The 15 Best Coffee Shops In America Right Now
It's an understatement to say the coffee market is saturated. Overpriced coffee chains seem to be on every city block, while fast-growing coffee houses are opening new stores at a break-neck pace. Even fast-food chains are getting in on the coffee action. But don't forget about the little guys!
In just about every major city in America, smaller stand-alone coffee shops are slinging absolutely delicious java—and these hidden gems have stolen the hearts of locals. But where to begin? The best independent coffee shops serve expertly made coffee drinks, hire personable baristas, and offer cozy seating areas for patrons looking to chill out.
Tracking down the best independent coffee shops is no small task, but we have you covered: Eat This, Not That! checked out customer reviews, city-specific Reddit threads, and consulted studies that suss out the most searched-for individual coffee shops, like this report from travel site Upgraded Points.
For this list, we skipped over the local shops with multiple locations and zeroed in on autonomous cafés that focus on the actual coffee of it all. The result? The 15 best coffee shops in America right now.
Broadsheet Coffee
In Cambridge, Mass., coffee aficionados know where to go for a good cup of joe: Broadsheet Coffee. The team roasts its own specialty coffee in a state-of-the-art facility in neighboring Somerville, and then serves up small-batch roasts to loyal customers in its modern, welcoming café. Expect rotating brews, all the usual specialty espresso-based drinks, and tasty pastries. Bags of coffee beans are on sale, so you can brew at home, too.
Cultivar Coffee
This East Dallas coffee roaster has been serving up house-roasted drinks since 2011, with a focus on sustainably sourced beans. At the café, expect to find baristas brewing their own single-origin coffees, excellent espresso-based beverages, and yummy pastries. Pick up a bag of beans to brew at home, or sit down to enjoy a barista special: the "local honey," a latte made with, you guessed it, locally sourced honey, espresso, and milk. A bonus? The café shares its space with a sandwich shop, Goodfriend Package, which serves up killer breakfast sandwiches.
Thank You Thank You
In Philadelphia, head to Thank You Thank You, a small café serving up excellent roasts from a cozy building in Washington Square. Baristas here are obsessed with sourcing beans from all over the world and getting great results. Try a pour-over coffee or a latte—you can't go wrong. Reviewers often note how much care baristas put into making the drinks, resulting in meticulously brewed beverages every time. If you love surprising brews and passionate baristas, this is a must-visit. There's also cool merch and beans for sale—so you can take the cozy coffee vibe home with you.
Portrait Coffee
Portrait Coffee is located in the historic West End neighborhood of Atlanta, and this speciality coffee roaster isn't afraid to switch it up. Case in point: brewing up a variety of single-origins and blends. The community-focused coffee shop gets rave reviews online for having a friendly, welcoming staff, excellent light and medium roasts, and awesome ambiance. Locals recommend purchasing Portrait's beans online for at-home brewing, too: the Toni blend is a top seller.
Yeems Coffee
Located in Los Angeles' vibrant Koreatown neighborhood, Yeems Coffee was recently identified as one of the most searched-for individual coffee shops by the travel site Upgraded Points. Yeems' signature espresso drink, the Vienna latte, is a picture-worthy concoction made with house-made sweet cream and cocoa powder, a popular Korean twist on a classic Einspänner coffee: hot espresso topped with cool whipped cream. Reviewers online recommend trying it iced!
Copper Star Coffee
In Phoenix, try Copper Star Coffee, a carhop drive-thru that serves up coffee and all kinds of treats out of a repurposed service station. The locally owned cafe is known for awesome bagels, friendly staff, pastries baked in-house, and yes, great coffee. Reviewers recommend trying out the distinctly spicy dirty chai or the lavender latte, featuring house-made, award-winning lavender syrup.
Metropolis Coffee Company
Into consistently fresh beans? Try Chicago's Metropolis Coffee Company, a bustling cafe known for its speedy service and hand-roasted coffees made to order. Beans are delivered daily from Metropolis' award-winning roasterie, just a mile down the road along the Chicago River. (Visitors can pop by there, too!) Customers note the bustling atmosphere, reasonable prices, and super friendly baristas. In addition to all the café mainstays on offer, Metropolis has fun with themed drink specials, recently whipping up menus based on the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants and pop star Taylor Swift.
