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.
Click here to see the best independent coffee shops in America
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.)
Source: Courtesy of 1951 Coffee Company via Facebook
1951 Coffee Company
> Locations: Berkeley, California
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Source: Courtesy of Backatown Coffee Parlour via Facebook
Backatown Coffee Parlour
> Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana
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Bard Coffee
> Locations: Portland, Maine
Black Fox Coffee
> Locations: New York City, New York
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Café Allegro
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Source: Courtesy of Caffe Ammi Roasting Co. via Facebook
Café Ammi Roasting Co.
> Locations: New York City, New York
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Source: Courtesy of Cafecito Organico via Facebook
Cafecito Organico
> Locations: Los Angeles, California
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Source: Courtesy of Coava Coffee Roasters via Facebook
Coava Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Portland, Oregon
Source: Courtesy of Cognoscenti via Facebook
Cognoscenti
> Locations: Los Angeles and Culver City, California
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Culture Espresso
> Locations: New York City, New York
Source: Courtesy of Devoción USA via Facebook
Devoción
> Locations: New York City and Brooklyn, New York
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Source: Courtesy of Dune Coffee via Facebook
Dune Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Santa Barbara and Goleta, California
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Source: Courtesy of Elm Street Coffee Roasters via Facebook
Elm Street Coffee Roasters Café
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
Source: N/A / Flickr
Espresso Vivace
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
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Source: Courtesy of Five Watt Coffee via Facebook
Five Watt Coffee
> Locations: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Source: Courtesy of Flat Black Coffee Roaster and Retailer via Facebook
Flat Black Coffee Company
> Locations: Boston, Massachusetts
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Source: Courtesy of Function Coffee Labs via Facebook
Function Coffee Labs
> Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Gaslight Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Chicago, Illinois
Source: Courtesy of Herkimer Coffee via Facebook
Herkimer Coffee
> Locations: Seattle, Washington
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Source: Courtesy of Hole in the Wall Coffee via Facebook
Hole in the Wall Coffee
> Locations: San Francisco, California
Source: Courtesy of House of Coffi via Facebook
House of Coffi
> Locations: Dover, Delaware
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Source: Courtesy of Ryan M. via Yelp
Howlin’ Hounds Coffee
> Locations: Omaha, Nebraska
Source: Courtesy of Kai Coffee Hawaii via Facebook
Kai Coffee Hawaii
> Locations: Honolulu, Hawaii
Source: Courtesy of Kiosko via Facebook
Kiosko
> Locations: Portland, Oregon
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Source: Courtesy of Kohi Coffee Company via Facebook
Kohi Coffee Co.
> Locations: Provincetown and Boston, Massachusetts
Source: Courtesy of LaGrange Coffee Roasters via Facebook
LaGrange Coffee Roasters
> Locations: LaGrange, Kentucky
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Source: Courtesy of Christina C. via Yelp
Maru Coffee
> Locations: Los Angeles, California
Source: Courtesy of Panacea Coffeehouse, Cafe, and Roastery via Facebook
Panacea Coffee Co.
> Locations: Waynesville, North Carolina
Source: Courtesy of Prevail Union MGM (Prevail Union MGM) via Facebook
Prevail Union
> Locations: Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama
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Source: Courtesy of Roast'd Coffee - Fort Lee (Fort Lee, NJ) via Facebook
Roast’d
> Locations: Hasbrouck Heights, Fort Lee, and Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Source: Courtesy of Shearwater Coffee Bar via Facebook
Shearwater Coffee Bar
> Locations: Fairfield and Westport, Connecticut
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Thinking Cup
> Locations: Boston, Massachusetts
Source: Courtesy of Try Hard Coffee Roasters via Facebook
Try Hard Coffee Roasters
> Locations: Austin, Texas
Source: Courtesy of Rachel A. via Yelp
Two Hearted Queen
> Locations: Chicago, Illinois
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Source: Courtesy of Variety Coffee Roasters via Facebook
Variety Coffee Roasters
> Locations: New York City and Brooklyn, New York
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