Baltimore Is Home To The Best Coffee In Maryland: The Daily Meal

BALTIMORE, MD — Any serious coffee connoisseur will tell you that not every cup of Joe is created equal, and not every cafe with a “World’s Best Coffee” sign has, you know, even decent coffee. Fortunately, the Daily Meal decided to take the guesswork out of the equation and published the definitive list of the best coffee shops in each state.

In Maryland, the best shop is Artifact Coffee on Union Avenue in Baltimore, according to The Daily Meal.

Here’s what the authors had to say about the Hampden area joint:

"Artifact Coffee is a coffee and espresso bar that's big on community, regularly holding events such as readings, pop-up shops, and meet-ups. On the menu, you'll find a solid espresso bar, as well as a coffee bar that includes pour-over coffee, Chemex, and Japanese cold brew. Tea lovers will also appreciate the different flavors — both hot and cold — at the tea bar, and the drinks menu also includes wine, cocktails, and whiskey, rum or amaro for your espresso."

Don't miss the food, either — the coffee shop is owned by partners including James Beard Award-winning chef Spike Gjerde. His nearby restaurant Woodberry Kitchen provides the edible menu items. Small plates like this tomato toast featuring fresh-from-the-garden produce are around $4.

Of course, the star of the show is the coffee, which is made to order.

A survey by the National Coffee Association suggests more Americans than ever before are drinking coffee, and the charge is being led by young people. The percentage of people who drink coffee every day increased to 62 percent last year from 57 percent in 2016, according to the association's 2017 National Coffee Drinking Trends consumption tracking report.

One of the biggest drivers behind the increase is a growing appetite for “gourmet coffee varieties,” according to the National Coffee Association.

Although Americans typically like their coffee to-go, many of the best coffee shops are priding themselves on quality rather than mass production, a movement known as the “third wave," The Daily Meal reports.

“As a result of the third wave of coffee, more and more coffee shops are emphasizing their production process, making sure to utilize or partner with roasters and farms that demonstrate responsible methods of growing, harvesting and processing coffee beans,” the authors wrote.

These cafes are also putting an emphasis on their direct relationships with coffee growers, traders and roasters, as well as higher skilled brewing, using better beans and even coming up with unique latte art, the report said.

To come up with it list of best coffee by state, The Daily Meal reviewed its previous rankings and stories on local coffee shops, then examined existing rankings and review websites to see which cafes and coffee-centric restaurants had the highest ratings and were most beloved by locals and tourists. Most of the shops were small businesses, rather than chains.

See the full report featuring the best coffee in every state from The Daily Meal.

“Above all, we looked for shops with a nice sit-in area, a high level of barista skill and creativity, multiple food options that vary throughout the day, a variety of specialty coffee drinks, originality, and a high level of service,” the authors wrote.

Artifact Coffee is located at 1500 Union Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.

Photos by Elizabeth Janney.