Coffee culture gained popularity in the ’90s, but it never died, as far as I’m concerned: Some days I still get overtaken by the inexplicable urge to be seen reading Bukowski and sipping espresso from a tiny cup while Cranberries’ “Dreams” plays over the sound system. And that vibe still exists in certain parts of our region. Thanks to an abundance of cool cafés, there are a plethora of places you can “be seen being cool,” with the added benefit of enjoying delicious coffee, scrumptious pastries, and possibly meeting some friendly folk. Here are a few of the coolest coffee shops in our area (dark sunglasses and berets optional). 

If James Brown is the hardest working man in showbiz, then Love Birds Coffee & Tea Co. in Diamond Springs is the hardest working café. House-roasted coffee beans, homemade pastries and bagels, and handcrafted beverages, all while embodying the true Italian coffee shop. Their breakfasts are legendary around these parts, but there’s a lunch menu too, so either extend your stay or plan on multiple return visits. 

TRY THIS: Caramel mocha (with house-made caramel syrup) and sausage, egg, & cheddar breakfast sandwich (add avocado!)

4181 Highway 49, Suite 100, Diamond Springs, 530-300-9891, lovebirdscoffeeandtea.com

With locations in Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, and Sacramento, plus a drive-thru kiosk in Rancho Cordova and a brand-new café in Granite Bay, World Traveler Coffee Roasters is fast claiming the region—and we’re here for it. Beautiful European-inspired interiors and relaxed “stay awhile” vibes, beans from around the world (freshly roasted weekly), an exquisite patisserie (have you SEEN their little cakes?), breakfast sandwiches, panini, and bagels. As the great sage Belinda Carlisle once said: Heaven is (indeed!) a place on earth. 

TRY THIS: Cortado (think a stronger flat white) and lox bagel    

603 East Bidwell Street, Suite A, Folsom, 916-932-4563; 106 North Sunrise Avenue, Suite C7, Roseville, 916-212-3177; 4364 Town Center Boulevard, El Dorado Hills, 916-817-1435; 6881 Douglas Boulevard, Unit 26, Granite Bay, 916-410-0083; 2348 Sunrise Boulevard, Rancho Cordova (drive-thru & walk-up), worldtravelercoffee.com; Note: additional locations in Sacramento

Overlooking Lake Natoma, Folsom’s Sociology Coffee Bar is the ultimate coffee hang with the perfect mix of indoor cozy corners and outdoor patio views. They roast their own beans, make chef’s kiss coffee, and craft sandwiches on house-made sourdough; all of this because they’re overachievers who love us. AND they bless us with delicious panitos (burrito crossed with a panini) and breakfast tacos. The hang, it calls to thee! 

TRY THIS: Teddy graham (house-made bourbon vanilla syrup, espresso, cold brew, oat milk, and chocolate bitters) and breakfast taco (with bacon or mushrooms, eggs, onions, cheese, microgreens, and sauces on corn tortillas) 

705 Gold Lake Drive, Suite 390, Folsom, sociologycoffeebar.com

Bloom Coffee & Kitchen in Roseville are the resident cool kids, but they want you to know you CAN sit with them. They’re almost as well known for their breakfast as they are for their excellent and highly delicious, handcrafted coffee. The Bloom Breakfast is the equally talented co-star of this show, the Niles to their Frasier if you will (minus tossed salad and scrambled eggs)—it’s a full diner-style breakfast with eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns or potatoes (I’m a hash browns gal, myself). Come for the coffee, stay for breakfast! 

TRY THIS: Shakerato (double shot of espresso, pulled extra-long, shaken over ice with vanilla syrup) and Bloom Breakfast

1485 Eureka Road, Suite 100, Roseville, 916-773-2332, bloomcoffee.com

Double Shot Coffee Bar in El Dorado Hills has built a loyal following since opening in 2022 and is fast becoming a local favorite. Enjoy their sun-drenched café or relax on the patio with a delicious latte, cortado, or iced tea, and dig into the extensive foodie-friendly menu for treasures like breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, bagels, freshly baked pastries, homemade coffee cake, quiches, and scones. Bottom line: If you leave here hungry and/or tired you’re doing it wrong. 

TRY THIS: Thai iced tea (house-made) and bacon-veggie quiche 

3381 Bass Lake Road, Suite 100, El Dorado Hills, 916-468-6998, doubleshotcoffeebar.com

Folsom’s Coffee Republic has been keeping coffee culture alive since 1991. A place where you can hang out and enjoy their organic locally roasted coffee, delicious avocado toast, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and bagels; or dig into an extensive lunch menu. Oh, and don’t sleep on those protein smoothies. So much food! So much coffee! So many choices! And so much seating! Literally my favorite kind of problems. 

