Nearly every community has at least one coffee shop that locals love to go to so they can sip their favorite drink, read a book, chat with a friend, or get some work done.
Great coffee shops are not just about serving high-quality brew or delicious pastries. It is also about having a cozy atmosphere, having special touches, and offering perks like free Wi-Fi. With that being said, here are some of the best coffee shops in America.
Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Madcap Coffee offers one of the best coffee roasts in the country. This shop sets itself apart from the rest by offering tasting flights, serving espresso in snifters to emphasize the intense aromatics, and implementing a zero-waste policy by trading trash cans for bus bins and sorting all of their trash into compost and recyclables.
Oddly Correct in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City is a coffee-rich city, but the shop Oddly Correct stands out for their bags of beans that are letter-pressed with sketches from the owner, excellent cups of pour-over made with Kalita Wave drippers, one-off events that are fun like soul brunches.
Despite all the artisanship, Oddly Correct still offers a homey feel for those who just want to cuddle up with a cup of hot, delicious coffee.
The French Press in Santa Barbara, California
The French Press is a massive part of Santa Barbara as it is equal parts coffee roaster, bakery, and a community center. They hold a farmer's market in the parking lot of their shop.
Even though this humble coffee shop has one of the top baristas in the world behind their bar, they still pride themselves on customer service over coffee knowledge and variety.
Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana
Cafe Du Monde is a landmark in New Orleans where you can sit back, relax, and avoid a noisy crowd. The coffee shop is basically a snobbery-free zone.
The shop is one of the oldest shops in America, as it dates back to 1862. It is a unique embrace of Chicory flavoring and their legendary beignets.
Heart Coffee in Portland, Oregon
Heart Coffee has a slick, Scandanavian-influenced design thanks to its Finnish owner, who used to be a pro snowboarder before going into the coffee business.
Heart Coffee is serious about their brew, that they don't serve cold-brew because it does not meet their flavor standards, and they are so transparent with their roasting practices that their cafe is built around a black Probat roasting machine that allows customers to get a first-hand look at their craft.
Seattle Coffee Works in Seattle, Washington
Seattle Coffee Works claims to be the only active roastery in the Emerald City's downtown and takes their service seriously. For regular customers, they offer an express side loaded with cafe pressing pots of international roasts.
However, the real magic happens in the Slow Bar, where customers can pick from a variety of beans and brewing methods to compare the tastes of single-origin brews and test the cutting edge of coffee technology.
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