Everything You Need to Know About Coffee in Philly Right Now
These are the coffee roasters, shops, and brews that are keeping us caffeinated.
The Spicy Orange Mocha from Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Bakery / Photograph courtesy of Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Bakery
Everyone loves a pumpkin spice latte. But there’s a world beyond that basic bev, particularly in Philly. Here are the coffee roasters, shops, and brews that are fueling us right now.
10 Coffee Shops That Pull Double Duty
A barista froths milk behind the counter at Char & Stave. / Photograph by Dominic Episcopo
From sourcing the beans to brewing your cup …
Char & Stave Coffee
When you need a different kind of kick, head to this concept by Bluebird Distilling founder Jared Adkins. Yes, it’s cafe meets cocktail bar, serving bourbon-barrel-aged coffee plus java-inspired “drams.” (Try the Rittenhouse Manhattan, with straight rye whiskey, dark roast, and Aztec chocolate bitters.) The second location opened in Chestnut Hill a year ago, for Philly folks who don’t want to head to the ’burbs for their caffeine jolt. Ardmore and Chestnut Hill.
Thank You Thank You
Here’s one for the coffee cognoscenti — the beanheads who take time between sips to savor the drink’s terroir. Thank You Thank You curates an eclectic menu of roasts in one chic and cozy cafe. It’s like a chef’s tasting menu but with coffee so fresh you can still taste the fruit from whence those beans came. Washington Square West.
Royal Mile
This unassuming shop is cranking out robust roasts for every kind of coffee drinker. But if you’re dabbling in the world of singleorigin brews, Royal Mile sources hard-to-find beans from around the globe. Beans are roasted at their Cherry Hill facility, but keep an eye out for their new 1,200-square-foot cafe coming soon to Haddon Avenue. Haddon Township.
Backyard Beans
Owners Matt and Laura Adams have come a long way from using a Weber grill to roast coffee beans in their back yard. Today, Backyard Beans has two shops and a wide selection of premium coffees, sourced mindfully through relationships they’ve built with farmers, co-ops, importers, and exporters around the globe. Sit down at the cafe and finish some work over a seasonal latte, or grab some cold-brew cans to go. Lansdale and Ambler.
A foamed iced Americano at Persimmon Coffee / Photograph courtesy of Persimmon Coffee
Persimmon Coffee
What started as a sidewalk pop-up is now a quaint cafe, where the coffee is equal parts art and science. They focus on one carefully selected roast each month, showcasing its full potential in the form of hand-poured cups and specialty lattes like the Foolish Tiger, made with espresso, house-made persimmon and ginger syrup, cinnamon, black walnut bitters, maple syrup, and steamed milk. They even use a scale while making each cup to ensure consistent quality. Fishtown.
Herman’s Coffee
Located on the oblong island between 3rd Street and East Moyamensing Avenue, flanked by red and white lawn chairs, Herman’s is the epitome of a community hub. It’s where you catch up on what’s happening in Pennsport over a freshly roasted cup and bump into neighbors while perusing the vast collection of tinned fish and chocolate bars. Herman’s also hosts pop-ups where you can meet new makers rising within Philly’s culinary scene. Pennsport.
Selections from Herman’s Coffee / Photograph by MK Ridgeway
Greenstreet
The team here likes to share the inside scoop. They invite folks into their roastery for cupping — a.k.a. experiencing the taste and smell of brewed coffee, which helps them decide what they will source and use as single origins or blends. A visit to the Point Breeze cafe (it opened in November) is equally appealing, with art, pop-ups, and pour-overs to make you appreciate the beauty of a slow brew. West Philly and Point Breeze.
Top Hat Coffee Lounge
This biz began as an espresso catering bar and roaster. Today, they also have two brick-and-mortars. A visit to either might see you savoring a shot of the silky Velvet Blend and a house-made Liège waffle (there’s a full waffle menu) and browsing beans like Ethiopia Wush Wush, with party-in-your-mouth flavors like watermelon Sour Patch Kids. University City and Bala Cynwyd.
Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Bakery
Peep their Instagram, @vibrantcoffeeandbakery, for a hint of how the javas at this sunny spot will jump-start your day. They’re part of the third-wave movement — the beans are sourced from individual farms and roasted lightly, to heighten the flavors — and stress seasonality, so the selections rotate frequently. A tip: The Black Label collection includes beans from experimental Colombian producer Edwin Noreña, such as the Gold Washed Anaerobic Pink Bourbon. Rittenhouse.
Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Bakery / Photograph courtesy of Vibrant
Black Turtle Coffee
Some say great coffee is best enjoyed black, but this buzzing social hub in Center City, where college students and Philly’s business elite convene, proves otherwise. Yes, an unadulterated cup of their single-origin brew, roasted in micro-batches to ensure optimal freshness, is divine. But it’s just as good in their signature lattes, like sweet blueberry pie. Look out for their new Rittenhouse store this fall. Center City and Brigantine.
Coffee, and …
The Ground Coffee, Gifts & Plants / Photograph by Cody Aldrich
If you’re looking for a java shop with a little something extra, consider these alternative spaces.
For action-sports gear and a root beer latte, try … Together Skateboarding & Coffee, which opened in November in Brewerytown. Shop the decks, wheels, and complete boards, and sip this latte. It comes highly recommended by one PM staffer.
For nursing your green thumb and a chocolate-cake mocha, try … the Ground Coffee, Plants & Gifts. Its second shop, in Rittenhouse, debuted earlier this year (the first is in Kensington), letting you browse philodendrons and moon cacti while getting a jolt from a specialty creation, like this one made with gluten-free Oreos. (Don’t worry, you can get your standard mocha and more here too.)
Together Skateboarding & Coffee / Photograph by Georgi Anastasov
For shoe-shopping and Puerto Rican brews, try … the new Encanto Kicks & Coffee in Fishtown. The Latin-owned cafe is where sneakerheads can find limited-edition releases from Nike, Adidas, and others. Slip on your new shoes and leave with a steaming cup made with imported Café Oro beans from Puerto Rico.
And for page-turners and gourmet coffee, try … Avril 50 in University City. It’s been an institution since 1984, where magazine lovers (bless you) can peruse the shelves of international publications. The proprietor will serve you up a beverage while you read.
Globetrotting: An around-the-world look at unique ways to concoct a cup
Elixr
Kyoto Cold Brew
Japan
An elaborate brew tower allows cold water to drip slowly over coffee grounds for eight hours, producing a remarkably flavorful and complex cup with less acidity and bitterness than a conventional pour-over. Multiple locations.
Càphê Roasters
Cà phê sữa
Vietnam
The layered effect of cà phê sữa makes for a sip that’s as pretty as it is delicious (and fun to stir). Hot coffee filters through a phin, pooling on top of sweetened condensed milk that anchors the glass and helps balance the bold and bitter notes. Kensington.
Ray’s Cafe & Tea House
Siphon Coffee
Taiwan
Water vaporizes through a siphon, creating a vacuum in the bottom chamber of the pot while mixing with coffee in the top. As the system cools, the vacuum pulls the brew into the bottom, taking with it all the smooth flavors and none of the grounds — a perfect accompaniment to Ray’s dumplings. Chinatown.
Le Souk
Turkish Coffee
Turkey
Owner Bishara Kuttab roasts and grinds Le Souk’s coffee in-house and brews each cup over hot sand in a traditional copper cezve. The result: a thick, espresso-like beverage with a rich depth of flavor. Northeast Philly.
Illustrations by Liana Jegers
Point of Origin
Matthew Nam in Colombia / Photograph by Youssef Lehnin
For Philly roasters and distributors Win Win, exploring the South American farms that grow their beans is all in a day’s work.
In a global supply chain as complex as coffee — one that can take nine to 27 months to get from the farm to your cup — it’s hard to know if the people behind your morning brew are being treated fairly. That’s why, when buying beans from around the world, Win Win co-owners Nikisha Bailey and Matthew Nam travel to the source. “We’re walking the farms, we’re seeing what they’re doing to this coffee, and then we’re purchasing from the producers who have exceptional farming practices,” Nam says, explaining the driving philosophy behind the Philadelphia-based coffee roaster and distributor. “If we are more intentional, more people who want to sell their products are going to have better standards.”
Last year, Bailey and Nam were invited to Colombia to judge a national coffee competition. As the proprietors of a Black-owned company sourcing beans from the African diaspora, they were eager to try the country’s Afro-Colombian offerings. But when presented with 750 of the country’s best growers, they realized that the competition lacked Black representation. So they set out on a five-hour journey into the mountains, through paramilitary-controlled areas, to connect directly with Afro-Colombian coffee farmers in the southwestern department of Cauca. Thus, their Como Dulce roast was born.
The new single-origin roast challenges the industry’s supply chain, turning it from one that has been historically exploitative to one where the wealth is shared among the people who work the soil to grow an excellent product. “We intentionally went over there and started the relationship and bought all their coffee at really fair prices,” Nam says. “Because we’re buying it directly from the producers, we’re able to ensure the quality, but also pay [the farmers] more and still price the product competitively when we sell it in the States.” For everyone, it’s a win-win.
Published as “Cool Beans” in the October 2024 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
