Roasting in West St. Paul since 2014, Backstory operates a cozy retail spot on-site and recently expanded into an airy co-working space in Minneapolis’s North Loop. The only question is are you more of a Wayfinder (zippy and lighter-roasted with nuance), a Narrator (balanced chocolate and nutty flavors), or a Legend (creamy, sweet and milk-chocolaty)?

Turkish coffee is the stuff of legends — rich, strong, well-spiced, and wonderfully rejuvenating. It’s also one of the primary selling points at Café Cerés, where enticing, warm Mediterranean flavors harken back to coffee’s humble beginnings. Try the ras al hanout latte, which blends the classic Turkish spice mix of ginger, cumin, coriander and black pepper in a date-sweetened syrup for an unforgettable, aromatic sip. Or order a Turkish coffee and watch the barista masterfully boil you a cup on the spot.

Browse the racks at Caydence Coffee and Records in East St. Paul while you sip a Comeback Kid (cold brew, lavender cream, and horchata). Don’t forget to check out the live music calendar, which features local bands, lots of all-ages shows, and a monthly bluegrass jam.

If you like your coffee with a side of noise rock, Disco Death is the spot for you. Grab a stack of LPs from your favorite Krautrock, post-punk, or bossa nova (why not?) artists, and slap down $6.66 for a house special Satan: cold brew, horchata, maple, and bitters.

Hometown hero Dogwood Coffee has been churning out some of the best local beans since 2010, and lives by the motto “coffee for others.” Community is just as important as caffeine here, with a focus on do-good brand partnerships and incubator programs, and international coffee-buying relationships. The drinks are no slouch, either; grab a Zamboni cold brew or a perfectly proportioned gibraltar (half espresso, half steamed and textured milk).

This cozy spot near Loring Park serves as a community hub as well as a fund-raiser for the youth of the Futsal Society, a South Minne–based 501c3 organization that provides soccer opportunities and training to families who can’t afford lessons or traditional club membership. The straightforward menu comprises tasty, classic drinks and light snacks that pair perfectly; after all, the shop’s motto is “No Teamwork, No Coffee.”

The vibes are strong with this one — the kind of place many folks dream of having within walking distance of home. Folks in Minneapolis’ Howe neighborhood are the lucky ones with this third-place-style spot. Start your morning with a pre-work cortado and a breakfast sando, take a midday break with a brownie bite and a cafe au lait, and call it a day with an affogato of fresh espresso poured over Sebastian Joe’s ice cream.

There’s nothing bitter about Five Watt Coffee — just the house-made ones used in some of its signature drinks. Coriander bitters get splashed into espresso, milk, vanilla and black Hawaiian sea salt for the crowd-fave Kingfield, and gin bitters marry basil syrup and nitro cold press before being topped with cream in the Gin Basil Smash. Want to re-create the high-wattage at home? Grab a bag and a bottle of bitters from one of several Minneapolis locations.

For a quick trip around the wide world of coffee, visit one of FRGMNT’s three Minneapolis locations. This quality-obsessed multi-roaster cafe brings in beans from some of the best domestic and international roasters, including Spain’s Nomad Coffee, Denmark’s Coffee Collective, South Africa’s Father Coffee, and North Carolina’s Black and White Coffee Roasters. Grab a masterfully dialed-in single-origin espresso and an old-fashioned donut from purveyors Cardigan Donuts, and you’ve got a one-way ticket to a very good day.

It doesn’t get more neighborhoody than Groundswell Coffee in St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway, where they serve up Dogwood-roasted coffee, house-made pastries, and a legendary breakfast burrito, among other tasty options. Try the rotating specialty drinks — especially the seasonal espresso tonic.

In 2006, Andrew Kopplin opened an eponymous shop to try to bring the European-style coffeehouse to Minnesota. Not only did he succeed in creating a lasting legacy with Kopplin’s Coffee, but his was also one of the first coffee establishments to guarantee a living wage for baristas and eliminate tipping. Locals were heartbroken when the brick-and-mortar Kopplin’s closed during the first COVID-19 surge, but the beloved location recently started offering weekend window service. (And the neighbors rejoiced!)

Located in the longtime former Blue Moon Cafe space (and owned by Blue Moon alums Brenda Igersoll and Alex Needham), Milkweed is a light and friendly shop that’s big on the healing power of plants. The shop offers a variety of medicinal and recreational plants for imbibing and snacking, including CBD-infused gummies and drinks, delicious coffees, and gluten-free bites.

