Philadelphia’s coffee roaster scene is more abundant than ever before. With many new players and some old ones, you can experience a whole world of coffee beans while supporting local roasters – whether you’re in a local coffee shop or order it online.
Coffee roasters have had a long relationship with the City of Philadelphia, as coffee houses were considered an academic alternative to the pubs in the revolutionary era. It’s widely believed that large quantities of caffeine were ingested while crafting the documents that would define our new country. “The deliberations of Congress are impenetrable secrets, but the conversations of the city, and the chat of the coffee house, are free, and open” – John Adams from Philadelphia in 1775.
For the third-wave Philadelphians, our bridge’s namesake Ben Franklin was known to be a bit of a coffee snob as well. Aside from holding Meetings and just hanging out, there have been stories told of Franklin selling his own beans and never traveling without his own Supply.
Philadelphia has a fair-sized but passionate group of coffee roasters with a little something for everyone. Without further ado, here are Philadelphia’s best coffee roasters in 2022.
Caphe Roasters
If you’re looking for true specialty coffee, Càphê Roasters (pronounced cafe) is a must-try in the Philly coffee scene. The first and only Vietnamese specialty coffee roaster in Philadelphia, Càphê roasts in the Kensington neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Càphê sources their coffee beans directly from Vietnam and nearby Southeast and Eastern Asian regions.
The coffee roasters website states that the beans are roasted specifically for brewing in a Vietnamese phin, but pour-over will yield a similarly delicious result. (Sounds like the perfect bean to break out my Clever Dripper.)
If you’re not already sold on the uniqueness, know that Càphê’s mission is rooted in the Vietnamese tradition of communal coffee – sitting, relaxing, and enjoying a fresh cup with a friend or your community. “Di uống cà phê!” (Let’s get coffee!) You can purchase the coffee online or at one of these retail locations.
Check out this incredible video showcasing Caphe’s roasting process: https://vimeo.com/392594299
ReAnimator
Roasting onsite in Kensington (a stone’s throw from Northern Liberty, just off Girard Ave) ReAnimator functions as both a coffee roaster and has multiple coffee shop locations throughout Philly. What began in 2010 as a small shop in Fishtown, Philadelphia natives Mark Corpus and Mark Capriotti have grown into a thriving coffee business with multiple locations.
You can find coffee sourced from a variety of locations, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru, Columbia, and more. The coffee shop offerings include standard espresso drinks, drip coffee, and specialty pour-overs if you you’re feeling adventurous.
Re-Animator not only Prides itself on its delicious single origins, unique blends, and a revolving door of new coffee beans, they want to educate its drinkers for a full sipping experience. To this end you’ll find a written description of each bean they offer on the website, giving you the full scoop on what’s in your cup.
What To Try: Ethiopian Roasts from Reanimator have won Good Food Awards twice – needless to say, you’ll want to try their Ethiopian Single Origin. Where To Buy: Online or at these locations.
Elixr
When it comes to Philly specialty coffee, Elixr reigns supreme. This may come as no surprise to a local caffeine aficionado. From their beans and roasting process, branding, packaging, stores, and baristas, Elixr does not cut corners. The meticulously detail-oriented coffee company has won awards in almost every category of coffee (Cold brew, barista, packaging to name a few).
While their specialty is the critically acclaimed single-origin light roasts, they source a variety of beans from organic, fair-trade, and rainforest-alliance approved for the conscious consumer to their full-bodied Beekeeper Espresso, perfect for your latte or cappuccino.
What began as a small shop in Fishtown back in 2010, Elixr has grown into a multi-location coffee shop and a powerhouse local distributor, supplying beans to independent coffee shops scattered throughout Philly. If you’re in Rittenhouse, we highly recommend stopping at their shop nestled on a side street between Locust and Walnut.
Elixr sources beans from Columbia and roast using a Diedrich IR-12. You an buy their beans online or at one of these retail locations.
Peddler Coffee Roasting
If the Triple Bottom Line is a feature you care about (and let’s be honest, you should), then meet Peddler Coffee Roasters. With a commitment to smallholding farmers, Fair Trade practices, and being environmentally friendly, these PHL coffee roasters work hand in hand with their farmers to offer high-quality and ethically sourced single-origin coffees.
