Atlanta’s specialty coffee scene has matured into one of the most respected in the American South, with local roasters receiving national recognition and a new generation of independent coffee shops establishing genuine craft coffee culture across the city’s diverse neighborhoods. Dancing Goats Coffee, named after the Ethiopian legend of Kaldi’s goats who discovered coffee by eating the berries, operates multiple Atlanta cafe locations while roasting its beans in-house and supplying to fine dining restaurants including Bacchanalia and The General Muir. Chrome Yellow Trading Co. in the Old Fourth Ward, rated 4.7 out of 5 and named one of Atlanta’s coolest coffee shops by Atlanta Magazine, roasts its beans on-site in an industrial-style former garage. Portrait Coffee in the West End is a Black-owned specialty coffee roaster opened in 2023 that has built recognition as both a coffee quality leader and a community institution rooted in honoring coffee’s African origins.
When evaluating a coffee shop in Atlanta, the quality of the roast and the precision of the espresso extraction are the two foundational indicators. A properly roasted bean from a quality-sourced origin should express distinct flavor characteristics specific to its growing region and processing method. Espresso extraction requires precise control of grind size, dose, water temperature, and extraction time, and a trained barista will adjust these variables throughout the day as conditions change. A properly extracted espresso shot should have a rich, reddish-brown crema with a balanced flavor that is neither sour from under-extraction nor bitter from over-extraction. Milk steaming for lattes and cappuccinos should produce a smooth, glossy microfoam rather than large air bubbles, and the temperature should be hot enough to feel warm without scalding the palate. Filtered coffee made by pour-over or batch brew should be served fresh and not held for hours in a carafe.
Top Coffee Shop Companies in Atlanta
1. Dancing Goats Coffee
Address: 650 N Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 (Ponce City Market); 3167 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30305 (Buckhead); 33 Peachtree Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (Midtown)
Phone: (404) 874-0370 (Ponce City Market)
Website: https://www.dancinggoats.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30 AM-7 PM, Saturday-Sunday 7 AM-7 PM (cafe locations)
Services:
- House-roasted specialty coffee
- Espresso drinks and pour-over preparations
- Cold brew and seasonal coffee beverages
- Multiple Atlanta cafe locations plus roastery
- Coffee wholesale supply to Atlanta restaurants
- Online coffee retail and subscription
About: Dancing Goats Coffee operates multiple Atlanta cafe locations and an in-house roastery, supplying beans to fine dining establishments including Bacchanalia and The General Muir as the preferred coffee partner for some of Atlanta’s most respected restaurants. The brand’s name draws from the Ethiopian legend of Kaldi and his goats, grounding Dancing Goats in the African origins of coffee culture while operating as a thoroughly Atlanta institution. The Ponce City Market location places Dancing Goats at one of Atlanta’s highest-traffic food and retail destinations, reaching both regular locals and visitors. The multiple cafe locations across Buckhead, Midtown, and Ponce City Market ensure accessibility across Atlanta’s most active commercial and residential corridors.
2. Chrome Yellow Trading Co.
Address: 501 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Phone: (470) 355-1340
Website: https://www.chrome-yellow.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 AM-5 PM, Saturday-Sunday 8 AM-5 PM
Services:
- On-site coffee roasting with rotating single-origin espressos
- Direct-trade and sustainably sourced beans
- Espresso drinks and pour-over preparations
- Industrial-style cafe in former garage space
- Old Fourth Ward / Edgewood neighborhood location
- Coffee retail and wholesale
About: Chrome Yellow Trading Co. operates in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward on Edgewood Avenue, roasting its Colombian-sourced and other single-origin beans on-site in a converted industrial garage space that has become one of the most distinctive cafe environments in the city. The shop has been rated 4.7 out of 5 and named one of Atlanta’s coolest coffee shops by Atlanta Magazine for its rotating espresso selections, on-site roasting operation, and commitment to direct-trade sourcing from coffee origin countries. The Old Fourth Ward location places Chrome Yellow in one of Atlanta’s most food-engaged and rapidly evolving neighborhoods, where the surrounding restaurant and retail community has made Edgewood Avenue a destination dining and drinking corridor. The on-site roasting makes the process transparent to cafe customers in a way that most coffee shops cannot offer.
