by Annette F
After living in Minnesota for 30 years I truly learned to appreciate coffee. The winters are long and cold, but oh so beautiful and it’s true what they say, there are only two seasons in Minnesota, winter and road construction. It’s no surprise that with roughly 6 months of winter, Minnesotans love their coffee.
When people think of Minnesota they think of the Twin Cities, namely Minneapolis and St. Paul, but hands down the most scenic part of the state is in northern Minnesota along the North Shore of Lake Superior. It is breathtaking. If you find yourself heading north out of the Twin Cities toward Duluth and beyond here are some of the best places to stop and get a steaming hot cup of coffee.
Amity Coffee
Amity coffee is a small coffee shop with a neighborhood feel and friendly baristas. It is off the main drag and set apart from the tourist areas. They play old-school vinyl records and sometimes feature live local musicians. They have received rave reviews for their Chai lattes and Macchiatos. They have all the usual coffee beverages as well as hot chocolate, steamers, Italian soda, and some wine and beer. They also have a selection of house-made pastries
4429 E Superior St, Duluth, MN
Walk-in only, no drive through
Dunn Brothers Coffee
Dunn Brothers is an independently owned franchise coffee shop based in Minnesota. They feature locally roasted beans in all their drip coffee, espresso drinks, cold brew, and blended drinks. The Duluth location has a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere and serves freshly baked pastries, build-your-own breakfast sandwiches, and a lunch menu.
2401 London Rd, Duluth, MN
Walk in and drive through.
Duluth Coffee Company Cafe and Roastery
Duluth Coffee Co. is a small coffee house in the canal park area of Duluth, right on the shores of Lake Superior. They roast fresh coffee every week in a 12-kilo roaster located in the center of the cafe. Their mission is to source, roast, and craft coffee with integrity and intentionality and they do this by forming relationships with farmers across the globe.
In addition to the Duluth-based coffee shop where you can enjoy great coffee, they ship freshly roasted beans that can be ordered based on origin, profile, process, and variety. They also offer a coffee subscription service.
105 E. Superior Street Duluth, MN
https://duluthcoffeecompany.com/
Walk-in only, no drive-through.
Dream Cloud Coffee Roasters
Dream Cloud is located in downtown Duluth near the waterfront of Lake Superior. The atmosphere provides a mellow getaway with soft lighting and vaulted wood ceilings, providing a tea room vibe different from the average coffee house. It is the perfect spot to escape the harsh Duluth winters.
They roast their beans in-house and are known for seasonal offerings based on the harvest throughout the year. They often feature a single bean at different roast levels until that supply runs out.
They create unique coffee drinks that make them stand out from most coffee shops. Examples include a Neapolitan iced latte, a Peach Pie iced latte, and a Lemon Guava iced chai.
102 West Superior Street Duluth, MN
https://www.dreamcloudcoffeeroasters.com/
Walk-in only, no drive-through.
190 Coffee and Tea
190 serves up coffee and tea in an industrial, but warm and inviting space. They partner with coffee roasters and tea blenders to assure their products are ethically sourced. They serve drip coffee, cold brew coffee, and espresso-based drinks and they feature seasonal roasts. They also offer a pitcher of coffee served to the table. Their brewing methods range from drip to Chemex to hario to Aeropress.
190 prides itself on community involvement. They offer local artists a place to showcase their work, team up with surrounding businesses to create community-building events and offer discounts to students, educators, and fellow industry employees.
1831 W Michigan Street Suite 103 Duluth, MN
https://www.190coffeeandtea.com/
Perk Place Coffeehouse
Perk Place has Duluth Coffee Co beans delivered weekly for their hot, iced, and blended beverages. They serve the usual assortment of espresso-based drinks but also have unique specialty drinks such as the Salty Sailor Latte, the Honey Bear Latte, and the Grasshopper Mocha just to name a few. They also offer fresh fruit smoothies as well as a variety of house-made pastries, desserts, and breakfast dishes. They boast great food, strong coffee, and exceptional service.
1336 West Arrowhead Rd Duluth, MN
Walk-in only, no drive-through.