Peddler Alchemy – is a truly accurate title as these guys seem to be turning brown beans into pure gold. From the scent of each bag to your first sip, it’s very apparent the perfectionists behind Peddler Coffee Roaster puts time and consideration into each step of the coffee production process. Their meticulous roasting process lets the beans “tell their tale.” You can tell from their about page that they are meticulous about their craft.
I’ve gone out of my way to pick up Peddlers Coffee more than a few times — Located just behind the Franklin Institute, the Center City coffee shop is well worth the trip. The best way to describe Peddlers is that small steps turn into big flavors. While they do offer some delicious blends, the single-origin coffee beans are always extraordinary.
The coffee shop located off of the Parkway makes it the perfect stop for any tourists, visitors, or locals seeking to experience Philly’s third-wave coffee scene at its finest. If you’re looking for a great cup of coffee, one that balances the nutty bean flavor with acidic fruity deliciousness, the Quintessence is a fantastic option.
Herman’s Coffee Roasters
If you’re looking for unique flavors, Herman’s is a great option and a must-visit specialty coffee shop for aficionados or anyone in South Philly. Named after the owner’s coffee-loving Grandfather, Hermans coffee is located at the intersection of 3rd and Moyamensing. The Philly-born coffee shop and roastery is pretty easy to spot, just look for the bright red lawn chairs, their staple, and logo.
Hermans is a quaint, little coffee shop that offers a wide range of coffee drinks including drip, cold brew, pour-over, and espresso drinks. Along with their coffee drinks, their coffee beans, and a handful of other local, small-batch culinary items. Inside the small shopping area, you can find everything from small-batch hot sauce to fresh-baked bread to specialty cocktail mixers – many of the items made locally.
As for their coffee beans – where do I begin? For starters, every cherry is roasted on-site, directly behind the baristas serving up the cups of fresh roasted, freshly brewed coffees. Talk about a supply chain. Herman’s coffee always has a great selection of single origins, often rotating and featuring beans from farmers across the coffee belt. Next up are the coffee blends: Don’t knock ‘em until you try them. Their Diner Coffee is a nostalgic cup of. The 24/7 is a delightfully nutty half-caffeinated blend.
FOR THE LOCALISTS: Herman’s Coffee is an avid promoter of the local fare and artisans. The shop is known to host a myriad of local fare and other pop-ups from Philadelphia makers.
Green Line
Roasting on-site in West Philly, Green Line Coffee is a local 3rd wave coffee favorite in Philadelphia. What started as a small, coffee hot spot in a historic West Philly home has flourished into an incredibly popular Philly coffee spot with six (at the time of writing) coffee shops within Philadelphia County, four in West Philly, one-off South Street in Queen Village, and one on the ground floor of a Center City high-rise.
Green Line is family-owned, their cafe’s ooze family, each one eliciting a feeling like you wandered into a friend’s living room for a hot cup of joe – and a fantastic environment for working, writing, reading, and the like. I have stopped to check email at the Center City location a handful of times and can say from experience, from their friendly staff to the lively decor, every visit to Green Line Coffee feels the same – like I’m dropping by a friend’s house for a fresh cup of coffee.
Green Line is committed to serving only organic, fair-trade coffee. They serve a variety of single-origin coffees at modest prices, especially considering the flavor you’ll experience. You really cannot go wrong: I’ve never not enjoyed any of their coffees; albeit, my dad is a big fan of single-origin Mexico.
Along with classic cafe munchies at each of their locations, Green Line serves drip coffee, iced coffee, and espresso drinks.
OX Coffee
Established in 2013 by two coffee industry professionals, Ox Coffee is a small coffee roaster out of Kensington with a quaint cafe smack dab in the middle of Queen Village. If sustainability is important to you, you’ll love the bold, high-quality beans coming out of OX’s Philadelphia roastery. OX prides itself on sustainable and organic practices in every step of the process.
OX Coffee offers a variety of roasts and blends. The OX 1 espresso roast is one of my favorite dark roasts available in Philly — the sweetness of the dark brown beans is cut with a perfect nuttiness that makes your brew a true adventure. For the true connoisseur, the web store features each roast’s origins, tasting notes, and a brief description; but we recommend chatting up one of their awesome baristas.
If you plan on making the trip to the Queen VIllage Coffee Shop, you may as well forget your laptop and phone because this European-style coffee shop doesn’t have wifi, let alone a table to set up your laptop. The serene setting and lack of connection somehow facilitate a great cup of coffee – possibly because it’s the only thing you have to focus on.