TRY THIS: Peanut butter white mocha and smoked brisket breakfast burrito

6610 Folsom-Auburn Road, Suite 2, Folsom, 916-987-8001, coffeerepublicfolsom.com

The Bean Barn in Placerville answers the eternal question “Do you want it fast, or do you want it good?” with “Why not both?” 

With two drive-thru-only locations, this El Dorado County institution has been delivering friendly smiles, fast service, and delicious coffee to locals for over 20 years. Who says a drive-thru is impersonal? Cruise over and remember what it’s like to be greeted like a neighbor. 

TRY THIS: Blended toffee coffee and “The Screamer” (Bean Barn’s breakfast shake with chocolate, vanilla soy or whey protein, banana, peanut butter, and your choice of milk) 

4531 Missouri Flat Road, Placerville, 530-621-0602; 428 Placerville Drive, Placerville, 530-622-2758, beanbarn.org

As an Australian, I implore all of you go to Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters and try their flat white (or anything from their special “down under menu”). Accept no substitutes! Just as importantly, Chocolate Fish roasts their own beans, so you know the pour-overs, cortados, and lattes are full-bodied and super tasty. Everything’s tasty! Even the food. They serve delicious pastries, avocado toast, even waffles. As they say in New Zealand (where the OG owners hail from), “sweet as!” 

TRY THIS: Flat white and almond butter toast with banana

25055 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100, Folsom, 916-358-9950, chocolatefishcoffee.com; Note: additional locations in Sacramento and at Sacramento International Airport

Fourscore Coffee House is in the heart of old town Roseville, and they honor our 16th president by serving coffee as rich and full-bodied as old Abe himself. (Wait, that sounded weird.) Come for a gibraltar (think cappuccino in a glass) and stay for “Donut Mondays” or to stare longingly at the pastry display— yes, that huge blueberry muffin is calling your name. 

TRY THIS: Honey latte and toast with ricotta and preserves

327 Lincoln Street, Roseville, 916-390-0367, fourscorecoffee.com

Folsom’s Big Wave Coffeehouse is infused with the Hawaiian spirit of aloha. Picture me as Moana on a table staring out to the sea as it calls to me. (Not pictured: Me gently being asked to stop disturbing the customers.) Unique options include ube cold foam, a sweet and fluffy add-on for your cold brew, as well as ono cream sodas, Red Bull fusions, and lots of great breakfast fare including breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, pastries and more. Maui says: You’re welcome!

TRY THIS: Iced cold brew with ube foam and King’s Hawaiian sliders with bacon, egg, and cheese 

189 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 130, Folsom, 916-351-5889, bigwavecoffeehouse.com

Folsom’s Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. just opened in July and trust and believe that their full-bodied aromatic Yemeni coffee will make you a believer. Favorites include the Qamaria latte, flavored with cardamom and cinnamon, the pistachio latte with real pistachio (no scented-candle-fake-pistachio flavor here), and their delicious Adeni chai, which is worth it for the presentation alone. There are also a variety of tantalizing Yemeni desserts and cakes, like the delicious kunafa cheesecake and honeycomb bread. But the coffee and the food are only part of the experience: attention to detail and gentle hospitality will be the reason you keep coming back. Also: Night owls rejoice— they’re open late! 

TRY THIS: Turkish coffee and saffron milk cake  

13405 Folsom Boulevard, Suite 950, Folsom, 916-673-9740, qamariacoffee.co

When old heads talk about “real coffee shops,” The Fig Tree Coffee, Art, & Music Lounge is what we mean: a creative hub for the art community and local musicians where you can also find excellent coffee, and a cozy, groovy kind of vibe. Fig Tree is also the exclusive Roseville distributor for Sacramento’s Naked Coffee, which means the beans and the brew are extra tasty. Inspiration through live music and art while sipping on excellent tea and coffee? It’s the true meaning of life. 

TRY THIS: Apple Chaider (made with North Fork Chai concentrate) and pumpkin hand pie (handmade by locally based Posh Baking Company)

217 Vernon Street, Roseville, 916-771-7010, figtreecoffee.com

Shady Coffee & Tea is one of Roseville’s best-kept secrets: The cozy little coffee shop with caffeine in the front and a party in the back! Shady hosts a thriving live music scene with open mic nights, music workshops, and much more. Keep your groove going with the excellent coffee, delicious pastries, breakfasts, sandwiches, and salads (and there’s also beer and wine on the menu, too!).

