The Best Coffee Shop in Every State

The hiking’s great in Alabama, and so is the coffee, especially if you make your way to Florence or Tuscaloosa and hit up one of Turbo Coffee’s two locations. The Florence shop has a speakeasy vibe thanks to its location in the back of Greasy Hands Barbershop (which also happens to be the owner’s brother’s business), but don’t let that intimidate you—the coffee’s worth the trip. If you can’t make it in person, you can have a bag of beans shipped right to your door. Each small batch is sourced from farmers around the world and roasted to perfection right there in Alabama.

Talkeetna Roadhouse is located in a historic building dating back to 1917. Located in the town of Talkeetna, it combines excellent coffee and huge portions of great-tasting food with a traditional roadhouse atmosphere where customers sit together at huge tables. Just make sure to heed these rules of coffee shop etiquette while you’re enjoying your cup. Bonus: If you fall in love with this coffee shop, you can stay in the lodgings upstairs.

Bisbee Coffee Company is the only dedicated coffee shop in Bisbee, Arizona, and one of just a few in southeastern Arizona. They roast their own beans right on the premises, and reviewers love the Mexican Mocha, which is flavored with a pinch of chili. If you love a good cup of joe, be sure to check out these eight health myths about coffee.

What’s better than a great cup of coffee in a cozy coffee shop? A great cup of coffee that does good in the world! Enter Leiva’s Express, a sweet drive-thru java joint in Little Rock with an amazing mission. Their story stretches from Arkansas to the Leiva family coffee farm in Guatemala, where the family has grown coffee for decades. The beans are then hand-roasted, packed, and shipped out from Little Rock, but some make it into the delicious coffees on offer at Leiva’s Express. (Honey cinnamon latte, anyone?) The Leivas are fighting for the rights of coffee farmers around the world, and each cup of coffee or bag of beans purchased goes toward their work empowering communities in rural Guatemala. Plus, it’s delicious! Check out the ultimate guide to different types of coffee.

Klatch Coffee in San Dimas is one of the best coffee shops in the country, and for the past 20 years, this family-owned business has sourced beans from all over the world. Roastmaster Mike Perry, who has a degree in chemical engineering, somehow manages to turn science into art as he chooses the best beans and then oversees the roasting in his signature style. We’re sure that true java junkies (like Mike) will know these weird coffee facts.

It’s difficult to narrow down the best coffee shop in a state where amazing coffee shops are virtually everywhere you turn, but there’s no doubt among residents of Colorado Springs that Switchback makes a solid cup of joe. This sustainably minded company with two locations in town buys all its coffee from single-origin sources and roasts it on-site. They do their best to serve everyone in the community too, with drip coffee available at a pay-what-you-can rate.

Pretty much everything about this cute coffee shop sounds like a fairytale: Their original shop and roastery is located in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford, and their second location is inside Wesleyan RJ Julia Booksellers in Middletown. Coffee and books are two of our favorite things, but they also have amazing baked goods at both locations. It’s the perfect place to warm up after an afternoon spent apple picking.

A local Delaware chain, Brew Ha Ha! has nine locations around the state and has been keeping locals in a happy, Italian-inspired espresso buzz for more than two decades. Founder Alisa Morkides got the idea for her shop on a trip to Tuscany, and after all that delicious coffee, she returned home and started the only coffee shop in Delaware to use locally roasted beans. That may help explain why Brew Ha Ha! has been rated Best in Delaware for 23 years in a row. Speaking of Italy, do you know who invented pizza?

The Florida Panther is one of the most rare and endangered animals in the United States. Similarly, Panther Coffee is a rare kind of coffee shop in Miami, a city dominated by Cuban-style coffee. The owners do their own roasting of beans curated from tiny farms, and they post origin details on each variety they brew so that your experience isn’t just the pleasure of drinking delicious coffee, but also learning how it came to you. We bet they know how much caffeine is in coffee too.

There’s a lot of turnover in the Georgia coffee shop business, but it’s a safe bet that Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee (in Roswell and other locations around Atlanta) will be around for a while. These do-gooders have a mission, and it’s not just great coffee—they’re known to serve a “high-quality cup of coffee that provides a living wage to coffee growers.” The Roswell location also serves its java out of the cutest little house.

The best coffee shop in Hawaii is Kona Joe in Kealakekua, on the Kona coast of Hawaii. Java junkies simply rave about the place: According to one Tripadvisor reviewer, it’s got the best coffee on the planet. Another satisfied customer says she discovered Kona Joe on vacation and now has a standing monthly order to have three pounds of beans shipped to her home in Los Angeles. Visitors can do a full tour to see how coffee is grown before enjoying their brew overlooking the beautiful farm. You’ll never want to leave!

