Coffee in Salt Lake City

High-quality coffee might not be the first thing that you think of when you think of Salt Lake City, Utah. Somewhere around 60% of the state is Mormon (LDS)¹ – a religion that believes that coffee is prohibited by god. In this environment, however, a unique coffee underground has developed where premium and gourmet coffee thrives.

What coffee shop owners lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. Below are some examples of stores selling the best coffee in the state:

1^st Place: Cafe on 1^st

Polite service, excellent coffee, and good food combine with a relaxed environment at Cafe on 1^st. Located in the SLC avenues, much of the cafe's traffic seems to be foot traffic. You won't find very many people rushing in and rushing out for a quick cup – this is a place where you could spend an afternoon drinking, talking, and enjoying some delicious food.

Make sure to try their specialty iced drinks, chai, and iced coffee.

2^nd Place: Jack Mormon Coffee

The most unique coffee award would have to go to Jack Mormon Coffee – their cups are distinguishably different from your average cup, and the outcome is fantastic. Staff members are friendly, and may even strike up a conversation with you if they're not waiting on customers. The environment and decor is nothing to get excited about, but you'll be sorry if you don't stop by to try the classic cup of coffee from Jack.

3^rd Place: Caffe d'Bolla

Is it fair to compare a store specializing in deserts to coffee shops? In this case, d'Bolla can hold its own. In addition to some tasty deserts, you can get one of the best – if not the best – cups of coffee in Utah, roasted by d'Bolla. The environment is quite nice, and the staff is generally helpful, if a little stressed. Nothing in the store is affordable, but desert specialty stores rarely are.

Runners up, in no particular order:

Coffee Garden

When you're looking for a great environment to chat and sip on a cup of coffee, head to Coffee Garden on Main. As soon as you approach the front of the store, you feel like you've stepping into a place very different from Salt Lake City's clean-cut, plain interiors. The beverages are well-made and delicious, but environment is where Coffee Garden excels.

Coffee Connection

We love coffee shops that feed my coffee addiction late into the night. Open until midnight, coffee connection is one of my favorite shops to enjoy a cup of coffee in the afternoons and late at night. Coffee Connection gets props for an innovative business model that gets a lot of exposure and free advertising, but loses the same amount for doing social media all wrong.

Raw Bean

The coffee here is great. Don't let the owner's pictures scare you away: we know they make the store look like the inside of hell, but the place is actually pretty comfortable. Raw Bean makes the list because it's one of those treasures you find. From the outside of the building, you're expecting a plain cup of coffee – not gas station coffee, but not a "real" cup of coffee. As it turns out, you'd be wrong.

Mestizo Coffee

In one of the strangest locations ever, at the foot of an apartment complex, you'll find Mestizo coffee. Don't expect much in the morning or after work as the apartment residents stop by for a cup. During the rest of the day, though, Mestizo is a quiet place to hang out and enjoy. A side-room plays host to various groups throughout the week, including what may be Utah's largest atheist group. Mestizo feels like your house, with the limited staff serving beverages at your whim.

Beehive Tea Room

Was anyone else expecting a reception center to wish newly-wed LDS couples the best at the Beehive Tea Room? Even after walking in, one can still feel unsure. Unlike the traditional coffee shop in Salt Lake and elsewhere, the Beehive Tea Room is fancy, formal, and elegant. You have to admire a company that rebels against the trend by going back three hundred years. At Beehive, you'll find an interesting mix of elegance and the occasional young person on a laptop sipping a cup of joe from fancy cups.

Honorable Mentions: Starbucks, Beans and Brews

Both of these establishments make a fine cup of coffee – if you're willing to pay for it. The atmosphere varies from location to location, but there's nothing that makes them stand out for any particular reason. One should not be ashamed to carry and enjoy a cup of coffee from either Starbucks or Beans and Brews, but it's not where the ideal place spend an afternoon chatting with someone.