My husband and I LOVE coffee. We intentionally look for freshly roasted coffee as we travel. Shop was cute and well decorated. We ordered 2 flat whites, one 12oz and one 16oz. Although the coffee itself was decent, they cheaped out on the espresso shots. Both sizes had the same amount of espresso shots which made the 16oz extremely milky. This made traveling 4 miles off the highway a bit disappointment. Area of improvement? read more

Great food and coffee here. I was looking for a great coffee shop away from home and found it. Americano was great, and the espresso has a nice chocolately undertone to it. read more

Love the home town coffee house and they have wonderful pumpkin spice lattes. Great place to study or meetup with friends for a snack. Love their homemade goodies and sandwiches. read more

Excellent coffee, excellent espresso, very good roast. However, the food area and it's employees don't wash their hands or wear gloves while preparing menu items. They will handle your money and then make a sandwich. While preparing sandwiches at the downtown business, too much public traffic walking by as food is being prepared.A very dirty, filthy vent right above the food prep area. Also the food prep area is very dark, if there was something to be seen they would not see it. Even the refrigerator does not have a light. read more

Traveling in TN to see family and needed a spot to meet up with friend from college. This place was great. Coffee was excellent, atmosphere very cool and breakfast sandwiches were just what we were looking for. There's a cool room in the back with books and comfy chairs. Only wished it was closer to where I was staying so I could have gone back. read more

Out of towner here. Small place, super friendly, and good coffee. I got both a black coffee and Mocha. The Mocha was the perfect amount of sweet! I got the apple turkey which is an AMAZING sandwich. Everybody is so nice and Erin the barista is the sweetest! read more

I usually frequent Poets South rather than the main Poets, but staff is always friendly at either location and the coffee is great! They also have tasty sandwiches for breakfast and lunch as well as muffins, scones and cookies. read more

Let's open with a fact about myself: I've been coming to this place since I was about six. My older brother--then about twenty-five--was into this sort of place. That was back when the walls were yellow and the board games sat on a shelf in the corner. We used to come in in the evenings, a whole group of us, and have coffee and, for six-year-old me, bagels and ice water. Everyone talked until closing time--at that point about eleven--and I remember sitting at the table with them. I suppose I could classify as a sentimentalist. This place is my favorite. Since that time, we stopped coming a for a while after my brother got married and had children. And then, when I was about twelve or thirteen, I discovered coffee. Namely, the fact that it is nectar from heaven. It follows that we showed up here. Often. Then I broke my back, and my friends and I claimed the back room for close to six months. Every week, at the very least. Sometimes twice. New owners bought the place, they renovated, and for a while I was unsure. It should here be mentioned that anytime I'm unsure I'm usually just thinking. Now it's Wednesday nights, around six, and my friends an I claim a table in the back, drink coffee, exchange sarcastic thoughts. Really, this place is another home. It's changed a bit, but I hold that it's the best coffee shop Cookeville has to its name. The staff are friendly and get to know you after a few visits. The coffee is unmatched as far as flavor goes, at least in this city. Some Wednesdays it's packed, others it's perfectly quiet. It appears to be a haunt for college students and, as in my case, artist-types. So, if you're anything like myself, you'll find this place to be heaven. They've also diversified into food a little bit, and you can get a Magic Cheese bagel which--I'm told--is spectacular. Salads are usually kept on hand in the cooler.They also have some gluten-free baked-goods on the counter, for those of us intolerant of wheat. It should also be mentioned that, besides regular milk, they offer soy and almond milk. Again, for the allergic souls. Overall, this is the best coffee shop Cookeville has on hand. TL;DR, If you have a chance and a penchant for coffee, you should most definitely pay Poet's a visit. You won't be sorry. read more

After a great dinner with my parents at Crawdaddy's, we wanted to visit some more, so we went to Poets. Good coffee, a fresh baked chocolate chunk cappuccino muffin, and my 8 year old almost beat his Grandpoppy at chess (the chess board pulled from a shelf stocked with several games). read more

This is a great place to meet a friend. They have wonderful service and lots of seating.This time of year I love their seasonal options. They are cheaper than the chain coffee place, have better seating, and their flavors are also superior. read more

The coffee was good, but when I go to a coffee shop, I want a cozy atmosphere. Poet's looked like they tried to accomplish this, but stopped short. read more

My husband and I stumbled upon Poet's on an anniversary getaway to Sparta, TN. We visited Cookeville for lunch on our way home and loved our sandwiches and drinks at Poet's! We had the apple Brie and the ham and fig sandwiches, coffee, and raspberry tea. Everything was delicious, and the staff was very friendly! read more

