​​From cappuccinos to Americanos or the simply perfect piping hot cup o’ joe, there are plenty of top-notch local options for coffee fiends in the Queen City. Looking to skip Starbucks to support your local coffee shop? We’ve got you covered. Or, should we say, “caffeinated.” Scroll through for some Queen City caffeine inspiration.

BlaCk Coffee Lounge 824 Elm St., Downtown This coffee shop is from the owners of BlaCk OWned. Their popular house “Wakanda” blend is a mix of Ethiopian, Rwandan and Brazilian beans. They also offer tons of espresso drinks like cappuccinos, lattes and macchiatos which can all be made with non-dairy milk alternatives. If you’re hungry, they also have a small menu of pastries and other eats. Photo: Elizabeth Davis
KungBrew Cafe 640 Main St., Covington This specialty coffee and tea shop in the heart of Mainstrasse is one of the best places to spend a chilly morning with a warm drink. The space is rich with Asian-inspired decor, including a beautiful mural by Adam Lusso on the second floor of the cafe. On the menu, KungBrew offers a variety of traditional black, green, oolong and herbal teas, along with a traditional coffee and espresso menu, which you can enhance with several kinds of syrup, including pandan — a tropical plant that grows in Southeast Asia. Try the popular White Rabbit Latte, which features Lang Thang Vietnamese espresso. Photo: KungBrew Cafe/Google
Coffee Emporium 110 E. Central Parkway, Downtown; 3316 Erie Ave., Hyde Park A Queen City staple with two locations, Coffee Emporium has been serving artisanal roasted beans for decades (they’re the city’s oldest coffee house) and offers up some of the best breakfast pastries in Cincinnati. Lunch options are simple and hearty, with daily homemade soups. A hip, laid-back atmosphere makes it feel like you’re at a book club meeting with 20 of your friends. Photo: Emerson Swoger
Deeper Roots Coffee 1814 Race St., Over-the-Rhine; 3056 Madison Road, Oakley; 338 W 4th St., Downtown Deeper Roots started as a roasting company in 2011 and has since become a Cincinnati staple with three locations across the city. Their first coffee bar, located in Oakley, offers cozy vibes and is the perfect place to sit, relax, get some work done or just chat with friends. All their coffee bars offer traditional coffee and espresso drinks plus a rotating list of unique signature drinks. The Honey Bear (a latte made with honey and cinnamon) is always a classic. Photo: facebook.com/DeeperRootsCoffee
Roebling Point Books & Coffee 306 Greenup St., Covington As the name suggests, Roebling Point is both an indie bookstore and community coffee shop. Owner Richard Hunt likes to refer to it as a “third place” that space that isn’t work or home but feels just as comfortable. Roebling Point has created its niche by providing fair-trade, organic coffee in addition to books and by sharing profound quotes on the chalkboards on the building’s exterior. Multiple rooms house a customer-influenced book inventory. Fiction and non-fiction works rest among local authors, poetry, children’s books and a handful of classics. Photo: Francisco Huerta
Mom ‘n ’em Coffee & Wine 4310 Whetsel Ave., Madisonville; 3128 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington Camp Washington coffeeshop Mom ‘n ’em Coffee & Wine opened a second location in Madisonville in June. Named “Best Coffeeshop in Ohio” by Food & Wine magazine earlier this year, the popular coffee shop and wine bar offer delivery and pick-up for their delicious drinks. Join the coffee and/or wine club and get monthly deliveries of the drink of your choice. Photo: facebook.com/momnemcoffee
Sitwell’s Act II 324 Ludlow Ave., Clifton Sitwell’s Act II is a coffee shop, bar and restaurant that hosts everything from live music to poetry readings and more. Their food menu ranges from quiche to banh mi and empanadas. They also offer pastries and bagels plus a traditional coffee menu and a full-service bar. Photo: facebook.com/sitwells.coffeehouse
Collective Espresso 207 Woodward St., Over-the-Rhine; 4037 Hamilton Ave., Northside; 121 W. 10th St., Newport Inspired by some of the best espresso bars and coffee shops in the country, this big-city-style coffee bar offers cool blends like cortados and espresso lemonade. There’s no pretense; just really, really good coffee Photo: facebook.com/CollectiveEspressoNorthside
Sidewinder Coffee 4181 Hamilton Ave., Northside Sidewinder Coffee is a Northside independent coffee shop and roastery that focuses on sourcing its beans from small farms. Their coffee options range from the typical Italian espresso drinks to Mexican lattes, plus they offer a large range of tea and specialty cocktails. They also serve up smoothies and a small food menu that ranges from tuna salad to bagels. Photo: facebook.com/Sidewinder-Coffee
