When my father informed me that Waco had a better Third Wave Coffee shop than most in Dallas, my jaw dropped. Considering I am originally from Waco, I wouldn't call my surprise due to prejudice or superiority to a smaller Texas town. It simply took me by surprise that anyone in Waco would care enough about a progressive coffee movement. I mean, every time I have visited Waco the only changing buildings are those on the Baylor campus. Dichotomy sure proved me wrong that Waco can't change. Now located in a large and spacious space downtown Waco, Dichotomy was opened by Brett Jameson and only has three employees. I first went to their original location in an art gallery nearby, but the new space is everything different and more, with the same original dedication to quality coffee and spirits. Dichotomy carries a total of 11 different coffee brands (say what?!), one of which happened to be the first batch from a company out of Texas called Tweed. Some of the others are Handsome Coffee, MadCap, PT's Coffee, Ritual, Counter Culture, among others. Although this can seem a bit overwhelming, they only really keep about three at a time based on the best roast date. When I first visited (July 10) they had the brand new Tweed coffee. Both espressos that I had from the Tweed Yirgacheffe were quite good-- not at all acidic as I was expecting with more fruit flavors, but instead it opened up slowly on my palette as sweet and round. Overall, this place is so amazing to be in the middle of Waco. Great job, Dichotomy.

Recommend: Check out the rooftop! Talk with Brett who works there! He has great coffee stories- such as when he worked at Starbucks, had his own siphon, brought in better coffee and made the better coffee for coffee fans.

Note: The hours for this place are pretty crazy long, open til 12am at the earliest everyday of the week and 2am on weekends.

Price: $

Vibe: Spacious, serious coffee

Espresso Rating:  8.5/10

Overall Rating:  9.5/10

Location:  508 Austin Ave, Waco, TX 76701

Hours: Sun-Thurs 6am-12am; Fri-Sat 6am-2am

2181 NW Nicolai St, Portland, OR 97210

555 NE Couch St, Portland, OR 97232

3808 N Williams Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Addresses:

"Brew Bar"- 1300 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Mon-Fri 6am-6pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm

"Espresso Bar"- 2631 SE Hawthorne Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Mon-Fri 6am-6pm; Sat-Sun 8am-6pm

This place is extremely easy to walk by. I'd say it might be the epitome of the "unassuming coffee shop" but then again, there is Abraco in New York. No bathroom, no seating, no credit cards accepted and yet this place is significant. Aside from James Freeman's first farmers' market cart, this Hayes Valley location is the first Blue Bottle Coffee, opened in January 2005-- truly making headway in the beginnings of the Third Wave Coffee movement. That being said, my Hayes Valley espresso might have tasted a tad better because of my excitement in the fresh San Francisco air, at one of my favorite locations, simply perched on a small bench. Overall, simple and simply awesome. 

Recommend: If you really want to learn about coffee, espresso, or Blue Bottle-- read "The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee"!! It is one of the most thorough, interesting, and informative books that I have. 

Note: No WiFi, No Credit Cards, No Seating--come prepared to just drink some amazing coffee and bring some cash money!!

Price: $$ 

Vibe: Laid-back, coffee-centric, outdoor

Espresso Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Location: 315 Linden St  San Francisco, CA (Alleyway off of main Hayes Valley square- around the corner from the Ritual Coffee in the shipping container)

