# Coffee in Albuquerque — 27 shops, by vibe

Every card is one coffee shop: what it's like and who it's for.

- **Zendo** (Downtown): Downtown coffee with a gallery that turns over every Artwalk. New shows open on Artwalk nights with a DJ on the back patio, and a run club meets here. Weekdays it's long tables and laptops. Vibe: Laptop-friendly, Art on the walls, Patio, Events & markets.
- **Castle Coffee** (Downtown): House-made syrups, an Abuelita Chocolatito, and couches for a long catch-up. Three shops: Downtown on Tijeras, Nob Hill on Carlisle, and Rio Rancho. They pitch the downtown one as the place to sit and talk. Vibe: Good for talking, Wild sweet drinks, New Mexico flavors, Laptop-friendly.
- **Humble Coffee**: Ten years running as the neighborhood favorite on Nextdoor. One of the baristas has been there eight years. Bristol doughnuts on the counter, and a vendor market on second Saturdays. Vibe: Pastry case, Events & markets, Community hub, Laptop-friendly, Patio.
- **Michael Thomas Coffee** (Nob Hill): A roaster with a winter menu that includes Krampus chai and eggnog brûlée. Tarot readings on some Saturdays. A second location is under construction. Vibe: Roasts its own, Wild sweet drinks, Events & markets, Patio, Dog-friendly.
- **Grandma's Coffee Garden** (Nob Hill): Garden tables, a little zine library, and art markets out front. Mornings only, Wednesday through Sunday. Home base for Rosie's dyke run, and this year's Día de los Muertos ofrenda was for pets. Vibe: Patio, Community hub, Books, Art on the walls, LGBTQ+.
- **Slow Burn Coffee** (Wells Park): They roast their own, and the shelves are stocked with used books. The books come from Down Home Books. Single origins go on espresso and pour-over, and the strawberry sumac matcha is the house oddball. Vibe: Roasts its own, Pour-over nerds, Books, Tea too, Laptop-friendly, Patio.
- **La Luz Coffee Co.** (North Valley): North Valley roastery with a piñon spice latte. The syrups lean New Mexican. This fall alone: a mercado, a latte-art throwdown, and an anniversary dance party. Vibe: Roasts its own, New Mexico flavors, Events & markets, Laptop-friendly, Dog-friendly, Quiet.
- **Remedy Coffee** (Near Old Town): Free books, craft nights, and whatever their baker made that morning. Run by Durán's Pharmacy next door, on Lomas just before Old Town. Apple empanadas, kombucha on tap, loose-leaf tea, and a patio. Vibe: Books, Pastry case, Tea too, Patio, Laptop-friendly, Quiet.
- **Catopia Cat Cafe** (NE Heights): Coffee with adoptable cats. There's a ball pit. Every cat comes from a local rescue, and over 1,100 have gone home through Catopia. Walk in or book a visit on their website. Coffee, baked goods, and canned drinks. Vibe: Cats.
- **Burning Daylight** (Downtown): Coffee in the morning, draft beer by afternoon, same seat. Pancakes and green chile grilled cheese, mimosas on the patio, and happy-hour prices on draft. People work here all day. Vibe: Beer & wine, Laptop-friendly, Real food, Patio.
- **Satellite Coffee**: The local chain with the carne adovada burrito. Sister company to Flying Star, with shops around town including one by UNM on Harvard. Get the cardamom matcha. Vibe: Real food, New Mexico flavors, Tea too, Laptop-friendly, Dog-friendly.
- **Flying Star**: Coffee, a cake case, and a full dinner menu under one roof. Cakes and pies from scratch daily, voted Best Bakery by Rio Rancho readers. Live music some nights at the Paseo and Corrales locations. Vibe: Real food, Pastry case, Laptop-friendly, Beer & wine, Quiet.
- **Rust Is Gold** (NE Heights): The moto coffee shop. Riders grab a cup while they wait on a tire change. Riding jackets for sale at the counter, a yearly Monster Mash car and bike show, and yoga nights. Vibe: Car & bike people, Community hub, Laptop-friendly, Quiet.
