La Vida Coffee + Market

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: La Vida Coffee + Market
Location: Lynchburg, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Large coffee shops are not very common in urban areas, yet Lynchburg boasts one of the largest I have seen east of the Mississippi. 

Xanadu Coffee Company

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Xanadu Coffee Co.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I have been to Phoenix a few times, I feel that I have only seen small chunks of the area. To that end, each visit I try to scope out new spots to frequent, especially those of the coffee persuasion.

Morgantown Coffee House

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Morgantown Coffee House
Location: Elverson, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Some of my favorite coffeehouses are watering holes that seemingly come out of nowhere. Whether it's an excellent-yet-poorly-marked coffeehouse in the desert or an excellent espresso stand in a random museum, I love a good surprise.

Nancy's Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Nancy's Coffee Bar
Location visited: Strasburg, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Virginia has been a crossroads for many of my trips, but nearly every time, new spots to visit often show up. One recent road trip due southwest, I came across a cute town called Strasburg with a promising coffee shop, a place called Nancy's Coffee Bar.

The Station on Kings

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Station on Kings
Location visited: Lewes, DE
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Great coffee coupled with an excellent bakery, garden supplies and home goods is a winning combination that surprisingly few places have attempted, never mind mastered. One of the places doing a great job with said facets is located on the coast of Delaware, in a gorgeous establishment called The Station on Kings. 

ThreeBirds Coffee House

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: ThreeBirds Coffee House
Location visited: Easton, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Old house architecture so often gets lost to time and private ownership. Sure, that's kind of the point of houses, but when a gorgeous gem of a residence takes on new life as a more public space, its like sharing or learning a beautiful secret.

Driftwood Coffee

 Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Driftwood Coffee
Location visited: Peoria, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The more I travel, the more I have found that two things invariably happen. The first is that over time, you see more of the similarities between locations than differences. The second is opposite, that the things that you deeply desire for your home turf will stand out like crystal fountains. 

The Almeta

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Almeta
Location: Cape Charles, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Quality hotel experiences are still rarely paired with superb coffee, even in this day and age where such coffees have become far more common. Granted I have not stayed at many establishments these past years, but in my observations, it seems most hotels are content to offer a k-cup or packet of cheap satisfaction. 

Elementary Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Elementary Coffee Co.
Location: Harrisburg, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I remember the first time I drove past the Pennsylvania Capitol building and was struck with its keystone majesty. As far as capitols go, it's one of the better state structures I've visited, not only because of its impressive architecture but also due to the surrounding city, including multiple coffee shops of great worth.

Golf Park Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Golf Park Coffee Co.
Location visited: Langhorne Rd, Lynchburg, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Coffee shops have often been accused of looking fairly cookie cutter, with white walls and minimalist design, so when less conventional gems turn up, they shine all the brighter. One of my most recent favorites was the cozy, newest location of Golf Park Coffee Co. in Lynchburg.

Mythical Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Mythical Coffee
Location visited: Gilbert, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When visiting far off cities, barista recommendations are usually a solid source of wisdom. I usually have a short list of places to try, but getting verification or a even a surprise qualified suggestion is usually the beacon that helps further light my path unto great coffee, with only occasional mishaps. 

Little Key Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Little Key Coffee
Location: Hightstown, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Hightstown might be the first town that I put on my list of places to visit solely for coffee purposes. The year was back in the early 2000s and I had a good friend that always raved about a local shop and their coffee. Several years later, I finally was able to stop by and found the cafe utterly disappointing. A decade later said cafe closed its doors and Hightstown became but a sad memory of coffee disappointment.

Grounded Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Grounded Coffee
Location: Newport News, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It is always fun visiting friends, especially when they live in an area that always seems to have a new coffee shop. On my most recent foray to the Williamsburg area, I was fortunate to meet up with a good chum at a cafe new to me: Grounded Coffee in Newport News. 

Thank You Thank You

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Thank You Thank You Coffee Brewers
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Jewelers' Row has not been one of my frequent stops in Philly, mainly because I buy very few gems (my wife does not allow me to buy her jewelry anymore), yet nonetheless, I have long loved to visit occasionally. So when I found out a newer coffee shop was brewing up a variety of great roasters in a cozy corner on the row, I made quick plans to visit.

I.M. Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: I.M. Coffee
Location: Wilmington, DE
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Coffee shops and tall buildings are meant to exist in a natural symbiosis, one where tenants have easy access to great coffee, yet sadly so many skyscrapers exist without a great cafe within stones throw. But each city has its pockets of joy, such as Wilmington's I.M. Coffee in the lobby of the I.M. Pei Building. 

The Breeches Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Breeches Cafe at Allenberry Resort
Location visited: Boiling Springs, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

I am always struck with how much of Pennsylvania I still have yet to visit. I literally try to take a different route each time I traverse the state and still, I find surprises unsought.