Hours: Mon-Fri 7 am - 6 pm, Sat-Sun 8 am - 6 pm

Website: http://www.bluebottlecoffee.com/ 

When I begin to have doubts in the existence of fantastic espresso, San Francisco is always there for me. I had first heard about the confirmed rumors of the opening of Linea Caffe back in March through Sprudge.com and I have wanted to go ever since. Although I had never heard of the great duo, coffee-expert and founder of Ecco Caffe, Andrew Barnett and chef (Mission Street Foods) Anthony Myint, were preparing to open something great... serving Coffee, Salads and Waffles. Off of 18th and Mission St, Linea Caffe is largely unassuming--like most fantastic coffee shops. The indoor space is large enough for probably five or six people to be comfortably ordering coffee or picking up an order, so I was eternally grateful for the sunny, warm day in November in San Francisco to sit outside. The walls are beautiful patterned wood and the cafe is simple and approachable. The espresso, made from their La Marzocco Linea machine (hence the name), came in a beautiful Heath ceramic demitasse (I think the same ones I've seen at Weekend Coffee in Dallas). And I'd like to describe the espresso in Andrew Barnett's words himself: "There's a certain kind of espresso that I've been dreaming of for years, super sweet, super balanced and clean, very approachable. I've wanted to create this profile and Linea Caffe is my opportunity to showcase this espresso." I LOVE his description! The espresso was exactly that--something I could drink every single day without cringing at the Ritual-like lemon squeeze taste every sip. I had fallen for Linea Caffe even before my waffle came. I ordered a Greek Yogurt, Orange slices, and marmalade waffle. The only waffle I've ever tasted that has compared to this was actually from Blue Bottle in New York City. This waffle, though, was a perfect cloud doused in not-too-sweet, orange tangy fresh goodness. Every bite was perfection. Luckily, I could enjoy both the waffle and coffee separately, neither overpowering each other because I got them at different times. Bravo, Linea Caffe. Truly some of the best espressos and waffles I've ever had. Overall, this place is perfection on a nice day to sit outside, and closes by 3 pm, so don't sleep too late.

Recommend: Walk around the Mission after having some great coffee and waffles (or salads). Literally any of those waffles are heaven. On weekends in the afternoon, lots of couples and families are walking around to all the stores and whatnot. I really enjoyed spending time in the Dog-Eared Bookshop!

Note: Probably gets crowded on a rainy or cold day. And parking is slightly difficult, but c'est la vie in San Francisco! 

Vibe: San Francisco hipster, Mission district, laid-back

Price: $$ 

Espresso Rating: 9.5/10 (I'm drooling still)

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am - 3 pm; Sat-Sun 8 am - 4 pm

Website: http://www.lineacaffe.com/

Address: 3417 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

If homemade toast and Four Barrel espresso can't get me to a coffee shop, then I don't know what will. Although this toast is not as ah-mazing (in my humble opinion) as the likes of Sqirl in LA, Josey Baker Bread is equally creative and focused. The menu changes daily based on the different breads, jams and nut butters--usually featuring a pairing between 3 different types of bread with either jam, nut butter, maple syrup, butter, and the likes. Their dense bread makes you feel like you're right at home. The layout of the mill is very cool--high white ceilings, dark wood and marble tables, and even the lovely accent of a church bench. Possibly a commentary on the religion that coffee has become to certain people? Regardless, the space may feel big when it's empty but it quickly fills up on weekend mornings. Expect a long line to fill up the space by 10:30am. But on to their coffee. They use Four Barrel which in my experience has been pretty awesome at the Four Barrel location--and pretty mediocre at any other cafe that carries their beans. The Mill uses the Friendo Blendo espresso and pulled a decent shot-- not great, although it went nicely with and didn't stand out from the toast. Overall, this would be a cool location to study at during the week or meet someone for coffee. There's something here for almost everybody--gluten-free people aside.

Recommend: Their toast (obviously)-- try a weird flavor that you might not expect to go together! They know what they are doing in pairing the flavors. 

Note: Lines get extremely long on the weekends! Go early in the morning or during the week. Also, no WiFi. Read a book in there or something (shocker).

