Nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado, Boulder is packed with some fantastic spots to enjoy good coffee and freshly baked pastries. Known for being an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, the city offers a wealth of places to eat and refuel. Good coffee never goes out of style, and new locales for sipping java in the Rocky Mountains city are popping up everywhere. Whether you’re searching for a quick caffeine fix, or a fancy French press to start your day, here are top java joints that offer everything from a quick cuppa to pretty pour-overs.
Boxcar Coffee Roasters
Boxcar Coffee Roasters is a locally-owned and operated roastery and coffee shop with a bright and sunny space that serves a variety of house-roasted coffees, cold brews, and fresh fruit juices. The coffee shop shares a space with gourmet shop Cured on Pearl Street and specializes in a variety of regular coffee drinks like americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, cold brews, loose-leaf teas, and juices. Light fare such as freshly baked pastries and other sweet treats are available to enjoy with the coffee. Boxcar Coffee Roasters is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1825 Pearl St B, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 720-456-7962
Rapha Boulder
Located in the Pearl Street Mall, Rapha Boulder is a cycling-centric coffee shop chain that is linked to the Rapha Cycling Club (RCC). Boasting locations countrywide, Rapha Boulder can be found at the east end of Pearl Street and serves not only fantastic coffee but also offers easy access to some of the country’s best riding, race viewings, events, and a full range of Rapha clothing and accessories. The café is an emporium with historical posters, jerseys, and curated collections and serves a variety of house-roasted coffees, cold brews, fresh juices, and a selection of light meals and sandwiches. Rapha Boulder is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1815 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-955-0836
Baby Goat Coffeehouse
The Baby Goat Coffeehouse is situated in an up-and-coming business district of the Goose Creek and Boulder Creek Paths that is geared towards the local workforce and bike commuters moving through East Boulder. The airy location is quiet and relaxed inside and also designed for fast and easy service and features three huge windows with beautiful views of the Colorado sky. The café serves Kaladi Brothers coffee by the mug and wholesale, and a menu of light fare such as cinnamon rolls, gluten-free banana bread, and chocolate bars. The café has complimentary wireless Internet and is the perfect spot for taking a break during the workday or working there all day. The Baby Goat Coffeehouse is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
2907 55th St, Boulder, CO 80301
Tod's Espresso Cafe
Located in the Gunbarrel Shopping Center, Tod’s Espresso Cafe is a warm and welcoming coffee shop and lunch spot that serves a variety of organic, fair trade coffees like americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, cold brews, loose leaf teas, honey-sweetened chai, and juices. The café serves a menu of light breakfast and lunch fare ranging from breakfast burritos, freshly baked pastries, gourmet sandwiches, power-packed energy bar, and their famous Moe’s bagels. Tod’s Espresso Cafe offers complimentary wireless Internet access all day and is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
6558 Lookout Rd, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone: 303-527-1000
Village Coffee Shop
The Village Coffee Shop is a tiny hole-in-the-wall coffee spot that serves American breakfast and lunch classics and house-roasted, freshly brewed coffee and espresso drinks. Nestled in the heart of a healthy eating city, this classic greasy spoon is the place to go for heaving plates of eggs and bacon, stacks of fluffy pancakes and syrupy waffles, and gourmet sandwiches packed with a variety of fillings. The serves a variety of house-roasted coffees, cold brews, and fresh juices and is always packed with locals s get their early. The Village Coffee Shop is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
6717, 1605 Folsom St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-442-9689
Alpine Modern Cafe
Alpine Modern Café is a cozy neighborhood café with two locations on historic Pearl Street and College Avenue in Boulder that serves specialty coffees and farm-to-table foods in an inviting environment. The hip coffeehouse boasts a sleek, contemporary interior with comfortable seating, a heated patio for outdoor drinking, and complimentary high-speed Internet access for those who want to surf the web or work while enjoying great coffee. Alpine Modern Café serves a variety of regular coffee drinks like americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, cold brews, loose leaf teas, and juices, and is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
904 College Ave, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-954-0129
Amante Coffee
Amante Coffee is a locally-owned coffee company that serves coffee made with beans from a third-generation coffee roaster in Northern Italy using roasting recipes that have been passed down for generations. Beans are custom-roasted in Bra, Italy by the Ghigo family who have handed down the secrets of selecting, roasting, and blending the world’s finest coffee beans from generation to generation in a classic Northern Italian tradition. Amante serves the perfectly roasted coffee in their coffee shops and is the exclusive importer of the coffee in the United States. The Italian-style café also serves homemade gelato and has a full-service bar.
4580 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304, Phone: 303-448-9999
The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, also known as the Dushanbe Teahouse, is a beautiful handcrafted Persian teahouse from Dushanbe in Tajikistan. Resting on the banks of Boulder Creek with spectacular views of the Rocky Mountain Foothills, the handmade building was a gift from the mayor of Dushanbe, Maksud Ikramov, to the city of Boulder and is considered one of Boulder’s most popular tourist attractions. The elegant and authentic Persian teahouse serves a menu of international cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, as well as a traditional afternoon tea that features over 80 imported teas. The Teahouse also features a lovely creek-side patio and a full-service bar.
