha is a social media strategist and lifestyle blogger who lives and breathes social media. She loves to shop, eat food and drink coffee, and talk about it.