There’s no shortage of great coffee shops in America. There are probably at least a couple in your neighborhood that you consider indispensable when it comes time for your caffeine fix. But some coffee shops really go above and beyond, and are the absolute best in America.
It should be noted that the term “coffee shop” has two definitions: The first is the type of casual restaurant or diner that the gang from “Seinfeld” hung out at. The second is a place that sells coffee and tea drinks along with (usually) a small assortment of pastries and other foods that pair well with them, like Starbucks. But we’re not talking about Starbucks here – we’re talking about independent operations with their own personality and approach to coffee. (If you’re a Starbucks fan, though, these are the Starbucks capitals of America.)
What makes an independent coffee shop one of the nation’s best? The quality of the coffee, obviously, needs to be spectacular; it needs to be fresh and either roasted in-house or sourced from one or more well-regarded roasteries. A nice selection of food always helps, though it’s not essential. And it will usually be a comfortable community gathering place where everybody feels welcome to linger over their cold brew for a while.
To determine the best independent coffee shops in America, 24/7 Tempo reviewed articles and rankings on a wide range of websites, including Food & Wine, The Culture Trip, Time Out, Eater, Cheapism, and Yelp, as well as numerous state and local coffee shop listings. We used editorial discretion to make our final decision, but tried to include a wide range of places, from cafés serving food as well as good coffee to coffee-focused roasteries, and from small single-unit establishments to shops with a handful of local outposts.
Although we strove for geographical variety, some states and cities inevitably had a greater concentration of coffee shops worthy of consideration. (Here’s a ranking of the best and worst American cities for coffee lovers.)
1951 Coffee Company
> Locations: Berkeley, California
Backatown Coffee Parlour
> Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana
Bard Coffee
> Locations: Portland, Maine
Black Fox Coffee
> Locations: New York City, New York
Café Allegro
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Café Ammi Roasting Co.
> Locations: New York City, New York
Cafecito Organico
> Locations: Los Angeles, California
Coava Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Portland, Oregon
Cognoscenti
> Locations: Los Angeles and Culver City, California
Culture Espresso
> Locations: New York City, New York
Devoción
> Locations: New York City and Brooklyn, New York
Dune Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Santa Barbara and Goleta, California
Elm Street Coffee Roasters Café
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Espresso Vivace
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Five Watt Coffee
> Locations: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Flat Black Coffee Company
> Locations: Boston, Massachusetts
Function Coffee Labs
> Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gaslight Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Chicago, Illinois
Herkimer Coffee
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Hole in the Wall Coffee
> Locations: San Francisco, California
House of Coffi
> Locations: Dover, Delaware
Howlin’ Hounds Coffee
> Locations: Omaha, Nebraska
Kai Coffee Hawaii
> Locations: Honolulu, Hawaii
Kiosko
> Locations: Portland, Oregon
Kohi Coffee Co.
> Locations: Provincetown and Boston, Massachusetts
LaGrange Coffee Roasters
> Locations: LaGrange, Kentucky
Maru Coffee
> Locations: Los Angeles, California
Panacea Coffee Co.
> Locations: Waynesville, North Carolina
Prevail Union
> Locations: Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama
Roast’d
> Locations: Hasbrouck Heights, Fort Lee, and Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Shearwater Coffee Bar
> Locations: Fairfield and Westport, Connecticut
Thinking Cup
> Locations: Boston, Massachusetts
Try Hard Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Austin, Texas
Two Hearted Queen
> Locations: Chicago, Illinois
Variety Coffee Roasters
> Locations: New York City and Brooklyn, New York