Ghost Town Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Ghost Town Coffee Roasters
Location: Bridger Center Dr location, Bozeman, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

In my last trip to Bozeman, my lodging provided some coffee from a roaster I had not heard of prior, a local roaster called Ghost Town. After a quick google search, I opted to leave the free coffee at my shelter and made my way over to one of their cafes to experience it firsthand.

Forty Weight Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Forty Weight Coffee Roasters
Location: Ithaca, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have seen many farmer markets in my travels, but none exactly like Ithaca. Most markets are set up in a grid and consist chiefly of tables but the Ithaca Farmers Market has an ambiance, electricity and variety that is hard to find elsewhere in the region. When I lived in Syracuse, I had gone to the market a few times but since I moved away a decade ago, I had not set foot. Thankfully I recently got the opportunity to visit again to check out the wares and grab some coffee. 

Revel 77 Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Revel 77 Coffee
Location: Spokane, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When I visit distant cities that are home to good friends, it is a favorite tradition of mine to meet at a coffeehouse to catch up. Not only does this give me opportunity to reconnect with an old pal over good coffee, but it gives me a rare glimpse into regular life in said metropolis. 

Peaks Coffee Company

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Peaks Coffee Company
Location: Syracuse, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I worked at Syracuse University for three tremendous years from 2007-2010, living right on-campus in Watson and Haven Halls, respectively. While it was a beautiful place to live, (except during the gloomy weeks) there was no quality coffee within walking distance. Naturally, after my departure the coffee scene grew and bloomed, and as of the past few years, the geography around the university has become a far better place to find good coffee.

Vault Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Vault Coffee
Location: Coeur d'Alene, ID
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

One day I will make it to Coeur d'Alene in the summertime, but for now I will glory in its winter. Even amidst a dreary winter day, the city remains resplendent, with its majestic vistas and mostly walkable town. On one such afternoon, I found myself downtown and in need of some coffee, so I made my way to a shop called Vault Coffee. 

The Well Coffeehouse

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Well Coffeehouse
Location: Milton, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The concept of a church operating a coffeehouse can be a beautiful thing. Sure, sometimes churches start one up for the wrong reasons and/or they do a deplorable job in execution (picture florescent lights, a donated home espresso machine that is fed only pre-ground coffee and it's only open Sundays between services). But sometimes, a church really gets the concept of serving good coffee, not cutting corners and desiring to foster authentic community, and when done well, the result becomes a delight for everybody. 

Cotton-Top Pastries

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cotton-Top Pastries
Location: Helena, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Bakeries dot the landscape of America, but there are fewer than twenty that I would call excellent. Sadly, many bakeries exclusively do fancy cakes (and I am a man who orders exactly zero fancy cakes each year) and (too) many other operations specialize mostly in hackneyed and yawn-tastic items like jellied shortbreads and butter cakes. But the handful that do it right, I have each time considered the possibility of relocating my family in order to be closer.

Four Twelve

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Four Twelve
Location: Hamburg, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Road trips are bound to have dry spells where good coffee exists not. Fortunately in the past decade, such coffee-absent zones have greatly shrunk but still there remains large chunks of land where good coffee has yet to be found. 

Drum Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Drum Coffee
Location visited: Broadway St, Missoula, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Music and coffee are natural pals. For many folks the combo is an obvious pairing, especially for those who have lived with an open mic coffeehouse nearby. Thus, when I found a coffee shop involving the drummer of Fitz and the Tantrums in Missoula, I made sure to give it a stop when I next passed through town. 

Javamango's Outpost

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Javamango's Outpost 
Location visited: Waterford, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The concept of a coffee shop is often a subjective thing. Quite often, folks think of a single space with a giant counter and plenty of seating. But some of the more interesting and great coffeehouses exist in less traditional spots, like converted public restrooms, outdoor shanties and small outfits adjoining shared space.

Ladder Coffee / Vessel Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Ladder Coffee 
Location visited: Monroe St, Spokane, WA (formerly Vessel Coffee Roasters)
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Since my turnaround time on posts is not exactly fast, many times things happen between me visiting a shop and me publishing my visit. Sadly, especially this year, the situation is more often that a shop has closed down and does not plan to reopen. But occasionally something cheerier happens, like every great once in a while a quality shop merges with another quality local coffee operation, creating a stronger presence for both in a fortuitous union.

