The Best Coffee Shops in the West

A beautiful and rustic log cabin nestled in the cool pines of the Sacramento Mountains with spectacular views overlooking the Ruidoso River, Sacred Grounds Coffee & Tea House is one of the most picturesque coffee shops you’ll find anywhere. Along with great coffee, the shop also serves a full lineup of cocktails and a wide-ranging breakfast and lunch menu.

At the stylish, retro-inspired Slow by Slow, they’re serving up coffee from some of the finest small independent roasters in the country, including Proud Hound in Cincinnati, HEX in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Elm Coffee Roasters in Seattle.

The baristas are trained to bring out the very best flavor in each roast (they’re all sold individually as pour-over), and guests who fall in love with a specific roaster can also buy their beans by the bag. It’s a smart and creative way to support small local roasters while introducing Boise residents to coffees they wouldn’t be able to find otherwise.

Story Coffee Co. is located inside a ridiculously charming “tiny house,” and unlike most coffee shops, offers no Wi-Fi or places to plug in, so customers are encouraged to engage in conversation instead of burying their faces in a screen.

Founded by Don and Carissa Niemyer in 2015 after they visited more than 200 coffee shops in 45 states, Story Coffee roasts all its own coffee and turns them into delicious blends that the locals can’t get enough of. Even better, 5% of all revenues go toward feeding the local homeless population.

The small, minimalist Three Pines Coffee in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City is the brainchild of Nick Price and Meg Frampton. While living in Los Angeles, the Salt Lake City natives decided on a lark to buy coffee equipment and move back to sell great coffee, and they haven’t looked back since.

Each day, they choose a single origin coffee to serve as their drip coffee, brewed in small batches on a Fetco brewer. As for espresso, they usually have one single origin and one blend on offer. They make their own almond milk and syrups in-house, and baked goods are brought in fresh daily from local bakeries Pie Party, Betony Traveling Cafe, and The Loaf. Thoughtfulness goes into every aspect of Three Pines, and you really can tell.

Vesta Coffee Roasters has a location in Las Vegas’ up-and-coming Downtown Arts District as well as one in Summerlin/Lakes, and both are vibrant and inviting. They source specialty coffees from around the world, working with trusted exporters, importers, and sometimes the farmers directly, and roast them fresh three times per week.

All the classic coffee and espresso drinks are well made, and specialty drinks include hazelnut-maple lattes, golden milk, and seasonal creations like the Aztec mocha with Dutch cacao, cinnamon, and guajillo chiles. There’s also a pleasing menu of pastries, tartines, and lunch fare.