Want to know where to find the best coffee in Grand Rapids? When the weather gets cold and the skies get gray, there is no better place to go than a warm, inviting coffee shop for a shot of caffeine. Grand Rapids has some superb, independently-run coffee shops that will serve you up a fantastic latte, chai latte, mocha, macchiato, double-shot espresso or just a regular cup of coffee. Join us as we countdown our picks for Grand Rapids’ five best coffee shops.
Best Coffee in Grand Rapids
THE SPARROWS – 1035 Wealthy Street SE (East Hills) http://www.thesparrowsgr.com
Opened in 2007, this coffee shop and newsstand has become a gathering place for the community to sit down and share a latte together. In addition to your standard caffeinated concoctions, the Sparrows offers tea, cold-pressed juice, and freshly baked pastries. Patrons rave about the Lady Lazarus, which is a honey and lavender latte. Fans of the coffee shop will be excited to learn that they just started roasting their own beans and are opening a second location on Bridge Street this year. Westsiders will be proud! Truly a pick for one places to get the best coffee in Grand Rapids.
MADCAP – 98 Monroe Center NW (Downtown) https://madcapcoffee.com/index
What started as a partnership between two friends in 2008 spawned a venerable coffee institution that sources, roasts and sells its own coffee in two different locations. Madcap is set on Monroe Center and features wood floors and giant windows in a historic building. In addition to coffee, Madcap offers teas and pastries. Having trouble deciding which of their house-roasted coffees to try? Don’t worry, as they offer coffee flights. That’s right, coffee flights. Besides their original Monroe Center location, Madcap recently opened a small cafe in the Downtown Market in the Heartside neighborhood.
LYON STREET CAFE – 617 Lyon Street NE (Heritage Hill/Midtown)
Located next to the uber-successful Martha’s Vineyard Neighborhood Market and Nantucket Baking Company, Lyon Street Cafe has become a very welcome and popular addition to the Heritage Hill and Midtown neighborhoods. The wood floors, painted brick, and high ceilings invite you in for a warm, caffeinated beverage. In addition to the standard coffee and specialty beverages, Lyon Street Cafe offers tea, hot chocolate and a giant glass case of baked goods that will tempt you throughout your sipping experience. Get here early, because this place fills up quickly!
THE BITTER END – 752 Fulton Street W (West Side) http://
Sometimes you just need to get out of the house at 11:00 PM, pop in your headphones and catch up with the latest binge-worthy series on Netflix. Or sometimes you need to have a caffeinated, late-night college cram session through the night. Whatever your reason may be, we luckily have a coffee shop in Grand Rapids that is open 24/7. Ever popular with college students, The Bitter End has been operating for over 15 years. In addition to several coffee-based drinks, The Bitter End has a huge selection of specialty drinks, pastries, and Italian sodas. Make sure and try the Dirty Chai Latte, which is chai tea and espresso served with steamed and frothed milk.
ROWSTER – 632 Wealthy Street SE (Heritage Hill) http://www.rowstercoffee.com
Located in the southern part of Heritage Hill, Rowster has become one of Grand Rapids’ favorite coffee shops. Rowster (pronounced roast-er) roasts all of their own beans in-house. Set in a minimalist-style shop, Rowster features long bench tables, and an outdoor patio. Frequent patrons rave about the Vanilla Latte, which is a traditional latte spiked with vanilla syrup, or the nitro cold brew coffee, which has proven to be a hit. Westsiders will be proud to know that Rowster just opened up a second location on West Fulton Street near Grand Valley State University’s Downtown Campus.
Have any other coffee shops that we missed? What are some of your favorites in Grand Rapids? Drop us a line and tell us who makes the best lattes and cappuccinos in town.
