Thanks to my mom’s lifelong love of coffee, I have also always been a huge coffee fanatic…but more importantly, I would consider myself to specifically be a coffee shop connoisseur. I am most productive when I am sitting in a slightly dim corner on a fluffy seat cushion with one leg folded underneath me, headphones on, a delicious and quality cup of coffee in hand, and the entire day ahead of me. For this reason alone I am extremely picky when it comes to finding coffee shops to spend hours at a time.
For the longest time, coffee in Worcester was mostly limited to Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks and had nothing that satisfied my need for a hipster-like cafe; I would need to hop in the car and drive anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to get my best work done. Thankfully, this wonderful city of mine has finally caught up with the other major cities and coffee shops in Worcester are starting to pop up all over (though sadly still none within walking distance to my house…)
Below is a simple list of what I consider to be the absolute best coffee shops in Worcester, but I did not rank them because they each bring their own special something to the table. If you’re interested in reading exactly what it is that earned them a spot on this list, continue reading!
6 Best Coffee Shops in Worcester, MA
- Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Room
- Blue Shades
- Fuel America – Worcester
- InHouse Coffee
- Boston Donuts
- STOP Cafe
Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Room – The Best Overall Experience
I am so incredibly disappointed in how long it took me to finally give Acoustic Java a try…but before I go into details, I want to clarify that for the purposes of this article I am specifically focusing on their roastery & tasting room located on Brussells St, not the cafe on Main St (which I have not been to).
Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Room is located on the bottom floor of one of Worcester’s old factory buildings, which has since been converted into apartments…and now I obviously want to rent one of the apartments so that I can live out all my 90’s Central Perk fantasies. This place is everything I have ever dreamed of. Not only is their coffee delicious, but it is brewed in-house!!! I had the Shark Attack, one of their signature drinks, and oh my goodness this drink is not made for the faint of heart. It is eight shots of espresso (yes, eight!), cream, and chocolate sauce all over ice. Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely scrumptious and I’m already counting down the hours until my next work from home day so I can go get another one, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to someone who doesn’t handle caffeine very well.
But, I told you this particular coffee shop has the best overall experience. Why? Because of everything they have done with the space. There is beautiful artwork displayed, as well as literary quotes tastefully painted on the walls, which tie perfectly into the fact that they also sell used books! I’m not talking one really cheap, borderline tacky bookshelf where people just drop whatever and hope for the best. There is an entire wall dedicated to the books they have for sale (or to peruse while sipping your coffee) and they are pretty reasonably priced. (For reference, I found an older edition of the Lonely Planet Guide to Laos for $4).
There is also the perfect seat for everyone, from tables perfect for 1-2 people looking to get away from the crowd to a large farmhouse style table perfect for big families, nearby Holy Cross students looking to nurse their hangovers with a steaming cup of joe, or for individuals just looking to meet new people!
Acoustic Java Roastery & Tasting Room also has free wifi and an ample parking lot. Thanks to all of this, I think I found my new Vagarious Wanderer office (hooray for not driving an hour anymore!)
Blue Shades – Best Quick Breakfast with Some Light Conversation
I have been meaning to get to Blue Shades since they opened, and finally made it a priority to stop this past weekend. Blue Shades is a coffee shop that also specializes in leige waffles. Leige waffles are smaller than your classic Belgian waffle and have a sugar coating on them. An ex-boyfriend’s mom used to make them and they were absolutely incredible, so finding a place to go and get them whenever I want is a serious gamechanger and a great option for breakfast in Worcester.
But these aren’t just basic waffles…the owner is a former restaurant owner with an Asian-fusion background who wanted a business that would allow him to spend more time with his son. So what does that mean? It means these waffles will rock your world. You can get everything from a sweet waffle, to a savory waffle, and everything in between. I had the California waffle, which is a leige waffle topped with avocado, cucumber, and “yummy sauce” and while skeptical at first, I was absolutely blown away as soon as I took my first bite. I was concerned about the savory flavors in the toppings mixed with the sweetness of the waffle, but it totally worked!
But we’re here to talk about coffee, so getting back on track, I paired my savory waffle with a cookie butter latte. For about $4, I anticipated maybe an 8 ounce latte…nope. It was served in a mug that was easily 12 ounces, maybe even 16 ounces, so I was already sold on the value alone before I even tasted it..but I knew it would be great just from watching the owner make the latte. As a former barista, I know what it takes to make a truly great latte and as a lifelong cook, I also know that if your heart isn’t in it, whatever you’re making just won’t taste right. The owner of Blue Shades clearly loves what he does, whether it be creating a crazy waffle combination or crafting the perfect latte. The espresso was smooth, the milk was creamy, and the cookie crumb topping (that I wasn’t expecting) was distributed evenly across the entire top of the latte.
A waffle and coffee at Blue Shades gives you the perfect breakfast in Worcester and will leave you just full enough so you don’t feel like you’re going to explode. It’s relatively quiet so it’s the perfect place to catch up with an old friend, or, better yet, start up a conversation with the person behind the counter because it just might be the owner. I regret not getting his name, but his passion for what he does and the excitement he gets over his latest creations is truly inspiring.
Fuel America – Best Cold Brew & Best Nitro Cold Brew
If you think I’m picky about coffee shops in general, I am even more picky when it comes to cold brew because I prefer to drink it black. I like it smooth, a little sweet, with nutty and caramel flavors. Honestly, I like a flavor profile similar to my preferred beer flavor profile: dark and malty.
