As a full-time traveler, I spend a lot of time on my laptop working remotely at coffee shops. So, I visited a lot of spots to create my list of the best coffee shops in Atlanta. Some are best coffee shops for coworking, some have the best coffee, and others offer the best breakfast food. The best Atlanta coffee shop is based on what you are looking for.
If you want a highlight, here are my top picks. Or you can scroll down for the full list with more detailed information.
- Best Atlanta Coffee Shops for digital nomads: Dancing Goats, Prevail Union, East Pole Coffee
- Best Coffee Shops for Breakfast: Academy Coffee, Biggerstaff Brewing
- Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop: ParkGrounds
- Best Coffee Shop outside Atlanta: Rev Coffee
Now onto my list of the best Atlanta coffee shops.
Table of Contents
Best Coffee Shops in Midtown Atlanta
Like with business districts in other cities, coffee shops in Downtown & Midtown Atlanta generally don’t have the character that those in more residential areas have. You can only do so much in the lobby of an office building. And they are more often corporate owned places, not small locally owned coffee shops. But there are a few coffee shops in Midtown that I like.
Dancing Goats Coffee
With locations in Washington State and Atlanta, Dancing Goats is the largest coffee company on my list.
Although Larry & Cherie Challain opened the first Dancing Goats coffee house in Olympia Washington it has been part of the Atlanta community for 30 years. After the couple bought the roastery that supplied their shop, Batdorf & Bronsonยฎ Coffee Roasters, they opened a roastery in Atlanta. And the couple has now expanded to include several coffee shops here in Atlanta. It was the first business to open as part of the Ponce City Market after its restoration, and this is my favorite location. But I also worked quite a bit at the one on Peachtree St across from Midtown Station. Each location has decent space and WiFi.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Larakin
Larakin is a coffee shop and wine bar in Midtown, Atlanta. All seating is outdoor patio, which makes it a great spot to relax day or night. You won’t find any flavored lattes or fancy coffee drinks here other than perhaps a chai latte. The breakfast sandwich is interesting, as it’s a slice of baked frittata with cheddar, onion, and peppers on a brioche bun. They offer two types of focaccia – one with everything seeded and one with cinnamon sugar.
Later in the day they offer tinned fish and a unique wine list, which is what I like it for the most.
Good for Working Remote: No (WiFi is slow)
Cafe Lucia
Cafe Lucia is pretty much the perfect all-around coffee shop. They have the full array of coffee drinks, a good food selection, and fast WiFi. Nothing particularly stands out about it, but it has two solid locations in the void of Midtown and downtown. There’s also a third location out in Smyrna in case you are out that way.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Best Coffee Shops in East Atlanta
Academy Coffee
I could say I have a love-hate relationship with Academy Coffee. Let me explain.
I love Academy Coffee. They have great coffee. But what they do exceptionally well is bring an element of mixology with creations such as:
- Hercules Hercules: a flat white with bay leaf and olive oil
- Nom Nom: Iced matcha latte with honey, basil, star anise, cardamom, and peach bitters
What I hate? It’s a small shop with only a few outside tables and no WiFi. So, I can’t go there to work, and generally only stopped by to bring something back to work at home. This is certainly a first world problem.
Good for Working Remote: No
Chrome Yellow Trading Co
What began as a dry goods pop-up store around Atlanta, Chrome Yellow Trading Co is now a coffee shop that does small batch roasting in a back area.
Good for Working Remote: Yes, but space is limited
Biggerstaff Brewing Co
Yup. A brewery made my list of best coffee shops in Atlanta. Biggerstaff isn’t the first to adopt a coffee in morning and beer in the afternoon model, but they do it exceptionally well. The coffee bar opens at 8am, which basically turns the taproom into a coworking space for remote workers during the day. The WiFi password is only good for 3 hours, but they will renew if you ask. In addition to coffee and pastries, breakfast is served until 11am and the sandwiches come with egg, cheese, and a choice of smoked brisket, turkey, bacon, or tofu.
