The Coolest Coffee Shops in America

The concept of the coffee house dates back to the second half of the 15th century in Constantinople. Though Constantinople didn't survive, the coffee shop did, exported from what's now Istanbul through Europe and eventually to England, whose colonists brought the concept to the New World. The American coffee shop is as old as America itself, and the best cafes are — and always have been — more than just a place to sip coffee, but about showcasing the arts, cultivating a sense of community, and giving an outlet for ideas and expressions ranging from politics to poetry. In celebration of International Coffee Day on October 1, here are some coffee shops that capture the spirit perfectly.

Related: 10 Local Coffee Roasters That Put Starbucks to Shame

Seward, Alaska
The Resurrect Art Coffee House was built in 1917, and since 1993, it's been the go-to place for Seward-area artists to showcase their work — and it also pours a mighty fine cup of coffee, Italian soda, and tea. 

Phoenix
Songbird Coffee & Tea House is inside a 1904 home in the Roosevelt Row Arts District, and it takes the "arts" part seriously. The shop's brews all come from nearby; pastry are house-made.

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Tucson, Arizona
The overwhelming smell of Paris, Vienna, and Trieste-inspired drinks hits as soon as you enter Espresso Art Cafe. Classically trained bartenders mix cocktails to order and there's a dedicated hookah bar, with bowls packed to order.

Fayetteville, Arkansas
There are four locations in the sophisticated Onyx Coffee Lab chain, which brings high design, impressive drink chops (including inventions such as the Fall Oat Latte and three kinds of "Doughp-nuts"), and carefully chosen snacks (such as Avocado & Prosciutto toast with pickled onion and cracked pepper) that differ from Fayetteville to Springdale to Bentonville to the Rogers headquarters.

Related: 49 Unique Doughnuts You Have to Try

Los Angeles
Since it was profiled on "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," it's safe to say the secret is out about El Café by Primera Taza. But in case you hadn't heard, the Boyle Heights institution, even after an address change, is a cultural soup — the coffee, food, and the people they serve there represent a blend of the neighborhood's diverse people and backgrounds.

Los Angeles
When Menotti's opened in 2013, LA Weekly pointed out that it is so close to Venice Beach that a to-go cappuccino (called by some the best in town) will still be warm by the time you plop back down in a beach chair across the Strand. They've since opened locations in Culver City and Tokyo, Japan.

Oakland, California
Farley's is one of the original anchor businesses in the once-desolate, now-thriving Uptown neighborhood in Oakland. There's cafe seating indoors and out, and plenty for hungry visitors. There's also a location in San Francisco.

Quartz Hill, California
Everyone knows that great coffee shops are part of the culture of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and the rest of California's destination cities — but Sagebrush Cafe is a hidden gem in Antelope Valley serving up some of the finest espresso drinks in the state.

Sacramento, California
Head to the Mansion Flats neighborhood for jazz, spoken word, trivia, and good coffee under one roof — that of Shine, open to 9 p.m. daily.

San Diego
Located in the village of Carlsbad, Baba Coffee has something for just about everybody. Pannikin coffee and pastries are served alongside hummus plates and acai bowls, VG doughnuts, and Prager Brothers bread. The espresso shop even pours a healthy selection of craft beers.

San Francisco
Cafe Reveille stands out even in a coffee-centric city. It has spots anchoring the Lower Haight and Mission Bay, as well as Russian Hill and Berkeley, all of them home to daily roasting of enticing German Probat beans. 

Related: 20 Free and Cheap Things to Do in San Francisco

Studio City, California
Sit where you want at the bohemian chic Aroma, from the cafe seating on the sidewalk or grab a soft chair by the reading room fireplace and order what you want with extensive menus taking visitors from breakfast to late-night desserts.

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Denver
Coffee lovers in Denver can't miss the hype around Corvus, whose four locations offer creamy and imaginative cold coffee drinks, earn it 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor. One reviewer recommends the Georgia Sunset, crafted from chilled coffee and peach nectar.

New Haven, Connecticut
Billed as "the musician's living room," Cafe 9 features an eclectic blend of musical acts. Come for the coffee, but stay for the comedy open mics, monthly Words and Music show, or weekly jazz jam sessions.

