Javas Cafe (INDIE)
Javas Cafe (INDIE)
I can't believe that I spent much of 2018-2023 in Rochester and yet never went to this Java's Cafe, right off East Ave, which has been here since the 90s! I do have a memory of wisiting their other cafe inside a restaurant at the Rochester Public Market, but I cannot find any post or even a record that I went there. I also remember that I've had their coffee before, at the Little Theatre I think, and at Bookeater a few weeks ago, usually a blend, and I did not care for it, BUT the single-origin Guatemalan that I was served this morning was actually pretty good. What is really awesome about this place, though, is its size and decor. Java's Cafe is HUGE, with many rooms, a separate room for sandwich orders, and even a pool room downstairs. And the decor, wow, you will never get tired of looking around at all of the art!
FairPour Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
FairPour Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
When I headed back to FairPour Coffee Roasters, in Fairport, I just wanted to try their coffee again after many years (pre-pandemic), and I was quite surprised to discover that they had MOVED! They are just across the street, in a space that has much more natural lighting than the original, which I love, BUT the downside is that they no longer have a patio right on the Erie Canal. Coffee-wise, I enjoyed my best cup of all my wisits to FairPour, a bit of surprise since the drip coffee was a medium-roasted Colombian. They do have a pour over menu, and some lighter roasts, so I will NOT be waiting another half decade before returning.
Coffee Connection (INDIE)
Coffee Connection (INDIE)
According to my records, I bought coffee from Coffee Connection in 2019, but I cannot find my post, if I even made one. This is a smallish space that manages to display a lot of artwork, and for the time being they are trying out a blow-up Big Bird in the window, an interesting touch. Coffee-wise, the owner (manager?) said that they roast their own, and they offered a wariety of drips, including flavoured, regular (medium), and French (dark), plus a decaf. I had the regular Peru, but it was not for me.
Steven James Coffee (INDIE)
Steven James Coffee (INDIE)
Out in East Rochester, Steven James Coffee made me think of Toronto's Sam James, a well-respected roaster. Unfortunately, this place gets their coffee from Finger Lakes, a middling roaster known for their flavoured coffees, like Jamaican Me Crazy. On the bright side, cafes in the burbs tend to be more spacious, and as a hangout, Steven James fits the bill. Plenty of space, standard tables, tall tables, and even a coffee and a large TV screen. Wifi and outlets of course, plus a large parking lot.
Equal Grounds Community Cafe (INDIE)
Equal Grounds Community Cafe (INDIE)
Equal Grounds Community Cafe continued the pattern of middling coffee at cafes with "ground" in their name. In fact, it's also not a great sign when the barista cannot describe the coffee, and I had to hunt around a bit to discover that I have having something called the Power House blend. At least it was a light roast, but still not up my alley. The SPACE, however, has a lot to recommend. They lean into the Community Cafe part of their name with open mic or poetry nights, and when I arrived there was a knitting group in the back room. The cafe is large, and with artwork spread throughout, and with parking in the back, outlets, wifi, standard and tall tables, this is a great hangout.
Ugly Duck Coffee (INDIE)
Ugly Duck Coffee (INDIE)
Despite their absence of wifi, @uglyduckcoffee continues to be my favourite craft coffeehouse in Rochester because of the excellent selection of guest roasters that they rotate every few months. Since last week, I've had two excellent coffees from @passengercoffee , one of Pennsylvania's best roasters, and today's cup of the El Salvador Montecarlos was the first 8 that I've given in NINE MONTHS.
Joe Bean Roasters (INDIE)
Joe Bean Roasters (INDIE)
Joe Bean Roasters has traditionally been my favourite Rochester roaster, and although yesterday's Honduran coffee was merely good, most of their coffees have been well above average, worth going out of my way four. Joe Bean's space on Blossom continues to be focused on production, not really a cafe, but I am pleased that they still maintain the ability to serve drip coffee and espresso drinks. One negative change is that they no longer offer their instant coffee (produced by Swift), because I found them to be almost as good as what I could get freshly brewed. A positive change is the new artwork on the bags.