TRY THIS: White mocha and “Good Morning” bagel 

325 Douglas Boulevard, Roseville, 916-742-4117, shadycoffeeandtea.com

Temple Coffee Roasters in Folsom is the newest location for the fast-growing Temple empire, with locations throughout downtown Sacramento and Davis. Folks come to Temple to worship the delicious coffee, from lattes and pour-overs to a wide variety of teas, plus pastries (vegan ones included!) from local bakeries. Of course, as the name suggests, they roast their own beans, so you can grab a pound of the good stuff right there in the store as well. There’s plenty of room in the chill café to work on your novel or soak up some rays on the spacious patio. 

TRY THIS: Gibraltar and almond croissant

2776 East Bidwell Street, Suite 500, Folsom, 916-293-8305, templecoffee.com; Note: additional locations in Sacramento and Davis

Gulab jamun is an Indian delicacy, akin to a donut hole but better: a slightly sweet fried dumpling infused with cardamom, rose water, saffron, and cloves. How does this relate to cool cafés? The Grove Coffee House in Roseville has found a way to make a gulab jamun latte. And having just described that Indian treat, you can only imagine how good it tastes in latte form. In 2024, when it feels like there’s nothing new under the sun, it’s nice to know that innovation is still happening, coffee-wise. They also use beans from Chocolate Fish, and if that’s not an Avengers crossover for local coffee nerds, I don’t know what is! 

TRY THIS: Gulab jamun latte (of course) and millennial avocado toast (feta cheese, shredded boiled eggs, seasonal radishes, salt & pepper, and herbs on sourdough)

9260 Sierra College Boulevard, Suite 100, Roseville, 916-771-2221, thegrovecoffeehouse916

Moonraker Coffee Roasters in Cameron Park is a fever dream. What if one of your favorite breweries opened a coffee roastery and brewed excellent coffee and beer? Head-explode-emoji. Worlds colliding. But it’s all true. Pull up to their impressive Millhouse location for your next latte and enjoy what is basically a huge grown-up playground (they have an actual playground for kids, too!): huge café and coffee roastery, huge brewpub, huge eatery, great big patio. Dreams do come true.

TRY THIS: Pour-over and sausage & cheese pancake bites 

3501 Robin Lane, Cameron Park, 530-745-6816, moonrakerbrewing.com/coffee

Late Mouse is the home of a former mobile coffee cart; they recently put down roots in a new brick and mortar at the Folsom Premium Outlets. The self-proclaimed “first bar-style coffee lounge” offers delicious espresso-based drinks (lattes, macchiatos, mochas, and more) plus non-alcoholic fusion drinks like watermelon tahitis and mango tangos, all alongside fun games like cornhole, giant Jenga, giant Connect4, and ping pong (more games coming soon!). Finishing a day of bargain-hunting with caffeine and some friendly competition: the definition of self-care.

TRY THIS: Ube latte and a game of ping pong

13000 Folsom Boulevard, Suite 302, Folsom, latemouse.co

Whether you know it or not, Kingdom Coffee Roasters in Folsom is your favorite café. From house-roasted coffee beans to exquisite, handcrafted coffee, this unassuming, friendly café is hiding in plain sight in a strip mall just waiting for you to notice them. If this were Pretty in Pink, and you were Andie/Molly Ringwald, Kingdom Coffee Roasters would be Duckie/Jon Cryer. What I’m saying is they could be your favorite coffee shop, and they’ll do a crazy lip-sync of Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” to prove it. And if you keep going to Blane (gag) for your coffee, or Steff (double-gag), that’s on you. This metaphor has gotten away from me. Bottom line: Kingdom Coffee Roasters is a great little café. 

TRY THIS: Pearl latte (espresso with sweetened condensed milk topped with steamed milk) and breakfast sandwich with pepper jelly 

305 Iron Point Road, Folsom, kingdomcoffeeroasters.com

Pause Coffee House, which opened its first locale in Fair Oaks, now has two additional cafés—in Rocklin and Loomis—proof that hitting “pause” on the craziness and enjoying the serenity/coffee is catching on! Or, as I like to call it, the “Serenity Now” method (Seinfeld fans know what I’m talking about). Enjoy high-quality coffee or sample from the menu that has everything—from crepes and oats to avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, and bagels. Inside, the vibes are chill and friendly, and outside you can stretch out on the patio. Pure serenity. 