Jacksonville, Florida
Folksy, acoustic acts have been synonymous with coffee shop music for generations, but at Coffee Grinder, it's DJs spinning electronic music. Whether you choose a mocha latte or a Corona and lime while bopping to house, trance, and progressive beats, you're sipping a drink in one of the hippest modern coffee shops in the Sunshine State.

Orlando, Florida
For early birds looking to get a jump on sunrise, Achilles is probably not the right place: It doesn't even open until 10 a.m. But the coffee is worth waiting for — it's made by Golden Hills, a local micro-roastery. The European vibe just oozes coffee culture, and the art on the walls is by local talent and all for sale.

Norcross, Georgia
Both wine and freshly brewed, locally roasted coffee flow at 45 South — and on Fridays and Saturdays, music flows just as freely. Blues, jazz and rock bands keep the crowds coming back — or maybe it's the locally made banana bread, or housemade syrups. Customers can order breakfast or quiche, pastries, bagels, yogurt, and yes, that banana bread.

Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is teeming with awesome coffee shops, but Foxy Loxy doesn't just wake before dawn to bake homemade pastries and prep Perc coffee, which has yet to roast a bad bean; it also has Tex-Mex flavor and a Czech-inspired pastry called kolache that helps it stand out, and Friday happy hour events around a backyard fire pit.

Chicago
Head to the Gallery Cafe to nurture the inner artist. The coffee comes from all over the world, and every last bean is roasted fresh to order in a hot-air chamber — but the real draw is the scene. There's a new gallery exhibit every month, as well as art classes.

There's a lot to love about this nonprofit coffeehouse. Drip coffee from fresh-roasted beans runs $2.50, and its array of coffee drinks is also lower in cost than the big chains. Small bites, freshly made pastries and a veggie burrito made with local produce make Calvin Fletcher's Coffee Company a must-do in Indy.

Related: Where to Order Good Cheap Burritos in Every State

Lexington, Kentucky
More than 180 artists are represented in the space in Lexington that High On Art & Coffee calls home. Locals flock there not just for the high-octane coffee, but to buy gifts from local artists for themselves and others. 

New Orleans
If you're in or around the Big Easy, it's worth a trip to Cafe Du Monde for history alone. Open 24 hours a day every day — except for Christmas and during hurricanes — the classic coffee shop was founded in 1862 as the Civil War raged around it. You can get coffee black or au lait at Cafe Du Monde, which is so traditional the coffee menu consists of dark roast, chicory, and nothing else. While the location in the French Quarter is considered the one to visit, you can drop by the other 10 Cafe Du Monde coffee stands in the city, too.

Scarborough, Maine
St. Joe's specializes in the pastry called zeppole in the old country and beignets here — or "bennies" — a 2-inch-deep dough ball, deep fried, covered in powdered sugar, and served warm with dipping sauces.

Somerville, Massachusetts
Diesel Cafe is a Somerville staple that launched a small empire of giant spaces: There are sister shops Bloc 11 and Forge Baking Co., where pastries are made fresh and trucked over for loyal customers, along with fresh breads that get turned into giant sandwiches. 

Minneapolis
Sovereign Grounds makes a great cup of coffee, but stands out for the built-in playground and playroom where parents can dump the little ones for a break (or some time on the laptop to do whatever it is people do on their laptops in coffee shops).

Lincoln, Nebraska
Crescent Moon has been making its mark on Lincoln's historic Haymarket District since 2001. Single-origin, locally roasted espresso drinks are poured as paninis and made-to-order crepes are devoured. 

Las Vegas
Makers & Finders blends the chic vibe of its home in the Las Vegas Arts District with traditional empanadas, arepas, and coffee delicacies straight from South and Central America.

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Ruidoso, New Mexico
Cowboy hats, prairie dresses, and bolo ties adorn the musicians in the log cabin-style Sacred Grounds, but the coffee and food is 100% modern. Vegans and vegetarians have plenty of options, as do hardcore coffee connoisseurs 7,000 feet above sea level in the beautiful Sacramento Mountains.