Cafe Sasso (INDIE)
Cafe Sasso (INDIE)
Cafe Sasso continues to be one of the most-decorated cafes in Rochester, with artwork dang near covering every inch of space, and they continue to serve coffee from Fuego, good but not among my faves. They also continue their policy, dating back before the pandemic, of keeping sugar behind the counter, inconĪenient for me because I am so picky about the exact level of sugar I need in a cup (varies depending on the coffee).
Neutral Ground Coffeehouse (INDIE)
Neutral Ground Coffeehouse (INDIE)
In my experience, for no reason that I can guess, whenever I encounter a coffeehouse with "ground" or "grounds" in the name, the coffee tends to be middling, and the same was true today at Neutral Ground Coffeehouse in Corn Hill, on the west side of Rochester. Neutral Ground serves a dark roasted coffee from former Cobblestone, now known as Elemental (I think), and a light-roasted coffee from CDGA. I had the Costa Rica, and it was merely okay. Their website says that they rotate roasters for the light roast, but the barista said they'd be sticking with CDGA for the time being. As a hangout, though, Neutral Ground is pretty good, with a large parking lot, plenty of standard and tall tables, and outlets. The wifi was too slow while I was there, but that's probably just a temporary situation. Also, the decor is super cute, and the art alone is worth a trip.
Greece, Long Pond and Latta Rd, Greece, NewYork
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Greece, Long Pond and Latta Rd, Greece, NewYork
Greece, Long Pond and Latta Rd, Greece, NewYork
1872 Cafe (INDIE)
1872 Cafe (INDIE)
1872 Cafe, on the west side of Rochester, is not what I would consider a craft coffeehouse. They seem focused more on an expansive food menu, and they serve a mediocre (probably commodity) coffee from nearby Evening Star Coffee Roasters. HOWEVER, I have to give them a major shout out for the cafe's theme, which is focused on Susan B. Anthony and other women's rights activists. 1872's name comes from the year when Anthony was arrested for voting right here in Rochester, and the ballot box, known as the 1872 Monument, sits just outside the cafe. Additionally, Anthony's home is only two blocks away!
Brighton, S. Clinton, Brighton, NewYork
Brighton, S. Clinton, Brighton, NewYork
AM:FM Coffee Cocktails Vinyl (INDIE)
AM:FM Coffee Cocktails Vinyl (INDIE)
AM:FM Coffee Cocktails Vinyl is a smallish but nonetheless really cool spot with decor that leans into the AM/FM radio and music theme, with vinyl record on display (not sure if they are for sale) in a corner. AM:FM serves coffee from Aporia, which is now owned by Eric Nagle after he acquired it from Wade, and I enjoyed an excellent Brazilian drip coffee. Besides the coffee, AM:FM also turns into a cocktail bar in the evenings.
Pandamonium Coffee (INDIE)
Pandamonium Coffee (INDIE)
Another newer Rochester coffeehouse is Pandamonium (yes, with two As), and they quickly move towards the top of the new crop that I've discovered. Firstly, they serve coffee from Aporia, a roaster that started up after Wade Reed (well-known in the Rochester coffee scene) moved on from Fifth Frame, a former downtown combination coffeehouse/brewery. The cup of Honduran that I enjoyed was excellent, and I look forward to including Pandamonium in my rotation. I also love their decor, which is panda-themed, crow-themed, and possibly also dwarf-themed, although I'm less sure about that. The cafe uses a lot of white and light colours, which I enjoy, and every time I turned around there was a new decorative element to capture my attention. Sadly, despite offering plenty of seating, this place does not include wifi.
