To start, I’m a huge coffee person. I’ve always loved coffee since I was young, and I’m lucky that Rochester is a big coffee city with lots of options for good coffee. These are my top 5 favorite coffee shops in Rochester, in no particular order, and they’re all awesome for different reasons.
I’ll put it out there that most of these shops are around the same price point. I would say comparable to going to Starbucks price range for all of them. Now I love Starbucks, but I love supporting independent businesses more. So whenever possible, I try to choose one of these shops over Starbucks!
1.Cafe Sasso
Location: 739 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607
I will admit, Cafe Sasso is my favorite. The atmosphere is amazing, the coffee is delicious, and the location is great too! On Park Ave, it is close to other shops, restaurants, and bars, and I love to stroll Park Ave in the warmer months. The shop is a bit tiny, but in the summer they have outdoor seating too. It can get busy and hard to find a seat, but I’ve never gone and had to wait for a seat. Being in Cafe Sasso, it has such a cozy artsy atmosphere, I can get comfortable and in the zone for doing work or have a great chat with friends. It isn’t a super quiet shop, but I like that.
My favorite drink is the Great Gatsby which is a lavender latte (I order with almond milk), and it’s amazing hot or cold. Adam’s favorite is the Macho Caramel, also amazing.
Their food is great too! They make paninis, salads, and breakfast sandwiches. Also, their red velvet muffin with cream cheese filling is so tasty. The Presto Pesto is my fav panini, and the Zesty Zappa is my fav breaky sandwich. And as a bonus, they have free wi-fi which is amazing for when I go to get some work done.
I would say the only downside of Cafe Sasso is parking on Park Ave sucks. They have a VERY small lot behind the shop (maybe 4 cars?), and otherwise, you have to park on the street. I don’t have a problem parallel parking, but at busier times you may have to park on side streets and walk a block or two. They also serve delicious cocktails and alcoholic drinks as well!
2.Java’s Cafe
Location: 16 Gibbs St, Rochester, NY 14604
The rest of the shops aren’t in any particular order! I feel like Java’s is a Rochester staple. We had one on campus at RIT when I was in school, but the location on Gibbs street downtown by Sibley Square is where I frequent now that I’m out of school.
Java’s, for me, is not a work environment kind of place. It’s a hangout place with amazing coffee. It’s kind of like Sasso in that it has the same comfy cozy vibe, but turn up the hipster notch. It’s a larger shop with a lot of seating and still gets pretty packed at busy times.
My favorite drinks are the Shot in the Dark or the Chaplain. The Shot in the Dark is made with Pittsford Dairy chocolate milk making it particularly amazing, and the Chaplain is an iced vanilla latte. The giant cookies are amazing (we usually get the peanut butter cookie), but we always test them by giving them a little pinch before buying them. Squishy, buy it. Hard, don’t bother.
One of the highlights of Java’s is that it is open late - until Midnight and 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
4.Fuego Coffee Roasters
Location: 1 Woodbury Blvd, Rochester, NY 14604
Fuego is new to me, but I can already say the coffee is great! The space is large and has lots of light, which is great so you don't feel stuck inside in the dark all day! Most shops like Sasso and Java's have little light which just gives a different feel. It's a great place to get some work done.
Adam is a huge fan of Fuego and goes frequently, and I get why. The coffee is amazing! The service was great too! I ordered a hot caramel latte with almond milk, and it was so yummy! I definitely will be returning more frequently to get some work done as the atmosphere is quieter which is good for me to be able to focus.
Fuego is one of the most talked-about shops among my friends, and I hadn’t visited much because the old location was small and had a much more limited menu. The new location is way more welcoming for someone to stay at, and the menu has lots of great options!
Also you can grab one of these Out Here beanies -> Here :) And isn’t Sarah the cutest?!
5.Ugly Duck Coffee
Location: 89 Charlotte St, Rochester, NY 14607
Ugly Duck is also new to me, but I’d been meaning to visit for months since a friend of mine started working there. Finally getting to visit was great, and it has great coffee! I ordered an Oh Snap, and it was super tasty, almost spicy in the best way, and hung out with my friend Sophia. It’s the smallest shop on this list, but it still has a couple of spaces for working. It’s got a low key quiet vibe and is more of a grab and go with your coffee or stay and work setting. There’s lots of light which makes the space feel more open, and there are plants. You probably already know how I feel about plants, A+.
I’ll for sure be swinging by Ugly Duck more now that I’ve scoped it out. It’s downtown, but it still wasn’t hard to find parking. We went a little later in the day, and it had steady traffic but not too busy or crowded like some of the other shops can be.
6.Boulder Coffee (and Lounge)
Location: 100 Alexander St, Rochester, NY 14620
I go to Boulder a bit more often simply because it’s super close to my house. They have good espresso and food, but not my first choice favorites. The Maplewood Melt though is delicious! The place is pretty large but is still usually packed and can be difficult to find a spot. If you manage to find a spot then it’s a great place to get some work done during the day. Later at night, it becomes more of a hangout spot.
Sometimes they have open mic night or live music and serve alcohol which makes it double as a lounge. This is another shop where it can be tricky to find parking. They have a tiny lot, and I usually end up parking on the street sometimes down the block someways. I think Boulder is great for a grab and go situation most of the time, but it can be great for hanging out with friends if you catch it at a time where you can grab a seat!
Overall, I would say these shops all have great coffee, and I choose which one to go to based on what I’m doing that day. If I need to get work done or am grabbing a coffee to catch up with a friend, I’ll make decisions based off of that. Or if I’m particularly in the mood for a specific drink, I’ll make my way to whichever shop has that.
I know there are so many other coffee shops in Rochester, it really is a huge coffee city. I never noticed how many coffee shops we have until visiting other cities where they will only have a Starbucks or Dunkin.
If there are any other coffee shops in Roc that you love, leave them in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to check them out!