Roam Chronicles
The front range of Colorado is exploding and for good reason – jobs, weather, and easily accessible outdoor activities. While these elements have been here for, well, forever, the trend of working from home and tech jobs fleeing the ultra-expensive hubs on the coasts is lighting a fire under the trend.
Sure, Boulder isn’t ranking high on any affordability lists, but the reality is that when compared to New York or San Francisco, plenty of people find the cost of living a step up.
So that being said, while the growth of Boulder has been rapid, what you’ll find is that the best coffee to be had in Boulder, Colorado are mostly tried and true names that have been around for a long while.
Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Trident is an independent bookstore and cafe located at the West end of Pearl Street, right in the center of Boulder. During the pandemic they switched to an employee-owned model, giving the already amazing crew a true stake in the future of the business.
The coffee is amazing, the staff friendly, the location perfect, and the back patio one of the best places in boulder to get off the street, pull out your laptop, or just catch up with a friend. Plus, the independent bookstore brings a whole different vibe to the place than you are likely to find at any other coffee shop in Boulder.
Think literary discussions as opposed to a tech company’s Round A financing (yes, you’ll commonly hear this discussion at other places in town).
Trident is a piece of old Boulder that is disappearing to some degree. It’s survival is key to keeping Pearl St. the kind of place we all expect when visiting this eclectic town.
Boxcar Coffee
While Trident is by far my favorite cafe in Boulder, if I’m on the other side of town, Boxcar tends to be my spot. Nestled within the shared space with Cured, an amazing currated grocery and deli, the bustle of the shop combined with the cafe makes for a great place to grab a seat at the counter.
Of course, their coffee is also amazing.
The Laughing Goat Coffeehouse
Like Trident, The Laughing Goat has a bit more of a classic, old style cafe feel, just on the other side of Pearl St. Mall. So if you’re on East Pearl, this can be a great option for you.
OZO Coffee
OZO Coffee has a good sized cafe on West Pearl that, pre-pandemic, you would have found to be elbow to elbow on most days – not only due to the amazing coffee, but also because it is such a hot spot with the tech crowd.
It wouldn’t be uncommon to hear multiple investor pitches while you nurse a cappuccino. If tech is your scene, this is your place. If not, got to Trident across the street and get cozy with a book.
Alpine Modern Cafe
Drogo’s Coffee Bar
Amante Coffee
Rapha
Taking a Colorado Trip?
Always get the travel insurance.