TRY THIS: Honey lavender latte and sweet crepe with Nutella and cookie butter 

8121 Madison Avenue, Suite A-1, Fair Oaks, 916-241-9483; 2168 Sunset Boulevard, Unit 105, Rocklin, 916-787-5676; 3565 Taylor Road, Loomis, 916-251-7105, pausecoffee.house

Plymouth is full of great reasons to visit and stay awhile, but the expansive patio beneath a huge spreading oak tree at Fig Barn Coffee Cafe might be the ultimate argument for never leaving. But there are even better reasons: excellent hand-crafted coffee and teas, delicious pastries, and ooh…the food menu (breakfast burritos, bagels, sandwiches, panini, salads, and not one but THREE different graze boards). Plus, they serve local wine and domestic bottled beer! They were sadly non-committal about me moving in permanently. Not to worry—sign me up as a regular! 

TRY THIS: Salted caramel macchiato and charcuterie graze board 

9506 Main Street, Plymouth, 209-304-0600, figbarn.com

Situated across the street from the iconic Bell Tower on Placerville’s Main Street, Cuppa Coffee & More is the definition of a cozy café. They’re looking out for caffeine addicts with coffee ice cubes to boost your iced drinks (hashtag blessed) and unique and flavorful beverage creations. The homemade Cornish pasties confirm this IS the coziest café around; they also have a games and book library, as well as heirloom plants for sale, so stick around—what’s your hurry?

TRY THIS: Cherry almond white mocha and veggie Cornish pastie

442 Main Street, Placerville, 530-626-9600, cuppacoffeeandmore.com 

The Pour Choice in Auburn is the ultimate gathering place, bringing together quality coffee, local beer and wine, kombucha, food, and even “low-alcohol, high crushability” cocktails in a craft coffee bar/taproom like none other. Come for breakfast, stay for lunch; heck, roll on into dinner and make a day of it! Housed in the historic Auburn Drug Co. building, the interior vibe is cozy, vintage, and inviting; outdoors, they have patios galore: Try the balcony for the best sunsets or soak up the good all-day-hang vibes in the back patio. Whatever you’re sipping on, be sure to sample the menu for hits like the shareable charcuterie “Shark Board,” a (huge) tasty breakfast sandwich, or (swoon) loaded banana bread (cue happy whimpering).

TRY THIS: Cortado and avocado toast (with a six-minute egg; it’s legendary!)

177 Sacramento Street, Auburn, 530-820-3451, thepourchoice.com

Pachamama Coffee is a fully farmer-owned, seed-to-cup coffee cooperative, with farmer-owners in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ethiopia; what’s more, they roast their own beans in El Dorado Hills. So, when you hit them up for a delicious latte or pour-over, you’re directly supporting collective family farms. The vibes in their minimalist Placerville café are relaxed, but the secluded courtyard is the real treasure here: It’s the perfect spot for a little self-care caffeine moment. 

TRY THIS: Honeybear oat milk latte (or keep an eye out for their seasonal favorite, the maple brulée latte—yes, they even scorch the top!)   

312 Main Street, Suite 104, Placerville, 530-303-3845, pachamamacoffee.com; Note: additional locations in Sacramento and Davis 

by Sharon Penny
Photos courtesy of their respective coffee shops. Sociology Coffee Bar and Coffee Republic photos by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia. Double Shot Coffee Bar photos by Brendan McCarthy. Bloom Coffee & Kitchen photos by Wesley Scott @wslysctt. Bean Barn photo by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia. Fourscore photos by Wesley Scott, wslysctt.com. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters photos courtesy of Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters. Shady Coffee & Tea photos by Alex Zoggas.  Big Wave Coffeehouse photo by Mindy Valeria. Qamaria Yemeni Coffee photos by Dunia Ahmadi. The Fig Tree photo by Patrick Sheehan. Temple Coffee Roasters photo courtesy of Temple Coffee Roasters. Moonraker Coffee Roasters photo by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia. Late Mouse Lounge photo by Jon Wong Media. The Grove Coffee House photos by Zuma Khan. Kingdom Coffee Roasters photo by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia. Pause Coffee House photo by @blissfulmemoriess. Fig Barn Coffee Cafe photos by Haily Young and Bella Ramos. Cuppa Coffee & More photos by Jyo Bhamidipati ©stylereadersmedia.  The Pour Choice drink photo by Nicolette Molina, nicolettemolina.com; food photo courtesy of The Pour Choice.  Pachamama Coffee photos courtesy of Pachamama Coffee.