Pearsons Market (INDIE)
Pearsons Market (INDIE)
Pearson's Market is an unusual case. It is a rebranding and remodeling of Glen Edith Coffee Roasters, a cafe that was in my regular rotation from 2018-2023. I have been to a number of coffeehouses around the country that have rebranded with new names or new owners, or both, but in the case of Pearson's, there's more to the story. Glen Edith itself was a rebranding going back over a decade to 2014, when they opened a cafe under the name Pour Coffee Parlor but served beans roasted under the name Glen Edith. In 2016 they consolidated the names to just Glen Edith, and so it remained until 2022, when the Swan Family bought the business and renamed it to Pearson's. The remodeled space adds counter-style seats next to the frosted front window, assorted merchandise (hence the "Market" in their name), and MORE SPACE, up on the second storey. I forgot to snap a pic, but the highlight of their new design is a Vestaboard (a split-flap display similar to those seen at old-timey train stations, especially in Europe). Oh, and one other change is that sometime around 2022 or 2023, around when I was leaving Rochester, Glen Edith started roasting over at the Joe Bean facility, and now it is possible that Joe Bean does the roasting for then, but I'm not sure.
Legendary Beans Coffee (INDIE)
Legendary Beans Coffee is mostly a food-focused cafe, a tiny space inside of the medical buildings in the Alexander Park complex. The owner roasts his own coffee and is quite proud of his sourcing from the Kaffa Zone Region of Ethiopia, as indicated by the poster on a wall. The profile of the coffee was not quite for me, though.
Montgomery Court (INDIE)
Montgomery Court (INDIE)
When I searched Google Maps for "best coffee", I initially missed Montgomery Court because the name sounds like one for an apartment complex, not a coffeehouse, but then a coworker asked me if I had been there. Tucked away on a side street off East Avenue, Montgomery Court is a good-sized cafe with a more classic, plant-heavy decor with earth tones that are contrasted by some of the artwork AND the Ms. Pac-Man machine! Coffee-wise, Montgomery Court serves beans that they roast under the name Language of Coffee, and they offer a rotating selection of single-origin coffees. Today I had a Costa Rican bean that was merely okay, but this place is going into my rotation so I can try their coffees from the other countries the barista mentioned.
Winter Swan (INDIE)
Winter Swan (INDIE)
Although I was disappointed that they does not (yet) offer filtre coffee, only espresso drinks, Winter Swan is thus far the highlight of my new Rochester finds, not only because of their name, but because they share space with Stacy K, a florist, and the entirety of the room is chock full o' flowers and plants! I have seen plenty of other coffeehouses that incorporate foliage into their design, but never to this extent. Winter Swan uses beans from one of Philly's best roasters, Elixr, and the barista suggested that they might try to offer drip in the future, so I need to keep my eye on this place
Bookeater (INDIE)
Bookeater (INDIE)
The highlight was Bookeater, a combination coffeehouse and bookstore. Coffee-wise, I was not impressed--they use coffee from Java's, a local roaster that has never thrilled me, and they only have one drip option, no pour over. I had a medium-dark Sumatran bean, and it was merely acceptable. LOVE LOVE LOVE the space, though, quite homey, with two storeys and nearly half a dozen seating areas and rooms, without books throughout. And the best piece of decor was, of course, the Calvin & Hobbes strip on a wall!
Hydra Coffee (INDIE)
Hydra Coffee (INDIE)
Hydra Coffee is another homey space, also with two storeys, but not as large as Bookeater. Decor is also not as splendid, but I loved the indoor mural. As for coffee, they use beans from Joe Bean, my favourite local roaster, BUT at the moment they only serve a blend for their drip. No single origin, but the owner indicated that they are considering it.
650 Park Ave, Rochester, NewYork
650 Park Ave, Rochester, NewYork
650 Park Ave, Rochester, NewYork
Hylan Drive, Jay Scutti Plaza, Rochester, NewYork
Hylan Drive, Jay Scutti Plaza, Rochester, NewYork
Batavia, Batavia, NewYork
Batavia, Batavia, NewYork
Clarence, 9430 Main St, Clarence, NewYork
Clarence, 9430 Main St, Clarence, NewYork
This store sits in a former Dunkin.
Geneva, Spire Circle, Geneva, Ohio
Geneva, Spire Circle, Geneva, Ohio
Mentor and Normandy Drive, Painesville, Ohio
Drive-thru/walk-up only.
