The Best Coffee in Dayton, Ohio

To some, I’m a complete coffee snob. To true coffee snobs, I’m not. I do drink my coffee with a one Mississippi second pour of cream and two scoops of sugar. However, I don’t drink Starbucks unless it’s the only coffee around (i.e. airports or road trips) so many think I indeed am a coffee snob. One of the first things I googled when we found out we were being stationed in Ohio was good coffee shops. When the first things that popped up were Starbucks and McDonald’s, I knew that, once arriving, I had a quest to find the best coffee shop. 

In order to play fair in tasting the coffee, I ordered a pour over coffee at each place if they had it on the menu. I also stayed at each place for at least 45 minutes sipping my coffee to see what the ambience of the shop was like.

The following are my favorite places I have found surrounding Dayton, Ohio. Each coffee shop is unique in its own way, thus I took the liberty of describing each in depth and I ranked them with my personal, 'stay-at-home-momma who needs a coffee break and treat' opinion, so please go visit each for yourself to find your favorite place!

#1 Ghostlight Coffee

From the ease of parking to the delicious treats to the amazing coffee, Ghostlight Coffee is the place I keep returning to. It is normally always packed with the community of Dayton, so be open to sharing a table with your friendly neighbors. It’s a great place to catch up on work, type up that college essay you keep postponing, or take a much needed break from your kids. My hubby and I love to come here for dates! My pour-over coffee, brewed with Deeper Roots coffee, tasted smooth with subtle fruity notes. That combined with their out-of-this-world bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit (served M-F mornings) is something worth returning for over and over again. 

#2 Warehouse 4 Coffee

It’s a good thing this hidden gem is in Vandalia and not Dayton. Otherwise, I’d probably be there every day. It’s that good. I almost didn’t make the trek to try it, but I’d read such glowing reviews about it that I knew I was going to have to try it before fairly writing this post. I know you’re supposed to sip on coffee like a fine cocktail but the barista at Warehouse 4 made a pour over that I gulped down; this coffee, made with one of my favorite coffee roasters- Counter Culture,  had such a pure taste that my mug was empty after a mere few minutes. The presentation of the pour over was picturesque, the homemade blueberry muffin melted in my mouth (in addition to homemade snacks, they also serve breakfast and lunch!), and there was ample seating room within the facility to meet with a group of friends. Warehouse 4, I’ll be back!

#3 Coffee Hub Xenia

‘Why I had never tried this place before?’ was the first question that popped into my mind as I sipped on the pure, yet bold tasting pour over coffee at Coffee Hub. I couldn’t tell which was better: their coffee or their ginormous homemade cinnamon roll that had to be the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever put in my mouth. When you have a place that has great food and great coffee, you know you’ve found a great coffee shop. I also love how their shop shares a space with Toward Independence, an agency for adults with disabilities (different abilities as I like to say); this is a beautiful picture of community coming together through coffee!

#4 Press Coffee Bar

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a phenomenal cup of coffee, Press is the place to go. Their Woodburl Coffee is so yummy that I bought a bag and was able to replicate the delicious taste using my own non-fancy, pour over techniques. Their Instagram picture-worthy pour over featured a beaker and a wooden tray! Yes, I was that lady taking multiple pictures to get the right lighting before I even took a sip. The fun, hipster atmosphere paired with a huge ginger-molasses cookie made it a successful coffee date with my husband. Did I mention their drip coffee is only $1 if you drink it there? Who wouldn’t return just for that?

#5 La Gota Coffee

 If you are looking to learn more about coffee as it transitions from a seed into your cup, go to La Gota. The baristas there know their stuff. I had no clue what the actual difference between a V60 and a Chemex pour over was until I visited La Gota. Partly because I couldn’t find where the cream and sugar was and partly because I was too embarrassed to ask, I even drank my coffee black! And I enjoyed it. A lot. Don’t be fooled by the outside of La Gota; located in downtown Dayton in Building 104 a bright, modern, and spacious coffee shop that is perfect for casual meetings and events. When their website boasts “The best damn coffee in Dayton,” you’ve gotta see for yourself, right?

Honorable Mentions:

Ohio Coffee House in Dayton, Ohio

Curious Styles and Coffee Shop in Miamisburg, Ohio

Heather’s Cafe in Springboro, Ohio
Tastefully Roasted in Oakwood, Ohio
Central Perc Cafe in Oakwood, Ohio

Boston Stoker (even though it's a chain, it's still worthy of mentioning!)