Dark Heart Coffee Bar

My love affair with Dark Heart began in early 2019. I was a single mama with a toddler and a newborn who had to travel to Loveland from Longmont to meet with my therapist once a week (because mental health matters, y’all). To make these weekly meetings less painful, I sought out some dopamine in the form of caffeine ✨ After a quick google search, my sleep deprived self landed at Dark Heart—and thank Goddess! The Smokey Mocha became my crux during this time of my life. It is subtly sweet, dark and rich in mocha, but my favorite part is the smoked paprika and black salt topping. Such a balm for my soul. 6 years later, it’s my go-to for an emotional pick-me-up or a rainy day. Now, I won’t say I moved to Loveland for Dark Heart, but I won’t say that I didn’t either 😉 alas, I found myself living here from late 2019-2020 and again from 2022-present. And I can say, with 100% certainty, that Dark Heart is a huge reason that I love Loveland. I visit Dark Heart several times a week—to my wallet’s dismay (but worth it!). I have started from the Smokey Mocha as my only love, and I have fallen for another by the name of the Not So Basic latte. She is slightly sweet with hints of vanilla and cinnamon in a perfect espresso with creamy oat milk (you have to request the oat—do it. You won’t be disappointed). I love her in all her forms—hot, cold, doesn’t matter. I especially love ordering extra sweet or with extra ground cinnamon (because I’m extra). An honorable (non-coffee) mention is the Midsummer Matcha on their summer menu… get it iced with oat milk. Thank me later. Ok, so the coffee is great, but the staff… they’re even better. In all my years of coming here, I’ve only been met with kindness and consideration. They remember my name (seriously, without fail), and I’ve had many a lively chats with various baristas over the years while waiting for my drinks. I also love that AJ (the co-founder) is often working behind the counter too—it shows how passionate and invested she is in the business, and I imagine it creates a sense of non-hierarchical equality for her staff. I also remember the days when Justin could be found behind the counter too 🩵 The vibe is definitely more hip and modern, and I love it. My kids love finding the little lemur looking creature around the shop—he moves around from time to time (don’t worry, he doesn’t bite…). The bathrooms are always clean (a huge win when kids need to use them), and the overall cleanliness is 1000 times better other coffee shops in town… (I only go to other coffee shops for gluten free donuts 😬 because Dark Heart ruined my ability to enjoy lattes made elsewhere 😅) In conclusion of this novel that you didn’t ask for but you received anyways, I am forever grateful to have stumbled upon this gem 6+ years ago, and I hope to continue being able to enjoy really f***ing good coffee served by really f***ing awesome people for years to come 💗

Love this place. Since it's like one of two indie coffee shops in downtown loveland, I'd recommend popping in early in the day if you're planning to grab a spot. I've had their americanos, teas, and gluten free treats. They also have a gluten free breakfast burrito in addition to regular breakfast burrito which was really cool to see.