A Visit to Gap Creek Coffee House

Our team recently went on a day trip to Bell County, Kentucky and Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The very first place we visited was Gap Creek Coffee House.

The Building

A Photo of Gap Creek Coffee House The coffee house operates in what used to be an actual home that was built in the 1920s by the Evans family. Mr. Evans was a carpenter and you can see the fingerprints of Mrs. Evans throughout the yard in the spring as flowers bloom all over. Although the house has been renovated into a coffee shop, it still feels like a home. From the knick-knacks on the shelves to the porch swing outside, everything about this place made you feel like someone had opened up their home and invited you in for coffee. Gap Creek Coffee house certainly embodies the phrase “southern hospitality” that people often think of when they thing about Appalachia.

The Menu

The delicious food we had here fueled us up for the rest of our adventure. The shop proudly brews beans roasted by Vienna Coffee Company, which is really cool because they roast the beans just down the road in Tennessee. We love to see Appalachian businesses supporting each other!

We tried everything from their specialty lattes to their bottomless cups of drip coffee and they all delicious. A couple of us had a heaping helping of the shops waffles which were topped with whipped cream, fruit, and maple syrup. It doesn’t get much better than that. The shop’s employees made sure that none of us went away hungry and they gave us each some peanut butter cookies for the road. One of the coolest things about the coffee shop was that gap creek actually ran right beside it.

There’s nothing quite as calming as hearing the water trickling down the creek while sipping a warm cup of coffee. Moments like these where we can slow down and truly experience nature are so precious to us. These moments are what we wish more people thought of when they think of our region. Appalachia is full of these experiences and opportunities, and we’re so glad that we get the chance to experience them and highlight them.