Brown Dog Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Brown Dog Cafe
Location visited: Audubon, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It is never easy to hear about long-standing coffeehouses closing their doors, but when I heard of the Treehouse, formerly of Collingswood and then in Audubon, had shut its doors, it hit a little harder than usual. Fortunately, the shop did not remain vacant and a new coffee entity arose out of the ashes of the Treehouse, a shop called Brown Dog Cafe.

Coalescence Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Coalescence Coffee Co.
Location visited: Norfolk, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It's not frequent I get to Norfolk, but every time I do pass through, I manage to find a new coffee operation to visit. My most recent visit, I was able to visit a shop doing wonderful things with Michigan's Madcap Coffee Coffee, a place called Coalescence. 

The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Cracked Pot Coffee Shop
Location visited: Mechanicsburg, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

A giant stand-alone coffee shop with plenty of parking is not a common sight, but occasionally one appears on the horizon. The latest one I found in my travels was a shop called The Crack Pot, a cafe in an entire house focusing on providing work for kids who age out of the foster system. 

Stay Golden

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Stay Golden Restaurant and Roastery
Location visited: Nashville, TN
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

A solid breakfast with a good cup of coffee is one of the greatest joys of life, and yet so often hard to find. Good breakfast joints still rarely do a great job with their coffee, and coffee shops usually can't/don't offer solid breakfast options like eggs benedict and huevos rancheros. But every now and then such a rare delight emerges, such as Stay Golden.

Sleeping Bird Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Sleeping Bird Coffee
Location visited: Wilmington, DE
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I remember the first time I saw a coffee truck back some ten or so years ago. It was like a fresh, new horizon rising before me, and I thought it would never get old.

Cocoa Cinnamon / Little Waves Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cocoa Cinnamon / Little Waves Coffee Roastery
Location visited: Chapel Hill Rd (Lakewood), Durham, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The worst time to get to a coffee shop is the last 15 minutes. The baristas are starting the closing process, most baked goods are gone and the general atmosphere can be sometimes hostile. But one near-closing experience proved to be the perfect stop for a long day in Durham.

K Brew

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: K Brew
Location visited: Ebenezer Rd, Knoxville, TN
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have been to Tennessee a dozen times in my younger days, but in that count, for some reason I never stopped in Knoxville. This mostly resulted from a ridiculous time table and compatriots that did not enjoy multiple stops, but fortunately those days sit largely in the past. Thus on my most recent trek from east to west through the Volunteer State, I made a point to hit Knoxville.

Bald Guy Brew

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Bald Guy Brew 
Location visited: Blowing Rock, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

I never really explored much of North Carolina's mountains save a brief trip to Asheville when I was a teenager. Oddly enough, it took nearly two decades to awaken a desire to revisit, and after a delay due to 2020, I finally made it to a lovely town called Blowing Rock and made a coffee stop at a place called Bald Guy Brew.

Crimson

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Crimson

Location visited: Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Sometimes a company will wish to rebrand or redo their image. This process is one fraught with peril, as the change can confuse people at best and drive them away at worst. Amidst coffee brands, I have seen a few make a change so drastic that they had to do damage control and/or reconnect the dots for the public, but for the wise, the efforts to redevelop or change are usually met with a level of intrigue, such as Crimson Cup of Columbus expanding their brand into a newer arm called simply Crimson.

People's Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: People's Coffee
Location visited: Durham, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When folks look for lodging, typically they either want to be around amenities or they want relative seclusion. The typical unfortunate scenario unfolds in finding a nice hotel in a highly-populated area with little to see or do nearby. Nonetheless, every now and then an occasional match is made. Such was my fortune last time I passed through Durham, North Carolina when I found an affordable Hyatt nearly abutting a coffee shop of repute, People's Coffee. 

The Freedom Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Freedom Cafe
Location visited: Durham, NH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It's amazing how ten years can elapse between the first visit of a place and getting there again. Many times it's a matter of distance, other times it's circumstances and most often it is because I have not found a way to make it fit into the schedule.

Jubala Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Jubala Coffee
Location visited: Honeycutt Rd, Raleigh, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Ever go to a city and realize you missed a great coffee shop when you were there? For me, invariably after I return from some expeditions, there is occasionally an establishment I managed to miss or overlook. About 8-9 years ago, that was Jubala Coffee in Raleigh. My free time was limited, I poorly budgeted my time and that led to me missing a stop at the then-new Jubala.

Fox in the Snow

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Fox in the Snow
Location visited: German Village, Columbus, OH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Coffee shops by and large have a hard time with baked goods. Sure, there's nothing wrong with croissants and cookies, but surely there is more to nosh on then the same five items? And yes, a pre-made sandwich can be nice, but serve up something that has some soul or vision, and I'll be a regular.

Twenty Below Coffee Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Twenty Below Coffee Co
Location visited: Fargo, ND
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Driving through Fargo in the afternoon one balmy Wednesday, I was eager to find a good cup of coffee to help fuel me onto my sleeping destination in eastern Minnesota. After a brief search for parking, I found myself on the steps of a Fargo area gem, Twenty Below Coffee Co. 