Other than Starbucks and Dunkin, there was only one place in town that sold nitro cold brew and no matter how many times I tried it, it was always bitter.
Until Fuel America rolled around with their in-house roastery.
Their regular cold brew is fine, but their nitro cold brew makes my taste buds sing! It’s smooth and sweet all on its own, just the way I like it.
But great cold brew isn’t all they have to offer! They also offer some extremely filling breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
InHouse Coffee – Best Place for Unique Coffee On the Go (And Best Carmamel Macchiato)
InHouse Coffee has been around for quite awhile now, and in my opinion is ol’ reliable when it comes to quality coffee. They have a crazy amount of coffee flavors that are all roasted into the coffee, so there is something for everyone and you don’t need to worry about all the added calories you would normally find in flavored syrups.
They also have some incredible baked goods! I’m pretty biased to their red velvet muffin warmed up, but they also have bagels, cannolis, and croissants that are to die for!
I wouldn’t be able to talk about InHouse without mentioning their caramel macchiatos (specifically their iced ones). These things got me through long nights working at a restaurant or studying for finals. If you’ve ever worked for Starbucks, you know that the true base of the flavor in their caramel macchiatos comes from the vanilla syrup…not necessarily true at InHouse! They load that baby up with caramel syrup and I am here for it!
InHouse has a big enough space, and even some tables outside which is a plus, but it’s not the coziest spot and is usually busy so it’s not exactly somewhere I would want to hang out or get work done. I will say though that despite how busy they always are, they are hardly ever understaffed. While they don’t have a drive-through, you won’t be waiting much longer than a max of 3 minutes to get your caffeine fix (depending on what you order of course).
Boston Donuts – Best Flavored Iced Coffee
I fell in love with gourmet flavored iced coffees in college because there was a Marylou’s across the street from campus. All my South Shore friends – you understand the addiction that is a Girl Scout Cookie or Funky Fanabala. To all of you that don’t know what Marylou’s is…send me an email and I will gladly treat you the next time you’re in the area.
Sadly, there isn’t a Marylou’s anywhere near where I live…or even near where I work…and for the longest time I thought I would just have to settle for average coffee unless I made the quarterly pilgrimage back to my college town to get a fix. But then people started talking about Boston Donuts, which ironically enough is in Worcester…
This place may possibly be better than Marylou’s, friends. While they have quite the selection, my two personal favorites are Cookies n’ Cream and Reese’s. I don’t think the flavors are roasted in like InHouse…but they’re not just syrups either…
Oh no, this little unassuming gem on Park Ave actually crushes the candy/cookie/etc into your iced coffee!!! Now, for some people, the texture may be a problem. Totally understandable. But even my husband will deal with the texture for the incredible punch of flavor these beauties pack. (If you’re looking to cut your sugar intake, definitely stay away from this place…)
STOP Cafe – Best Latte Art
Ahhhh STOP Cafe…the place of Instagram dreams…these guys can create just about anything you want on your latte; they can even add color! What they do truly is magic, so much so that it is why they are being included on this list.
Don’t get me wrong, the lattes are delicious and made very well, but the latte art is truly incredible! I’m not sure if you can ask them to make something specific, or if they just do whatever they want (like they did with mine) but it would definitely be worth asking the next time you’re in there. Imagine a latte art proposal??? Or maybe somehow I can convince them to do the Vagarious Wanderer logo next…hmmm…
Honorable Mentions
There are a couple coffee shops that I have been frequenting for years that were unable to make this list because they’re not technically in Worcester, but they are in Worcester county!
First up we have Lalajava in Northborough.
The very first time I went to Lalajava was when I was in second grade. They were still located in a little shack in Shrewsbury and my mom had recently started a job directing a local after school program. She ordered me an iced white chocolate. Topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips, I was smitten…and have been ever since (though now I normally ask for a shot of espresso to be thrown into that).
Lalajava was a special place that I only went with my mom, and it honestly described her personality perfectly. It is a tiki-themed coffee shop with vibrant colors that always had some amazing Caribbean or salsa-style music playing. I still venture out to Northborough to visit and think of her every time, and I would highly recommend that you make the trip at least once. All of their coffees (especially their mochas) are amazing and about two years ago I also became obsessed with their Coconut Thai Tea Latte. My mouth is watering just thinking about it…
And last, but certainly not least, Cake Shop Cafe in Milbury. This is my OG Central Mass coffee shop office. My old roommate/sorority Big Sister/maid of honor actually discovered this right around when she moved in with me, and for that I am forever grateful. Their lattes are the perfect thing to have in hand when you’re working on a huge, life-changing passion project, and the space in general is just really really cool! Prefer working on a couch? No problem. Big comfy chair? Check. Classic cafe table? Obviously. Big family style table for those group projects and mastermind sessions? You got it! There is seriously a space for everyone.
But I won’t lie…my favorite thing about them…is their bacon & cheddar quiche. Oh, sweet food gods! You can get it served on a housemade biscuit with their housemade garlic aioli…I can’t even talk anymore about it. Just do yourself a favor and go get it. I promise you won’t regret it.
Want to learn more about Worcester, MA? Check out the other #WorcesterWednesday posts!
January 2019: Why Worcester Should be Added to Your Bucket List
February 2019: Worcester Art Museum
March 2019: Redemption Rock Brewing Company
August 2019: Best Diners in Worcester
September 2019: The Five Breweries inWorcester
October 2019: Worcester Hauntings
November 2019: Holiday Shopping in Worcester
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