30 Greater Cincinnati Coffee Shops You've Got to Try

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Urbana Cafe

1130 Broadway St., Pendleton; 2714 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills; Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Downtown; 312 Walnut St., Downtown
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.