8 Best Columbus Coffee Shops and Breweries
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The Columbus brew scene is hopping. Whether you’re a fan of coffee or beer, there’s a trail for you plus a whole lot of good brews to drink.
Much to my surprise and chagrin, one weekend wasn’t enough time to fully explore Columbus, the nation’s 15th largest city and a Midwestern hub for food and culture. Though I hadn’t realized it before my visit, there are a plethora of things to do in Columbus both for locals and visitors.
After making some tough choices due to limited time, I narrowed the city’s many activities to two priorities – checking out the best food in Columbus and exploring the vibrant brew scene.
But where to start? The Columbus Coffee Trail and the Columbus Ale Trail of course!
Fans of coffee and beer will find enough coffee and beer to keep awake and happy. If you’re wondering where to drink in Columbus, I recommend starting with the following two trails:
Our Favorite Columbus Coffee Shops
Coffee in Columbus is serious business. Third wave coffee shops abound, each offering a unique twist on the seemingly simple cup of coffee. As a coffee-loving visitor, I wasn’t sure where to find the best Columbus coffee shops – until I discovered the Columbus Coffee Trail.
Experience Columbus brewed up (pun intended) the ingenious Columbus Coffee Trail as a way to promote one of the country’s best coffee scenes. This trail features 13 local coffee shops, all located within a mile of downtown Columbus.
While enjoying coffee on the trail, participants can also explore different Columbus neighborhoods like German Village, Italian Village and Short North and, as a bonus, earn a free t-shirt while fueling a caffeine fix. If you get stamped at four locations, you earn a cool t-shirt
Since I’m an overachiever when it comes to coffee, I visited five coffee shops in just two days. I loved all five and can recommend each as worthy stops for anybody hitting the Columbus Coffee Trail.
1. Brioso Roastery and Coffee Bar
An offshoot of Columbus coffee stalwart Café Brioso, the new Brioso Roastery and Coffee Bar in the Discovery District is a hip place to enjoy a cup of locally roasted Brioso Coffee and a sweet treat. The atmosphere is open and friendly – an ideal spot to enjoy a pour over made from a selection of freshly roasted single-origin coffee beans.
Pro Tip
Try a coffee brewed with the shop’s state of the art Blossom Brewer. This machine combines several popular brewing techniques along with advanced temperature controls to make a technically ‘perfect’ cup of coffee.
Brioso Roastery and Coffee Bar is located at 329 East Long Street, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
2. Fox in the Snow
Fox in the Snow’s generic garage exterior masks a modern, airy space where crowds line up for coffee along with pastries baked in-house. Owners Jeff Excell and Lauren Culley honed their chops while working at Blue Bottle Coffee’s New York locations and source Fox in the Snow’s beans from Maine roastery Tandem. When the weather is good, sipping chicory flavored New Orleans Iced Coffee on the back patio is a perfect way to start or end a weekend.
Pro Tip
Try to leave Fox in the Snow without humming the namesake Belle and Sebastian song. This is a challenge that I was not able to accomplish.
Fox in the Snow is located at 1031 North 4th Street, Columbus, OH 43201, United States.
3. One Line Coffee
In the heart of the urban Short North neighborhood, One Line Coffee offers a complete experience using coffee beans roasted in-house. The shop has it all from an almost overwhelming array of coffee choices to a circular coffee bar with all of the latest brewing equipment. You want a V60 pourover? They have it. Kyoto cold brew? They have that too.
Pro Tip
Try a coffee cupping class on a Sunday afternoon. This is a fun way to learn about and taste coffee. Be sure to make an advance reservation to avoid disappointment, especially if you’re just in town for the weekend.
One Line Coffee is located at 745 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
4. The Roosevelt Coffeehouse
The Roosevelt Coffeehouse was my first stop on the Columbus Coffee Trail, which is perhaps why it stole my heart. Or maybe it’s because the coffee shop fulfills a noble mission beyond serving coffee to the masses – it’s actually a non-profit business that helps the local and global communities with issues like hunger, water safety and human trafficking.
The shop also serves top-notch coffee with beans from local roaster One Line Coffee and Portland‘s Stumptown. The baristas at Roosevelt use a leading-edge Modbar Modular Espresso System to create its world-changing espresso drinks.
Pro Tip
Try to find a better way to spend your money than on a cup of third wave coffee. The combination of good beans and good deeds is hard to beat.
The Roosevelt Coffeehouse is located at 300 East Long Street, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
5. Stauf’s Coffee Roasters
Brewing coffee for over 25 years at multiple locations, Stauf’s Coffee Roasters is a must-stop on the Columbus Coffee Trail for its history alone. Age and growth have not slowed down Stauf’s – each shop roasts beans and bakes pastries on-site. This is a cool place to enjoy a solid cup of coffee.
