This article highlights coffee shops in Columbia, from local roasters to the best place to grab an iced latte, work remotely or catch up with friends.
What You’ll Find In This Article
Where To Get Coffee In Columbia
We’ve put together a map of the best coffee shops in Columbia to help you find your next spot for a caffeine fix. Check out our coffee shop web story for a quick glimpse at our favorite spots/
Ultimate Guide To Coffee Shops In Columbia
Below you’ll find our roundup of awesome coffee shops in Columbia. One thing to note is that these are not ranked! There are so many great coffee shops, each with unique vibes and offerings. Instead, we have tried to highlight what we love about each shop. Hopefully, this list will lead you to find your favorite coffee shop(s) in Columbia!
Local coffee shop with amazing signature drinks and latte flights
Azalea Coffee Bar is a perfectly pink and upbeat coffee shop mixed in with the shops of Devine Street.
Their signature drinks are elite, from the crowd favorite Queen Bee (espresso, honey, cinnamon, milk, cinnamon sugar) to one of their many seasonal specialties. Sprinkles often adorn the top!
Their founding mission was to support women-owned businesses and they are great at it! Not only does Azalea serve coffee and tea from female producers, but they also partner locally with many women and minority-owned businesses.
One of the absolute best things about Azalea is that you can order a coffee flight! Choose four drinks, sit back and get caffeinated.
Quintessential neighborhood coffee shop in Columbia’s Five Points
Drip coffee shop is an excellent coffee shop, eatery and hangout spot in Columbia. They have an amazing coffee selection, espresso drinks, pour overs, tea and more.
Drip offers a house blend and several single-origin and micro-lot beans all available for purchase whole bean in 1/2 lb or lb quantities.
The cozy space inside Drip is so warm and inviting. You’ll want to sit for hours listening to the sounds of espresso being made and upbeat chatter (and the occasional live music!) There is seating in the main area and additional seating in the back.
Drip is a great spot to study, work, meet friends or go on a coffee date. The staff really knows their coffee and can help you pick from their array of single-origin beans from around the world.
Drip has an awesome food menu as well with unique sandwiches– a crowd favorite is the prosciutto, fig jam & brie on a house-made biscuit. Oh, and don’t forget to snag one of their chocolate chip cookies.
2327 Main Street | the North Main area
Laidback coffee shop in Columbia’s North Main District
Curiosity Coffee Bar is an awesome independent coffee shop located in Columbia’s North Main district.
They’ll make your coffee any way you like whether it’s an espresso drink, pour-over, French press, or just a plain old batch brew. They also have a great selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and delicious breakfast pastries baked by local bakeries around town.
Curiosity has a killer signature drink menu with beverages like a campfire cold brew and strawberry fields forever (matcha + strawberry purée + vanilla + dairy/non-dairy of choice.) They also have coffee, tea, IZZE, Mexican Coke… And you can add CBD!
Curiosity hosts food trucks on Monday evenings for their Mobile Food Mondays, which is always a blast! Oh, and last but certainly not least: Curiosity has LIVE MUSIC!! Check their Facebook page for details.
2238 Sumter Street | near the North Main area
Top-notch coffee craft in Columbia’s Cottontown
Indah Coffee is an excellent coffee shop and roaster in Columbia’s Cottontown neighborhood. It’s close to downtown and has a great neighborhood vibe. If you are just visiting Columbia, it’s one of those places that will make you want to pick up and move to the area.
You’ll find a few food and pastry options, great seating and friendly service. We like the big open space– it’s a top pick of ours for reading, studying or working remotely.
Indah roasts their own coffee beans under the same roof and you can catch a glimpse of the process in the back. You can also find them at the weekly Soda City Market in downtown Columbia.
Piecewise Coffee opened in January 2024
Columbia’s newest coffee shop
Piecewise Coffee opened on Devine Street in January 2024. Their original location is in Cayce.
You’ll find everything you love about the Cayce-born coffee shop at their newest location. They serve Methodical Coffee and have several daily pastries, bagels, overnight oats and yogurt parfaits. Try the cheddar rosemary scone!
There’s parking out front on Devine Street and an additional lot behind the shop on Maple Street. It’s located in the former Blum coffee shop space.
Local bookstore in Five Points with a cafe and coffee shop
All Good Books is a local bookshop in Columbia’s Five Points. It opened in early 2023 to immediate praise and love, filling a much needed void. All Good Books has hosted fun community events from the start, from book signings to adult bedtime stories where they encourage pajamas! They also have children’s story time on Saturday mornings. It’s a true community space.
Apart from a great selection of books, you’ll also find a few light bites and drinks. Not only do they have coffee, tea and espresso, but they also serve beer!
A standout coffee roastery in downtown Columbia on a mission to end homelessness
The Oliver Gospel Roastery opened in 2020 as a social enterprise by The Oliver Gospel Mission. They work to transform the city and end homelessness in Columbia. Every cup of coffee and bag of beans purchased goes toward this mission.