BLOC Coffee Company 801 Mount Hope Ave., East Price Hill The shop primarily serves locally roasted Deeper Roots coffee. They also offer an all-day breakfast menu featuring items such as their Chipotle Egg Deluxe (egg, goetta, havarti, red onion, microgreens and Sriracha on an English muffin) and pastries either baked in-house or brought in from local bakeries. The majority of the coffee shop’s proceeds go to BLOC Ministries, an organization that helps with job placement for formerly incarcerated people and supports safe houses for female sex workers, drug recovery programs and after-school programs for children in the neighborhood. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Muse Café 3018 Harrison Ave., Westwood Muse Café offers up cafe items plus a sizable food menu that includes breakfast, lunch and cheese plates. Owner Shawnteè Stallworth Schramm has created a selection of cocktails named after the nine Greek muses: mythological goddesses considered the source of human creativity, especially poetry and music. You can enjoy cocktails, coffee drinks and a choice of wines by the glass or bottle while listening to acoustic, jazz or blues performances most evenings. Photo: Erin Gardner
The 86 Coffee Bar 2900 Jefferson Ave., Corryville The 86 Coffee Bar is located just off the University of Cincinnati’s campus and offers “coffee, concerts, creativity and community.” They serve up house-roasted coffee plus a rotating selection of other offerings like their sparkling lemonades serve in the summer. Photo: facebook.com/The86Uptown
Lola’s Coffee and Bar 24 W. Third St., Downtown Lola’s doesn’t just serve up craft coffee; they’ve also got cocktails, wine, local beer and a food menu that ranges from bagels to take and bake empanadas. They offer traditional coffee and espresso drinks plus seasonal specials like the Island Oasis Latte made with coconut, almond and rose. https://www.facebook.com/lolascincy/photos/?ref=page_internal
Highland Coffee House 2839 Highland Ave., Corryville Open since 1978, Highland is not your traditional coffee house. For one, Highland doesn’t open shop until 5 p.m., and alongside a bunch of coffee drinks and a full bar, customers can delights like boozy milkshakes, iced Thai coffee and fresh cookies and pies. Photo: Holden Mathis
Urbana Cafe 1130 Broadway St., Pendleton; 2714 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills; Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Downtown; 312 Walnut St., Downtown; 3114 Warsaw Ave., East Price Hill Started in 2013, Urbana Cafe not only operates multiple cafes around the city, but they also sell their delicious house-made roasts to consumers or wholesale to other local businesses. First opening in Findlay Market, Urbana Cafe now has four locations where you can get classic coffee and espresso-based drinks plus small bites like pastries, breakfast options and sandwiches. Photo: facebook.com/urbanacafe
1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab 1215 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine This OTR spot is typically run as an eclectic coffee shop by day and wine bar by night. Enjoy a selection of traditional coffee drinks plus other cafe items like matcha, spicy hot chocolate and tea. For cocktails, they offer some coffee-based drinks like the Pale Horse —espresso with white chocolate, steamed milk and Heaven Hill plus cocoa— plus some twists on the classics like the South American sour made with Macchu Pisco, egg white, lemon and red wine. For a snack grab a cheese plate or hummus. Photo: Jesse Fox
Fort Thomas Coffee 1 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas Fort Thomas Coffee recently opened in a brand new location where they are serving up their coffees and more. They offer traditional coffee and espresso drinks plus delicious smoothies, hot breakfast sandwiches and a selection of baked goods. The coffee shop now even offers a full bar and specialty cocktails in the evening. Photo: facebook.com/FortThomasCoffee
Awakenings Coffee and Wine 2734 Erie Ave., Hyde Park This Hyde Park coffee and wine spot sources its roasts locally and focuses on serving its customers fresh, high-quality ingredients. They offer freshly ground drip coffee plus unique signature drinks created by their baristas. The wine shop has a massive selection, with access to 4,000 different wines. There is a $10 corking fee if you want to stay and have a bottle. Photo: facebook.com/AwakeningsCoffeeandWine
Newberry Bros. Coffee 530 Washington Ave., Newport This unique coffee shop offers coffee by the cup or the bag during the day and small bites plus deserts in the evening. The coffeeshop also features The Prohibition Bourbon Bar, which looks like a prohibition-era speakeasy and holds a massive selection of bourbon and rye whiskey. Photo: facebook.com/NewberryBrosCoffee
Hyde Perk 3664-B Edwards Rd., Hyde Park Hyde Perk serves up wine, coffee and teas that are all locally sourced. They’ve got a large patio where guests can relax and enjoy their beverage of choice. Try their wine and chocolate pairing menu that they say is “created around the science of taste and flavor.” Photo: facebook.com/hydeperkco
