The best coffee shop in every state

Publish date: 2024-08-10
2015-09-29T17:49:00Z

Forget Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

Every state has its beloved local haunt where you can grab a cup of joe or a foamy masterpiece of latte art and unwind.

Today is National Coffee Day, so we're honoring some of the best coffee shops around the US.

We looked at expert reviews and local recommendations to find the best coffee shop in every state.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters is the best coffee shop in Colorado. Google Earth

ALABAMA: O'Henry's Coffees is there to keep Birmingham hyper-caffeinated with its signature Gibraltar Quad Shot: four shots of espresso and a hint of milk.

Yelp user Alan B.

O'Henry's Coffees

ALASKA: Jitters is so good it can give you just that, if you drink too much. In a hurry? Grab a coffee from its coffee truck, right in the shop's Eagle River parking lot.

Jitters Eagle River

Jitters

ARIZONA: Cartel Coffee Lab is a great, six-location local chain. Its single-origin coffee is roasted in-house and served with fresh pastries daily.

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Cartel Coffee Lab

ARKANSAS: Mud Street Cafe is synonymous with Eureka Springs and home to award-winning coffee. Mud Street is located in a building that dates back to the 1880s.

Yelp user Marcus A.

Mud Street Cafe

CALIFORNIA: Founded by two coffee veterans, Los Angeles' G&B (Glanville & Babinski) Coffee prepares food and beverages from the world's best roasters. In July 2013 the founders opened up its sister coffee shop, Go Get Em Tiger.

http://instagram.com/gandbcoffee and http://instagram.com/ggetla

G&B Coffee; Go Get Em Tiger

COLORADO: With a location in Boulder and another in Denver, Boxcar Coffee Roasters roasts small batches in a vintage German roasting machine, churning up the good stuff that goes into its popular cold-brew coffee.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters is the best coffee shop in Colorado. Google Earth

Boxcar Coffee Roasters

CONNECTICUT: J. René Coffee Roasters in West Hartford proudly brews artisan coffee three ways: by siphon, chemex, or French press.

Facebook/JRené-Coffee-Roasters

J. René Coffee Roasters

DELAWARE: Despite the name, Brew HaHa! is serious about coffee. With several locations around the state, BrewHaHa! has been voted the best coffee in Delaware by Delaware Today for 19 years running.

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Brew HaHa!

FLORIDA: Miami-based Panther Coffee is known for its cold-brew java and its exceedingly talented baristas. The gorgeous artwork on the walls makes the space both a coffee house and a gallery of sorts.

Facebook/panther.coffee

Panther Coffee

GEORGIA: Named one of America's coolest coffee houses by Travel & Leisure, Octane has several locations in Atlanta. The original lofty, open space on the Westside is perfect for hosting events.

Flickr/Tom Nguyen

Octane Coffee

HAWAII: Kailua's Morning Brew opens early for coffee and stays open until 7 p.m. Serving a variety of single-brew pourovers, espresso drinks, and teas, Morning Brew is also known for its tasty fare, and occasional live music performances.

Yelp user Amina M.

Morning Brew

IDAHO: Flying M Coffee has two locations — its coffeehouse in Boise, and its coffeegarage in Nampa — where hip baristas will fix you up a strong drink to accompany a selection of vegan and non-vegan baked goods.

Facebook/Flying-M-CoffeeConcert-Garage

Flying M Coffee

ILLINOIS: Vaguely sci-fi themed, The Wormhole's menu is as funky as its decor. Order the honey bear latte, or the peanut butter Koopa Troopa — espresso, milk, and just a hint of peanut butter from this Chicago coffeehouse.

The Wormhole

The Wormhole

INDIANA: Calvin Fletcher's is a do-good coffee company that donates its proceeds to local nonprofits in Indianapolis. Makes you feel good about ordering that affogato, doesn't it?

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Calvin Fletcher's Coffee Company

IOWA: Being in the center of the University of Iowa community, the Java House is an uber-local chain known for its mainly academic clientele. The shops host free weekly coffee tastings which, when you're a college student, are a great way to get caffeine on a budget.

Facebook/TheJavaHouse

The Java House

KANSAS: The Roasterie, with locations in Leawood, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, is the home base of barista Simeon Bricker, who won the 2014 U.S. Latte Art Championship.

