Steadfast Commons- Coffee, Cocktails, and Coffee Cocktails!

 Pour Over Night cocktail at Steadfast Commons
Steadfast coffee liqueur, pisco, and heavy cream

Up until now, there has only been one spot in town where I’ve been able to satisfy my coffee addiction, my cocktail needs, and have a business meeting all at once — Pinewood Social. A few years ago I discovered my love of coffee cocktails (I think perhaps The Patterson House was where it all began), but it was difficult to find them on menus. Believe me, I tried. The fact that Pinewood has at least two coffee cocktails on the menu at all times is enough to keep me coming back again and again.

But now I’m happy to announce that there’s a new option that satisfies all of my needs and I’m obsessed! When I heard about Steadfast Coffee‘s plans to open a new spot downtown that served coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND cocktails, I was over the moon excited.

Steadfast Commons dining area
photo credit: Mikaela Hamilton Steinwedell

Already a big fan of the original Steadfast Coffee in Germantown, I could not believe my luck that their new place was opening in the bottom floor of the Encore building at the corner of Demonbreun and 3rd Avenue South.

This is less than a block from my part-time office! It takes me 2 minutes to walk there. TWO minutes!!!

Samples of Celeriac Salad at Steadfast Commons
apple, celery, pecans, cheddar, olive oil and lemon juice
photo credit: Mikaela Hamilton Steinwedell

The new Steadfast Commons is a 60-seat coffee shop, restaurant and cocktail bar that is open 7 days a week from the morning hours until late night, and I’ve already been in a few times since it opened a month ago.

My first visit was in late January for a media preview of the menu, so I was able to sample several food and drink items. Since then, I’ve been in on my own for coffee, lunch and cocktails. In fact, I’m planning to go there again today for lunch (and likely sneak in a midday cocktail).
 
The menu features Steadfast roasts (more on that in a moment), teas, pastries and lunch items during the day, and then in the evening transitions to a dinner and cocktail-focused menu. Some of my favorite food items are the Celeriac Salad, Roasted Fall Vegetables, Duck (dinner) and the Savory Porridge, which is creamy polenta with confit mushrooms, ricotta, spinach and garlic + a poached farm egg. Sooo good.

photo credit: Mikaela Hamilton Steinwedell

So who’s behind this fantastic new concept and one of my favorite coffee spots in town? Three coffee-industry friends: Nathanael Mehrens, Sean Stewart and Jamie Cunningham. In June 2015, the trio opened their first brick-and-mortar, Steadfast Coffee, in Germantown. Immediately I became enamored with their coffee soda and have since spent many hours there working and getting caffeinated up.

In September, they launched their roasting company, where they craft seven single origin coffees and one decaf. These roasts are served at their Steadfast locations, and in my opinion, is some of the absolute best coffee I’ve had.

 Venn diagram in Steadfast Commons menu used to illustrate how the cocktail flavors are balanced. Genius!

They had the coffee part perfected, but when it came time to work on the bar offerings for Steadfast Commons, they enlisted cocktail consultant Troy Sidle, a veteran of the Chicago and NYC cocktail scenes (Pouring Ribbons, The Violet Hour), to help design a unique libattions menu. Wow you guys. I am seriously blown away by this cocktail program!

After visiting a couple of times on my own, I decided I had to take my husband there to try it out because he appreciates a good drink as much as I do. For our Valentine’s Day date that wasn’t on Valentine’s Day (because I refuse to go out ON V-day), we bellied up to the bar and knocked back a few. Truly there was not a single cocktail that we didn’t thoroughly enjoy.

There are still LOTS left to conquer on the menu though, as they have a pretty extensive offering. No worries. I have no problem taking it upon myself to continue the ‘research’. Conquer I will.

The Wolfpack Coffee Cocktail at Steadfast Commons
Matchless Coffee Soda, Ramozzotti, mint, orange peel, nutmeg

I’m almost a little hesitant to hit publish on this post, because I kind of like that this place feels like my own little secret right now. I have absolutely no doubt that before long it will become a top destination in Nashville and start showing up on all the lists. In the meantime, I’ll get in as many visits as I can before there’s a line out the door I have to contend with.

I suggest you do the same.

 photo credit: Mikaela Hamilton Steinwedell

Steadfast Commons

299 Demonbreun St
Nashville, TN 37201

Hours
M – F 7 am – 3 pm; 5pm – 1 am
Sat 8 am – 3 pm; 5 pm – 1 am
Sun 8 am – 3 pm; 5 pm – midnight