FYI, the partnership between Magnanimous Brewing and Gingerbeard Coffee in Tampa is another one of my favorite brewery / coffee shop partnerships and you can read about it here.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Bellwood Coffee
Although Bellwood Coffee has three locations around Atlanta, the one in East Atlanta is easily the most unique coffee shop. This coffee counter is located inside a plant shop called The Victorian Atlanta.
Note: The Victorian plant shop opened a second location off the Beltline, that contains a cocktail bar called Burle’s Bar. So now you can get plants + coffee in Fourth Ward, and plants + cocktails in East Atlanta.
Good for Working Remote: No. WiFi is good, but space is very limited.
PERC
Philip Brown began roasting coffee beans in 2010 under the name Panther’s Eye Roasting Company in Savannah. He quickly figured out he needed a shorter name, and luckily the acronym PERC worked perfectly.
He hired his parents as his first two employees and decided to open a retail shop near his childhood home in East Lake.
They have since expanded to several locations in Atlanta, all with a colorful and inviting environment.
Good for Working Remote: No. Some people do, but limited seating makes it less than ideal.
ParkGrounds
ParkGrounds is pretty much the definition of the perfect neighborhood coffee shop. It’s located in a residential area of Reynoldstown in a maze of one-way streets and other narrow streets that should be one-way. And it’s just one block off the Beltline. They have plenty of indoor seating with small tables and a section that makes you feel like you’re in your living room. And the outdoor seating is dog friendly.
It’s a coffeeshop where many customers and remote workers live in the neighborhood and know each other. WiFi is one of the fastest of all the coffee shops listed. This coffee shop is pretty much the exact opposite of bright lit uninteresting shops in the bottom of Midtown office buildings. And that’s exactly why it’s one of my top three best coffee shops in Atlanta.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Hodgepodge Coffeehouse
Hodgepodge Coffeehouse is a black woman-owned business in East Atlanta. The space is large and features a gallery space for local artists and a consignment program with local merchants.ย
The owner strives to create a community and use her voice and space to uplift women, minorities, trans and queer folx, the disabled and other marginalized groups.
If that’s not enough reason to stop by, then the delicious popovers stuffed with egg and choice of other various ingredients damn sure should be.ย
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Victory C.C.
The Victory Community Center is a spot for coffee, biscuits, and, and merch. They also have sandwich shops in Inman Park and Decatur.
Good for Working Remote: It’s OK. WiFi could be faster.
Aurora Coffee
Although there are a few outside tables, Aurora is more of a grab and go coffee shop in Little Five Points. It claims to be Atlanta’s first specialty coffee shop. It has been open since 1992, which makes it decades older than most others on this list.
Good for Working Remote: No
JavaVino
JavaVino has my vote for the coffee shop with the friendliest staff. You’ll pretty much feel at home your first-time in. And this goes both ways, as one morning I was there a regular customer stopped in and approached the woman at the counter with “I remember you saying you liked this and brought you some” (I didn’t catch what product he said).
The love of coffee spans generations here, as JavaVino roasts beans grown at their family estate in Nicaragua.
One of their best sellers is the Bee Sting, a honey vanilla latte. Although I usually stick to drip coffee it became a favorite of mine.
True to its name JavaVino serves wine as well and hosts wine tastings.ย
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Condesa Coffee
Condesa Coffee is located on the bottom floor of an apartment complex. Despite the good space and WiFi I’ve never seen it get too busy with people working. This isn’t a coffee shop that will wow you in any way and the street parking makes it a little less convenient for a quick stop. But it’s a solid place to stop in if you need to get work done.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Joe's East Atlanta Coffee Shop
East Atlanta has become known as a hipster area, and Joe’s fits in perfectly with this neighborhood. You can find live music, board games, or even comedy nights here. And then of course it’s filled with Gen Z-ers working on their laptops or studying on any given day.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Best Coffee Shops in West Atlanta
Chattachoochie Coffee Co
Chattahoochie Coffee Co has three locations in the Atlanta area, all in apartment complexes. The Westside location is the closest to downtown Atlanta and in an area that I really like because there are several breweries and great restaurants nearby. The Riverside location might be the prettiest though, overlooking the Chattahoochee River (stop at Heirloom Market BBQ for lunch after).