Lincoln Way East and 25th Stre, Massillon, Ohio
Lincoln Way East and 25th Stre, Massillon, Ohio
RESHOOT: Green, Heritage Crossing, Green, Ohio
RESHOOT: Green, Heritage Crossing, Green, Ohio
Scribbles Coffee Co. (INDIE)
Scribbles Coffee Co. (INDIE)
While in Kent, I rewisited Scribble Coffee Co., a charming cafe that has as their motto the black squirrel because Kent is one of the few areas in the United States where black squirrels can be found.
Bent Tree Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
Bent Tree Coffee Roasters (INDIE)
Bent Tree Coffee Roasters was recommended by a couple of followers, and for good reason. The cafe sits in a charming building and has a wibrant, busy wibe, with excellent decor, although it appears that outlets are limited, so not necessarily the best hangout if you want to work. Bent Tree offers both drip coffee and pour overs, and I enjoyed an excellent light-roasted Ethiopian bean.
RESHOOT: Hudson, South Main Street, Hudson, Ohio
RESHOOT: Hudson, South Main Street, Hudson, Ohio
RESHOOT: Hudson, South Main Street, Hudson, Ohio
RESHOOT: Hudson, South Main Street, Hudson, Ohio
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130th and Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
130th and Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
130th and Pearl Rd, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
This store is unusual because it has COUCHES on its patio!
Avon Marketplace - Nagel Rd, Avon, Ohio
Avon Marketplace - Nagel Rd, Avon, Ohio
Oak Point Road, Lorain, Ohio
Oak Point Road, Lorain, Ohio
Perkins and Milan Rd, Sandusky, Ohio
Drive-thru/walk-up only.
Trenton Ave and Bolton St., Findlay, Ohio
Trenton Ave and Bolton St., Findlay, Ohio
Trenton Ave and Bolton St., Findlay, Ohio
This is the first store I have seen with solar panels arrayed along several of the order pickup parking spaces, thus serving two purposes--power for the store, and shelter for those picking up orders.
Elida Rd & American Ave, Lima, Ohio
Elida Rd & American Ave, Lima, Ohio
I-75 & Bellefontaine Rd, Wapakoneta , Ohio
I-75 & Bellefontaine Rd, Wapakoneta , Ohio
RESHOOT: US 36 & Main St, Urbana , Ohio
RESHOOT: US 36 & Main St, Urbana , Ohio
US 36 & Main St, Urbana , Ohio
Princeton Rd & Bridgewater Chu, Hamilton, Ohio
Princeton Rd & Bridgewater Chu, Hamilton, Ohio
Madison Rd and Kennedy Ave, Oakley, Ohio
Madison Rd and Kennedy Ave, Oakley, Ohio
Taylor Drive and Wildcat Blvd, Burlington, Kentucky
Taylor Drive and Wildcat Blvd, Burlington, Kentucky
Taylor Drive and Wildcat Blvd, Burlington, Kentucky
This store goes against the grain of the newer Pickup stores which typically have a tiny indoor area and washrooms. On the other hand, I did appreciate that the outdoor mural includes the names of artist Jordan Kay and painter Signs By Bob.
N. High Street & Appalachian H, Mt. Orab , Ohio
N. High Street & Appalachian H, Mt. Orab , Ohio
Mission Coffee Co. (INDIE)
Mission Coffee Co. (INDIE)
While in Columbus I made a quick rewisit of Mission Coffee after more than ten years. No idea what they were serving in 2014, but now their only filtre option is a batch-brewed Storymaker blend which I found too dark for my tastes. I DID, however, dig the decor of the place, with nifty touches like a typewriter, a little coffee cart, and a stage for live music. The space seemed a little darker than I prefer, BUT that might have been due to overcast skies.
Graceland, Columbus, Ohio
Graceland, Columbus, Ohio
The other Graceland, not in Memphis.
Livingston & I-70, Columbus, Ohio
Drive-thru/walk-up only.
Livingston & I-70, Columbus, Ohio
Zane St & Howard St, Zanesville, Ohio
Zane St & Howard St, Zanesville, Ohio
South Charleston, Park Place, South Charleston, WestVirginia
South Charleston, Park Place, South Charleston, WestVirginia
