Ancient Gate Coffee
The University District is chock full of coffee shops but the actual coffee tends to be pretty blah — good enough for students who just need a jolt before midterms, but too dark, bitter, and bland for the true beanheads. That changed in 2024, when self-described “coffee nerd” Kegan Weatherford opened Ancient Gate. The space is clean and light-filled enough to accommodate study sessions, but you come here for the single-origin Makeworth roasts (no blends allowed here) that celebrate all the floral, fruity, surprising flavors of the coffee bean. The drink menu is short, but it’s worth getting the bicerin, which is sort of like a mocha that leans into the bitterness of dark chocolate.
Harry Cheadle
