National Coffee Day: Our Favorite Coffee Shops

It's #NationalCoffeeDay! And what better way to celebrate National Coffee Day than blogging our favorite coffee shops we've found on our adventures. So grab a cup of coffee or visit one of these coffee shops as we celebrate our favorite day of the year.

National Coffee Day

One of the things we try to do when we are traveling is seek out the best, most unique and more importantly local coffee shops. And if you've read our blog in the past, you know we also write coffee shop guides for many of the cities we visit. So for National Coffee Day, we decided to put together a list of some of our all time favorite coffee shops we've found during our travels.

La Colombe (locations in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago Los Angeles & More)

La Colombe isn't necessarily a local coffee shop. But despite finding their coffee shops across the country, they still feel quirky and local. La Colombe has quickly gained national attention over the past several years and remains one of our favorite coffee shops in the United States. You’ve probably seen their Draft Lattes available in cans at your local grocery store. You can get that same Draft Latte on tap at any of their cafes. La Colombe’s Draft Latte features real cold-pressed espresso, no added sugar, perfectly frothed milk and a truly textured microfoam. And it’s delicious. Of course they serve up your regular coffee and espresso drinks too. Needless to say if you haven't experienced a La Colombe Draft Latte or a La Colombe Coffee Shop, we highly recommend a visit!

Caffè Vita (Seattle)

Seattle is well....overwhelming when it comes to coffee. With so many great options, you'll never have a hard time finding delicious coffee. But Caffè Vita, which was founded in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood in 1995, is a staple of the Seattle coffee community. Caffè Vita has been named one of the top ten places “to get the best coffee in America. And rightfully so. Because they serve up some of our all-time favorite coffee.

Intelligentsia (locations in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles)

Intelligentsia Coffee is another national coffee brand. Intelligentsia started in 1995 with one location in Chicago and now they have six Coffeebars in Chicago and Coffeebars in Los Angeles, New York City and Boston. We had an iced latte with the Black Cat Project Espresso. And it was hands down one of the best iced lattes we’ve ever tasted. The espresso was smooth and the iced latte was served in a chilled glass. We both commented that we could drink one of their iced lattes each and every morning. But you can't go wrong with anything you order at Intelligentsia. Their coffee is all around delicious.

Water Ave Coffee (Portland)

Water Avenue Coffee Company opened in 2009. The Portland, Oregon coffee roaster now has two locations including one across the street from the Pioneer Courthouse Square in Downtown Portland. Water Avenue's full espresso menu of single-origin and blended coffees are all roasted in their Southeast Portland roastery. Water Avenue Coffee is always a place we stop when visiting Portland!

Blue Butterfly Coffee (El Segundo, CA)

Eat, Drink and be Happy. That's the philosophy of Blue Butterfly Coffee. And their coffee is delicious. Plus Blue Butterfly Coffee is just minutes from the Los Angeles International Airport. So it makes a great spot for a quick coffee and breakfast after a long flight.

Kaffeine Coffee Co. (Indianapolis, IN)

Kaffeine Coffee started out with a coffee truck roaming the streets of Indianapolis. And now, with a brick and mortar coffee shop, Kaffeine works to bring third-wave coffee to the Indianapolis area. The philosophy behind third-wave coffee is that instead of adding things like syrups and flavors to the coffee, they start with top-quality beans from around the world and focus on simple brewing techniques to bring out the best flavors. And their coffee is delicious. So yes, we make a point to stop in Kaffeine Coffee every time we are in the Indianapolis area.

Bennu Coffee (Austin, TX)

Cold Brew lovers rejoice. You won’t find much better Cold Brew in Austin or for that matter anywhere than at Bennu Coffee. In fact the owner is so serious about cold brew, he has a whole company dedicated to it: Chameleon. Bennu is open 24 hours a day for laptop hobos in need of coffee and quiet.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery is the Starbucks immersive, dramatic, theatrical expression of coffee craft and the ongoing pursuit of the world’s rarest small-lot coffees. Plus the Reserve Roastery is housed in an iconic building that was originally a car dealership that opened in the 1920s. The Reserve Roastery in Seattle is a great chance to try Starbucks coffee drinks you won’t find anywhere else. See our complete review of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery.