You Can Start & End Your Day At Decatur, Alabama’s Only Brewery: Cross-Eyed Owl

I spent a day working remotely at The Owl Cafe & Roastery, the new coffee roastery and shop inside Cross-Eyed Owl Brewery in Decatur, Alabama, and it was ideal. As of November 2024, the place opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays now, so you can kickstart your morning with some killer espresso and coffee drinks.

I got there around 8:30 a.m. and ordered a latte from Aja, the head barista. I found a sunny seat at a table near the building's mostly glass facade, hopped on the WiFi, and sorted through email. With the cafe's grand opening not set until the next day and word not quite out on the street, it was a super quiet morning. I chatted briefly with Aja about her pleasant playlist of acoustic cover songs, then retreated back to my work for a while as I sipped the just-right latte.

Soon, Cross-Eyed Owl owner and brewmaster Keith Yager appeared to adjust the setup for the new espresso machine. Aja introduced us, and I learned Yager has quite the story about how he came to own the place.

Yager was one of the four founding partners of the popular Huntsville brewery Yellowhammer Brewing back in 2010. When he sold his stake in the company in 2022, he started working with the previous owners of Cross-Eyed Owl Brewery (XEO) in Decatur. A year later, he had the opportunity to buy the business, and here we are. In June, Yager, the 2016 Alabama Brewmaster of the Year, marked his first anniversary as the sole owner of XEO. By November, he'd opened the new cafe and roastery.

As I enjoyed the morning sunlight filtering through the windows, the soothing music, and the warm, comforting latte, all I could think was, This place is as good as you could ever hope for to do remote work in the morning. Then of course that led to, And it's perfect for ending a long day by rolling right into happy hour with a pint!

The morning atmosphere only gives way to a different brand of chill after the brewery opens at 4 p.m. most weekdays—still laidback while decidedly more lively and social. In the evening hours, I couldn't help but notice how welcoming and family-friendly the brewery was.

Young couples met up with babies, groups of friends played chess, and even a couple of adorable pups—Precious and Molly—hung out with their people by the bar and greeted folks as they came in. The atmosphere was super relaxed and friendly, with live music from Lowery & Friends setting the tone.

Salty Dawg Food Truck sets up most weekends, Thursday through Saturday, offering the signature Salty Dawg—a deep-fried, 1/3-pound smoked sausage with cream cheese, chili, nacho cheese, mustard, and sauteed onions. While I did not order one that evening, this dish, or perhaps the loaded fries, sounds like a solid way to put some substance in your stomach before partaking in pints at the brewery.

I did sample two beers, and next time, I will order a pint of either the Space Owl IPA or the Darkstar Munich Dunkel.

Next time you're in or near the River City, do yourself a favor and check out this Decatur brewery and coffee roastery. You can check hours for both and see what's on tap on the Cross-Eyed Owl Brewery website. You can also get the latest news and event announcements on the Cross-Eyed Owl Brewery Facebook page.

Have you visited Decatur's first and oldest brewery or stopped in for a coffee or espresso at the new roastery? We'd love to hear about your time there. If you need a highly rated place to stay nearby, check out the new Fairfield Inn & Suites Decatur, located just one block east of the brewery in the heart of downtown.