Whether you want to get cozy or kickstart your day, have remote work to do or a plan to meet up with friends, a coffee shop is the perfect place, and the West Michigan lakeshore has plenty to discover! Here are our top seven picks for must-stop coffeeshops along Michigan’s west coast, from South Haven to Muskegon and beyond.
If you’re in South Haven, be sure to walk into The Living Room! Cuddle up in a cozy chair inside this warm and friendly shop, complete with a fireplace and an assortment of books. Not only can you enjoy a great cup of coffee, latte, or frappe, but if tea’s more your style, they’ve got that too. They even make a mean mug of hot chocolate and serve it all up with fresh baked goods from the nearby Bundes Bakery. Yum! Best of all, this place is totally non-profit ﹘all proceeds go to charity! So, not only can you enjoy some great coffee, but you can leave with a great feeling knowing you’ve helped a good cause. Doesn’t get much better than that.
When a place grows their own coffee beans and roasts them in small batches for the richest flavor possible, well, you know it’s got to be good! Uncommon Coffee Roasters is a cafe, wholesale roaster, and community-minded coffee shop all rolled into one. The outdoor garden seating is relaxing and beautiful, and not only is this place environmentally-friendly, but it’s dog-friendly as well.
There are plenty of excellent treats to choose from along with their wide variety of coffees (including cold brews) and teas. We hear the hot cider is pretty darn delicious too.
With an inclusive and inviting ambiance, you can’t help but feel welcomed when you walk in the doors, which is good since, once you’ve tasted their coffee, you’re not going to want to leave! Not to worry, though. You can always take some beans home with you, or if you get the craving later, you can order some online.
Relaxing, welcoming, upbeat, and artsy are just some of the ways aficionados describe the ambiance at Lemonjello’s. There’s a definite college vibe here since it’s located near the Hope College campus, and the popularity of the place is easy to understand as soon as you take a sip. The coffee here is all locally roasted and freshly brewed by the cup with a whole lot of love﹘you can tell by the heart-shaped froth on the top! In addition, there are teas, sodas, smoothies and more, all made-to-order, not to mention delicious.
While you’re enjoying your beverage, you might want to pair it with a little something to eat. After all, Lemonjello makes their own baked goods in-house, fresh every day. There are even gluten-free, vegan, and organic options. To top it all off, their environmental and sustainable practices are evident everywhere you look, from their zero waste efforts composting paper towels and food scraps to providing non-disposable cups. This place has got it going on, so if you’re in town, better plan on a visit!
The Good Earth is known around town for its excellent food, especially their homemade bagels, but pssst…we’ll let you in on a local secret: their coffee is just as amazing! Yes, this little, privately-owned place serves up fresh, homemade fixin’s that leave you full and happy, but they also serve freshly ground coffees, lattes, mochas, and cappuccinos that keep that happy feeling going strong!
The bottom line? You don’t have to be hungry to check out this cozy cafe and coffee shop, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Enjoy good food, good drink, and good company, inside or out. Hey, when you know it’s where the locals go, it must be good.
Though Jumpin’ Java has been a mainstay in Grand Haven and serves up some seriously good cups of joe, down the street is a place with its own unique vibe, called The Side Bar. It’s named that because it happens to be located directly next to an actual bar and popular local brewery called Odd Sides. Yes, you can get locally brewed beer and freshly brewed coffee in virtually the same place! How cool is that? They also serve up signature lattes, espresso, fresh fruit smoothies, gourmet hot chocolate, and an assortment of yummy treats.
While the setup is convenient no matter what you’re thirsty for, the seating is just as unique, with indoor and outdoor options, as well as in between — the walls are made of large garage doors that can go up when weather permits. This open-air atmosphere makes for some fun and energetic ambiance, yet when the doors are closed, it’s instant coziness. It’s the best of both worlds in more ways than one, and definitely worth stopping by day or night!
Whether you want to work remotely, gather in a group, or simply chill, Aldea offers two West Michigan shoreline locations where they serve up specialty coffees, teas, sodas, lemonade, and all sorts of goodies from local bakeries.
If you’re in Grand Haven, head into the historic Armory Building downtown where you’ll find ample space to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of deliciousness. Similar to The Side Bar, Aldea’s Grand Haven location shares its space with another local brewery, Grand Armory Brewing Co., as well as The Armory Art Center and Dr Rolf’s Barbecue (also located in both Grand Haven and Muskegon!). If you’re looking for good food, drinks and live music, The Armory has it all!
Once you leave, though, you don’t have to go very far before you come across Aldea’s other location in Muskegon, just a bit north. Right nearby just so happens to be where they roast their coffee in small batches — no wonder it’s so good, right? The beauty of this dual locale is that if you stopped in Grand Haven but already want more coffee because it was so darn good, well, now you get another chance to get yourself another cup!
By the way, you can also find Aldea coffee at the Farmer’s Markets in both cities.
Affiliated with the Lumbertown Coffee Co., this cozy, warm and inviting shop is a great gathering place nestled in historic Downtown Muskegon. It’s the city’s original coffeeshop and business people and locals alike know it’s the place to go if you want a coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, hot cocoa, tea, or basically any other coffeeshop creation there is! The coffee is actually roasted on-site, and is also sold online as an added bonus since you never know when you’re going to crave a Drip Drop Drink cup of joe.
If your travels keep you heading up the West Michigan lakeshore, here are a couple of bonus spots to stop and have a sip.
Take a break inside this comfy, friendly and relaxing place that serves all sorts of organic, Fair Trade coffee from Higher Grounds in Traverse City (another great place to stop!). Red Rooster also offers teas, cocoa, smoothies and plenty of organic treats for the road!
If you happen to take an excursion near Sleeping Bear Dunes, track down this local gem in the little town of Empire. Sure Grocer’s Daughter is technically a chocolate shop, but their coffee is soooo good too, and what goes better with coffee than chocolate, am I right? Besides, just imagine how good their hot cocoa is, not to mention their chocolate chip cookies — one of coffee’s best friends!
They’ve won a sustainability award. They give a portion of their sales to charity. And they have really incredible freshly-brewed coffee that you can enjoy in a really cool atmosphere. What more could you want?
PS: While you’re in TC, the BLK/MRKT is yet another awesome coffee experience. Just sayin’.
Obviously, at BlueWest Properties, we can get pretty passionate about a great cup of coffee. In fact, there’s not much we like better, except of course, the great communities and wonderful homes along the West Michigan lakeshore. To learn more about our available properties in West Michigan, contact us today! We’d love to show you what our lakeshore communities can offer…you know, besides great coffee of course.
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