Tucked in the historic Brick Street area of Tyler is an authentic and unique venue called Brady’s Coffee.
“Most of these kinds of places are gone,” said James Brady, the shop’s owner. “You have the automated machinery places, well all these places are pretty much automated, and we’re like a dinosaur. I’m getting older, the place is rare now.”
Brady’s Coffee Shop has been in business for more than 18 years. It has a relaxed and artistic atmosphere, with symphony music playing in the background.
“I have a couple of kids that are in my classes that will come here and study, which is another cool thing, because we got great Wi-Fi, and this music isn’t really distracting either so, it kind of focuses,” said Neeta Joseph, a psychology major at UT Tyler and an employee at Brady’s.
People of all ages enjoy coffee at Brady’s. There are a few customers in their 80’s, all the way down to people bringing their children in; a lot of high school and college students also enjoy the atmosphere there.
“College kids come in, and we would like to see more of that because that’s how you get your new blood, but some of them are married to the corporate things, like Starbucks,” said Brady.
Brady’s coffee is authentic and traditional, and that is the way they like to keep it.
“I don’t want to be a fancy mediocrity,” Brady said. “We make things the way they used to be made, and I’m gonna still do that, or I quit. I will not do the automation.”
The Red Eye, a Jamaican coffee containing two shots of espresso, is a specialty at Brady’s, and is a perfect drink for students who have been up all night studying and need a jolt of energy to get through their day,
“It’s called a red-eye for a reason,” Brady said. “It will keep you awake.”
The menu includes a wide variety of items, including coffee, mochas, lattes.
Originally, Brady’s offered soft drinks, but they were dropped at an employee’s suggestion, and replaced with Italian sodas.
“We make them back there,” he said. “There is a bunch of flavors you don’t even see on the menu. One of the best ones is mocha with a hint of berry.”
Vivid works of art, mostly by local artists, hand on the wall. Most include religious figurines and crosses, and a banner on the wall reads:“May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”
Brady’s wants customer to feel comfortable and enjoy good old-fashioned coffee.
“If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it, because mediocrity surrounds us,” said Brady.
Brady’s Coffee Shop is located on 309 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas, 75701. It is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m., but is closed on Sundays.