Dovetail Cafe & Market
Dovetail is a casual cafe located in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District. They invite the community to come together to enjoy handcrafted coffee, beer, wine, and food. They are in partnership with the Duluth Folk School, working to strengthen and support the local community. If you are looking for something a bit different they host cribbage on Wednesday nights and trivia on Friday nights.
They have a wide variety of espresso-based drinks as well as brewed coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, and baked treats.
1917 W Superior Street Duluth, MN
Yellow Bike Coffee Fitgers
Yellow Bike is a North Shore coffee shop in the historic Fitgers building in downtown Duluth. Their mission is to provide good coffee with a message of hope and purpose. They feature bags of “hero roasts” beans in which 8% of the proceeds of each bag go to the foundation listed on the back. In addition to coffee and espresso-based drinks, they serve smoothies, Chai and Frappes. They also offer a coffee subscription service.
600 E Superior St Duluth, MN
Walk-in only, no drive-through.
Cedar Coffee Company
Cedar coffee is off the beaten path in Two Harbors near Gooseberry Falls State Park. It is the ideal spot to have a great conversation with friends, talk bikes and enjoy the serenity and beauty of the woods. The menu varies with the season but they always serve breakfast all day and have an array of coffee and espresso-based drinks.
They share a roof with sister companies Spokengear and Cedaero. Spokengear aims to build a community around bikes, coffee, and adventure and offers bike repair, rentals, and gear. Cedaero makes custom packs for bicycle touring and bike-packing perfect for a bike trip along the North Shore.
1130 11th Street Two Harbors, MN
White Pine Market
White Pine Market is a gift shop combined with a coffee shop featuring their own Gold Eagle fresh roasted coffee. It is located in the small town of Two Harbors and sells homemade goods from local craftsmen. They serve brewed coffee, espresso-based drinks, specialty coffee, and specialty drinks as well as pastries, and breakfast sandwiches.
1081 MN-61, Two Harbors, MN
Walk-in only, no drive-through
Fika Coffee (Fee-Kah)
Fika is a Swedish word meaning coffee break. It is all about a moment of quiet in an otherwise hectic day and this roaster and this coffee shop in Lutsen aims to provide just that. They focus on coffee, community, and adventure on the beautiful North Shore and feature small-batch coffee roasted right in the shop.
They serve espresso, brewed coffee, and tea. They also have a few unique beverages such as the Maple Latte, the Estate made with espresso, steamed milk, and cardamom and the Affogato made with buttermilk vanilla ice cream and espresso.
They offer coffee subscriptions for their fresh roasted coffee.
5327 W. Highway 61 Lutsen, MN
Log Cabin Coffee Drive-through
Log Cabin coffee is a small, rustic log cabin in Ely Minnesota, not far from the Canadian border. You can even “drive-through” on horseback if you like. This is an independently owned coffee drive-through with great coffee and espresso and it’s a great spot to stop on your way to the Boundry Waters.
1340 E Sheridan St, Ely, MN
https://logcabincoffeedrive-thru.food62.com/amp
Drive-through only, no walk-in.
Northern Grounds
Northern Grounds is located in an iconic historic building in downtown Ely, the doorstep to the Boundry Waters. They use single-origin beans that are roasted daily at a roastery just down the street from the cafe. The guiding principles of Northern Grounds are sustainability, curiosity, diversity, and honesty.
They also feature a large selection of wine by the glass or bottle and a market with gourmet grab-and-go items to take to your cabin in the woods or your tent in the BWCA.
If you are looking for something out of the ordinary (and out of the cold) you can attend one of their local events hosted in the upstairs Society Hall. In addition, you can buy a day pass in the beautiful, light-filled, Society Hall workspace for just $10. You will have access to wi-fi and reliable internet, as well as the amenities of the coffee shop downstairs. It’s the perfect place to connect with the world before you head out on your Boundry Waters adventure.
2 W. Sheridan St. Ely, MN.
https://www.thenortherngrounds.com/
Betty’s Pies
Betty’s Pies has to be mentioned here because it is a landmark on the Minnesota North Shore. They boast the best pie by the slice or you can enjoy a whole pie and if you find one you just can’t live without they ship all over the country. They also have a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Come for the pie and stay for the coffee.
1633 MN 61 Two Harbors, MN