1770 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-442-4993
Brewing Market Coffee
Established in 1977, Brewing Market Coffee is a family-owned and operated business that began as a small vendor’s booth in a building on historic Pearl Street in Boulder and has grown into five local coffee shops each tailored to fit the needs of the locals. Coffee is roasted in-house and served in a variety of ways including americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, and cold brews. Brewing Market Coffee also serves hand-brewed chai, made in house by a Chai Master, and over 40 teas and tisanes. Brewing Market Coffee has several locations around Boulder and is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
Village Shopping Center: 2525 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, CO, Phone: 303-444-4858
Gabbee Coffee
Gabee Coffee is a boutique coffee café that brings Asian coffee culture to Boulder with bean roasting in-house and refined latte art. Located on 28th Street, the coffee shop is a friendly and casual welcoming spot that serves traditional coffee drinks, such as Americanos and cappuccinos, and signature coffee-free lattes made with organic ingredients and available hot or cold. The café also offers a selection of fruit-flavored ades and freshly baked goods, including homemade cheesecake slices. The warm, family-style service and distinct flavors of Asian-influenced beverages make the little shop a popular spot. Gabee Coffee is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
3040 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone: 720-389-5522
Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe
The Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe is located on University Hill and offers a daily, living space for lovers of poetry, of all ages. Founded in 2010 by two poetry lovers who wanted to create a space where fellow poets and literary lovers could meet and share their passion for poetry, and the café is one of three exclusively-poetry bookstores in the country. The bookstore has a range of poetry books for readers of all ages and serves Fair Trade and Organic coffee Conscious Coffees from the award-winning Boulder-based coffee roaster. The relaxed, arty shop also sells a range of freshly baked goods and hosts special events such as poet readings. The Innisfree Poetry Bookstore & Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1301 Pennsylvania Ave, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-495-3303
Logan's Espresso Cafe
Nestled between on the corner of a Shell station parking lot on 17th and Madison, Logan's Espresso Cafe is a cozy coffee spot adorned with an urban plant wall and succulents and an eye-catching neon pink sign. The little walk-up and drive-thru espresso stand serve a variety of ways including americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, and cold brews, along with freshly-baked muffins, bagels, and other snacks. Logan's Espresso Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
3980 Broadway # 101, Boulder, CO 80304, Phone: 303-443-3600
T & Cakes
Located in the Pearl Street Mall, T & Cakes is a locally owned and operated store that specializes in making and selling delicious cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and sweet treats. The downtown Boulder icon also serves breakfast and lunch bites such as gourmet sandwiches, homemade quiche, granola bars, and savory pastries. In addition to the regular menu of brownies, cupcakes, breakfast pastries, cookies, cake pops, and other desserts, the café serves nitro cold brew and dragonfly espresso coffee, several varieties of espresso drinks, loose-leaf teas, iced tea, Italian sodas, San Pellegrino, flavored seltzers and Izze sparkling juice. Cheddar Biscuit Thursdays and Doughnut Fridays are popular at the café, which also makes custom-made wedding cakes and sweet treats for special celebrations. The bakery and coffeehouse is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1932 14th St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 720-406-7548
The Laughing Goat
The Laughing Goat is a modern coffeehouse in the heart of downtown Boulder that serves locally roasted, organic espresso, americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, adult libations, and hosts live acts nightly. The café has three locations around town, with the flagship store on Pearl Street and within easy walking distance of the Farmers Market and the Malls shops. All stores are light and airy with ample seating, some with outdoor seating and lovely mountain views, and complimentary wireless Internet. The Laughing Goat is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1709 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
South Side Walnut Cafe
South Side Walnut Cafe is a bright and bold coffee shop chain that has been serving hearty daytime fare, homemade pies, and custom birthday cakes since 1983. Open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week, the café on South Broadway in Boulder has comfortable seating and serves a variety of coffee including americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, and cold brews, along with freshly-baked muffins, baked goods, and other snacks. South Side Walnut Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
673 S Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, Phone: 720-304-8118
OZO Coffee - Roastery Cafe & Lab
Founded in Boulder in 2007, OZO Coffee Company Roastery Café and Lab is a coffee shop and Certified SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) Training Campus that promotes coffee and coffee education. The Lab & Training Center offers a variety of courses ranging from Fundamental Barista Skills and Advanced Barista Techniques to Latte Art and other elevated training programs in the coffee industry. The café serves freshly roasted and ground coffee and specialty coffee drinks, including signature house specials such as Bhakti chai and Organic OZO Blend drip coffee. OZO Coffee Company Roastery Café is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday.