Facebook/TheRoasterie

The Roasterie

KENTUCKY: For a colorful, funky vibe, get your next espresso at Lexington's Third Street Stuff and Coffee, where you can also shop for art and novelty items made by the owner.

Google Earth

Third Street Stuff and Coffee

LOUISIANA: In a city as hot as New Orleans, you'll want to cool down with a cool-yet-full-bodied cold-brew coffee. The answer? Spitfire.

Yelp user Ezra E.

Spitfire Coffee

MAINE: In the small town of Biddeford, Elements: Books, Coffee, Beer spells it all out for you. The star of the show is the Bard Coffee the shop sells — a locally roasted bean blend that goes into its caffeinated beverages.

Elements: Books, Coffee, Beer

Elements: Books, Coffee, Beer

MARYLAND: Rise Up Coffee Roasters began as a coffee trailer in a parking lot and now proudly claims three brick-and-mortar locations in Salisbury, Easton, and St. Michaels, each adhering to the "crop to cup" coffee philosophy.

Yelp user Jennie L.

Rise Up Coffee Roasters

MASSACHUSETTS: With four locations in Bean Town, Pavement Coffeehouse serves Bostonians a fresh jolt of java and made-to-order bagel sandwiches.

Pavement Coffeehouse

Pavement Coffeehouse

MICHIGAN: Grand Rapids' Rowster Coffee is a warm retreat from those cold Midwestern winters. Step inside, grab a cappuccino, and read the paper while you defrost.

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Rowster Coffee

MINNESOTA: Peace Coffee, which has several locations in Minneapolis, is a fair-trade coffee company that buys organic beans straight from the source. The result is a delicious, fresh, and sustainable product that supports the farmers who grow and roast it.

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Peace Coffee

MISSISSIPPI: With several locations around the state, Cups is known statewide for its signature coffee flavors that range from the exotic, like coconut creme, to the local, like Southern pecan.

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Cups

MISSOURI: The Coffee Ethic in Springfield boldly claims that its cappuccino will blow your mind. Zagat named TCE its must-try coffee shop for the entire Show-Me State.

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The Coffee Ethic

MONTANA: The sister-owned Crooked Tree Coffee & Cakes in Great Falls is known for more than its bold, hand-crafted coffee: It's also a fully operational custom cake bakery. Get a slice, or a cupcake, to go with your joe.

Facebook/Crooked-Tree-Coffee-and-Cakes

Crooked Tree Coffee & Cakes

NEBRASKA: Cultiva Coffee in Lincoln is a coffee house and "microroastery" that brews its own special Black Label espresso — a perfect blend of beans for milky drinks or to drink by itself.

Facebook/cultivacoffee

Cultiva Coffee

NEVADA: Grouchy John's pours your daily dose of caffeine from its brick-and-mortar location and its mobile coffee truck, which roams Las Vegas.

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Grouchy John's

NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Coffee Station, known as the Hut, is the go-to coffee shop for University of New Hampshire students. The drive-up red shack serves fresh roasted beans in unusually decadent flavors, like banana Nutella.

Google Earth

The Coffee Station

NEW JERSEY: Small World Coffee's refreshing New Orleans-style iced coffee is the perfect summer drink. Because of its locations, Small World Coffee has close ties to the Princeton community.

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Small World Coffee

NEW MEXICO: Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters is, first and foremost, the best roastery in Albuquerque, but the company's cafe whips up a mean maple bacon latte, made with bits of real bacon.

Facebook/Michael-Thomas-Coffee

Michael Thomas Coffee Roasters

NEW YORK: Neurotic New York City may seem like the caffeine capital of the Empire State, but it's actually Ithaca's award-winning Gimme! Coffee that makes the best cup. To be sure, they also have locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Facebook/gimmecoffee

Gimme! Coffee

NORTH CAROLINA: The owner of Waking Life in Asheville is an absolute coffee geek who loves teaching customers about great coffee.

Instagram/wakinglifecoffee

Waking Life Hand Brewed Coffee & Espresso

It was recently speculated in a Jezebel article earlier this month that the owners of Waking Life are also allegedly responsible for a "misogynistic pick-up-artist web presence" on a blog and podcast called "Holistic Game."

NORTH DAKOTA: Grab a just-right drip coffee, a warm pastry, and have a seat at Urban Stampede, a coffee shop and specialty grocery store in Grand Forks.

