If you’re planning a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, who could blame you?
It’s best known for the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. It’s dedicated to conservation around the world and is home to the largest glazed geodesic dome and largest indoor desert in the world, not to mention the largest indoor rainforest in North America.
There are interactive exhibits and plenty of shows.
Alternatively, if you’ve just moved into the area, what a great decision. It’s one of the most affordable US cities to live in.
It’s also a great place to grab a coffee and a bite to eat, with a wide array of coffee shops and cafés dotted all through the city.
In this article, I will share with you my hand-picked shortlist of the best ones, giving a brief description of each, sharing the links to their websites, and menus where applicable, and of course their addresses for your sat nav.
Archetype Coffee is quite a favorite with the locals, and they have not one, not two, but three shops in the area, Little Bohemia, The Blackstone District, and Ashton at Millwork Commons.
Archetype Coffee roasts its own beans, and has a great selection to choose from. You can even order a subscription to their coffee online. And if you spend over a certain amount, you get free shipping.
Dundee Double Shot fast became a staple in the historic Dundee community since its inception over 10 years ago. It’s now run by Mike and Connie, who offer their customers a choice of a whopping 32 different coffee roasts.
They have a nice range of food and drinks, including sweet treats, and both hot and cold flavored lattes, and just about every specialty milk you can think of, so you can really customize your drink.
Hardy Coffee boasts 4 different shops across Omaha, Nebraska. They roast their own coffee beans, and if you really like it, you have the option to order online, and even set up a subscription.
They also bake goods themselves from scratch and are available at both breakfast and lunchtime.
They’ve got muffins, rolls, sweet or savory scones, donuts, cakes, cookies, burritos, pies, sandwiches, salads, granola, oatmeal, pretzels and more.
Despite recently limiting themselves to in-store pickup and curbside delivery in recent times, I am pleased to confirm that their store is now open to the public.
They roast, grind and brew awesome coffee drinks, and they describe themselves as coffee geeks, not coffee snobs. They have a great selection of coffees, including flavored and seasonal varieties. They also do gift boxes.
You can order your food and drinks through their online ordering system.
This cozy little place has quite the Facebook following, with customers rating it at an impressive 4 and a half stars, even after around 100 individual ratings.
They are not just a coffee shop, but they are also a tearoom, and a sandwich shop. And, they introduce new drinks to the menu not just every season, but every month.
When this article was written, the menu featured bee latte, campfire cider, warm peach cobbler cappuccino, and more.
Howlin’s Hounds Coffee has such great art on the walls, it’s kinda like having coffee in an art gallery.
Their prices are very affordable, especially for their small tea, and their brewed coffee. They also serve French Press coffee, pour over, lattes, mochas, macchiatos, americanos, espresso, and frothy cappuccinos.
Not too long ago, Howlin’ Hounds Coffee was visited by a food critic and blogger who had nothing but praise for the place.
Zen Coffee Co is a great coffee house with reasonable prices and good vibes. They often have great seasonal menus, especially when it comes to drinks!
They’re open every day of the week, and are open until 8 pm on weekdays. You can now place your order online, arrange delivery, or purchase gift cards.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to stick with what you know, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are several Starbucks coffee shops in Omaha, Nebraska.
You will find both sit-in Starbucks coffee shops in Omaha, as well as one or two drive-thru facilities.
Their menu always features both hot and cold coffee and breakfast drinks, including popular favorites such as caramel macchiatos. And some well-loved lunchtime snacks such as gourmet sandwiches.
Address:
219 South 72nd Street, Crossroads Corner, Omaha, NE 68114
Now, this is such a great cafe – and not just because of the great tasting locally roasted coffee beverages!
When you get a day pass, you can spend as long as you like there before they close, and you get to play board games with your friends, or even make new friends.
They also serve some top-notch craft beers to those eligible, and pizzas. And if you decide you really like a particular board game, you have the option to buy one to play at home.
Omaha is lucky enough to have its very own cat café – a café where you get to pet cats and kittens during your stay that roam freely around the café. And if you fall in love with one, you could even adopt it.
They serve locally produced beverages such as Bad Seed Coffee Beans, and Artemis Teas.
It’s a non-profit organization, and their prices are all very reasonable. You will have to book your visit in advance, which you can do online on their website.
Karma Koffee is quite a popular joint, with a strong social media following and a really wide range of food and drinks.
Their stand-out feature has to be their signature drinks – the Karma’s Classic French Toast Latte is the perfect example, featuring Espresso, milk, maple syrup, brown sugar, topped with cinnamon.
And the Yin and Yang is also very nice, an espresso, with milk, dark and white chocolate sauce.
They serve both breakfast and lunch, and their menu features pastries, mini loafs, Quiché, waffles, soup, sandwiches, brownies, muffins, and more.
Urban Abbey is a nonprofit coffee shop, bookstore, and church located in Downtown Omaha.
They are a United Methodist faith community that’s very welcoming, and they serve some great locally roasted coffee, and you can browse for books to read.
10% of coffee bar sales goes towards causes centered around enacting real change, being a voice for others, challenging the status quo, and ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
This café has to be seen to be believed – it’s magnificent!
It’s a museum café, where the theme of the café changes every few months, thanks to local artists. What’s more, during the time period for each theme, they host a new nonprofit, to bring their work to the community’s attention.
They serve coffee, and cocktails, and there’s also amazing decor, costumes, events, and magic demonstrations, too.
They support the local economy by sourcing as much as they can from within 400 miles of their shop. What’s more, they only use natural sweeteners in their drinks, such as honey, maple syrup, and date syrup, always choosing organic over artificial whenever possible.
Despite their strict criteria, they have a wide selection of drinks and treats on offer, such as toast, muffins, pastries, hand pies, and even ice cream.
Astute Coffee, previously known as The Bike Union, is a social enterprise dedicated to providing opportunities to young adults coming out of the foster care system. And whenever you buy coffee here, you are supporting the cause.
The program includes financial literacy, cooking and nutrition, mindfulness meditation, and more, to prepare them to join the workforce as accomplished adults.
Address:
1818 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68102
Wrap Up
I hope you’ve enjoyed scrolling through my shortlist of the best coffee shops and cafés in Omaha, NE as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.
There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll find somewhere great to grab a coffee while you’re in the area – enjoy!
My name is Dana Dupree and I am an avid coffee lover. Since I began college and realized what a heavy load writing majors took on, I have been a fan of the bean juice.
My job has taken me all over the US on book tours and press conferences, and my favorite part about the trip is exploring the best places to grab my cup of Joe.
