20 locally owned Detroit area coffee shops everyone should visit

By Metro Times editorial staff on Wed, Sep 29, 2021 at 10:30 am

There's no better way to supercharge your day than with a strong roasted coffee from one of these locally owned Detroit-area coffee shops.

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Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts

14447 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-469-7780; yellowlightdetroit.com

Yellow Light Coffee & Donuts is the latest venture from Jacques and Christine Driscoll, the co-owners of successful Detroit eateries Green Dot Stables and Johnny Noodle King. For now, they're open only for service through their drive-in window, with a menu of doughnuts, biscuits, and house-roasted coffee.

Photo via Yellow Light/ Facebook

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Coffee Down Under

607 Shelby St., Detroit;313-444-6626; coffeedownunder.com
Last February, it was announced that a new Australian-style coffee bar was headed to Detroit's Financial District in a 400 square ft. space under Brome Modern Eatery. The sustainable coffee bar will feature espresso roasts from Proud Mary Cafe, a Melbourne-based establishment. It will also serve Australian refreshments, including the long black — it’s stronger than an Americano and is created by pouring a double-shot of espresso or ristretto over hot water. As they prepare to open, Coffee Down Under has been doing pop-up collaborations with Huddle Soft Serve as well as offering bags of their whole bean coffee online.

Photo via 2 of 20

The Narrow Way Café
19331 Livernois Ave., Detroit
This community-oriented coffee shop is located in Detroit's Avenue of Fashion, featuring products from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor and Detroit's Avalon Bakery in Midtown.
Photo via Narrow Way Cafe / Facebook
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Eos Cafe and Coffee House
30625 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-217-5211; eoscoffeehouse.com
Enjoy a meal while you also drink coffee at Eos. On their menu, you will see a large selection of sandwiches, paninis, wraps, soups, and salads, sides, and dessert pastries and drinks.

Photo via Google Maps
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Madcap Coffee
1413 Farmer St., Detroit; 888-866-9091; madcapcoffee.com
At Madcap, its minimalistic layout does not match its wide variety of coffee. They serve seasonal drinks, signature drinks, and are dedicated to making and distributing their own coffee. Visitors can purchase any type of coffee for their home or office.

Photo via Google Maps
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The Commons
7900 Mack Ave., Detroit
While the Commons is a laundromat, it also happens to serve up some excellent coffee, lattes, baked goods, and ice cream. If you do need to wash your clothes, you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea on the house. You'll be surprised how fast time flies.
Photo via The Commons Detroit / Facebook
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Alley Cat Cafe
31 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-499-7427; alleycatcafepontiac.com
In Downtown Pontiac, Alley Cat has live music, art, events, and occasional wine tastings. They also have soup, salad, sandwiches, and combo meals for those who could use a full meal with their coffee.

Photo via Alleycat cafe / Facebook Photo via Google Maps
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Astro Coffee
2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit
Nestled in the Corktown neighborhood in Detroit, Astro Coffee serves up savory coffee drinks from a rotating selection of roasters from around the country. This quaint coffeehouse is filled with beautiful art, friendly baristas, and exceptionally delicious food and coffee. Aside from the coffee, the spot also offers a curated collection of pastries, breakfast, and lunch items made in house with organic ingredients.
Photo via GoogleMaps
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Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co.
3965 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-9627; greatlakescoffee.com
At Great Lakes Coffee, they specialize in farming, brewing, and roasting from scratch. They have a variety of coffees from different countries, along with "Coffee of the Month," merchandise, and occasional game nights inside the cafe.

Photo via Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company / Facebook
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FOLK
1701 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-290-5849; folkdetroit.com
Folk serves Hyperion coffee and espresso, the latter of which is made with a "stunning rose-colored La Marzocco espresso machine nicknamed Stevie Nicks." On the food menu, you'll find an all day brunch with egg quiche, granola bowls, veggie hash, egg sandwiches, meat pies, and more, all of which are made from scratch.