Started by three friends in 1992 and voted Best of Boise in the Boise Weekly for more than a decade, Flying M Coffee now has three locations in Boise, Caldwell, and Nampa. For more than 20 years, this quirky coffee shop has hosted an annual Valentine for AIDS art benefit show, raising more than $500,000 to assist those in the state living with HIV/AIDS. As if all that do-gooding weren’t enough, they also have daily made-from-scratch pastries available. These coffee puns will make anyone laugh a latte.

Founded in 2003 by a coffee-loving father and son, Metropolis Coffee Company has grown and expanded into a successful wholesale business with an adorable cafe in Chicago. Enjoy a slice of pie alongside a perfectly roasted cup of joe, or take a tour of the roastery, complete with a coffee taste test at the end.

Starlight Coffee Co. is frequently on Indiana’s “best of” lists. “Established in 2002, Starlight Coffee Company is the oldest roaster operator in Southern Indiana,” according to its website. “We roast our own beans locally in Starlight, Indiana, and work with green bean buyers to acquire the highest-grade specialty coffee.” Starlight’s origin story is as much about the town of Starlight and its small-town warmth as it is about the coffee itself. But the coffee’s pretty good too.

Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls, with its retro, candy-colored website, bills itself as a “one-of-a-kind espresso bar with 1950s flair.” Featuring fair-trade and organic coffee, local pastries, and weekly music events, it’s got rave reviews on Tripadvisor. After all, with a name like Cup of Joe, how could it be anything but delicious?

With a chill vibe and delicious coffees, teas, and bistro foods (including a number of vegetarian and gluten-free options), Topeka’s Blackbird Espresso Bar & Bistro consistently gets rave reviews from their many loyal customers.

Coffee shop with an on-site roastery? Check. Coffee shop with an in-house pastry chef? Check! Located in a beautifully restored 19th-century building in Campbellsville, just a short drive away from Bourbon country, Harden Coffee offers delicious coffee and even better latte art. Count us in!

Yes, it’s a famous spot in New Orleans, but you would be truly missing out if you didn’t try the chicory roast brew and incredible beignets at Cafe Du Monde. This Big Easy classic got its start in 1862, and it stays open 24 hours a day year-round, closing only on Christmas and for the occasional hurricane. Perfect for your late-night caffeine craving.

There’s a Starbucks across the street, but no self-respecting Portlander would take a grande frappé over a cup of java from Bard Coffee. The place is named for the Celtic order of poets who composed and recited verses celebrating the exploits of chieftains and heroes, and likewise, Bard’s self-proclaimed mission is to tell the story of each cup of coffee they serve, promising a total coffee experience.

Don’t you want to visit a coffee shop that has the best biscuits in the state? Head on down to Baltimore’s Spoons, a true coffee shop unicorn in that it’s both kid-friendly (it was voted “best kid-friendly restaurant” in Baltimore) and cool (it was also voted Baltimore’s “best coffeehouse”). Spoons hand-roasts all their coffee in the shop, so you know it smells amazing in there. Be sure to learn what exactly a macchiato is when you visit.

They say good things come in small packages, and Gracenote Coffee in Boston’s Leather District is definitely proof. Situated in a tiny space, they have a truly impressive espresso machine setup sure to impress any coffee snob. It’s a place to grab and go, or to down a perfectly roasted espresso Italian-style (that’s leaning on the bar), and with caffeine this good you won’t want to sit down anyway.

Grand Rapids is home to MadCap Coffee, a spot that’s consistently rated among the best coffee shops in the country (with another location in Detroit). They take coffee to a new level: You can enjoy tasting flights or order your espresso in a snifter. Plus, the company has a “zero-waste” policy, which turns all trash into either compost or recyclables.

When you’re looking for a top-notch coffee bar in Minnesota, you’ll want to head to Paradise in Minneapolis. They specialize in single-origin exceptional coffee from producers in Hawaii, Thailand, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and more. Visit their Grand Street Roastery from Monday to Friday (they’re closed on weekends), and walk away with a bag of beautiful beans.

Strange Brew Coffeehouse in Starkville features coffee made with Mississippi-roasted beans, which the locals rave about. They also love the original flavors and drinks you can’t find anywhere else—so if you’re looking for a Cap’n Crunch latte, a blueberry cobbler roast, or a sea turtle frappe, you’ll want to come by. And when you do, bring your computer and stay awhile on one of the comfy couches upstairs.

