Best Coffee Houses Directory

All, I just had a comment on an older blog posting announcing this group here on FohBoh, in which the poster asked for the locations of the best Coffee Houses. And we're not talking about Starbucks, Caribou, or any other Chain.

So if you have a favorite coffee house, list it here with as much info about it as you possibly can, and we'll share these great coffee houses with the rest of the FohBoh community. (Carol Ott, don't be afraid to toot your own horn here, let's hear about your place too!)

Cheers!

Tags: Coffee, House, Locations

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Matt Urdan on January 24, 2008 at 2:17pm

I'll start.
My personal favorite is the Cliff House in San Francisco. Awesome location right on the bluff overlooking the Pacific. Great atmosphere, very romantic, and a great place to have a smooth Cup of Joe, preferably with a little Bailey's to take the San Francisco damp chill out of the air. It's not really a coffee house, per se, but probably the best atmosphere to enjoy a cup of coffee anywhere.

Cheers!

Permalink Reply by Dan Ziegler on January 24, 2008 at 2:26pm

NYC - So many, but ill name one at a time to give them their fair credit.

http://www.ThinkCoffeeNYC.com

A lawyer turned Barista turned into a Coffee shop owner... Check them out next time you are around mercer street between 3rd and 4th....

Permalink Reply by Carol Ott on January 24, 2008 at 2:38pm

I like a few of them...of course mine would top the list: www.evelynscafe.com . Also in Baltimore, I like BlueHouse -- www.bluehouselife.com . And when I'm in Pennsylvania, I go to either Sparky & Clark's -- http://www.sparkyandclarks.com/ or Juice & Java -- http://www.juiceandjavacafe.com/ .

Permalink Reply by Amy on January 24, 2008 at 3:28pm

Of course I love my own place (bluehouse in Baltimore, MD) and Carol's shop (Evelyn's Cafe in Baltimore, MD). Artifact/Woodberry Kitchen (http://www.woodberrykitchen.com/) in Baltimore is also great and I had a FANTASTIC experience this fall at the Dripolator in Black Mountain, NC. I endured three days horrible coffee while at an event, and then they served me an incredible cappuccino that erased all the bad memories.

Permalink Reply by Restaurant Guru on January 25, 2008 at 6:51am

The Coffee Hound in Bloomington, IL. Truth is, I hardly ever order brewed here because I know this is the one coffee shop where I can count on getting a great latte or cappuccino (EVERY time). (But my best friend only drinks brewed and he swears their house blend is the best he's had.) Far enough from the college to draw just a few undergrads and more locals. And there are some quirky shops within walking distance.

In Iowa City, the Java House has a few locations, but the best one is still downtown. Reliably good coffee and a good place to sit and read or chat quietly. Great when I was in college, but most of the patrons are college-age, too. A few profs and grad students.

In south TX, there wasn't really a place to get great coffee--though Moonbeans (in McAllen) has a cozy decor. I brewed my own and then drove the beach--the lack of coffee houses was somehow forgivable!

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey S. Miller on January 25, 2008 at 6:45pm

Hmmm, I never really found a suitable option in Columbus. The Starbucks and Caribou Chains are nice and mostly new and comfortable and they're everywhere. So is Panera. I guess Columbus is the home of the chain. But in the city, there's this big mall on the east side, called Easton. It's an outdoor mall, with a large building with a comedy club, a big AMC Movie theater, a Cameron Mitchell restaurant, a Max and Erma's, a huge gym--Lifetime Fitness, etc. On the second floor opposite the Movie Theater is a decent open aired coffee house/bar. The atmosphere is pretty cool, you get to people watch, the coffee specials are listed on a chalkboard, but I can't remember the name of the place. It's in a mall. It's rather forgetable, and the coffee was just okay. Standard stuff. I think Starbucks and Caribou and Panera own Columbus.

Permalink Reply by Matt Urdan on January 27, 2008 at 1:14pm

I've got another one to add! If you're heading down US 19 through West Virginia--either going south From the Pittsburgh area to Florida or the Carolinas, or if you're up in the area for rafting on the New or Gauley Rivers, stop in Fayetteville at the Cathedral Cafe!

Completely unique atmosphere, chalkboard trivia and food and drink specials, amazingly diverse and original breakfast menu, great coffee, lattes, chai, and two public access high speed interenet computers along with wifi right downtown.

Cheers!

Permalink Reply by Ken Bianchi on February 21, 2008 at 7:33pm

If you are ever in Portland, check out Stumptown Coffee, very eclectic, very Portland. They have several locations throughout Portland and Seattle. http://stumptowncoffee.com/

Permalink Reply by Matt Milletto on March 6, 2008 at 6:56am

Hi all,

Ken, I live in Portland and can agree that Stumptown is amazing! I am good friends will all of them, and love what they do with their coffee, and how they encourage good social/global practices and coffee education and always are raising the bar in coffee buying, brewing and retailing.

There are some amazing coffee shops all over the US, one site that you can check out is www.espressomap.com it focuses on a select group of coffee houses that are known for quality.

You all may also want to check out www.baristaexchange.com it is a social network, similar to FohBoh that I created last December. It is a great place to talk about coffee, and meet other shop owners, baristas, coffee growers, etc.

Another resource and coffee house directory is Delocator where you can find independent coffee houses anywhere.

Give me any major city and I can point you in the right direction, I promise. Glad to be aboard!

Permalink Reply by Michael Holland on March 6, 2008 at 9:25pm

Although the Bangkok-based chain I work for makes a good cup of coffee, I won't name them. Instead, I'll give you the places I always go when I'm "checking out the competition" (that's my story, and I'm sticking with it).

In Vientianne, Laos Jomo's near the fountain serves some great Lao coffee, and some of the best cookies I've had in SE Asia.

In Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) Cafe Terrace has good Vietnamese coffee (best taken in small doses until you get used to it) and really good food. Unfortunately it's one of the most popular spots in Saigon, and tends to be packed at every hour of the day. Expect to wait for a table, especially if you want to sit outside.

On Bali, if you're unfortunate enough to be on Legian street, you can escape the incessant touts in ESC.

Permalink Reply by Jeff McLanahan on July 14, 2008 at 7:11pm

Just outside of Louisville, Kentucky there was a great little coffee shop called Jitters. Unfortunately, in came Starbucks and then McDonalds added its gourmet coffee line. Now Jitters Cafe has closed up shop. If anyone has any more ideas for coffee shops in the Louisville area, I would love to hear them.

Permalink Reply by Bj Davis on January 1, 2009 at 8:23am