Cambrian Coffee
This Houston-based coffee shop is known for its specialty coffee, British baked goods, and signature sausage rolls—seriously! High-quality beans are used in all kinds of ways. Whether you like a single-origin pour-over, a custom cold brew, or a rotating nitro cold brew, there's something for everyone! Of course, there are also delicious espresso-based beverages on offer, like Cambrian's signature drink, the Cambrian Latte, which is made with a house-made honey cinnamon syrup.
Theory Coffee Company
If you love something a little different, this San Antonio coffee stop is worth a visit. Theory Coffee serves up specialty coffee from Wild Gift Coffee—an independent roaster out of Austin, Texas—all from a really cool trailer. In addition to locally roasted drip coffee, expect all the classic espresso-based drinks made with care. This results in super tasty cortados, lattes, and cappuccinos that are extremely photo-worthy.
Amberson Coffee & Grocer
In Indianapolis, locals swear Amberson Coffee & Grocer serves the best coffee in town. High-quality espresso drinks and pour-over coffees are on the menu, with multiple rotating options for each. A haven for coffee nerds looking to try something new, this multi-roaster showcases the best coffees locally and from around the world, and helpful baristas are on site to answer questions about their brews. Try out the horchata, made with traditional Mexican agua fresca, homemade rice-macadamia milk, and spices—or add espresso to make it a latte!
Sey Coffee
Coffee is serious business at Sey Coffee in Brooklyn, N.Y., and for good reason. The contemporary micro-roastery serves only the finest and most complex coffee. Leaning into a lighter, Scandinavian roasting style, Sey keeps it simple and lets the coffee speak for itself. On the menu, you'll find drip coffee, iced coffee, espresso, and other staples. Beans are sourced from individual farmers all over the world, and then roasted on location. New roasts are cycled in often, so there's always something new to try, including sometimes-rare brews. Reviewers say the espresso is always top notch, which makes Sey a reliable coffeehouse for your morning fix.
Florin Coffee
Florin Coffee in Columbus, Ohio, has all the goodies anyone could want in a coffee shop. Expect drip coffee, cold brew, and espresso-based drinks, as well as a host of pastries, like locally-made pop tarts. Reviewers say the cold brew is out of this world, while seasonal drinks keep the menu feeling energetic. (Florin's latest seasonal drink, Pocket full of Sunshine, is an affogato with double espresso shots over a scoop of soft serve ice cream!) By the way, Florin roasts all its own coffee on-site, which means the beans are always fresh. Florin is proof that passionate roasters and baristas keep the world turning.
Mnemonic
In San Diego, stop by Mnemonic, a cozy new café featuring '70s decor and really good coffee. Mnemonic only uses sustainably sourced coffee, and the owners designed the space to feel inviting—like your neighborhood bar but without the booze. Hence, the barstool seating! Handcrafted espresso-based drinks are made with oat milk as a default—no cow's milk here—to great results. Reviewers say the iced vanilla latte, whipped up with house-made vanilla, espresso, and oat milk, is the best they ever had. It's the shop's top seller for a reason!
Academic Coffee
This coffee shop in San Jose, Calif., is known for its unique lattes, delicious baked goods, and great customer service. If you're bored of basic lattes, Academic has the antidote, always slinging interesting espresso-based creations. For example, the pandan latte, made with organic cane sugar and leaves from the pandan plant—the popular tropical vegetation used in Southeast Asia cuisine—comes highly recommended from reviewers. There's pandan cold brew, too, which one reviewer calls "goated" (that's a good thing). And, though it's not coffee, the expertly prepared iced matcha latte is also worth trying.
Espresso Vivace
Slightly cheating with this one, since there are technically two locations, but Espresso Vivace comes so highly recommended online as a must-visit Seattle coffee shop that it had to make the list. (After all, a coffee shop list would be incomplete without a Jet City selection.) Reviewers note the espresso at Vivace is reliably top notch, resulting in a consistently great espresso drink upon every visit. Customers recommend trying out the Cafe Nico, a four-ounce drink made up of expertly pulled espresso, vanilla, orange, half-and-half, and cinnamon that's uniquely perfect.
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