Kansas City might be the coolest, most underrated city in the Midwest—they definitely have a coffee scene worthy of a much bigger place. Case in point: Oddly Correct. Where else can you get in-house roasted coffee during the morning rush hour while listening to tunes spun by local DJs? Take a load off by sitting at counters made from poured concrete with wood accents taken from old coffee pallets. One catch: If you want one of their three weekly specialty coffees, you’re not allowed to have any milk or sugar. Go figure.

When in Montana, if you like your coffee black and your beverages eco-friendly, you’ll want to make your way to Black Coffee Roasting Company in Missoula. The blends are all sustainable, organic, craft-roasted, and utterly delicious. You can even do a Coffee Quiz on their website to find your perfect blend. However, we recommend spending a jittery morning trying them all in-store. These coffee memes should give you some ideas.

According to Tripadvisor, the best coffee shop in Nebraska is The Mill Coffee and Tea in Lincoln. The coffee selection is fantastic—from light to dark roasts—the service is unrivaled, and the ambiance is welcoming and casual. Plus, it’s located right smack in the middle of Lincoln’s entertainment district. What’s not to like?

Coffee Cup Cafe in Boulder City calls itself “World Famous”—and deservedly so, as it was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. But it also offers some of the very best coffee in Nevada, along with retro diner-style food cooked fresh to order. Did someone say, good morning?

We learned about the Dirt Cowboy Cafe from some Dartmouth College students—it’s a fave, in part, because it’s so close to the campus in Hanover. But convenience isn’t the primary draw: Look to the in-house roasted beans, the great selection of teas, and the hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, not to mention the shabby-chic ambiance.

When seeking out the best beans in the Garden State, we recommend heading to the shore, and in particular, Asbury Park’s Cafe Volan. Despite its beach location, it still manages to draw crowds in the winter months, because who doesn’t want a hot brew in the chilliest part of the year? They also have an excellent bakery cabinet.

What’s better than supporting a small business? Sipping a great cup of joe while you do it. If you’re spending time in New Mexico, you’re probably already enjoying the local colors and flavors, in which case it won’t be hard to convince you to get your next coffee fix at Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse. Not only do they have outstanding locally roasted Iconik coffee, baked goods, and soups, but they’re also Santa Fe’s oldest locally owned independent bookstore. Time to curl up with a good book and a fresh croissant.

If you think you have to head into the Big Apple to get the best New York coffee, think again. Recess Coffee House & Roastery in Syracuse is known not only as one of the top coffee shops in the state, but one of the top in the country as well. In a place that gets several months of snow each year, it’s important that the local coffeehouses are extra cozy. Fortunately, Recess provides a lovely recess from the winter at any one of its three locations.

If you’re lucky enough to live in or visit North Carolina’s beautiful Outer Banks, you should definitely pay a visit to the Ocracoke Coffee Company. For more than 25 years, this sweet coffeehouse has been delighting island locals and visitors with perfectly smooth coffee and a setting for lively conversation in the sun. Sit back and smell the sweet jasmine—you’re on island time now. And if the heat starts getting to you, try a cold brew coffee.

The institution known as Babb’s Coffee House in Jamestown has a unique pitch: It’s Seattle-themed, and it features beans from the city, plus a stage backdrop featuring the city’s skyline (Babb’s has live music and poetry readings too). The coffee revolution may have started in the Pacific Northwest, but this coffeehouse is pure North Dakota—for one, it’s located in a historical building that used to be the James River National Bank.

We’re singling out Cleveland’s Rising Star Coffee Roasters because of its historic location (in the old Ohio City Firehouse), its locally roasted beans, its focus on organic coffees, and the fact that they’ve expanded to an additional seven locations. Oh, and the coffee is delicious too!

There’s an inspirational husband-and-wife team behind Hoboken Coffee Roasters, and the pair decided to start the coffee company shortly after their wedding. The story goes like this: Move to Oregon, spend a year enjoying the coffee culture of the Pacific Northwest, sell a car, buy an espresso machine, and pedal more than 2,000 miles home to Oklahoma. Ten years after they opened this adorable coffee shop, it’s considered a true gem in the community of Guthrie. We bet they’ve seen a funny coffee quote or two in their day.

The competition for the best coffee in Oregon is tight, but if you’re looking for the quintessential Portland destination, you should head for Never Coffee. Try their flagship Flowers blend for wildflower florals, citrusy acidity, and notes of milk chocolate. With two locations, on Belmont Street and in Downtown Portland, guests can enjoy flavors like rose and cardamom among the selection of iced and hot coffees.