1898 S Flatiron Ct #110, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone: 303-396-0302
Silver Canyon Coffee Company
The Silver Canyon Coffee Company is a second-generation family business that has been sourcing and roasting the world’s finest coffee for the past 34 years. The company sources as many as 30 different origins of coffee from around the world and roasts the beans in-house to create an unrivaled selection of specialty coffees. The company also offers a curated selection of micro-lot and single origin coffees with unique characters and flavors, using a fully manual roasting process four days a week, as well as a range of coffee programs, training on coffee preparation methods, and a selection of coffee equipment including brewers, grinders, carafes, air pots, and shuttles.
5601 Broadway St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-449-2243
The Point Cafe
The Point Cafe is a locally-owned, inviting neighborhood coffee shop that offers a warm and welcoming space for locals to enjoy great coffee with friends. The café serves a variety of coffee and specialty coffee drinks, including Café Au Lait, Drip Coffee, Pour Over, French Press, Nitro Cold Brew, Berry Black Kombucha, Rose Bud Kombucha, Nitro Cold Brew Coffee, and Nitro Cold Brew Tea (Boulder Tea House). The café also offers a menu of light fare such as bagels, croissants, and burritos, and is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
1101 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 720-456-6177
Ampersand Coffee Roasters
Ampersand Coffee Roasters is a coffee company that sources organic and fair-trade coffee from women farmers worldwide and roasts and hand-packages them in Boulder. Dedicating to social change by empowering female workers in coffee-producing countries, Ampersand Coffee Roasters is committed to sustainability and purchase organic and fair trade coffees from businesses that promote women’s empowerment or from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Certified, which is the only 100% shade-grown certification in the world. Ampersand Coffee Roasters offers public cupping and coffee tastings, and private cupping events for groups of up to eight people. Ampersand Coffee Roasters is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
6560 Odell Place, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone: 303-530-3022
BreadWorks Bakery & Deli
Located in the Preston Plaza Shopping Center, BreadWorks Bakery & Deli is owned and operated by WorkSource Enterprises, which has provided employment and training to persons with disabilities since 1967. The friendly bakery sells over a dozen different types of bread and rolls, as well as a wide assortment of cakes, cookies, scones, muffins, Danish pastries, and more, all of which are made with fresh locally sourced ingredients and baked from scratch using no conditioners or preservatives. BreadWorks also offers catering services for special functions and events, bag lunches, and party platters for groups. BreadWorks Bakery & Deli is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
2110 Brighton Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, Phone: 412-231-7555
Red Rock Coffeehouse
The Red Rock Coffeehouse is a casual, easygoing hangout that serves a variety of espresso drinks, loose-leaf teas, freshly baked goods, gourmet sandwiches, and complimentary wireless Internet. Coffee is sourced from Novo Coffee, a craft coffee roaster in Denver, and brewed to perfection in a range of espresso drinks. Other drinks on the menu include Americanos, spicy chai lattes, cappuccinos, and fruit smoothies, while the food menu boasts house-made granola, breakfast sandwiches, and sweet and savory pastries, some of which are made in-house and many made by local artisans and brought in fresh. The Red Rock Coffeehouse is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
3325 28th St, Boulder, CO 80301, Phone: 303-443-1975
Flatiron Coffee
Established in 2009, Flatiron Coffee is a cozy mom-and-pop coffee shop that focuses on crafting locally-roasted, gourmet specialty coffee and espresso drinks with an emphasis on quality. The drinks menu features a variety of coffee, including americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks such as the Ice Cap, which is cold-brewed espresso sweetened with vanilla, milk and churned in an ice-cream machine. Flatiron Coffee baristas are specifically bar-trained on the La Marzzocco to concoct delicious espresso beverages and serve them with flair. The café also serves a range of food and pastries with many gluten-free and vegan options, and is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
2721 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-449-4111
Lucky's Cafe
Lucky’s Café is a cozy eatery and gourmet market that serves locally-sourced comfort foods and healthy cuisine in a laid-back and relaxed setting. Launched in 2003, the 67-seat café is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week, and is known for its health-conscious items and savory comfort food classics, all of which are prepared with locally-sourced, artisanal ingredients and made from scratch. The cozy eatery has an indoor counter and a new outdoor patio for alfresco dining, and the attached market sells fresh, organic, and healthy foodstuffs, imported items, local herbs and spices, fresh fruit and vegetables, and delicious ready-made meals. Lucky’s Café is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
3980 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304, Phone: 303-444-5007
Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Located in the Pearl Street Mall, Trident Booksellers and Café is a famous bookstore and café that offers a cozy spot to relax with a book and a great cup of coffee. Established in 1979 as a Buddhist Bookstore, the bookshop added the café in 1982 and serves a variety of coffees including americano, cappuccino, macchiato, and espresso, along with specialty coffee drinks, and cold brews. Today, the café is the oldest coffee house in Boulder, and the bookstore sells a wide range of new and used books across all genres and topics. The café has both indoor and outdoor seating and hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including book and poetry readings, book signings, live concerts, and plays. Trident Booksellers and Café is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
940 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302, Phone: 303-443-3133
