For The Love of Caffeine – Who’s Slinging Philly’s Best Joe?

Philadelphia is known for plenty of culinary delights – water ice, pretzels, CHEESESTEAKS – but coffee is the elixir that flows through our veins. Like many a good ol’ American city bustling with heaps of stressed, rushed working folks, coffee is the sweet, sweet remedy for all that ails us. Rough day ahead? Coffee. Rough day behind you? Coffee – although, in this case, beer ties for first. Need to wake up? Need to warm up? Need something to keep you looking busy as you side-eye the crazies riding the SEPTA during morning rush hour? Yeah, you know the drill.

Philly loves good coffee, and Elixr gives Center City its fix. Photo: Elixr Coffee

For the uninitiated, it can be a pain trying to find the perfect cup of joe. If the grounds are wrong, your day doesn’t even make it off the ground. If the bean is subpar, your being is at odds with the world. If the filtration is poor… okay, I’m out of coffee-related puns. What we’re going to do is rattle off an unscientific, highly subjective sampling of some of the city’s finest stops for good coffee. These ratings go down bitter with you? Feel free to yell at me in the comments.

Ultimo Coffee (ultimocoffee.com, 1900 S. 15th Street) – Ultimo nabbed The Daily Meal’s kudos for the best coffee shop in America, as well as Philly Mag’s pick for the city’s best… and that’s no small matter! Offering Counter Culture coffee, locally-sourced milk, and a heaping side of coffee education as a bonus, Ultimo is the ultimate.

One Shot Coffee (1shotcoffee.wordpress.com, 217 West George Street) – This NoLibs indie spot gets consistent props for its cozy shabby-chic decor, double levels of seating, and delish cafe menu. The Stumptown coffee they serve gets high marks across the board from local tastemakers.

Elixr (elixrcoffee.com, 207 S. Sydenham St) – Looks like Hippie Heaven, tastes like… well, just heaven. This little hole in the wall is long on down-to-earth charm and gorgeous green appeal – the main bar is constructed wholly of reclaimed wood – but Elixr’s biggest boasting point is really amazing coffee. If the ristretto shot doesn’t get you going, it’s probably best to go back to bed.

Wawa (wawa.com, everywhere) – The gas station decor isn’t winning any awards for atmosphere, but locals love them some Wawa coffee. Massholes have their Dunkies, we have our – highly superior – alternative. See you at the Logan Square location on National Coffee Day!