Pro Tip
Try a freshly baked pastry while you’re taking a break at Stauf’s Coffee Roasters. In case you’re not already aware, pastries go perfectly with coffee and free Wi-Fi.
Stauf’s Coffee Roasters has three locations in the Grandview, North Market and German Village neighborhoods.
Our Favorite Columbus Breweries
If you haven’t been to Columbus lately, you may be surprised to learn that the Columbus brewery scene is sizzling hot. There are 28 breweries on the official Columbus Ale Trail with more to be added next year.
Visit just Columbus four breweries to earn a commemorative pint glass or all 28 (!) for a custom deck of playing cards. An added bonus – several of the breweries are located downtown and can be accessed on foot or by Uber, alleviating the need for a designated driver (unless you plan on leaving town the same day, of course.)
During my two days in Columbus, I visited two Columbus Ohio breweries on the trail, one brewery off the trail and a meadery. Each offered a unique experience, showing a different aspect of the Columbus brew scene.
1. Seventh Son Brewing
Also in the Italian Village, Seventh Son Brewing is a great Columbus brewery where you can drink quality beer in an unconventional setting. The brewery is set in a converted garage with a big, open taproom and lots of outdoor seating.
For me, sitting at the long bar was the perfect spot to chat with locals and enjoy an $8 flight of four excellent brews – Plowshare Saison, Humulus Nimbus Super Pale Ale, Le Mort Saison (my favorite) and Grave Blanket Dark Rye Ale. Price subject to change.
Pro Tip
Try some grub from a food truck in Seventh Son’s parking lot. The trucks rotate. Dos Hermanos was serving up tasty Mexican fare the day of my visit.
Seventh Son Brewing is located at 1101 North 4th Street, Columbus, OH 43201, United States.
2. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing
I was so happy to walk into Wolf’s Ridge Brewing as a refuge from the sweltering summer heat. I was even happier when the hostess directed me to the back taproom where I found a beer lover’s oasis – 20 taps of beer, many unique to the taproom, along with a cool space to chill and drink. During my visit, the Downtown brewery was buzzing with jovial locals enjoying pints and conversation.
For my $7 flight (price subject to change), I chose three beers exclusive to the taproom – N2 the Night Nitro (a creamy Oatmeal Milk Stout), Coffee Ancho Dire Wolf (a Russian Imperial Stout infused with One Line Coffee and ancho chiles) and Coffee Cherry Vanilla Dire Wolf (an Imperial Stout infused with One Line Coffee, black cherry and vanilla). Larger flights are also available.
Pro Tip
Try some snacks and small plates while you’re drinking beer in the taproom. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing also serves excellent food with their world-class ales.
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing is located at 215 North 4th Street, Columbus, OH 43215, United States.
3. Brothers Drake Meadery & Bar
Brothers Drake makes and serves mead, a honey-based, alcoholic beverage produced by fermentation. Set in a converted storage garage, the bar has a divey yet trendy vibe (think hipster chic).
During my visit, I opted for the $12 standard tasting flight (price subject to change) which included five generous pours of Wild Ohio, Honey Oak, Ginger Verve, Bergamot Blue and the signature Apple Pie. Though I found the straight meads a bit too sweet for my taste, I would happily return for a crafted mead cocktail.
Pro Tip
Try to schedule a tour of the meadery. There are three tours each Saturday and one on Sundays. The tour includes a sampling of mead as well as the local honey used to produce it.
Brothers Drake Meadery & Bar is located at 26 East 5th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201, United States.
🇺🇸 Columbus Travel Checklist
Columbus has certainly stepped up their local bar scene since I was there. These cool hangouts are a far cry from the nasty bars I used to call my stomping groups, Mean Mr. Mustard’s, Nuke’s Atomic Club, and a few others I’ve forgotten over 25 years. LOL
Hi
Nice Blog! I am planning to go to Ohio, Thanks a lot, because I have an idea of where the places to be. I love coffee and beer! I am interesting in visiting The Roosevelt and the seventh son, can you recommend some drinks that I should try ?
Thanks for sharing
Oh my goodnesss those beers look soooooo good!!! x Great blog x
First, if by chance I have overlooked any mention of any African American coffee shops in Columbus,I apologize. But why wasn’t the Upper Cup mentioned here as to a good coffee shop. One near downtown and one in Gahanna? Thanks,
John T
John, unfortunately the Upper Cup wasn’t on my radar since it wasn’t on the Columbus Coffee Trail at the time of my visit. We’re both hoping to visit Columbus once it’s safe to travel and will definitely check it out. Thanks so much for the recommendation! Mindi