La Colombe now has locations across the nation, but their flagship 11,000-square-foot space in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia is an experience simply not to be missed. The enormous space includes a roastery, a tasting room, a pizza oven, and a rum distillery. In addition to typical coffeehouse fare, La Colombe also serves wine, beer, and a White Russian that gets rave reviews.

Bolt Coffee Co. has four delicious locations in Providence, and despite the name, this is definitely a cup of java you’ll want to savor. They source their coffee from family farms in Honduras, Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru, and Colombia, so you know that every cup has been sustainably made with love and care. You can even book them for an event.

We picked Kudu Coffee and Craft Beer in Charleston for its choice offerings: coffee and beer. Whichever you want, Kudu has you covered. It also has a gorgeous outdoor courtyard (with a fountain to keep you cool even on the hottest Southern days) and no Wi-Fi—a boon to those who prefer conversation along with their libations. If you need an icebreaker, consider looking up who invented ice cream.

The best coffee in South Dakota is at Pump House in Deadwood, a beautiful studio where visitors can watch glass artists at work. The Pump House features locally roasted coffee and pastries, as well as beer and wine. The best part? All of it can be enjoyed while gazing at the gorgeous view of the Black Hills and watching handcrafted glass sculptures being created before your eyes.

Nashville’s Barista Parlor is steeped in local flavor: The baristas’ aprons are custom-designed by a local company, their bowties are from a local apparel maker, and the massive mural on the wall by a Nashville artist pays homage to coffee-carrying ships. The food that isn’t made in-house is locally sourced, and to top it off, customers get a bandana for a napkin. On fair weather days, this quirky Music City coffeehouse invites local bands to play on an outdoor stage, and there are plans for the frontman of the rock band The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, to open up a second outpost.

Houston’s Blacksmith isn’t just a coffee shop in a gorgeous rustic building, it’s a coffee shop with an outstanding selection of breakfast items. Get in early, as the place is usually packed in the morning. If you do end up getting a take-out coffee or bag of beans, make sure you know these clever coffee filter uses.

Park City Coffee Roaster gets a lot of love from locals, and it’s easy to see why. This well-located spot carefully sources its beans and offers gorgeous views of the nearby peaks. It also serves the best scones in the city, so make sure to stop by before you hit the slopes.

A family business that’s been serving Burlington for more than 20 years, Speeder & Earl’s is passionate about the local community. They partner with various state and local organizations, as well as sourcing single-origin beans to be roasted right there in-house. Of course, it’s Vermont, so you have to try the maple French roast—it’s a fan favorite.

Black Sheep Coffee, situated in the historic Ice House building in Harrisonburg, is the cream of Virginia’s coffee shop crop. Black Sheep’s coffee is sourced from local roasters around the state, but they also feature a large selection of both Rishi loose leaf tea blends and specialty artisan sodas from quirky East Coast suppliers like Harmony Springs in Massachusetts, Maine Root in Maine, and Blenheim Ginger Ale in South Carolina. If you’re hungry, try a delectable breakfast wrap!

It’s tough to pick a “best” coffee shop for the state that made coffee shops famous, but in a nod to the one that blew the business wide open, we’re going to go with Seattle’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery. An über-upscale outpost of Starbucks, the Reserve is a unique experience for even the most discerning coffee snob, with tours available and amazing coffee cocktails on the menu. Plus, have you ever noticed this hidden detail in the Starbucks logo?

In investigating the best West Virginia coffee shops, only Quantum Bean Coffee in Morgantown ticks every box. You can take their delicious coffee home to brew in your own kitchen, or experience a perfect creamy cup in their lovely downtown cafe. It’s the best place to go for specialty drinks too, like iced coffee with lavender, or a coconut latte.

The shop known as Colectivo Coffee (with 12 locations in Milwaukee) has been around since 1993, though originally it was called Alterra Coffee Roasters. As one of the coffee shops at the vanguard of the North American coffee revolution, Colectivo was renamed in 2013 after the buses the staff ride on their visits to partner coffee farms in Central America. The “collective” vibe is also apparent in the free tastings, brewing demos, and Monday night classical music concerts.

Espresso Gurus rates Paramount Cafe in Cheyenne as the best coffee shop in Wyoming, thanks to its extraordinary variety of caffeinated drinks, friendly owners, adorable ambiance (it’s in an old Paramount theater, with walls covered in art), and live music on weekend nights. Trust us, you don’t want to miss their “super secret menu.” Now that you know the best coffee spots, fuel up to hit the best all-you-can-eat buffets.