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Portrait Coffee
Portrait Coffee is a black owned coffee shop in Atlanta. The trio of founders decided to open in the West End, a historic Atlanta neighborhood with a rich history of black entrepreneurs and culture. And the company is dedicated to helping this area continue its recent revitalization.ย
Good for Working Remote: Yes (but not as good as some of the others)
Good for Working Remote: It’s ok
Prevail Union
You aren’t going to just run into Prevail Union by accident. But if you are looking for street parking for dinner at Miller Union or Fishmonger and end up taking a wrong turn or two, you might just pass by this coffee shop hidden on the bottom floor of an apartment complex.
But if you come in, you’ll find a shop with good coffee, and an even better
Owner Wade Preston spent time honing his barista skills in Atlanta before finally opening a shop in Auburn, AL. That eventually grew into Prevail locations in Montgomery, Brimingham, and Atlanta.
Good for Working Remote: Yes, one of the best
The Daily
The Daily came to Atlanta when the team behind the popular Charleston and Nashville restaurants named Butcher & Bee decided to expand their coffee shop concept.ย
Note: The Charleston Butcher & Bee recently shuttered to reopen as another location of The Daily.
You can see the Israeli influence of owner Michael Shemtov in such menu items as the pita sandwich, hummus bowl, and the avocado toast (which adds Za’atar, a popular spice in Israel, Lebanon, and the surrounding region).
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Best Coffee Shops in Buckhead & North Atlanta
East Pole Coffee Co
East Pole has a location beside Fishmonger in Pouncey-Highland. But I much prefer the one in Armour Yards, industrial park that has been redeveloped into a more modern working community that isย perhaps best known as the home of Sweetwater Brewing.ย
East Pole is one of the best Atlanta coffee shops for digital nomads. And definitely walk over to Sweetwater Brewing for lunch or a few beers after work.
Good for Working Remote: Yes, one of the best
BRASH Coffee
You probably aren’t specifically looking for a coffee shop inside the lobby of a history museum. But the BRASH coffee stand inside the Atlanta History Center is a one of the best places to study or work remotely. In fact, most of the people sitting at the tables and counters are doing one of those things. Although people exiting the museum to make this a quick stop as well. While you’re here, try the soups at Souper Jenny, a stand that shares the cafe space.
BRASH works directly with small farmers in places like Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia to source coffee the beans.
BRASH also has a small location inside a converted shipping container in the Westisde Provisions District.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Best Coffee Shops in Smyrna
Rev Coffee
The best coffee shop in Atlanta, might actually be out in Smyrna. It’s unfortunate that I’ve listed this so far down due to how I organized by location, as this should appear near the top of most coffee shop lists. Rev coffee is in an old, converted garage that is now covered in colorful murals. And the interior walls showcase artwork from local artists on a monthly rotating basis. The food options are mostly baked goods some pre-prepared breakfast sandwiches, and some grab and go items like yogurt, fruit cups, and chicken salad. The ham & cheese croissant is one of my favorite quick breakfasts at any coffee shop in the area.
Parking in the front is for ordering to go or to pick up a preplaced order. There is a larger parking lot in the back near the auto repair shop.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Best Coffee Shops in Decatur
Opo Coffee
Jonathan Pascual had several years of experience managing coffee shops before opening Taproom Coffee and Beer in 2014. And now he has opened his second endeavor, Opo Coffee, in Decatur. It is a roastery, coffee bar, and training center.
Opo means “yes” in Filipino, and this positivity can be felt when you stop by. A percentage of sales are donated to environmental sustainability efforts and even the shop is decorated in bright and uplifting colors. The large back outdoor area is simply a bonus for this already great shop.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
Waller's Coffee Shop
Waller’s might be the most unique coffee shop on this list. It’s basically down an industrial road in Decatur that has an outdoor space tucked in the trees. You’ll find people working remotely inside during the day, and also acts as a music venue or community space.
Good for Working Remote: Yes
