Every other Saturday morning we go to Matthews, NC. Our kids attend Lithuanian language school there during the school year. Most of the time it is drop off and pick up time for us. Today we decided to have a relaxing cup of coffee in this little cute town.
Matthews, NC is a town in southeastern Mecklenburg County, NC. It is a suburb of Charlotte. According Wikipedia, In the early 19th century, the new settlement that would become Matthews was unofficially named Stumptown for the copious amount of tree stumps left from making way for cotton farms. The community’s name later changed to Fullwood, named after appointed area postmaster John Miles Fullwood.
Downtown Matthews is very walkable and pretty active on Saturday mornings. Matthews Community Farmers’ Market takes place there during the season (April to November) and it is well known in town. If you spend a couple hours downtown, you may hear and even see a long train – big attraction to the kids. Matthews Playhouse is a big hit there, where the local stars shine bright. We personally attended a couple shows in the past and enjoyed the time there. It is always a pleasure to support local kids in the arts. There is a nice greenway, a couple parks, some local festivals everyone must see.
There are some nice restaurants, breweries, coffee shops in downtown Matthews we always enjoy visiting. My favorite restaurant is The Portrait Gallery Restaurant & Bar, but their work hours never work with my hours. Perfect place to get an authentic crepe is Royal Cafe and Crêperie. However, since we both started to avoid gluten a couple years ago, we stopped going there. I hope they will start serving gluten free crepes soon. I checked that place this January with my friends and they did not have a gf option. I also enjoyed a glass of beer from Seaboard Brewing, Taproom, & Wine Bar last summer and my son had fun eating pizza from The Exchange Pizza Depot with his buddy and watching the train passing by. I like that there are a lot of very cozy outdoor seating options in Matthews.
Brakeman’s Coffee & Supply
This morning we visited Brakeman’s Coffee & Supply. It is a nice coffee shop in the heart of Matthews, NC. It is my second time visiting this coffee shop. I really like the concept and their commitment to keeping Matthews slow. In the world of fast food, we really need to enjoy some slow moments of stopping time and drinking a good cup of coffee. Our friends joined us this morning, so we had a really enjoyable morning sitting outside, watching some birds and squirrels, chatting and drinking really good tasting coffee. The coffee shop also offers some tasty pastries, gluten free muffins (you can warm them up in the microwave), oatmeal, and some seed bars. They also have a milk substitute (almond, coconut and oat milk). You also can bring your laptop for some learning, tutoring or work. They even offer a printer!
They have some cozy seating inside, outside and our favorite is the secret place – their garden! Quiet, romantic, beautiful. All you need is nice weather and a good cup of coffee.
If you ever visit Matthews, NC stop by and have a slow cup of great tasting coffee.