That being said, OX’s commitment to customer service shines through its crew of baristas. And if you’re not sold yet, OX holds a special place in our hearts as a champion of local creators and the community. The South Philly coffee shop often features local vendors, artists, and musicians
Bean2Bean
Family owned and operated out of Richmond, Philadelphia, Bean2Bean Coffee roasters are a staple Philly coffee roaster and supplier that you may have already tried as they are can often be found served around Philly – I pick up a bag whenever I make the pilgrimage to South Philly Bagel.
The roaster is owned and operated by the Hernandez family, lead by patriach Obel Hernandez – one of America’s few certified coffee grader (so you know you’re in good hands.) Hernandez now works along side his sons, Obel Jr and Gabriel.
Bean2bean Coffee claims to have the smoothest cup of coffee – while that topic can be hotly debated, the 30 years of coffee tasting experience cannot be. Trust me when I say you’re in good hands, every Bean2bean bag I’ve consumed over years has been excellent.
Based out of port richmond. ”All the product names are Philly centric – such as Franklin Reserve, Old City Decaf and the fan favorite, Schuylkill Select.”
You can buy their beans on the website store or check out where theyre served here.
Vibrant Coffee Roasters and Bakery
If you’re looking for fresh and flavorful coffees, the seasonal roasts offered by Vibrant Coffee Roasters are one of the tastiest in Philly. Run by two Philadelphians, Vibrant’s lineup of roasts is one of the best in Philly – If you happen to be in Rittenhouse, their flagship shop is located on the west side of Rittenhouse Square, an optimal placement for coffee and chill in the park.
Vibrant offers a wide array of single-origin coffee roasts and blends from all around the coffee belt, all sourced from single farms, producers (peep the bag for names), or small collectives. I can personally attest to their Kenya single origin. Ranging anywhere from $15 to $40+, Vibrant Coffee Roasters offers something for both the third-wave enthusiast and aficionados alike.
The Rittenhouse Square coffee roaster also has a sister coffee shop called Function Coffee Labs in Bella Vista, South Philadelphia, by the Italian Market. Both Vibrant and Function carry all of the current roasts while serving espresso drinks and some incredible baked goods like they’re sourdough cinnamon rolls. If you can’t make it to their coffee shops, Vibrant roasts (on a Loring S15 Falcon) and ships their beans every Wednesday so that you can ensure a fresh cup.
Philly Fair Trade Roasters
If sustainability and fair trade are your top priorities for coffee, look no further. The team at Philly Fair Trade Roasters has been committed to the triple bottom line for almost two decades – not to mention, they roast some damn good coffee.
The North Philly (Feltonville to be specific) coffee roaster, lead by veteran roastmaster, Joe Cesa, specializes in small-batch Arabica coffee beans. The roaster offers a large selection of different roasts including a variety of carefully crafted blends and plenty of single-origin options for the connoisseur.
What I truly love about PFT is their commitment to sustainability and equity throughout their business – from their commitment to higher-than-average wages for employees to coffee beans sourced from Fair Trade and Organic certified cooperatives in Central and South America and the Pacific Islands.
With that, their coffees are 100% organic and the business being a Zero Waste facility. committed to reducing waste throughout the import process, including a bunch of partnerships to reduce waste and reuse when possible. Even the bags used to package their roasted coffee are 100% biodegradable. They even have a map on the website that introduces you to their farmers and the countries of origin.
You can buy online or find their beans at these locations.
Old City Coffee
Old City Coffee’s been roasting for 35 friggin’ years — well before the third-wave coffee boom of the early ’00s. Expertise comes with time, and at this point, they’ve got plenty of both under their belt as one of the oldest coffee roasters in Philadelphia. What began as a small, single person coffee shop has flourished into a multi-location business serving single-origin and blended coffee roasts in both Old City and the iconic Reading Terminal Market.
The coffee selection feature rarities like Jamaican Blue Mountain, Kona, and the world’s oldest coffee blend, along with 22 other varietals and blends from across the coffee belt. If you’re looking for freshly-roasted beans, brewed coffee, espresso drinks, and even a selection brewing tools, Old City Coffee is worth the stop.
Rival Bros.
