Folk School Coffee Parlor

When visiting Louisville the community manager there took me to one of her favorite paces in the city, Hillbilly Tea (
). It quickly became one of MY favorite places. Now whenever I am in Louisville, or even not in Louisville I crave it. Well on a super weird off chance, I stumbled upon Folk School Coffee Parlor and it was the Hillbilly Tea of Cincinnati I have been yearning for.
A humble, diamond in the rough, Folk School shines bright. There is very little in the city of Ludlow Kentucky, but I would drive over here just to spend the day. The atmosphere boasts a ton of natural light and almost everything is handmade out of wood. The stunning bar is made from reclaimed wood, there is local Ohio love art hanging from the walls, and all of the other accents are steel making for an interesting contrast of old vs. new.
Many of you may not know this, but I am actually from the country. As they always say, «You can take the girl outta the country, but you can’t take the country outta the girl.» This place reminded me of home. Everyone knows everyone here, and you are greeted with a smile and on a first name basis. The serve deeper roots coffee and everything here is local. My second reason for feeling like home? They have a local woman make fresh pies for them. Yes, you heard that right — PIES. Both sweet and savory. They had yummy pot pies, and seasonal pies. And if that isn’t the way to a country girl’s heart, I don’t know what is.
If you work from home, get in the car right now and come check this place out for the day. Like I said, there is NOTHING around it, but inside will fill you up with warmth. I am so glad I found this place.
***Side note: They also have live music events with some pretty big names. Check out their FB page for the schedule.

The first time I set foot in Folk School Coffee Parlor, I could tell it was a special place. Funny how happenstance is, a friend mentioned he was playing some tunes there, and I wasn’t super busy, but was feeling indecisive, so I flipped a coin and it made the decision to go for me. And wow, am I ever grateful for that coin flip bringing me here.
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk in is probably the aroma of coffee permeating the air. They brew Deeper Roots, which I had never had before, and very much enjoyed. They also have Rishi Tea, which again, I’d never had before and now I am quite a fan. They also carry Grateful Grahams, super awesome local business, and one of my favorite vegan treats ever.
Since that first fateful trip, I have showed up weekly to a songwriting group, where I am learning so much every single week about crafting songs. This is where Folk School Coffee Parlor isn’t your typical coffee shop. Inside, it has the look of a school house, with some old school desks and a chalkboard. The owners envisioned building a community, where folks can gather in writing groups, or they might host various workshops for a nominal and very fair fee. Being a smaller venue, they will sell advanced tickets to intimate shows, which typically sell out. Check out their calendar online, and you will see, this little place has a lot going on.
One of the best things I have seen was the back room filled with a mandolin workshop, while the songwriter’s group carried on in the front room. It was a beautiful thing to behold. They have a chalkboard filled with a calendar and dates of exciting things to come. And before, when I mentioned super awesome local businesses, part of their charm is how much they support local artisans: from the CDs of local singer/​songwriters to prints by local artists to various handcrafted jewelry and other sundries.
Folk School Coffee Parlor has captured a sense of community, and continues to build on it. I would highly recommend stopping by sometime when you’re in the neighborhood, or even if you’re not, make a special trip. You won’t be disappointed, unless it’s Sunday (when they are closed) or you’ve picked some other time they are not open.