Best Coffee in Tahoe

Coffee Connexion in Tahoe City has been brewing their own high quality beans since 1990. The coffee house serves great espresso as well as baked goods and sandwiches and is a local favorite as well as having some great views of Lake Tahoe and quick access to other shops in Tahoe City. The shop sells cappuccinos, lattes, mocha, organic teas, chai and several types of bagels, breakfast sandwiches and crepes. NOTE: As of summer 2016, the main shop is under renovation, but you can still order coffee and baked goods from the Coffee Connexion trailer in the same parking lot.

The Free Bird Cafe in South Lake Tahoe serves up some of the best organic food in the area. Their menu includes coffee, tea, smoothies, homemade chai tea, baked goods, super foods and more. Try the Humming Bird Smoothie with Yogurt, Mango (or Strawberry), OJ, Banana, Agave Nectar for $4.75 or the Dirty Chai (Chai Latte with Espresso) for $4.50. Their "light bites" include items like the Special Bagel which is a locally made bagel with house herb cream cheese and fresh tomato slices for $4.00 or the Potato Samosas with curry, mango chutney, cilantro salsa and a house salad for $6.

This little coffee shop with the funny name is right across from the Truckee River outlet and Fanny Bridge right on the "Y" of highway 89 and 28. The Dam Café serves various espresso coffee drinks and smoothies, sandwiches and burritos like the Dam Burly-rito and the Tasty Turkey, soups like Brazillian Black Bean, Illy coffee and quality teas. The owners cater to vegetarians with their sandwiches and burritos and any item can be replaced with a vegetarian option. This is a local favorite and can get a little full. They have parking and outdoor seating on their front and back decks.

Tahoe locals count on this little coffee shop in Truckee for a caffeine buzz in the early morning hours and a tempting selection of sandwiches, wraps, salads, and smoothies throughout the day. Wild Cherries Coffee House offers several types of locally roasted Arabica beans: organic blends, single origins and Fair Trade. Wild Cherries Coffee House also serves hearty bagel sandwiches with a wide variety of spreads (like sun dried tomato cream cheese) as well as fruit and liquid smoothies. The café also offers a wide variety of freshly baked goods, baked fresh daily, including pies, cakes, cookies, breads and more.

The Tunnel Creek Caf� is located in the former Ponderosa Ranch area of Incline Village. The caf� caters to hikers and bikers who are accessing or coming down from the Flume Trail, a popular mountain biking area just above the lake. The caf� offers breakfast, lunch and early dinner as well as a farmer's market in the summer and fall. The caf� is open all year and also has a wood stove inside to keep you warm. The affordable menu includes breakfast items like Umpqua Oatmeal for only $3.25, breakfast burritos for $4.95 and coffee and tea for around $2.00 a cup. Lunch items include sandwiches and paninis and salads. There are also a few vegetarian items like Mozzarella Pesto with tandoori naan flatbread grilled with mozzarella, tomatoes and pesto.

This cozy, local coffee shop serves Alpen Sierra coffee, various teas and much more. Located in South Lake Tahoe on the way to Emerald Bay, Alpina is a comfy caf�, adored by locals. The Cafe has three computers with Internet access for customers to use, a kids' corner, and picnic tables in a sunny garden area for spring and summer. The Alpina has free WiFi and 3G. Try their house coffee or lattes (with great foam) or their great Mexican hot chocolate. The Alpina does serve basic food items like muffins, sandwiches and bagels and a darn good spinach quiche.

Freel Perk is located in Meyers, a small community in South Lake Tahoe. This quaint community coffee shop named after a local mountain peak not only serves fresh coffee and tea, but also ice cream, fresh fruit smoothies, locally baked bagels, pastries, breakfast sandwiches and more. Freel Perk uses organic, fair trade coffee from Alpen Sierra Roasting Company in Minden, Nevada and you coffee can be made in a variety of ways include frappe, drip and gourmet coffee drinks. The coffee shop has a variety of teas to choose from as well. You can choose to sit inside in their cozy space or sit outside and get some great views of Mount Tallac and Tahoe's pine trees from the shop's front deck.

Caf� Blue is The Ritz-Carlton's signature bakery and coffee shop. Located in the upper lobby near the outdoor pool with views of the mid-moutain ski runs of Northstar, Caf� Blue features fresh pressed juices and smoothies, signature house-made Paninis and pastries and San Francisco-based Sightglass Coffee. The cafe offers house-made breakfast pastries in the morning, and classic French-inspired pastries in the afternoon including delicate, but amazing petit four pastries made on-site. Each of the baked items are hand-crafted by the Ritz's chef and staff and you can take your coffee and pastries onto the outside deck all year long.

This stylish little coffee bar in Truckee is just off the main road on Jibboom street in downtown Truckee. They serve up Italian-style cappuccinos, espressos and latt�s as well as some unusual drinks like Lemon Chiffon Latte and Caffe Marocchino. The Coffeebar also serves paninis, salads, homemade crepes, filo purses filled with sweet or savory ingredients and other drinks like Italian sodas, teas and fresh juice.The Coffeebar has a great outdoor patio and plenty of seating in their well-lit space. This is a great place to meet clients or family and is away from the main street through downtown Truckee.

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters has a bit of a cult following in southern California and now their fresh roasted coffee is located in Truckee in a stone building that used to be a saloon. Dark Horse's beans are roasted in-house and the coffee menu includes cold brews, pour-overs, gourmet drinks and homemade syrups for flavored coffees. The hipster decor is cool and relaxed with antique books, phonographs, a grand piano and local art. Dark Horse also serves baked goods like strudel, cheese sandwiches and some locally baked items. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their coffee, the process and what drinks to try.