Two Persons

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Two Persons
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In driving around Philadelphia, I am always surprised by what I do not see. I blame it on familiarity. Growing up in the area, I have grown accustomed to the sights that it's only when something new happens that an old structure hidden in plain sight becomes apparent. 

Blue Deer

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Blue Deer Cookies
Location visited: King St, Boone, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

When a great concept meets a unique space, nifty things can happen. It doesn't happen a lot, as I have seen many a great concept in a sad, ill-fitting structure as well as lackluster concepts in beautiful spaces, but every now and then both boxes are checked. One of the most recent I witnessed was a late-night cookie and coffee shop serving up their wares out of a spiffy building in Boone.

Zion Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Zion Coffee Bar
Location: Peoria, IL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While great coffee comes in all manner of settings, from dimly-lit basement coffee dens to outdoor espresso patios, one of my favorite places to enjoy coffee is in a shop with tall ceilings, nice furniture and a classy aesthetic. While in Peoria, I found such a setting in a place called Zion Coffee Bar. 

Spencer's Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Spencer's Coffee
Location visited: Downtown, Bowling Green, KY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Some time ago, when I first visited Bowling Green, I remember being tired and exhausted, sitting in a parking lot with (at least) a cranky toddler and a decent drive ahead of us. In the moment, I remember deciding that despite my weariness, I would not grab coffee in Bowling Green but would wait til later somewhere closer to our distant destination.

How I regretted that decision.

Mighty Missouri Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Mighty Missouri Coffee Co
Location: Bismark, ND
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

During various chunks of my childhood, especially high school and early college, I often frequented a YMCA near my house. Whether it was lifting weights, running laps or swimming, the "Y" was a tremendous convenience in finding all I needed in one spot. It was not last year that I realized I had been cheated. 

8th and Roast

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: 8th and Roast
Location visited: Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Great coffee can be found in many places in Nashville, but in my opinion, there seems to be plenty of room for more. While visiting the western portion of the city, I managed to visit a shop that's been on my list, a place called 8th and Roast.

Terra Nomad

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Terra Nomad
Location: Bismark, ND
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While driving around Bismark, I found myself hankering for a good cup of coffee and great meal. Sometimes hoping to find both in the same place can be a fool's errand, as few places do them both well, but fortunately I was blessed in finding Terra Nomad.

Bloom and Vine

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Bloom and Vine (also known as Bloom Coffeehouse & Eatery)
Location: Glendive, MT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

When I first arrived in Montana those many years ago, I only held interest in the western portions of the state. Sure, I drove through the east, but that was simply because I needed to get through it to get somewhere else. It wasn't until years later that I realized how foolish I had been.

North Lime Coffee and Donuts

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: North Lime Coffee and Donuts
Location visited: West Loudon Ave, Lexington, KY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I never knew how much of a love affair southerners have with donuts and coffee. Growing up in the northeast surrounded by donuts dunked in mediocre joe, I was enamored with the many wonderful takes different southern cities had with great coffee and tremendous donuts. My favorite donut enterprise in Kentucky would be a multi-location operation I recently stumbled upon, a place called North Lime Coffee and Donuts. 

Lake Life Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Lake Life Cafe
Location: Bemus Point, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

After traversing most of Upstate New York during my years as a resident, I thought I had seen all the lakes but it turns out I missed a great one. Situated all the way by Erie is Chautauqua Lake, a moderately-sized body of water with an assortment of towns dotting its shores. Happening upon the lake on my way east from Ohio, I quickly pulled off the highway to check out Bemus Point and stumbled on a promising coffee shop called Lake Life Cafe. 

Headquarters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Headquarters
Location: Nashville, TN
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Nashville has definitely become a city known for its great coffee options. As many shops decide on their look, most bank on a modern or minimalist decor, but a few go for vintage. One spot that nails the feel of an old saloon is a cozy shop on the west side of Nashville called Headquarters. 

Blackbeard Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Blackbeard Coffee Roasters
Location: Greenville, NC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Never really having the chance to explore North Carolina outside the Triangle, I was excited to check off some other cities. One sunny afternoon, I had the opportunity to stop in Greenville and make a long-overdue coffee stop at Blackbeard Coffee Roasters.

Duchess Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Duchess Coffee
Location: Brattleboro, VT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Never have I encountered a situation where every lodging option, down to the least appealing motel, were all fully booked, but such was my fate one Friday night in the city of Brattleboro. I was traveling east towards Maine and I hit a wall of fatigue after driving from Columbus, Ohio that morning, so I sought a place to crash for over an hour to no avail. Finally after giving up, I found a parking spot in a shopping center, reclined my seat and snoozed until the sun awoke me. 

thirty-thirty Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: thirty-thirty Coffee Co.

Location: Peoria, IL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Many times, I learn of cities first through news of a promising coffee shop. As a fan of geography, I always welcome the chance to learn about a new place, especially if that place has a coffee stop worth visiting. One such situation has its roots in distant years past, when I first heard of Peoria, Illinois thanks to thirty-thirty Coffee Co.