Iron and Kin Coffee Roasters and Cafe, Claremont, CA

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Speckled Ax, Wood Roasted Coffee and Cafe, Portland, ME

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The setting alone at Caffe Driade is worth the visit. It nestled in the woods and has tables spread out through wooded trails. I had a very well extracted espresso. It’s the best espresso in Chapel Hill that I’ve tried. The Carrboro coffee, from their on site roastery, was a little on the darker side than I prefer, but my wife really enjoyed it. A nice change of pace beverage is their Brown Sugar Oat Milk Latte.

www.caffedriade.com

www.shopcarrborocoffee.com

The best espresso in Newton, MA (my hometown) is also among the best espresso in Boston. You’ll get a carefully prepared espresso extracted from George Howell Alchemy or, my personal favorite, the single origin coffee of the day.

George Howell was the innovator of the third wave roasting movement. 

When I travel, I use this three step method for finding great espresso in the city I’m in.

1. Google search “best espresso [town name]” then check the Yelp reviews that come up in the results. Look for cafes where the reviewers specifically mention that the espresso was great.

2. Go to the Websites of the shops with great espresso Yelp reviews. If the website has pictures of baristas who are 20-30 somethings with cool colored hair, interesting facial hair, tattoos, wearing wool hats (especially with a t-shirt), then go. Images of latte art is a good sign too. It says that they baristas are well trained. If the website features food, then avoid. We want coffee to be the priority.

3. Ideally, the cafe is connected to a roastery. That really signifies a commitment to high quality coffee.

Happy Travels!

Methodical Coffee Roasters

sells their coffee in beautiful flowered bags. They have an amazing assortment of regions, varietals, and process methods. I love their Avant-Garde line of coffees. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting one of their cafes, but I’m sure it’s the best espresso in Greenville.

Locations:

147 Welborn St B3

Greenville, SC 29601

207 Wade Hampton Blvd

Greenville, SC 29609

101 N Main St Ste D

Greenville, SC 29601

Mammoth Espresso Roasters

 sell beautifully roasted micro lot coffees from Central and South America and Africa processed with washed, natural and honey methods. I love their whole beans. I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting their cafe, but I’m sure it’s the best espresso in New Orleans.

Cafe Location:

821 Baronne Street, Suite B

New Orleans, Louisiana 70113

www.mammothespresso.com

Cocoa Cinnamon Cafe & Little Waves Roasters, Durham, NC

I am a fairly frequent visitor to Duke. Cocoa Cinnamon Cafes are definitely the places to go for the best espresso in Durham. I also enjoy, as a change of pace their Cortadito Cubano. Their in house roastery, Little Waves, is also my go to supplier of coffee for my home espresso. I get a two lb. bag every two weeks from their Light and Bright Single Origin subscription. They source delicious coffees from around the world. I love their ethos. From their website:

“We make it our mission to source the highest quality coffees that make the deepest impact. Your orders directly support:

• A small independently owned Latina majority-owned, women-forward company.
• A diverse and open-hearted team with pay at a minimum of $15 per hour.
• 90+ small and independent vendors.
• The coffee producers around the world with whom build sustained relationships.⁠”

Locations:

2013 Chapel Hill Road, Durham, NC 27707

420 West Geer Street, Durham, NC 27701

2627 Hillsborough Road, Durham, NC 27705