Rival Brothers Coffee Roasters has slowly established itself as a Philadelphia favorite and for good reason. Their old-school machismo brand is well accompanied by their coffees – with names like Revolver, Their coffee is roasted daily and is one of a handful of spots where you can buy not just twelve or sixteen-ounce bags, but also a big five-pound bag.
Two friends started rival Brothers. Their two coffee shops, offer drip, espresso, a full chemex bar and all of the classic italian drinks you can think of. You can find their brick and mortar shops in Rittenhouse on Spruce and 16thand in south philly at Tasker and
Rival bros roasts in Fishtown. If you’re visiting the shopping district or hanging in Rittenhouse Square, Rival Bros. locally roasted coffee is well worth the walk – not to mention pastries from Philly famous Au Fournil and baked goods from Crust Vegan Bakery and The Mighty Bread Co.
Blind Tiger Coffee
If you love a flavor-packed brew, Blind Tiger Coffee may have some of the most unique coffee in Philadelphia. The first time I tasted Blind Tiger Coffee was at Rally Coffee shop in South Philly, one of the coffee shops around Philadelphia serving the local roaster. The Philadelphia-based coffee roasters and pop up company serves some truly enjoyable coffee beans, all roasted in Philly and sustainably sourced. If you like your beans with plenty of diverse and interesting flavors, you’ll love the light roasts coming out of blind tiger.
Blind Tiger offers a handful of different coffee blends at any given time, including their mainstays and a rotating selection of limited releases. Coffee is roasted every Tuesday, and for Philadelphians, can be hand delivered as soon as Wednesday evening.
Blind Tiger’s sole proprietor, Charles Biando, has roasted coffee beans in many different Philly neighborhoods including Greys Ferrys, West Philly, and currently, Fishtown. Nowadays, you can find their beans at a handful of local markets and coffee shops, including Spruce Hill Provisions, Lost Bread Cafe in Rittenhouse, and the aforementioned Rally Coffee.
Triangle Coffee Roasters
Coffee and chocolate – a match made in heaven – which is a truly appropriate for the angels behind Triangle Coffee. Started by four friends who wanted to create something meaningful and beautiful in the world, so they chose sustainable coffee and chocolate.
But Triangle Coffee more than just good drinks, but also supporting sustainable farming practices in countries with limited resources like South America or Africa.
Triangle Coffee Roasters is committed to roasting beans of the highest quality and operating an environmentally friendly business. They stand behind their products so you can be sure that what’s in your cup was ethically sourced, roasted delicately by experts Committed to delivering great tasting coffee without cutting corners when it comes down how they operate.
The philly-based coffee roasters website lists a wide variety of coffees from around the world at any given time. Considering their beans come from small farms, you can expect a rotation of different blends and single Origins throughout the year. Triangle also offers a subscription coffee delivery for the truly obsessed.
Check out this write up on the folk behind Triangle in Grid Magazine.
Nilla Coffee
If you’re looking for unique coffee beans, Nila is the local Philly coffee roaster for you. Specializing in Asian origin beans, this coffee roaster offers single Origins and blends with beans from places you may not have tried, Including Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea. Their website offers a closer look at each region they represent.
Nilaa coffee comes from the mind of Philly native Matt Saperstone’s, who asked her living in Myanmar wanted to bring home the coffee flavors he experienced in Southeast Asia. The online store features bags of coffee as well as cold brew drinks. From decaf to blends to single Origins, their website or frequent pop-ups (see their Instagram) are the only place to buy triangle coffee.
From their subscription plan to wholesale sizes, all contacts can be done through Nilaa’s website.
Suprema
Suprema Coffee Roastery brings a minimal and modern feel to the third wave coffee scene in Philadelphia. To be honest my favorite part about Suprema is that their flagship coffee shop is located on Pine, bike lane accessible! The Center City Philly Coffee Roastery offers a variety of different roasts that can be bought online or in their store. The shop features pastries and seating for visitors. A quick walk from The Rittenhouse shopping district, Suprema is quietly tucked away but worth the walk, as it’s widely regarded as a local favorite.
Owned and operated by Stefan Radivojevic who emigrated to the U.S. in 2011 from Serbia, the Rittenhouse coffee shop opened just weeks into the pandemic. Stefan’s resilience and commmitment to the craft is reflected in his shop and staff. Stop by for bags of small batch coffee, roasted fresh beans in-house almost every day.