Babylon, New York
There's local art to see at Babylon Bean, and the coffee comes from beans grown worldwide but roasted locally, on Long Island, and never ground anywhere but in-house. The real treat, however, is cold: Don't leave without grabbing an Italian gelato or sorbetto.

Brooklyn, New York
Little Skips East scratches and claws its way to the top of the borough's coffee scene with imaginative drinks such as the Bomb Latte, the Dirty Chai, as well as wine, beer, and sake. 

Nyack, New York
Inspired by the quaint, ethnic cafes that line the streets of Tel Aviv, the Art Cafe offers beer, wine, Prosecco cocktails and an impressive lineup of classic Israeli cuisine — but the magic is in the coffee. Art Cafe serves only coffee by Counter Culture, which roasts sustainable beans grown by farmers in developing nations.

Wake Forest, North Carolina
Comedians, musicians, artists, and actors showcase their talent at Wake Forest Coffee, known for its welcoming atmosphere and community ties — with a focus on welcoming local business groups and networkers.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
After nearly two decades in Tulsa, Gypsy is a fixture. The espresso drinks come from beans by Nordaggio's. Stash specialty teas balance out the menu, and the gritty, industrial building is steeped in history dating back to 1906. 

Salem, Oregon
Like so many cafes in the coffee mecca of the great Northwest, Governor's Cup take coffee very seriously — roasting globally and greenly harvested beans on a vintage, cast-iron Probat — but without a trace of pretension. The fresh sandwiches, music, and art help.

Philadelphia
The Chapterhouse Cafe & Gallery takes its organic, fair-trade coffee almost as seriously as it takes its commitment to making sure top local talent has a place to showcase work. Art exhibits rotate seasonally.

Philadelphia
Exposed brick and reclaimed wood tables let visitors know that Menagerie was once an art gallery. Zagat raves about the joe, which comes from Dogwood Coffee Co. in Minneapolis and Elixr — everything else is locally sourced from the area around the Old City neighborhood that Menagerie calls home.

Nashville, Tennessee
It addition to boasting of being "Nashville's oldest and most celebrated coffeehouse," Bongo Java is home to the Nun Bun — the cinnamon bun looking a little like Mother Teresa that made the shop Internet famous in 1996. More seriously, it's a darling of local cuisine critics.

Austin, Texas
Good coffee, good people, good music. That's the Kick Butt way. Home to the iconic SXSW festival, Austin is a music city, and Kick Butt is plugged into the scene with nearly nightly performances by some of the neighborhood's top talent. Oh, and it hosts drawings with prizes such as free kung fu and tai chi lessons.

Salt Lake City
Three Pines was founded by musicians in Los Angeles whose day jobs — serving coffee — turned into a passion. That passion comes out in some of the creamiest, most perfectly blended coffee drinks in Salt Lake City. The co-founders honed their craft so finely that other coffee shops use them as consultants.

Killington, Vermont
The New England arts scene oozes out of Liquid Art, where crafts and artwork by local talent is on display and for sale. Inside or patio dining are available.

Redmond, Washington
Singers serenade visitors to the chic but casual SoulFood Coffee Shop, which has a new age, rather than ethnic, sense of soul food. Shop for stones and incense in the gift shop. 

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Seattle

It's hard for a coffee shop to stand out in the city that gave birth to Starbucks, but Dubsea's food and coffee have cemented a loyal local following. The fish-bowl style of the space makes visitors feel like they're connected to the streets outside.

Morgantown, West Virginia
Even national talent flocks to Blue Moose to play music and exhibit art, but don't lose sight of the comprehensive menu: Rich shakes and smoothies, exotic teas, imported beers, Swiss water process decaf, and organic vegetarian fare are a few of the seemingly endless options for the thirsty and hungry.

Madison, Wisconsin
It's been called a daylong "waffle wonderland" and featured on "Wake Up With Al." It's been named the best or one of the best area coffee shops several years in a row by local press. It's Indie Coffee — and it has a Zen Patio. 

Milwaukee

The Coffee House has more than a half-century of history of coffee, music, and poetry, dating to the political and cultural turmoil of 1967. Today, at a new location, it still remains dedicated to music and spoken-word performances as well as good coffee.