South Florida's Best Coffee Shops

By Melissa McCart Fri., Dec. 16 2011 at 12:06 PM

Categories: Best Of

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People are particular about coffee, whether they take it light and sweet, black, or muddy. Then there are the matters of beans: how recently they were roasted, whether they're fair trade, or whether any of it matters once they're in the cup, brewed by a Krups machine, a French press, or drip funnel for a single cup.

To complicate matters further, some of us like beer with our coffee, especially on weekends. Which brings us to the second of today's lists: South Florida's best coffee shops for every preference.Feel free to chime in to add favorites or disagree with our choices.

10. Havana. Best Cuban coffee
For a Cuban cafecito or cafe con leche, Havana is a place to go indoors or for the walk-up window.

9. Gizzi's Coffee. Best variety
It's a tossup between best name and best selection, though we went with the latter, as this shop tucked in a strip mall offers beans from Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Ethiopia.

8. Coffee District. Best place to pair coffee with beer
A coffeehouse with character, this shop sells locally roasted coffee as well as 150 craft brews, perfect for a morning hangover helper and hair of the dog.

7. Harold's Coffee House. Best coffee with a side of tunes
For ladies crushing on John Ralston and his genre, this is the place to go Sundays. And for you Intelligensia coffee snobs looking for an artsy hang, this is your spot.

6. Undergrounds Coffeehaus. Best snacks
Meet a colorful set of characters or snack on one of dozens of varieties of tater tots at this second-level walk-up shop. Open late, it's a terrific place to catch an old flick, or revisit childhood games, books, or toys. And the coffee's delicious, too.

5. Mother Earth Coffee and Gifts. Best hippie watching
This charming shop that's outfitted with worn-in chairs and couches offers a soothing place to sip fair-trade tea or coffee and people watch.

4. Java Boys. Best neighborhood shop
A Wilton Manors staple offers a medium roast house blend as well as Jamaican Blue Mountain at this cruisy spot that's open until midnight.

3. The Spot. Best chain
Terrific service, solid eats, and a decent cup of Joe characterize The Spot in Delray, ideals for a fly-by after the beach.

2. Oceana Coffee. Best local roaster
The first stand-alone roaster in the area, Oceana is a stop to smell the coffee, offering a range of beans from bright to earthy.

1. Brew. Best cuppa joe
Forget the pastries and the fact that the poor barista at Himmarshee often works by her lonesome. These folks know coffee, and it's among the most delicious cups in the area. Brew serves Intelligensia as well as wine and craft beer that's $2 a bottle during happy hours from 5 to 7 p.m.

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