The Best Coffee Shops in the West

It’s no small feat to be the best coffee shop in a city as coffee-obsessed as Seattle, but Elm Coffee Roasters, going strong in Pioneer Square since it was founded by Brendan Mullally in 2013, has a fair claim to the title. Mullally partners with producers and importers from around the world to source the highest-quality green beans on earth, and he roasts them on-site.

Brewed to order, the results are served with a smile in an inviting, high-ceilinged space. Offerings include Kenya Nyeri Gatugi AB (cranberry, baking spice, molasses), Colombia Adelino Urbano (apple raspberry, dulce de leche), and Guatemala Lazaro Costanza (lemon lime, stone fruit, caramel).

Located in Main Gate Square, a stone’s throw from the University of Arizona, Espresso Art Café draws inspiration from European cafés. Along with being a classic coffee shop, it’s also a hookah bar and full-service cocktail bar, and Playstations, Xboxes, and Nintendo Switches are also available to rent. So basically, there’s something for everybody, and it’s a popular hangout for students, tourists, and locals alike. 

Meet up with your friends during the daytime to sip a nitro cold brew or yerba mate and nibble a bagel with cream cheese, and come back after dark for a cocktail or glass of wine in the speakeasy in the back.

Downtown Albuquerque’s cozy and charming Espresso Fino is an espresso bar serving expertly prepared iced and hot coffee and espresso drinks. All coffee is locally roasted, certified organic, and Fair Trade. Owner Greg Flores can usually be found behind the counter pulling espresso shots himself, and he and his employees are all friendly and knowledgeable.

Ebon Coffee Collective has a cool, mellow vibe with white walls and plenty of greenery, and it sources its coffee exclusively from Montana-based roasters. The place also bakes a lineup of pastries, including plenty of gluten-free options. Other scratch-made offerings include homemade kombucha, hibiscus lime iced tea, and espresso and elderflower tonic, and there are weekly and monthly coffee bean subscriptions.

Housed in a sleek and rustic space with exposed beams in San Francisco, Four Barrel Coffee has forged relationships with farmers and mill workers in Latin America, Indonesia, and East Africa, to source the shop’s green coffee beans. They roast them in-house on a vintage German-made coffee roaster, and serve a variety of coffees by the cup and in specialty drinks. Offerings include Guatemalan Buena Vista, Ethiopian Worka Wuri, and Kenyan Gura espresso.