Twin Cities’ Best – Coffee Shop

From Dinkytown to the suburbs, the Metro region has plenty to offer the die-hard coffee-lover. Comfy cafés and gallery-esque atmospheres will satisfy all those in need of caffeine.

Written by Bernardo Vigil

January 11, 2010

Whether it be to help get over a long, sleepless night of homework, to help make a person look more indie than they actually are or to help a genuine coffee lover’s quest for the perfect cup of joe, all coffee shops have their uses. The following coffee shops serve these purposes and more.

Coffee Gallery, Minneapolis
Located in the same building as an art gallery, book binding store, and writing center on Washington Ave, the Coffee Gallery aims to serve just as much food as coffee. While normally the best thing one can expect from coffee-shop food is a prepackaged sandwich and the urge to eat again an hour later, the food at the Coffee Gallery is both filling and edible.

The Depot Coffeeshop, Hopkins
Despite its location in suburban Hopkins, The Depot aims to be a little less homey and little more “Minneapolis” than one’s average coffeehouse. While the coffee is not spectacular, the tea selection is pretty exhaustive and they offer some of the best baked goods in town. The coffee house also doubles as a great and inexpensive concert venue for highschool bands on the weekend.

Espresso Royale, Dinkytown
The Espresso Royale is without a doubt a college student’s coffee shop. With one location situated in the heart of Dinkytown and another nestled between skyscrapers downtown, neither location is ever without its fair share of students. It is the genuine warmth of both the room and the staff (as well as the fact that the coffee doesn’t taste like candy) that makes this semi-chain coffeshop so vastly superior to Starbucks.

Spyhouse Coffeeshop, Minneapolis
The Spyhouse Coffeeshop is the hipster coffeshop to end all hipster coffeeshops. The dark lighting, “indie” baristas, and eclectic music are all testament to that. Spyhouse, however, has a right to be pretentious; although it is a little pricey, customers are given one of the best cups of coffee around as well as a quality space to enjoy their liquid consciousness.

Dunn Brothers, Everywhere
Yes, this is a chain. It is also the best coffeeshop chain around. All of the blends are roasted at the store each day providing a taste that is always fresh and a shop that always actually smells like coffee. Finally, the fact that there is one around every other corner provides a certain safety net for those who crave familiarity.