Great coffee. Type this at 6:57 am. In desperate need of a coffee, wanting to support local rather than go to Starbucks. Guy out front, smoking cigarette. It's 6:53 am. Walk right by him, enter Poets he doesn't say a word, all lights are on, looks open, feels & smells open. Stand at counter waiting. Nobody. Walk out & ask the guy smoking - "do you know if anyone is working?" (He's chatting to a friend, now). He tells me he is. He's working but they don't open till 7am. It's now 6:56. HE LET ME WALK RIGHT BY HIM, LET ME STAND WAITING, LET ME WALK BACK OUT AND ASK HIM ABOUT SERVICE. No effort to say hello, or ask if I needed anything or even smile or make eye contact. Let me do all that. Great coffee. BULLSHIT service. read more

You can count on a great cup of coffee at Poets. The environment is what you expect of a good coffee shop - knowledgable baristas, a bit dark/funky, wifi access, paintings by local artist, roomy, comfy furniture and a pleasant place to hang out. Very good location. It would be great if had more baked goods to offer. read more

Poets on the square... If your new in town or just passing through, stop by for a spell. Perfect in fall, winter nights with bouncing head lights, coffee in the air, spring or summer tea to beat the heat. You'll love it , if you don't you should. read more

North or South poets has always been quick with the coffee! The food is good as well, and a great atmosphere to get some work done

Perfect place to meet friends over a hot cup of joe.

The atmosphere is comfortable, with many different seating arrangements, including outdoor. Free wi-fi has good speed and connection. Lots of plug-ins available for mobile devices. Coffee is excellent, and lots of choices. The Magic Cheese bagel: great! Service: excellent and friendly! Have been here many times when I'm in Cookeville. Will come back every chance I get. read more

It's all about the atmosphere in this place. College students and art crowd, good coffee, but great deserts.

I absolutely LOVE Poets! It is super relaxed and chill. The atmosphere is so peaceful. And I also appreciate the little shop with all kinds of cute, and what seems to be homemade jewelry. Not to mention the delicious coffee and other assorted drinks! 5 stars for sure! :) read more

I was placing an order to purchase a gift card for some friends in Cookville. A guy Jake answered the phone and as soon as I mentioned I live out of state he hanged up the phone on me. Tried calling a few times after that and they did not pick up the phone. What an unpleasant experience. read more

Poets, as most tech students call it, is an interesting little coffee shop. A lot of people also come there for the free wifi. The coffee is similar to many other small coffee shops...the coffee drinks, smoothies, and teas are pretty good but also carry a $3 or more price tag. They also have small deserts that look really good, but taste pretty average and range from $3 to $4. The decor is a lot like you would expect from the name. It's dimly lit and full of artwork and cozy couches and chairs. It's a nice place to hang out and study a little. read more

Poet's has great drinks, but shady people. The staff is friendly, but a lot of the people who hang out there are not so much. I stopped going because of the people that hang out there. read more

OMG. I was visiting my crazy father who lives in backwater Tennessee. This is the ONLY place to get good coffee in Cookeville. It's an oasis, a sanctuary, a savior. Highly recommended if for some strange reason you find yourself in Cookville. read more

The barista knows his coffee and brews a mean cup. I had a double shot espresso, an Americano and a vietnamese iced coffee. Smooth, no bitterness on both the double shot and the Americano. Vietnamese was not what I expected, but generally good as an iced coffee. Seating area is clean and comfortable with plenty of tables and chairs and comfy upholstered armchairs. Chocolate espresso muffin was big, moist and yummy! read more

My parents live in Cookeville, and whenever I visit, I try to make it a point to go to Poet's. I've lived in or visited much bigger cities that don't know how to pull off ambience in an independent coffeeshop. I am not really rating the coffee (which is great) but more the relaxing, cozy atmosphere that is sorely lacking in many small businesses. I used to really love it when the bookstore was open next door, but the Market is really cute as well. read more

nice little in town coffee shop. seems to be used by the local students more than anything else. limited offering for a sandwich but chicken salad and tuna croissant were very tasty. coffee drinks comparable to a local coffeehouse. service limited but adequate for client flow. read more

I enjoyed the small town feel of Poets, but of course I was in a small town so that was kind of a given. It did however, seem that everyone else preferred the Starbucks as I was only about one of five patrons whereas the Starbucks across town was completely packed. So the plus: a nice change of pace compared to the restaurant row where Starbucks is located and a quite place for a meeting. The minus: a coffee house devoid of atmosphere. read more

Love and miss this place. Outstanding coffee and excellent service. A great place to just sit and relax when ever I get the chance to get away from California and visit my future home. read more