Price: $$ 

Vibe: San Fran yuppies

Espresso Rating: 7/10

Overall Rating: 8/10

Location: 736 Divisadero St San Francisco, CA

Neighborhood: Alamo Square

Hours: Everyday 7am-9pm

Website: http://themillsf.com/ 

If you aren't aware of the blossoming shipping container architecture, then wake up. There are apparently now houses, apartments, bathrooms, banks, and even whole shopping malls that are being built out of recycled shipping containers. Naturally, look somewhere in San Francisco and they will be a part of this cutting edge, environmentally-friendly, trendy trend. Located in a dusty, gravelly lot off of the Hayes Valley "Patricia's Green" park, Ritual Coffee has opened in a shipping container--ideal for any beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day. Lucky me-- I happened to visit this Ritual Coffee location each time on one of those perfect days. Under the seemingly communist-inspired red and white industrial awning, I got to order my Seersucker Summer seasonal espresso (also see, Bru Coffee for more Seersucker).  Probably the best part of this Ritual Coffee location is not necessarily the better-than-good, high note espressos, but instead hipster-watching, admiring the colorful graffiti, or simply pondering what crazy ideas San Francisco will promulgate next. Overall, this Ritual coffee location is in a great area, has a unique idea (maybe not for long) going for them, and can pull a decent espresso. 

Recommend: Try Smitten Ice Cream (also out of a shipping container) right behind Ritual! They make their ice cream in under 90 seconds right in front of you and its incredibly delicious--probably some of my favorite! Also--sit outside! Enjoy a beautiful day in the cool area of Hayes Valley.

Note: Probably not the best on a rainy day (although they might accommodate for it). Also, if you are more new to Ritual Espresso or just clueless, they have many other locations in San Francisco that you could hit up on a bad weather day.

Vibe: Hayes Valley hipster

Price: $$ 

Espresso Rating: 8/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Hours: 7am - 7pm every day

Website: http://www.ritualroasters.com/

If nobody has caught on yet, I'm generally not a fan of Ritual Coffee. I don't really understand why so many people have hyped it up in San Francisco and its spreading like wildfire around LA coffee shops. I don't like the taste because it's generally a very high-note and tastes like someone put a lemon rind in my coffee (see my Cafe Demitasse review for a lemon rind story). Sadly, I'd rather see something like Sightglass make its rounds, but then again I can't always get what I want. *Sigh* So after I had a revolutionary experience at Linea Caffe, I decided to meander down Valencia Street until running in to Ritual Coffee and bring myself back down to earth. On the way I wandered in to a great book store--Dog Eared Bookshop-- and bought "Air Guitar" by Dave Hickey (I had read some of his essays for an art history class and loved them). And what better way to spend a Sunday in San Francisco than sitting in a coffee shop reading? Thankfully, my Ritual Coffee espresso was better than expected, their Seasonal Sugar Skull being pretty sweet, milk-chocolatey. I can't say I agree with the people I overheard talking about it being the "some of the best coffee in San Francisco", but overall I appreciated their espresso and spot at the bar to read on a lazy Sunday.

Recommend: Walk around Valencia St. and discover all the cool stores! San Francisco is full of them and the Mission still feels kind of authentic, not like most of the gentrified hipster areas of San Fran.

Note: Yes, parking will be difficult, and yes, you will probably have to drive around the block a few times. 

Vibe: Traditional coffee shop, laptops, socializing, San Francisco obnoxious hipsters

Price: $ 

Espresso Rating: 8/10

Overall Rating: 8/10

Hours: Monday-Friday: 6:00am - 10:00pm; Saturday: 7:00am - 10:00pm; Sunday: 7:00am - 9:00pm

Website: http://www.ritualroasters.com/ 

Location: 1026 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

(3 other locations in San Francisco) 