Photo via FOLK Detroit / Facebook
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Anthology
1948 Division St., Detroit; 313-355-4040; anthologycoffee.com
The large space of Anthology is a perfect place to get work done or just isolate yourself. Located in Eastern Market, the almost 3,000 square foot coffee shop serves pour-overs, espresso drinks, desserts, and even a cold coffee mixed with tonic.

Photo via Anthology Coffee / Facebook
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Avalon Cafe and Bakery
1049 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8006, 120 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor (Pretzel Bell Building); 734-263-2996, 2998 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-800-5760, 422 W. Willis St., Detroit; 313-832-0008; avalonbreads.net
Avalon has a large selection of coffee, meals, and sweets. They have monthly, seasonal, and holiday homemade specials. They have salads, breads and buns, pizza, wine, sandwiches, coffee, tea, and more.

Phoo via Avalon International Breads / Facebook
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The Red Hook
220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale
This cozy coffeehouse, with locations in both Detroit and Ferndale, has no shortage of brewed coffee, lattes, cold drinks, and more. What makes the Red Hook even sweeter is its wide variety of baked goods, including pastries, macaroons, cookies, and plenty of vegan food options. Don't forget to try one of their flavorful homemade syrups in your drinks.
Photo via The Red Hook / Facebook
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The Congregation
9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; thecongregationdetroit.com
A former Boston-Edison church was transformed into a new cafe and bar concept called the Congregation. The space operates as a cafe in the mornings, serving Great Lakes coffee from the espresso bar and selling pastries sourced from Good Cakes and Bakes, Terri’s Cakes, and Eat Good Cookies, and in the evenings, it serves from a small menu with items such as flatbreads, soups, and salads. Along with food, it also serves cocktails, wine, and a selection of beer.

Photo via thThe Congregation/Facebook
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Commonwealth Café
300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham
This downtown Birmingham coffee shop serves some of the best in metro Detroit. Commonwealth Café has a light and open ambiance with greenery placed throughout the space and offers plenty of brunch and lunch options, a variety of coffee and tea, daily baked goods, and more.
Photo via Commonwealth / Facebook
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Atomic Coffee
401 S. Main St., Royal Oak
The trendy and modern interior offers tons of seating, making this a great choice if you need a spot to hang out or to get some work done. Food options includes omelets, soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Photo courtesy of Atomic Coffee / Facebook
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Mighty Good Coffee
217 N. Main St., Ann Arbor
When you stop by this modern and minimalist coffee shop, be sure to try the Brown Sugar Sea Salt Latte — you won't regret it. In addition to the coffee, Mighty Good is stocked with baked goods from Avalon, The Croissant Shop, and Tasty Bakery.
Photo via Mighty Good Coffee / Facebook
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The Office Coffee Shop
402 S. Lafayette Ave., Royal Oak
Located in downtown Royal Oak, the Office Coffee Shop is a comfortable space for professionals of all industries to grab some coffee or put in a full day of work. In this part-office, part-coffee shop, you can enjoy great coffee and food options while you work, print, scan, and hold meetings.
Photo courtesy of The Office Coffee Shop / Facebook
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Lab
505 E. Liberty St., Ste. 300, Ann Arbor
Located in downtown Ann Arbor, Lab features coffee and espresso, as well as locally baked pastries, loose-leaf teas, and a rotating yogurt bar. If you're stopping by to work or engage in a casual conversation, you can rearrange tables to best suit your needs.
Photo courtesy of Lab Cafe Ann Arbor / Facebook
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The Songbird Café
2707 Plymouth Rd., Ann Arbor
This creative eatery is the perfect place for a quick coffee stop with its fast service and great selection of baked goods, soup, sandwiches, espresso drinks, teas, and specialty lattes — like the cardamom rose latte or fig vanilla black pepper latte.
Photo via The Songbird Cafe : North Side
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