This seems to be the case with Vessel Coffee Roasters and Ladder Coffee in Spokane. Some months ago, I made a visit to Vessel's sole outpost and had a most delightful experience (of which I will further share). Unfortunately, due to the hour and other circumstances, I was not able to make it to Ladder Coffee that day and sample their highly-regarded coffees, and I headed out of town that night forlorn for missing the window to visit. 

Pressed

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Pressed Books + Coffee + Gifts
Location visited: Erie, PA

WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Erie, Pennsylvania has been a town with which I have had poor coffee fortunes. Each time I have visited, I have either found poor coffee or if I found a quality prospect, it was closed. A few months back, it seemed like my poor fortune would continue while passing through town one Sunday, but just as I had begun to despair, I found Pressed. 

Uptown Hearth / Azul Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Uptown Hearth / Azul Coffee Bar
Location visited: Columbia Falls, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

For gorgeous mountain majesty, no place in the USA compares to Glacier National Park. Few places bring such unique beauty in a single place and thanks to the ever-rising popularity, the area outside of Glacier improves every time I visit. 

East End Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: East End Coffee Co.
Location visited: Lewistown, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Living in the Philadelphia area, I grew up knowing little of what lay west beyond Lancaster. The times I did trounce across the state with family and friends, we usually took the turnpike and to my young mind, most of PA simply consisted of a handful of towns like Gettysburg, State College and Harrisburg. 

Union Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Union Roasters
Location visited: 4th St, Coeur d'Alene, ID 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Growing up, no one told me about the shocking beauty of northern Idaho. Movies and travel guides rave about Montana and Colorado, but Idaho never was mentioned in the same conversation, never mind the same sentence.   

Canyon Coffee Co.

 Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Canyon Coffee Co.
Location visited: New Bethlehem, PA 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

At the risk of sounding obvious, I greatly delight in visiting new places. In my younger days I yearned for distant lands that required air travel, but now that I'm a little older with numerous kids (plus the yoke of COVID), I have managed to keep my explorative spirits high with some local road trips. 

Clyde Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Clyde Coffee
Location visited: Missoula, MT 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Navigating a frozen pass is one of the few things I dislike about the northwest mountains. Living on the east coast, we have our share of icy slopes but not many of them exist on an interstate. Just recently, I had to get from Spokane to Missoula around the beginning of March, and since every realistic route involved a major mountain crossing, I just went with the obvious road and took Lookout Pass. Thank the Lord it was mostly thawed by the time I got to it, but the experience still proved slightly harrowing.

Cogito Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cogito Coffee

Location visited: Philadelphia, PA 

WiFi?: yes

Rating: 6+ [see key]

State lines are funny things. Depending on the two states, sometimes a coffee shop has half a dozen locations within feet of a border yet not a single shop on the other side. Sure there's a lot of bureaucratic red tape to blame, but when push comes to shove, no one likes paying to cross a bridge for a cup of coffee.

Copper Cup

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Copper Cup
Locations visited: Lancaster, PA and Lititz, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have come to relish the gradual discovery of the Lancaster area. Every time I visit I find something I've managed to overlook before, such as James Buchanan's Wheatland, a historical landmark to a dismal president. While I didn't really stop at the old mansion, it did afford me the opportunity to grab some great coffee at Copper Cup.

Indaba Coffee

                                                                   

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Indaba Coffee
Location visited: 518 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The last time I went through Spokane, I didn't even get a chance to leave the car. Sadly, I was fused to a schedule, the victim of my own poor planning, with only enough time for a late-night airport stop to collect my friend on our way west to Ellensburg. As I looked at the city lights in my rearview mirror, I vowed that next time I would make more time for Spokane. 

Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co
Location: Newark, DE
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

A college town without great coffee nearby is a sad educational prospect. Personally, my alma mater still lacks a great coffee option abutting campus (though there's one a short drive away), so when I visit towns harboring an institution of higher education without a good local coffee shop, I definitely feel a pang of shared sorrow for its students.