3. Portrait Coffee
Address: 1065 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30310
Phone: (833) 553-0420
Website: https://www.portrait.coffee
Hours: Weekdays 7 AM-4 PM, Weekends 8 AM-4 PM
Services:
- Black-owned specialty coffee roastery and cafe
- Direct-trade beans with emphasis on African origins
- Espresso drinks and filter coffee
- West End neighborhood location
- Community-centered mission and programming
- Coffee retail and direct-to-consumer online sales
About: Portrait Coffee is a Black-owned specialty coffee roastery that opened its West End cafe in 2023, building on an established direct-trade roasting operation with a goal to honor coffee’s African roots and change the narrative around specialty coffee culture through both exceptional quality and community engagement. The West End location connects Portrait Coffee to one of Atlanta’s most historically significant African American neighborhoods and anchors the shop in the community it serves. Portrait Coffee has received recognition from Eater Atlanta as one of the city’s best coffee operations for the quality of its direct-trade beans and the intentionality of its approach to both coffee sourcing and community building. The roastery’s “From Atlanta, With Love” collaborative project, a six-roaster sample box featuring multiple Atlanta-area roasters, demonstrates the community-oriented mission that distinguishes Portrait Coffee from purely commercially driven operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What defines specialty coffee and how does it differ from standard coffee?
A: Specialty coffee, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association, refers to coffee that scores 80 points or above on a 100-point grading scale based on factors including aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, and absence of defects. Specialty coffee beans are sourced from specific growing regions and farms, often through direct-trade relationships, and are roasted to bring out the specific flavor characteristics of the origin rather than to a standardized commercial profile. Atlanta’s best coffee shops including Dancing Goats, Chrome Yellow, and Portrait Coffee all work within the specialty coffee framework, sourcing traceable beans and roasting to highlight their individual character.
Q: What should I know when ordering specialty coffee for the first time?
A: Espresso-based drinks form one major category: espresso, americano (espresso plus hot water), cortado (espresso with a small amount of steamed milk), latte (espresso with more steamed milk and microfoam), and cappuccino (espresso with equal parts steamed milk and foam). Filter coffee forms another category: pour-over (single cup brewed by hand through a filter), batch brew (pre-brewed but maintained fresh), and cold brew (steeped cold for many hours). At specialty shops, asking the barista what they recommend for your flavor preference — whether you like bright, acidic coffees or richer, chocolatey profiles — will direct you to the preparation that best suits the current beans.
Q: What does a coffee shop visit cost in Atlanta?
A: At specialty Atlanta coffee shops including Dancing Goats, Chrome Yellow, and Portrait Coffee, drip coffee runs $3-$5, espresso drinks are $5-$7, and specialty preparations like pour-over or single-origin espresso can reach $7-$10. At Dancing Goats and Chrome Yellow, coffee retail bags run $18-$28 for 12 oz of house-roasted beans. Portrait Coffee’s direct-trade retail coffee is similarly priced. Atlanta’s specialty coffee prices are generally comparable to other American cities with active specialty coffee scenes, and below the prices of New York or San Francisco operations at equivalent quality levels.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s coffee shop scene is anchored by Dancing Goats Coffee’s multi-location presence and restaurant supply operation, Chrome Yellow Trading Co.’s on-site roasting in Old Fourth Ward, and Portrait Coffee’s Black-owned direct-trade roastery in the West End. Together they represent the quality, diversity, and community engagement that defines Atlanta’s mature specialty coffee culture. Contact these shops directly for hours, wholesale inquiries, and event catering.