A Guide to Fresno Coffee Shops

Kuppa Joy Coffee Roasters

A beloved blessing among Fresno coffee shops, Kuppa Joy’s Grand Cafe is literally everything you ever looked for in a community gathering space and then quite a bit more, being complete with lengthy dark wooden workbenches, comfy banquette seating, cushioned-stool flanked countertops, neon signage, a great big outdoor patio complimented by jet black furniture, and at the center of it all, a cafe serving high performance, delicious coffee.

While a superior atmosphere for productivity would be difficult to conceive, aside from optimum functionality, the attention to detail that has gone into designing this space with a perfect balance of opulence, charm, and utility makes it an easy go-to for daytime meetings with colleagues or coffee dates with friends.

Hi-Top Coffee

Near and dear to the lively Tower District and Fresno City College, Hi-Top serves amazing Cat & Cloud Coffee in a cozy java pocket bubbling to aesthetically adorable life daily thanks to its attentive team, ample seating, delicate light fixtures, well-cared-for plants, and a wall mural projecting some super-chill indie rock vibes.

Hi-Top was founded by two central valley locals and since those early days, the shop has taken on its own persona of sorts. It is a place to make connections, a safe spot, a concert venue occasionally, an art studio, a place to study, a place to celebrate, it’s even been the venue for a baby shower and an album release party.

The Revue

This eye-catching storefront brings a vibrant dash of verdure-graced color to the heart of Tower. The Revue is a specialty beverage shop that has drinks you will enjoy and want to share, yes that includes via Insta photo. The functional layout inside is truly a work of art as well, we’re talking retro-infused boho decor the likes of checkered flooring, brown leather couches, blue patterned tiles, and cute potted plants combined with a backroom stage for events and life-size private study cubby’s that come decked out with their own lamps!

They utilize rich Ampersand ice cream for cold brew milkshakes and affogatos, moreover, the whiskey caramel lattes and Mexican mocha are crowd favorites! Sauces and syrups are housemade and finally, Revue proudly features Visalia’s Component Coffee Lab for coffee, Hanford’s LT Sue for loose leaf teas, Mizuba matcha lattes, and Blue Lotus for chai lattes!

Collect Coffee Bar

Conveniently located just across the street from Fresno State, Collect Coffee Bar offers a neat and charming environment treasured by students and locals alike; this place can serve as your go-to hang-out, date spot, study pad, and business meeting location. Their hand-crafted white macadamia nut latte is a hit, not to mention, delicious seasonal beverages such as the toasted marshmallow hot cocoa never fail to kinder the soul.

Fulton Street Coffee

A hallmark among downtown Fresno coffee shops, Fulton Street Coffee introduces high-quality java beans sourced from growing regions around the world to their craft-oriented roasting and manufacturing process to produce a cup of joe that is developed with care for a great tasting end result. The operation finds quarters in a beautiful street-facing, roomy retail space that rests along the exterior of a timelessly elegant 1928 theatre and National Historic Landmark known as the Warnors Center for the Performing Arts. Some very inspiring scenery to work with!

Valparaiso Coffee Roasters

Nestled away from the hustle and bustle of downtown’s main drag, family-run Valparaiso serves coffees that are freshly roasted in-house, and by doing so, provides guests the special opportunity to taste the bold and subtle flavors inherent to the growth conditions, coffee varietal, and country of origin.

Rare Earth Coffee Roastery

Although they operate numerous petite coffee kiosks throughout Fresno and the central valley, we’ve pictured their great, big, gorgeous roastery and tasting room in neighboring Clovis. Similar to a winery or brewery kind of experience, this facility offers coffee flights, meaning a guest can come in and take a coffee flight from light, to medium, to dark roast, as well as sample espresso drinks like lattes, mocha, macchiato, and cold brews in the same manner.

Furthermore, the Rare Earth team uses an air roasting technique to roast their beans, rather than drum roasting. This allows them to create a crisp and never bitter coffee. Only about 1% of coffee roasters in the world use the air roasting technique.

Cafe Van Ness

This lovely coffee cottage sits on the northwest corner of Van Ness and Shields on the grounds of Gazebo Gardens, a 97-year-old plant nursery dappled with the best roses among other robust flora, tools for green thumbs, and garden art. The simple yet warmly familiar interior is perhaps most accentuated by exposed brick walls, hipster-esque decor, and adjacent patio picnic tables set flower-side, beneath the sun.

Two Cities Coffee Roasters

Housed within a gorgeous red brick building along a tree-lined Clovis street near Historic Old Town, family-run Two Cities Coffee Roasters offers guests freshly roasted joe made from 100% Arabica specialty-grade coffee beans, which are among the highest quality beans grown and roasted in the world. The shop itself is quaint, exudes an old-timey upscale charm, and showcases a tantalizing selection of countertop pastries.

On The Edge Coffee House

Significant to the creative pulse of Old Town Clovis and owned by a Clovis High graduate, On The Edge is a homey coffee house where locals and tourists alike flock toward the romantically lit, heater speckled patio to groove to the sounds of live music; complimenting the good vibes is this epic depiction of a bird soaring over the Yosemite Valley, it’s painted onto a wall that’s backed against the outdoor venue, what a fabulous work of art.

As far as beverages are concerned, there’s something for everybody here, from specialty espresso drinks to crazy fun mocha creations to teas to refreshing fruit smoothies. The salads, sandwiches, and wraps are great by day, but come the end of a productive workweek, we’re gathering over a patio table boasting an all-too warmly familiar lineup of hand-crafted pizza, beer or wine by the glass, and loved ones.

If you enjoyed this guide to the best Fresno coffee shops, be sure to check our list of the Top 10 Coffee Shops in Bakersfield!