Called a “revolutionary shop” by Feast Portland co-founder Mike Thelin, this trio of coffee shops not surprisingly also has some of the “best baristas around.” Read more.
Barista Parlor uses beans from a variety of roasters in a variety of brewing methods. Accompanying the coffees are plenty of eats like housemade biscuits, sandwiches and a bourbon buttermilk waffle. Read more.
While the highlight is their dedication to sourcing the best beans in the most ethical of ways, they also have a quaint shop in which to drink it. Read more.
The fluffy homemade biscuits, Vietnamese steak and eggs, and plenty of parking makes this coffeeshop the gold standard in Houston. Read more.
Hugh Acheson says that it’s one of the best, noting the “line is long, but the coffee is worth it.” He also gives “mega props to a growing empire” where all coffee is sold at the peak of freshness. Read more.
Beans are roasted in small batches using a 1929 German-built roaster that resides in one of the Denver cafes. Boxcar developed a special method of brewing called Boilermakr.
This coffee shop eventually grew to include several locations as well as an inhouse roastery as of 2009—plus its own role in HBO’s Girls. The staff includes three certified Q Graders. Read more.
Here you'll find single-origin espressos from a Synesso Hydra machine, pour overs, Syphon and Eva Solo prepared cups with various cold brew options that emerge from their multiroaster format. Read more.
The descriptions of coffees from Ceremony are more nuanced than any wine tasting notes using terms like “soft pear acidity” and “nougat aromatics” to convey the subtleties in each varietal. Read more.
“The sleepy coffee hollow of Culver City is now awake,” says coffeetographer Chérmelle Edwards. And that it is after a visit to this modern, minimal space brought to life by a former architect. Read more.
This local roaster has been commended for their commitment to quality sourcing, environmentally friendly practices, and onsite roasting at their new headquarters which is part roastery and part cafe. Read more.
The owners are self-proclaimed “OCD” about the preparation of their carefully selected and roasted beans, making for plenty of single-origin coffees and consistently well-pulled espressos. Read more.
Sprudge calls it “nothing short of extraordinary." The titular dichotomy comes in when the added elements of liquor, beer & wine enter the equation, making for a double throw down of excellent drinks. Read more.
This coffee shop is owned and operated by local coffee roaster, Barismo, which focuses on small batches of sustainably sourced coffees for both wholesale accounts as well as brewing in dwelltime. Read more.
In conjunction with their retail outlet is Elemental’s coffeeshop which serves the full array of espresso-based drinks made with their roasts, plus food and chocolate from local purveyors. Read more.
This 1988-established coffee legend is “sweet espresso perfection with the most beautiful foam,” according to Atlas Coffee Importers’ Karen Kazmierzcak. Read more.
"I love this place,” says Hugh Acheson, adding “They’re total pros. No BS. Just great coffee.” Serving Counter Culture roasts paired with local dairy, it’s a simple shop with simply great coffee. Read more.
The intimate atmosphere, the roasted beans from Annapolis neighbors, Ceremony, and an array of preparations make it essential to the D.C. coffee scene. Read more.
The quality begins with Four Barrel’s commitment to sourcing beans in a sustainable, ethical manner. It comes to fruition in their cozy cafes, which are sans Wi-Fi, electrical outlets and soy milk. Read more.
The highly revered coffee can be found at their fairly new cafe/coffee lab just outside of Boston and in fine establishments across the country, including Hugh Acheson’s Empire State South in Atlanta. Read more.
If you’d like to order your coffee like you order your cocktails, belly up to the bar at Go Get Em Tiger. The coffee is made with quality beans from roasters like Heart, 49th Parallel & George Howell. Read more.
This Portland roaster/duo of cafes is one by which many others are measured. Why is that? Because they have a primary “focus on taste, quality, & clarity” where one-size-fits-all labels don’t apply. Read more.
Sprudge “humbly” considers Houndstooth to be among the “the best multiroaster cafes in the United States." Excellent baristas & great service round out the argument that all the fawning is warranted. Read more.
Erin Meister said it best: “You don't have to be intelligent to love this coffee, but you definitely are intelligent if you do." Read more.
The food menu is just as exciting as the coffee with poutine, roasted tomato BLTs and twice-cooked grits among the intriguing selections. The cocktail, wine and beer list ensures its well-roundedness. Read more.
Madcap is a big deal. The majority of their coffee focus is on roasting & fostering relationships with coffee growers around the world, which is done by visiting farms, no matter how remote. Read more.
“They’re serious about extraction,” says Atlas Coffee Importers’ Karen Kazmierzcak. In those extractions are what Kazmierzcak thinks are the “best coffees from multiple roasters." Read more.
Their selections include the full array of espresso-based drinks - some of them sweetened with housemade chocolate, caramel and vanilla syrups, plus single-origin French press and pour overs. Read more.
They deliver fresh coffee of the week to subscribers via bicycle inside their hometown of Kansas City. Read more.
Competition-level baristas—including Camila Ramos, who recently won first place in the Big Eastern SE Barista Competition—and great house-roasted coffees are hallmarks at this duo of Miami shops. Read more.
It’s in the back of a barbershop in Williamsburg, so there’s that; but consider the fact that Adam Goldberg of A Life Worth Eating calls it the “most promising micro-roaster in NYC” at the moment. Read more.
What started in 1996 as an import arm of the IATP has blossomed into a full blown roasting operation and coffeeshop also run by the non-profit organization.
Coffee professional Erin Meister wrote, “Their focus on the beans rather than the roast or even necessarily the barista were a sort of turning-point for a lot of other coffee companies.” Read more.
Hugh Acheson was happy to find “really great coffee in a coffee desert.” The French Quarter makes for a charming locale to enjoy a pour over from Orleans Coffee Exchange, Conundrum or Panther Coffee. Read more.
Hugh Acheson refers to it as “ground zero,” and coffee professional Erin Meister insists it “was definitely one of the leaders among roasters elevating the craft of coffee to a new level.” Read more.
“This is hands-down one of my favorite coffee shops in the country,” says coffee professional/writer, Erin Meister. “Aaron Ultimo's shop was definitely a turning-point in the Philly coffee scene...” Read more.
Verve is known for sourcing some of the highest quality coffee beans from around the world & roasting them to coax the nuances out of each one. Magic happens in their 1965 German-made Probat roaster. Read more.
The mix of comfortable 1920s-inspired cafes and carefully roasted beans have proven a successful combination. Atlas Coffee Importers’ Karen Kazmierczak says the coffee is “well sourced & prepared.” Read more.