My least favorite part of having an espresso blog (and the only negative part) is taking pictures. I am one of those people who hates pulling out a phone to take a picture at every chance, of every location, or every espresso because I feel that I will lose part of the experience itself. However, it is slightly necessary in sharing an experience. That being said, I had to mention this before talking about Sightglass Coffee simply because these pictures do not do the location justice. The Sightglass Coffee bar in San Francisco is one of the most beautiful coffee bars that I've seen, and I just didn't have the heart to snap a million pictures of it. Instead-- I will try and describe it--because a thousand words is worth a picture, right? Walking in to Sightglass seems to be different every time because I notice more cool tiny details each time--like small plants growing out of the cement wall in the entryway? So cool! This Sightglass is both a large roastery and coffee bar and tasting bar all in one post-modern, two story location. The large cement pillars and cement structure are accented with wood and metal details. For the real experts, head straight upstairs to the "Top Bar" which is a tasting bar of single origin espressos, coffees, and sometimes even small candies or pastries. The Top Bar opened recently-sometime around March- and I have visited it twice. Both times have been equally amazing. The most recent visit was on an empty Sunday afternoon, where when going straight upstairs to the Top Bar, you are happily forced to chat with the barista. Both times they have been extremely friendly and willing to talk about coffee or everything but! I tried the only option this past time-- a Peaberry Tanzania Single Origin, neatly displayed on a wooden tray with a glass of sparkling water. The espresso was sweet, light, and flavorful. I am always grateful to get Sightglass in San Francisco because I can rarely find it as espresso in the LA area (I can find it usually as coffee at Spring for Coffee). Overall, a great experience whether you want a quick, awesome espresso downstairs or a slow, enjoyable tasting upstairs.  

Recommend: If you have time, go to the Top Bar! 

Note: No WiFi--read a book!

Price: $$ 

Vibe: Clean, coffee-centric, studious

Espresso Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Location: 270 Seventh Street San Francisco, CA

Hours: Mon-Sat 7 am - 7 pm, Sun 8 am - 7 pm

Website: https://sightglasscoffee.com/ 

I originally found out about Verve Coffee through two different places: The French Press in Santa Barbara and Single Origin in the Farmer's Market (LA). At both places I was usually impressed in the taste and design, always keeping it at the back of my mind to visit if I happened to be in Santa Cruz (although I tend to confuse many of the Sans and Santas of California and would probably forget). Finally, on a road trip up to San Francisco this past weekend I couldn't pass up the chance to make a roundabout route through Santa Cruz in order to visit Verve Coffee. We happened upon the closest one off the highway, which also turned out to be the Roastery & Coffeebar. There are three different locations in Santa Cruz: the Original Cafe off of 41st Ave and Portola Dr, the Roastery & Coffeebar off of Bronson St and Seabright Ave, and their Downtown Cafe on Pacific  Ave. The large corrugated metal, industrial-looking building encloses a large roastery and a quaint coffeebar with a killer Strada machine and minimal outdoor seating. And to add to the classic California vibe (mixed with industrial roastery), a group of good-looking skaters lounged around outside the coffee shop. Regardless, after a long car trip from Los Angeles, I couldn't wait for some quality espresso. Their seasonal blend, Streetlevel Espresso, had a great flavor but nothing out of the ordinary--dark chocolatey with some acidity. Overall, I was very pleased to go out of my way to finally try the original Verve espresso. And to top it all off, the winding mountain drive from Santa Cruz to San Francisco is one of the best.

Recommend: Obviously go here if you are in Santa Cruz, but make your way here even if you aren't! It was a great place to stop off the 1 on my way to San Fran. 

Note: If there happens to be a bad weather day (unlikely)-- don't stop here. There is primarily outdoor seating. 

Price: $$ 

Vibe: Laid-back, coffee experts

Espresso Rating: 8.5/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Hours: Roastery: Everyday, 7am - 5pm; 41st Ave, Mon - Fri: 6am - 7:30pm, Sat: 7am - 8:30pm, Sun: 7am - 7:30pm; Downtown, Everyday 6:30am - 9:30pm

Website: vervecoffeeroasters.com

Address: 1311 W. Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-10pm, Sun 7am-6pm

Address: 1621 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75207

Hours: Mon 7am-7pm; Tues/Wed 7am-9pm; Thur 7am-10pm; Fri 7am-10pm+; Sat 8am-10pm+; Sun 8am-6pm

Website: http://ascensiondallas.com/

Address: 1530 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 (inside the Joule Hotel)

Hours: 6:30am-6pm Everyday

Address: 750 S Rampart Blvd #9, Las Vegas, NV 89145 (located in Monte Carlo hotel)

Hours: 7am-10pm Everyday

Website: http://sambalatte.com/