6 great coffee shops in the Philly suburbs

There's nothing quite like grabbing a hot — or cold — cup of coffee from your local shop. Whether you're a latte fan, a matcha lover, or all about house drips, the Philly suburbs offers no shortage of neighborhood favorites.

Consider Char & Stave in Ardmore for blends dry-aged in whiskey barrels, or Gryphon Cafe in Wayne and West Chester for rose chai made with organic rose petals. Looking for a treat? Soltane in Phoenixville bakes fresh brownies and quiches.

Venture into Bucks, Delaware, or Chester counties and find these six great coffee shops for your coffee or tea cravings.

Pretty Bird Coffee In Yardley, Pretty Bird Coffee offers signature brews, from Nicaraguan-Colombian light roasts to single origins which are roasted in their own facility, in a cozy house on South Main Street. Specialty drinks come with homemade syrups, including blackberry amaretto and lavender. Brothers Paul and James Cain of Vault Brewing Company founded the shop in 2017 to "bring a new wave of coffee and make it more accessible to the community," said Courtney Woolslayer, manager of the cafe. Pretty Bird also serves as the home of sister business. Along with coffee, the building at the South Main Street address also houses sister business Pretty Burger , open Tuesday through Sunday.

7 S. Main St., Yardley, Pa. 19067, 267-714-2800, prettybirdcoffee.com

Char & Stave At Char & Stave, folks will find "coffee made by whiskey people," says owner Jared Adkins. The coffee and cocktail bar opened in Ardmore in 2022, then expanded to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Adkins, who also owns Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, began roasting small batches of coffee during the COVID-19 pandemic, and decided to buy a roaster to expand the coffee making into an online business. The Ardmore cafe became the flagship, where cocktail mixology meets coffee that's dry-aged in whiskey barrels at Bluebird Distilling. "Anytime of the day (from 7 a.m. to midnight) you can get a coffee," including non-alcoholic barrel-aged coffee old fashioned (with bitters, sugar, orange peel) and matcha mojito (with mint, sugar, lime, seltzer) drinks.

21 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore, Pa. 19003, charandstave.com

Gryphon Cafe Brothers Rich and Colin Mattis opened Gryphon Cafe in Wayne in 1996. After Colin left for other endeavors, Richard expanded to Kensington in 2014, then West Chester in 2019 with business partner Len Mojzes. Gryphon Cafe started roasting its own in 2010. Known for its cozy atmosphere and loyal patrons, Gryphon's highlights include a fig and cardamom latte and a rose chai made with organic petals.

105 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Pa. 19087 and 111 W. Gay St., West Chester, Pa. 19380, 610-688-1988 and 484-983-3909, gryphoncoffee.com

Soltane Cafe Soltane Cafe is a social enterprise of the Chester County nonprofit organization, Camphill Soltane . For 13 years, it has provided work for adults with disabilities. Inside the Phoenixville coffee shop, customers will find local roasters Máquina and Broad Street Grind in specialty drinks with housemade syrups (pumpkin, brown sugar, lavender honey). Soltane also features a bakery that whips up savory quiches and frittatas, as well as scones, brownies, blondies, and cakes. Aspiring latte artists can work on their skills at the monthly latte art classes.

138 Bridge St., Phoenixville, Pa. 19460, 484-924-8042, soltanecafe.com

Camellia Coffee House Lansdowne's Camellia Coffee House, run by Matt Saperstone, serves two blends from Philly-based Nilaa Coffee along with seasonal drinks like a squash spice latte and a cardamom vanilla mocha. Food options include breakfast biscuits, focaccia, and quiche. Nilaa Coffee is also available at Clark Park and Headhouse farmers markets .

20 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, Pa. 19050, 484-898-5592, camelliacoffeehouse.com

Just over a year and a half old, Mayday is a favorite for many, including Leslie Odom Jr. , in West Chester. Austin Piona's coffee shop focuses on creating a "safe space for people to seek refuge from everyday life and feel re-inspired." Inside, folks can grab a cup of joe and sit at one of the three couches or the bar, surrounded by light wood, plants, and a neon sign that says "maybe coffee is addicted to me." Piona serves Georgia-based Valor blends full time, and rotates seasonal roasters like Coatesville-based Máquina . Favorite craft sippers include vanilla cream cold brew and a latte flight (pick three mini lattes with different flavors). If coffee isn't the move, consider the "not coffee" or matcha menus — there's a maple matcha, pumpkin chai, and s'mores hot chocolate to choose from. End the visit with some fresh flowers from their in-house florist.