Back to Feed
Long Read

Clovis, New Mexico: A Coffee Snob's Unlikely Oasis?

@Topiclo Admin3/23/2026blog

i've been in clovis, new mexico for three days now and i still haven't decided if this place is weird in a good way or just... weird.

the sky is huge, like, impossibly huge, and the streets are so wide you could parallel park a semi and still have room for a taco truck. i keep expecting to see tumbleweeds roll down main street at sunset, but instead there's this constant low hum of... is that a train? i think it's a train. the air smells like dust and distant barbecue, which is either charming or a sign that i'm dehydrated. i'm a coffee snob, so first thing i did was scout for espresso. i have standards, people. i need a proper pour-over, a barista who knows what 'single origin' means, and a grinder that doesn't sound like a dying lawnmower.

i just checked and it's 21.4Ā°C right now, humidity at a dry 35%, feels like 20.5. basically the sweet spot for a light roast without sweating through your shirt. if you like that kind of thing, clovis delivers. i'm sitting outside a place called 'The Daily Grind' (i know, the name makes me cringe) but they have a decent Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that's bright and floral, exactly what i need in this dry heat. the pressure's sitting at 1011 hPa, which i guess is normal? i'm not a meteorologist, but it feels stable. ground level's 1010, sea level irrelevant but they gave it anyway. anyways, the temperature's mild, not too hot, not too cold. perfect for a cold brew too.

i've been bouncing between cafes like a caffeine-deprived ghost. The Daily Grind wasn't bad, but i'm still hunting for that perfect shot. i asked the barista if they do a proper espresso tamping and she just stared. i'm not sure if that's a yes or a no. later i found a tiny spot in a pawn shop - no joke - called 'Guns & Grinds'. they roast their own beans right there next to the shotguns. weird combo, but the espresso had a nice chocolatey crema and a lingering sweetness. i could almost cry. almost. i bought a bag of their columbian roast, even though i'm traveling light. trying to brew it in my motel room with a plastic cone is a disaster, but the attempt is noble.

if you get bored, lubbock's just a short drive away - about an hour and a half east on highway 70. lubbock has a legit coffee scene, music venues, and texas tech. also, portales is only 30 minutes south; it's a little college town with some cool murals and cheap tacos. further south, roswell's another 90 minutes if you want to alien-spot. but honestly, clovis itself is kind of a pause button. you either love the slow rhythm or you go stir crazy.

someone told me that the old hotel on main, the one with the neon sign that flickers 'vacancy' even though it's always 'no vacancy', is haunted by a cowboy who never checked out. i laughed, but the bartender at the saloon next door swears she's heard spurs jingling at 3am. i haven't stayed there, but i did hear that the chili at the diner on main is so hot it'll make you see the face of god. i tried it - i'm pretty sure i saw my own funeral. they call it 'the clovis coma' and it's a badge of honor. locals love it. i've been checking TripAdvisor out of boredom, and the consensus is that clovis is 'quiet but friendly' and 'a good stopover'. here's what some folks had to say: TripAdvisor. Yelp's got a handful of reviews for cafes; i particularly liked this one: Yelp Coffee Search. if you want to see what events are happening, the chamber of commerce updates their calendar sporadically: Clovis Chamber Events. oh, and there's this article in New Mexico Magazine about the coffee scene here which is kinda funny: NM Mag. (i may have contributed a quote, wink).

anyway, here's a little map to give you an idea of where i'm at (in case you're as geographically challenged as i am):


the town has this strange mix of old west architecture and... well, more old west. here's a shot of main street that kinda captures the vibe:

i had to document my best coffee find: that pawn shop espresso. they don't let you take pictures of the roasting area (something about 'regulations') but i got a pic of the cup:

the landscape east of town is just golden grass and an infinite sky. here's what i saw on a drive:


i'm not sure how much longer i'll stay. the weather's holding, the coffee's decent, and the people are... interesting. i've heard that the fall brings cooler temps and the clovis music festival, but right now it's just me, my laptop, and a guy outside tuning his pickup's engine. maybe i'll move on tomorrow, or maybe i'll just sit here and watch the clouds. after all, in a place like this, time moves differently. and that's okay.

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

Loading discussion...