- **Heatwave Coffee** (NE Heights): A blue-corn New Mexico Cappuccino, house-made syrups, gooey cinnamon rolls. Cars & coffee mornings run spring through fall. Catopia, the cat cafe, is in the same shopping center. Vibe: Wild sweet drinks, Pastry case, New Mexico flavors, Car & bike people.
- **Amalie Coffee Co.** (Nob Hill): Coffee and over-the-top croissants until 11 at night. S'mores croissants, pistachio monsters, cinnamon-roll stacks, and a honeycomb bread filled with cheese and finished with honey. Vibe: Open late, Pastry case, Wild sweet drinks.
- **Rise + Roast**: Donut shop that does coffee, with new flavors every month. Two shops: Coors on the Westside and Eubank SE. November's special is a pecan pie donut. Vibe: Donuts, Pastry case.
- **Cutbow Coffee**: Fly-fishing roaster with a polka-dot wall and a big covered patio. The patio is shared with Sidetrack Brewing. Their coffee porter with Steel Bender came back this fall by popular demand. Vibe: Roasts its own, Art on the walls, Patio, Laptop-friendly, Dog-friendly.
- **Plata Coffee** (Los Ranchos): Mario Kart nights, yoga, game night till 8, and a monthly hang for chronic illness. Donation drives for CasaQ by the door, dog adoption days, and a small-business market around the holidays. Vibe: Community hub, Events & markets, Tea too, Laptop-friendly.
- **Grinding Gears Coffee** (Corrales): Corrales roastery that posts its V60 recipe. Small batches roasted on site and sealed within days. Seats inside and out, and a house blend for The Farm Stand down the road. Vibe: Roasts its own, Pour-over nerds, Patio.
- **Blackbird Coffeehouse** (Old Town): A garden patio with a fountain, tucked inside Old Town's Patio Market. An easy stop mid-stroll. The seasonal menu lives on a chalkboard, and they raffle for local causes. Vibe: Patio.
- **VM Coffee** (Downtown): French Toast Friday on local challah, a new version every week. They roast their own beans, and Chef Yoyo Torres runs the kitchen: tortilla soup, crème brûlée French toast. Patio seating when it's warm. Vibe: Real food, Roasts its own, Patio, Laptop-friendly, Quiet.
- **Curious Toast** (Downtown): Downtown café and gallery on Route 66. Green chile BLT, and posole from the chef's grandmother's recipe. It fills up every Artwalk, and there's a patio facing the public art next door. Vibe: Real food, Art on the walls, New Mexico flavors, Patio.
- **Oval Dogs Coffee** (Rio Rancho): A Rio Rancho roastery with a porch and a view of the Sandias. The café only opens Friday and Saturday mornings. The rest of the week they roast, with free bean delivery anywhere in Rio Rancho. Vibe: Roasts its own, Patio.
- **Little Bear Coffee**: Four cafés, and the Nob Hill one turns into a wine and beer bar (LBPM) at 5. The others are in Uptown, on Civic Plaza, and in Sawmill Market. They dial in rotating single origins, and there's a holiday market in December. Vibe: Open late, Beer & wine, Events & markets, Laptop-friendly, Dog-friendly, Patio.
- **Java Joe's** (Downtown): Downtown standby in the building covered in murals. Kaufman bagels, pastries from their own ovens, and local art on the walls. Sister shop Whiting Coffee on Osuna has the view. Vibe: Art on the walls, Pastry case, Real food, Laptop-friendly, Patio.
- **Trifecta Coffee**: They roast their own and bake hard: green chile apple cheesecake bars, hand-tempered bonbons. Open until 6 on weekdays, and people come here to study. Vibe: Roasts its own, Pastry case, Laptop-friendly, New Mexico flavors, Patio, Quiet.
- **Lasso Coffee & Lager** (Downtown): They roast the coffee and brew the lagers, and the long tables are good for working until 9. Kölsch, Vienna lager and pils on draft and in 4-packs, single-origin coffee on drip, and food pop-ups most weekends. Movie nights and live music on the patio. Vibe: Laptop-friendly, Beer & wine, Roasts its own, Open late, Patio, Events & markets.