The coffee shop and roastery is such a great addition to the Main Street area of downtown Columbia. It’s really cute inside and you can actually see the roasting process. And, of course, it smells amazing! It’s a great coffee shop to work from.
Coffee shop across from USC Law
Knowledge Perk in downtown Columbia is in a house that dates back to the late 1890s. Renovations were finished in 2023 to convert it into apartments and a coffee shop.
There’s a great front porch and a menu full of cafe favorites. You’ll find pour-overs and Chemex in addition to espresso drinks.
Gourmet bites and coffee in downtown Columbia
smallSUGAR is perhaps the coolest place in Columbia. It’s by the dynamic husband + wife duo Aaron Hoskins and Sarah Simmons, former NYC chefs who have focused their energy on Columbia. They are also behind City Grit and Il Focolare.
smallSUGAR is a gem and at the top of our must-visit Columbia restaurants list. They are open for breakfast and lunch and have the same menu all day. You’ll also find delicious pastries made in-house. Try the almond croissant!
The inside of smallSUGAR features brick walls and tall ceilings. You’ll find a great outdoor patio just out front. It’s order at the counter and gets a 10/10 from us.
Hidden gem coffee shop and eatery near the State House
Immaculate Consumption is a great coffee shop in downtown Columbia. Not only do they roast their own blends, but they also have excellent food and pastries.
Their lunch sandwiches are especially delicious, with everything from a madam croissant to roast beef with horseradish.
Immaculate Consumption is just behind the SC State House and is a popular place for locals who work in the area.
Upstairs is the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat with friends. Meanwhile, downstairs you’ll find intimate seating that’s great for working or studying.
Temporarily closed
3000 Rosewood Drive | Rosewood
Wellness-inspired coffee shop with an awesome smoothie menu
If you are looking for Blender Bombs, head to As Well As in Rosewood! And if you don’t know what those are, you should visit As Well As to find out.
Not only will you find delicious, wellness-based smoothies at As Well As, but they also have a full espresso menu and wildly cute decor.
As Well As is the perfect spot to meet your girlfriends after a class at Studio Fire (the yoga, HIIT, barre, dance studio located there!)
Local coffee shop next to Carolina’s campus
Cool Beans is an independent coffee shop in downtown Columbia, SC. It’s just next to Carolina’s campus and is a popular spot for students. It’s open until 10pm daily– perfect for late-night studying!
In addition to coffee and espresso, Cool Beans offers breakfast and lunch daily. You can get a croissant sandwich, bagel or yogurt for breakfast. And their lunch menu really shines with several sandwiches, paninis and wraps. Try the Mediterranean panini! They also have salad and a daily soup.
Cool Beans has a sister restaurant (College Grounds Cafe) in the same building with a larger food menu. The coffee shop is open all day and the cafe closes at 3pm.
Dessert cafe in the Vista with excellent coffee
While Kaminsky’s isn’t where we’d send you to study or work remotely, it makes for an excellent coffee date night out in Columbia. They don’t open until 4 or 5, so don’t try to go in the morning!
Apart from awesome coffee drinks, milkshakes, adult milkshakes and even beer, you will find incredible desserts! We love the cheesecake, brownies, layer cake…. well, everything is so sweet and delicious. It’s an excellent stop for dessert lovers.
We enjoy going with groups of friends so that we can each sample something new. And you can also order Kaminsky’s to go if you aren’t feeling a night out.
Other coffee shops we love near Columbia
There are a few more spots that aren’t quite in the city but worth mentioning on our guide to Columbia coffee shops. The first is in Cayce and is just a quick trip over the Congaree River. The second is all the way in Irmo, but if you are in the area it’s a great stop!
Piecewise Coffee Co. (Cayce)
Excellent drinks, awesome pastries and beautiful decor
Piecewise’s original location is across the river from downtown Columbia in Cayce.
Their beverage menu includes the standard espresso drinks as well as fun house specials like a honeysuckle latte and honey cinnamon cardamom. They make a great pour-over! You’ll also find teas, sodas and kombucha on the menu.
Loveland COffee
A beloved coffee shop and roaster in Irmo, SC
Loveland Coffee is such a gem in Irmo, SC. They roast their own coffee and you can tell are really passionate about what they do. It’s also a really welcoming space complete with board games!
They have a full espresso menu plus a few house specialties like their latte con miel (cinnamon + honey), vanilla lavender latte and mayan mocha. You’ll also find frappes, tea, chai, hot chocolate and a beverage cooler.
As far as food goes, you’ll find bagel sandwiches, quiche, scones, cinnamon rolls, etc. and a few lunch sandwiches and salads. And you can order breakfast all day at Loveland!
We like to pair a trip to Loveland Coffe with a visit to the Community Park of Irmo. There you’ll find a fantastic playground and a ton of space to walk and explore.
And that wraps up our best of Columbia coffee list. We hope this list inspires you to try a new coffee shop if you are local or to test out a few on your next visit to the capital city. If you are looking for breakfast options, check out our guide to breakfast in Columbia and don’t miss our roundup of brunch spots.