Avenue Brew 310 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue Located along the river, the coffee shop has freshly brewed coffee, freshly baked goods, a coffee of the month, lattes, smoothies, frappes and an extensive menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Photo:
Upside Brew 329 Ludlow Ave., Clifton Upside Brew is a coffee bar and cafe on Ludlow Avenue that specializes in coffee classics and various brews for coffee connoisseurs as well as a petite menu of breakfast bites, flatbreads and “kinda lunchy” eats like the chicken salad croissant. If you’d prefer your buzz with a little booze, Upside Brew is also known for their coffee cocktails such as the bourbon latte. Photo: Facebook.com/TheUpsideBrew
Shires’ Cafe 309 Vine St., Downtown Shires’ Cafe offers everything from housemade baked goods, cocktails and kombucha to local Pneuma Coffee, sandwiches and take-and-bake Che’s empanadas (Ignite also operates Che). The market portion features snacks, drinks and even T-shirts for purchase, along with assorted sundries — things like Tylenol and toothpaste. A lounge area adjacent to the cafe lets guests enjoy “the selections at their own pace, work outside of the office, or relax and have a drink.” Photo: Provided by Ignite Entertainment
Proud Hound Coffee 6717 Montgomery Road, Silverton Since launching in 2019, Proud Hound has been helping Cincinnatians get their caffeine fix via pop-ups with its coffee truck and cart, wholesale operations, events and collaborations. The flagship location, complete with a coffee bar and full-service kitchen, also houses its roasting facility, viewable by customers through large glass windows. Customers can grab all the usual espresso-based beverages — cortados, cappuccinos, americanos, lattes and mochas — alongside cold brews, pour overs and drip coffees. Not into coffee? The cafe also slings teas, hot chocolate and more. You can even order a picturesque blue matcha. The kitchen serves up Southern-centric breakfast and brunch with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and seasonal dishes. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Fulton Yards 3301 Riverside Dr., East End; 2750 Park Ave., Norwood Fulton Yards is located in the East End, which inspired its name which is an homage to the neighborhood’s original name — Fulton — and the lumber yards that were all over the area. The Fulton Yards menu features many ways to get your caffeine intake for the day including cold brew, ice lattes, tea, matcha and more. Come back in the evening for a hand-picked wine list and some coffee-infused cocktails. Photo: provided by Fulton Yards
Carabello Coffee 107 E 9th St., Newport Started in a garage in 2009, Carabello Coffee has always maintained a vision of coffee and philanthropy. “Coffee and compassion in tandem” is the phrase that describes Carabello Coffee’s mission. They use much of their profit to help fund local and international charities. Help them out with their mission by grabbing some of their coffee, tea and other drinks. Photo: facebook.com/carabellocoffee
Left Bank Coffeehouse 701 Greenup St., Covington On the left bank of both the Ohio and Licking rivers, this shop serves Deeper Roots Coffee, espresso drinks, hot and iced tea, plus snacks and pastries including goodies from F & Goode Desserts. Photo: facebook.com/leftbankcoffeehouse
Luckman Coffee Company 5200 Beechmont Ave., Anderson; 8298 Clough Pike, Anderson This local coffee chain offers small-batch roasted beans with a goal of “romancing” the beans to gain optimum flavor. Head to the original location in Anderson with your pup and sip a cup of joe on the patio (or inside the cafe depending on how busy it is). If you stop by the second Anderson location, good dogs are allowed inside and out any time. Photo: facebook.com/LuckmanCoffeeCo
The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge 6041 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge After a fire closed down the Pleasant Ridge coffee shop in 2018, the owners reopened at their new location and have been going strong ever since. They offer dine-in or carry-out options for their drinks plus a few grab-and-go refrigerated items. Photo: Facebook/CoffeeExchangePR
Mad Llama Coffee 5001 Kenwood Road, Madisonville A coffee shop, roastery and bakery all in one, Mad Llama Coffee makes all their breakfast sandwiches, pastries, soft-serve and coffee in house. Their Llama Bread, a marbled pound cake, is a popular menu item. Photo: Stephanie Scarbrough

Do you have a news tip?

SEND A NEWS TIP

Subscribe to our Mailing List!

Sign up. We hope you like us, but if you don't, you can unsubscribe by following the links in the email, or by dropping us a note at policy@citybeat.com.

By clicking “Sign up” above, you consent to allow us to contact you via email, and store your information using our third-party service provider. To see more information about how your information is stored and privacy protected, visit our policies page.