Sturdy Roots: Deeper Roots Coffee on Fourth St
Deeper Roots Coffee storefront on W Fourth St in Cincinnati.
A CINCINNATI STAPLE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN
Deeper Roots Coffee, one of Cincinnati’s most well-known coffee shops, was founded right here in the Queen City back in 2011. Coming from its humble beginnings as a roasting company, DR built its brand around strong relationships, consistent quality, and environmentally safe practices, leading to continued success and expansion. For my first experience with this local staple, I chose to visit the newest shop (pending the opening of their new coffee bar in Montgomery), opened in 2021, in Cincy’s West Fourth Street Historic District.
Interior at the Fourth St DRC
IMPRESSIONS
For a downtown business, the road isn’t particularly crowded or difficult to navigate, and parking isn’t as hard to find as other areas. There are plenty of spots along this section of Fourth St, as well as a few garages and a surface lot. We weren’t sure how long we would be there, so we went for the cheapest option and paid for a curb spot directly across the street, setting us back $1.50 for about 3 hours (we weren’t going to be there that long, but not a bad deal). Easily worth it.
When it comes to coffee shops, I tend to appreciate a more simplistic design, so I was happy to find a familiar layout here. There is a clear and easy to read menu with relatively limited options, plenty of spacious seating, clean artwork and decor, and comfortable lighting: The perfect place to sit and work on things like this article.
The Autumn Latte
It was already later in the morning, so I decided to steer away from coffee and go with my usual iced chai latte, which DRC provided for a reasonable $4.25 at the time of writing. It came out in a decent sized glass with cinnamon and what looked like sweet foam on top. The taste is rather mild, something I tend to prefer as my first drink of the day, and while it is pretty similar to many of the other iced chais I’ve had, I would happily get it again. My girlfriend went with the one of the specials, the Honey Bear Latte, made with local honey, cinnamon, and her usual oat milk. I gave it a try and kind of regretted not going with that instead. It’s sweet without being overpowering and doesn’t have an offensive or bitter aftertaste. Our friend chose to get the Autumn Latte, a drink made with ginger and mulling spices, and a piece of coffee cake. And while the former does have an unorthodox flavor, it is certainly worth a try (when in-season) if you want something different than your usual coffee concoctions.
VISIT
DRC Logo
Deeper Roots is a lovely coffee bar with an admirable mission and good people. Add on the fact that sitting in a cozy shop in the middle of a city is just so relaxing, and you have a winning combination.
Find their Fourth St location at:
338 W Fourth St Cincinnati, OH 45202
Go check out their website and visit them at one of their other Cincinnati area locations!
