The Date Lady's Café Dhibs on Commercial Street is the Perfect Spot for a Sweet Treat

Café Dhibs (918 W. Commercial Street, Springfield; 417-343-0440) is  located on a quiet stretch of Commercial Street. It opened in November and is run by Ryan and Colleen Sundlie, who own Date Lady, a southwest Missouri line of date products with ingredients sourced from California and Tunisia. The couple has launched their next adventure: a “micro café” that serves espresso, made-from-scratch syrups and treats made in the Date Lady kitchen. The entire menu is gluten-free and incorporates dates into its coffee, shakes, lattes and more. Curious and hungry, we decided to test it out. I’m one of the many who hasn’t given dates their due diligence, so I decided to get out of my comfort zone. The café has a minimalist lobby for enjoying treats, but patrons can also use the drive-thru or place orders online. I tried the Café Dhibs Coffee, a bitter, spiced concoction made of espresso, steamed milk, date syrup and house-made whipping cream. I topped it off with the Chocolate Chunk Cookie, which also features dates. I ate and drank every bit and am proud to say the sweetness of the cookie and spiced flavor of the coffee were the perfect combo. Same time tomorrow?