3 Tampa Bay Coffee Shops Make Food & Wine's Best In U.S. List

TAMPA BAY, FL — After more than two years of on-the-ground research, Food & Wine magazine has rounded up nearly 100 of the most essential cafes, coffee shops and espresso bars in the United States, and three of them are located in Tampa Bay.

Describing the current market as "the golden age of coffee, Food & Wine writer David Landsel checked out thousands of coffee shops across the county to come up with The Best Coffee Shops in America: 2019.

Coming in No. 8 on Food & Wine's top 10 list is King State Coffee, 520 E. Floribraska Ave., Tampa.

Originally from Tampa, King State Coffee founders Tim McTague and Nate Young spent most of their adult lives as touring musicians, playing with various bands at venues around the country.

"In 2013 after those bands broke up, the idea to start a coffee roaster began to brew over many nights in a back yard drinking beers and smoking cigars," said the roasters on their Facebook page.

McTague and Young, who are brothers-in-law, bought a commercial roaster and started King State Coffee and selling it online in 2014. As their unique coffee blends including Antigua Hunapu Guatemala, La Flores Santa Barbara Honduras, Uraga Guji Ethiopia and Huila Acevedo Colombia Decaf caught on, the roasters took the inevitable next step. They converted an old abandoned gas station in Tampa Heights and opened their coffee shop in July.

In addition to being top-notch roasters, McTague and Young are also brewmasters, offering their own in-house craft beers on tap.

King State Coffee also has select menu items including The GEB - bacon, scrambled egg, house-made pesto, arugula and brie on a buttermilk biscuit; The Tony Saparnostien - corned beef, spicy capicola, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on marble rye; and The Hommie Bowl - arugula, balsamic roasted veggies, hummus, house-made pesto and goat cheese.

Also making Food & Wine's list of best coffee shops is Bandit Coffee Co. at 2662 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg's Grand Central District.

Founders Sarah and Joshua Weaver grew up in Tampa Bay and opened Bandit Coffee in 2016. The coffee shop serves a full complement of the couple's roasted coffee blends including several Ethiopian and Mexican roasts. The shop offers espressos, lattes and cold brews.

Several months ago, the Weavers expanded their menu to include craft beers and natural wines along with breakfast and brunch menus featuring vegan burritos with spiced basmati rice, drunken pinto beans, pico de gallo, pickeled onions, guacomole, brassicas blend chipotle cashew aioli and Spanish cauliflower; bacon, egg and cheese with chives kewpie mayo on a brioche bun; and avocado toast with guacomole, dehydrated tomatoes, chimichurri, radish, cotija and microgreens on sourdough bread.

And the third Tampa Bay coffee house on the list is Union by Commune & Co. in the Heights Public Market, 1910 N. Ola Ave., Tampa.

Owner Joel Davis began his coffee business pedaling through Ybor City on a trike, selling his pressure brew iced coffee from a crate attached to the handlebars. He opened his brick-and-mortar coffee shop Feb. 1, 2018.

While the beans are certainly important, for Davis it's all about the process. His unique, proprietary brewing method highlights the sweetness, nuance and characteristics of exceptional coffees.

"Pressure brew cascades like a Guinness and the head settles at the top of the glass, leaving you with a light, refreshing chilled coffee without the bitterness of a traditional cold brew," said Davis describing the results of the process.

In addition to his nitro-tapped cold pressure brew, Davis offers batch-brewed drip coffee, espresso, horchata lattes, mochas and Coffee Cola - pressure brew with citrus, bitter orange coriander, nutmeg and lavender.

Also on the menu are a selection of loose-leaf teas and chai, beer, natural wine, toast and jam made with locally sourced sourdough bread and seasonal jam, vegan bread and muffins.

Other Florida shops on the list are Miami’s All Day, West Palm Beach’s Composition Coffee, Orlando's Deeply Coffee and Boca Raton’s Mane Coffee.