Want to get weird? Misfit Coffee is the place. Sure, you could get a black coffee or a classic cappuccino, but why would you when there’s a Nana Cold Brew on the menu? (The drink comprises cold brew, banana — yes, banana — vanilla, and oat milk.) Far-out rotating specialty drinks make a trip to the Northeast café a perpetual adventure. Try the Smoked Vanilla Peach from Spring 2024’s lineup (peach, lapsang souchong black tea, vanilla, espresso, and milk).

Great coffee should be accessible; that’s the flame that fires Roots Roasting’s passions. Inspired by pre-industrial American coffee traditions and fueled by a passion for crowd-pleasing, medium-roasted beans, Roots has been filling cups in Mac-Groveland since 2018, and donates 5% of its profits toward combating slavery conditions on coffee plantations in Brazil.

Another beloved walk-up spot is the unassuming but fantastic Roundtable Coffee Works in St. Anthony Park, which has been brewing fresh coffee since 2010. Owner Shawn Person transitioned to sidewalk service during the COVID pandemic as well, and he embraced the change by creating a lovely courtyard with a rain garden and shade-giving trees. Get in line with the regulars and discover what you’ve been missing.

Co-owner Sam Kjellberg’s initials are where SK Coffee gets its name, and the former hobbyist barista’s passion for excellence is seen in every detail in the beautiful cafés and unforgettable single-origin coffee offerings. Whether you like your coffee sweet, smooth, bold, or unique, this quality-focused but unpretentious company has you sorted. We can taste the love that goes into every microlot, and we also love the spiced latte’s warming blend of cinnamon, clove, and star anise.

You’re never too young to start hanging out in cafés, and roaster-retailer Sovereign Grounds has been proudly kid-friendly since 1995. The spot’s large indoor playroom is a great place for little ones to burn off their natural energy levels (no caffeine necessary there) while parents sip the house-special Turkish- or Anatolian-roast coffee.

Since opening its first Whittier café in 2000, Spyhouse Coffee has been something of a standard-bearer of Twin Cities specialty coffee, with lighter roasts, origin-sourced microlot offerings, cocktail-inspired tasting notes, and quirky spaces that invite guests to linger and look around. With six shops in the metro and one in Rochester, you never have to wander too far afield to find a great cup of its signature Orion blend.

One of the new (brew?) kids on the block is Stepwise Coffee Roasters. Don’t let the limited menu or hours deter you. Great things come in smaller packages. The brand’s homey, minimalist, cozy nook of a tasting room space opened in 2023 and serves top-notch coffee without making much of a fuss.

Entrepreneur Houston White is bringing specialty coffee excellence to North Minneapolis’s Camden neighborhood. White, along with co-founder (and Dogwood Coffee owner) Dan Anderson combines great music, excellent coffee and impeccable vibes at The Get Down Coffee Co. Proudly Black-owned and community-focused, The Get Down is spinning a totally new tune in the neighborhood; you just have to dig it.

The first Vitality Roasting brick-and-mortar shop opened in the downtown Minneapolis skyway in 2017. Since then, the roaster-retailer has become a stalwart on the roasting scene in the Cities. Light your morning up with a cup of single-origin coffee, or take it easy with the brand’s delicious half-caff.

Aside from being a lovely, light-filled coffee shop in the Whittier neighborhood, Wesley Andrews combines the middle names of co-founders/former home roasters Jared Thompson and Johan Podlewski. Its almost-on-Eat-Street café opened in 2016 and has helped Minneapolitans slow down from day one, savoring interesting, delicately roasted coffees and an enchanting collection of single-origin teas.

What if coffee could cure youth homelessness? That’s the mission behind Wildflyer, a nonprofit that offers job training and employment opportunities to young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are facing housing insecurity. Over a four-month period, youth cohorts learn hard skills like drink preparation and money management, and soft skills including customer service and interview acumen. The young staff also receive employment counseling, networking opportunities, and the benefits of working in a tight-knit, community-centered environment.

Come for the iced mocha, stay for the Smallest Museum in St. Paul at Workhorse Coffee Bar in South St. Anthony. (The “museum” is a converted firehose cabinet that features fun, funky, and fascinating public art and history exhibits.) Classic coffees, treat-yourself milkshakes, and scratch-made quiche are another kind of art at this unassuming neighborhood spot.