Coffee & Treats in Albertville

Flip Side brews drinks and fabricates treats for coffee wranglers and hungry patrons alike in its upbeat café. Bountiful breakfasts, midday meals, and more abound in Flip Side's expansive menu. Bite daintily into a barrel of bagels ($1.59) and muffins ($1.99) or squash hunger altogether with a grilled panini sandwich ($2.69–$4.29), savory soup ($2.19 for a cup), and salad ($6.49). Stomachs and second stomachs will samba to each bite of the steak quesadilla, an orchestral symphony with a grilled steak solo, cheddar and jack cheese arias, and a chorus of fajita vegetables dressed in a tangy southwest sauce ($5.99).

Voted Best Barbecue in the Tennessee Valley by CityVoter, LawLers Barbecue Express 5 dishes up sweet-and-tangy delights at boot-scootin' speeds while the affable staff doles out a hearty side of laughter. LawLers’ signature hickory-smoked-pork plate rewards patient taste buds with its precisely cooked meat, plus a slice of bread and choice of two enticing sides, including barbecue beans and corn on the cob ($6.77). Carnivores needing a nourishing meal before they chop wood with their bare forehead can wolf down the half-slab rib plate ($10.97), which heeds the accompaniment of a Stuffie potato that brims with butter, sour cream, cheese, and a tasty choice of pork, beef, ham, or, turkey ($6.47 for one meat).

The Chef Next Door's owner and culinary captain as well as the executive chef at the Marketplace Cafe, Margaret Hale elucidates the art of cooking through themed cooking demonstrations. Each demonstration at the chef's gourmet kitchen is bolstered by take-home recipes, offering up to 20 students at a time the opportunity to recreate dishes at home or to use them as blueprints for crafting more effective weapons for food fights. The topic of each session rotates seasonally and often, and each demonstration rounds off with dinner-size portions ready to silence the most boisterous of hunger pangs. Classes are BYOB, so students may choose to bring a favored libation for washing down savory fare and rinsing fingertips in between courses. Check the calendar for upcoming offerings.

In 1997, friends Dena Tripp and Debra Shwetz set out to create a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth bundt cake. What began as an endeavor in their own home kitchens soon blossomed into a bustling business with bakeries in 13 states. Rich cocoa browns and soft pastels lend a nostalgic feel to each bakery, where every day lava-powered ovens warm up batter made from fresh eggs, real butter, and cream cheese. Flavors such as chocolate chocolate chip, pecan praline, and white-chocolate raspberry remain constants on the menu, and a new flavor makes a guest appearance each month. Cakes come in several sizes, from the standard 8- or 10-inch bundt to the single-serving bundtlet and the bite-size bundtini, all frosted with a signature blend of cream cheese and butter.

Each Nothing Bundt Cakes location also houses its own stock of gifts. Patrons may come across the brightly hued handle of a confetti cake knife or opt to take home an old-fashioned tin, perfect for stowing coffee and imprisoning gingerbread men who have tried to run away. Contact the location of your choice for gift pricing and availability.

Founded by ice cream enthusiasts Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in 1945, Baskin-Robbins now serves tasty cold treats at more than 6,700 retail shops spread out over 50 countries. Customers glance through the glass at flavors of all color and texture, including standard bearers as well as the always-changing flavor of the month. Servers transform scoops into the classic banana split or a towering peanut-butter-cup sundae, decorated with hot fudge and Reese's peanut-butter sauce. Soft serve takes the form of cakes, parfaits, and 31 Below mix-in treats, while drinks such as strawberry-citrus Fruit Blast cools down mouths with a sweet yet icy embrace. Baskin-Robbins also offers ornate ice-cream cakes to celebrate an anniversary or successfully forging a college diploma.

Yogurt Twists opens its frozen-yogurt vault and well-stocked toppings bar to visitors, who swirl and decorate their own custom healthy treats. A bank of eight machines churn 16 flavors of the sweet semi-solid, whose creamy peaks of white chocolate mousse or York Peppermint Patty contain active cultures that the National Yogurt Association asserts will boost the immune system and brain-freeze resistance. Drizzle a deep cup of rocky road with liquid marshmallow and chopped pecans, or bombard it with a hail of nuts, fresh-cut fruit, and candy-bar crumbles ($0.45/oz.). Sorbet flavors such as watermelon and key lime pie invite sampling from dairy-free diners and lactose-intolerant DJs. In addition to determining their portions, patrons may whittle down their treat's calorie profile with low-fat or nonfat yogurt and perk up palates with two rich, no-sugar-added flavors. Painted in sherbet orange and pastel aqua, the airy shop boasts shiny tables and bright-orange chairs for up to 40 sets of sweet teeth.

A stash of more than 65 teas from around the world complements Emma's elegant atmosphere and flavorful menu, which features sandwiches, soups, salads, and a variety of delectable desserts. Pair the chicken-salad sandwich with a side of fresh fruit ($8.75), or indulge your inner herbivore with the fruit salad—a citrusy mixture of mixed greens, mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwis, and pecans, drizzled and dressed with an orange poppy-seed dressing ($8.95). For steeped drink savants interested in the quintessential afternoon teatime experience, the cozy teahouse features four tea party options ($12.50–$22.50 per person), available from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Gather any available friends or hire some unoccupied acquaintances and enjoy a leisurely afternoon of sipping and socializing over a medley of tea-completing noshables, including finger sandwiches, scrumptious scones, and a flowing chocolate fountain—all accompanied by a pot of the teahouse's leafy brew.