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Urban Stampede

OHIO: As the name implies, The Root operates on a philosophy that coffee should come straight from the source. The Lakewood shop serves ethically traded, organic coffee and appetizing vegan and non-vegan dishes.

Google Earth

The Root Café

OKLAHOMA: At Elemental Coffee Roasters in Oklahoma City, you can choose from any number of ways to have your coffee served to you — French press, pourover, Chemex, or even (or especially) with brunch.

Facebook/ElementalCoffee

Elemental Coffee Roasters

OREGON: Heart Roasters, with two Portland locations, only makes PDX that much cooler. Its premium coffee is available, obviously, in Portland, but is also sold online and in shops around the world.

Heart Roasters

Heart Roasters

PENNSYLVANIA: Ultimo is the best coffee shop in the state, according to Philly residents. The South Philly shop trains its baristas to pour the perfect espresso, which is served with locally sourced steamed milk.

Melissa Stanger//Business Insider

Ultimo Coffee

RHODE ISLAND: Seven Stars Bakery is, yes, a bakery, but the Providence-based shop hired a coffee expert to boost their brews and now the shop is known as much for the quality of its beans as its bread.

Facebook/Seven-Stars-Bakery

Seven Stars Bakery

SOUTH CAROLINA: Charleston residents say that Black Tap's coffee is best enjoyed exactly that way (black), but that if you must add to it to go for the brown sugar syrup, which is the closest thing to heaven on earth as you'll ever find.

Facebook/blacktapcoffee

Black Tap Coffee

SOUTH DAKOTA: Coffea Roasterie's delicately roasted beans have been nationally rated by Coffee Review. They're sold whole or ground or brewed into mugs and served in the two cafe locations in Sioux Falls.

Facebook/CoffeaRoasterie

TENNESSEE: The quality of CREMA's espresso is marked by the subtle, foamy "crema" when the shot is poured. The Nashville shop also offers tasting, roasting, and barista classes.

Flickr/bujrn

CREMA Coffee Roasters

TEXAS: Blacksmith is a Houston coffeehouse with a rock-star attitude. It pays homage to Queen, and any time a Queen song plays in the shop, the first customer in line gets their drink free.

Facebook/blacksmithhouston

Blacksmith

UTAH: Starbucks and Beans & Brews are two big chains in Salt Lake City, but Alchemy Coffee is the boldly roasted diamond in the rough. Two SLC locations blend good beans, fresh milk, and love to give customers their favorite drinks.

Facebook/Alchemy-Coffee

Alchemy Coffee

VERMONT: Burlington's Muddy Waters has great drinks, a warm staff, and rustic decor. If you want your caffeine in dessert form, go for the much-beloved Muddy's Shake, a delicious blend of espresso and ice cream.

Facebook/muddywatersvt

Muddy Waters

VIRGINIA: The folks at Killer ESP in Alexandria must have just that, as they always seem to know exactly what you'll like. In reality though, the "ESP" part stands for espresso, sorbet, and pie.

Killer ESP

Killer ESP

WASHINGTON: Cherry Street Coffee House, with multiple locations in Seattle, serves great coffee because the people who make it really know how. Cherry Street's top barista, Laila Ghambari, won this year's U.S. Barista Championships.

Google Earth

Cherry Street Coffee House

WASHINGTON, DC: Hand-crafted espresso drinks, small-batch baked goods, and its famous "hippie crack" granola make Baked & Wired the best coffee shop in D.C. It's also renowned for its cupcakes.

Google Earth

Baked & Wired

WEST VIRGINIA: In Thomas, a town with fewer than 600 residents, TipTop is a standout in coffee-making skills. It's renowned for having the best java for miles around.

Facebook/TipTopThomas

TipTop

WISCONSIN: A well-known Milwaukee chain, Colectivo Coffee is committed to staying local and neighborhood-y. Colectivo's handmade "session coffee" is roasted and brewed to be enjoyed from the first sip to the last.

Facebook/ColectivoCoffee

Colectivo Coffee

WYOMING: Cowboy Coffee brings a taste of the Old West to every cup. They sell premium roasted coffee beans around the state, but you can grab a cup and a seat in their Jackson Hole shop anytime.

Facebook/Cowboy-Coffee-Co-Jackson-Hole

Cowboy Coffee Company

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