Dallas Cafes for Every Taylor Swift Era, Including The Life of a Showgirl

Taylor Swift has had a busy year: an engagement, which got us thinking about wedding cake — bakers beware. Now the pop diva has dropped her 12th studio album, which made us get all in our feels about the musical and personal journey of one of America’s top entertainers. Written during her European Eras tour in 2024, the album reflects on the life of, well, a showgirl.

We’ve been charting each of Swift’s Eras through coffee shops: So, if this album were a Dallas cafe, which would it be?

It’s important to note that things associated with Swift’s Eras are hardly limited to music. Above all else, they’re about aesthetics and atmosphere, which are also important in coffee shops. While there are plenty of coffee fanatics who can tell you about different beans and their preferred method of brewing, there are just as many coffee shop regulars who pick their favorite spot based on vibes.

If you fall into the latter category and consider yourself a Swiftie, here are some Dallas coffee shops we think represent each of her eras.

Taylor Swift: Full City Rooster

Swift’s self-titled debut album sees the teenaged future pop star take on the persona of a 2000s radio country diva, complete with tight blonde curls and cowboy boots. She would’ve fit right in at Full City Rooster, a rustic coffee bar with charming decorative details like a chalkboard menu and taxidermied deer heads. It’s the kind of place where you can go on your first date with your crush and commiserate with your best friend after he breaks your heart. 1810 S. Akard St., No. 100

Fearless: Wayward Coffee Co.

Swift’s sophomore album straddles the line between her country roots and her impending pop crossover, and Wayward Coffee Co. captures that energy. Keeping with some of the yeehaw themes of Full City Rooster (the mascot is a cowboy tipping his hat), the interior also incorporates more trendy decor. The menu, which mostly contains basics like lattes and cappuccinos, is simple and accessible, which is the same thing pop radio programmers thought of Swift’s pop-friendly country songs when Fearless first dropped. 1318 W. Davis St. and 2025 E. Irving Blvd.

Speak Now: Funny Library

Speak Now is an album that deals heavily in romantic, fairy tale imagery, and Funny Library has an “Enchanted” atmosphere. Velvet-covered chairs, brushed gold accouterments and ambient lighting call to mind the whimsical elements of this album. More importantly, this quirky coffee shop nestled inside a high-end hotel feels exactly like the kind of place Swift would cozy up in one of the plush purple nooks, have some tea and a pastry, and scribble the lyrics to “Sparks Fly” on a napkin. 1445 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Red: Hola Cafe

To Swifties, Red is known as the album with the most distinct autumn vibes, thanks in no small part to Swift doubling down on the aesthetic while promoting the “Taylor’s Version” re-release. Anyone who was in high school or college in 2012, the year the album was first released, might also associate the album with the rise of song lyric captions on Instagram, which debuted the year before. In addition to a fresh, clean aesthetic that looks straight out of the “22” music video, Hola Cafe‘s pint-sized Oak Cliff location is packed with Instagrammable spots. Hold your vanilla latte up against one of the typographic signs, snap a photo and post it with the caption “Happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time.” Your younger self will thank you for it. 416 N. Tyler St. and 1845 Woodall Rodgers Freeway

1989: Window Seat Coffee

“Grab your passport and my hand.” Even aside from the on-the-nose blue and yellow color scheme, every detail of Window Seat Coffee feels in line with Swift’s monumental 2014 pop crossover. The interior is entirely airplane-themed, which perfectly complements the glamorous, globetrotting narrative described in songs like “Wildest Dreams” and “Welcome to New York.” Even the custom blends sold here evoke Swift, with names like “Joy Ride” calling to mind the questionable driving described in “Style”: (“You come and pick me up, no headlights”). 3018 Greenville Ave.

Reputation: Native Coffee Co.

In a Time Person of the Year interview, Swift described this 2017 album as a “goth-punk moment of female rage.” While that is certainly one way to describe it (albeit not the one goths or punks would use), we think there’s more to it than that. While Swift certainly rages against her enemies on this record, there are also decidedly sweet, vulnerable and even funny love songs like “Delicate” and “New Year’s Day.” Native Coffee is a spot that finds that same balance. It has a color palette that runs dark, with a lot of black details (“Look What You Made Me Do”), but it also has warm and colorful touches that keep it from seeming too cold and industrial (“Call It What You Want.”) Inviting drinks such as the popular lavender latte won’t have you calling a “Getaway Car” anytime soon. 4319 Alpha Road

Lover: The Berni Bean

Some entries are more abstract and require a bit of explaining, but this choice is a no-brainer. The Berni Bean‘s pastel paradise interior looks straight out of the “ME!” and “You Need to Calm Down” music videos, with pinks and blues that fit right in with the Lover era’s unmistakable aesthetic. The menu also places a special emphasis on all things sweet, with latte flavors like Choco Banana and Cinnamon French Toast rounding out the candy-coated vibe. 400 N. St. Paul St. and 2820 Elm St.

Folklore: Opening Bell

The Folklore era saw Swift take a hard right turn away from pop dominance and into moody, acoustic folk that centered on fictional characters and situations. Opening Bell serves coffee, drinks and meals with ingredients sourced from local vendors. They also host regular open mic nights for musicians and storytellers, including “FearLess Stories,” a monthly event where women and gender minorities come together to share their experiences. All and all, it seems like a place Swift would’ve found inspiring while writing Folklore. 1409 Botham Jean Blvd.

Evermore: The Wild Detectives

Evermore is the sister album to Folklore that doubles down on folksy storytelling, with songs like “No Body No Crime” and “Champagne Problems” having clear narratives. We imagine that those partial to this era would want a book to read while sipping on their coffee. The Wild Detectives can help with that. In addition to having a quality selection of locally sourced coffee and tea, this shop doubles as a bookstore where you could spend hours perusing. The woodsy interior located inside a refurbished old house ties it all together. 314 W. Eighth St.

Midnights: Cafe Duro

Though Midnights is Swift’s return to modern pop sounds, the aesthetic she favored during this era leaned pretty ’70s. The “Anti-Hero” music video, in particular, saw Swift sporting vintage patterns against the backdrop of a mid-century house. Cafe Duro‘s decor is in that same vein of grooviness, with a similar color palette and affinity for bold patterns. The coffee and tea menu contains fittingly quirky options like Nutella Cold Brew and Prickly Pear Matcha that “make the whole room shimmer.” 2804 Greenville Ave.

The Tortured Poets Department: Hands + Rose Coffee

For this confessional, messy and pointedly self-aware album, only Hands + Rose Coffee will do with its crisp, sepia-toned interior, moody and atmospheric. Here, drinks are created like a work of art with attention to design structure, balance and finished with elegant touches. Just like you.1350 Manufacturing St., No. 111

The Life of a Showgirl: Xaman Cafe

This danceable album explores Swift’s emergence as one of the world’s most popular “showgirls,” as beautiful as it is complicated. From Opalite:

“You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Oh, so sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite.”

Opalite is as shiny and iridescent as it is cloudy.

For this latest album from Swift, you’re going to head to Xaman Cafe along Jefferson Avenue. The interior, as much as the coffee — both steeped in authenticity and rich in culture — is for those seeking to appreciate the authenticity behind the glitter. And like any proper showgirl, you should order a Sin Sueno, an espresso martini adjacent cocktail with Licor 43, nitro cafe de olla and Amaro Montenegro. Because real showgirls don’t actually sleep.