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2 Boston coffee shops are named some of the best in the U.S., according to Yelp
Though the East Coast didn't get as much love from Yelp reviewers as western states did, two beloved Boston coffee shops received some recognition.
Boston is a coffee town, no doubt about it. One of the most famous coffee chains is associated with the city, and there’s also no shortage of local coffeeshops for the studious to work and the caffeine fiends to drink.
But according to the online restaurant court of public opinion known as Yelp, only two Boston coffeeshops could make it onto a national list of the 100 best coffee and tea shops.
In fact, there wasn’t much love for the East Coast on this ranking list, which took into consideration the total volume of reviews, the ratings, and geographical diversity, allegedly. But most of the coffee shops and tea rooms on this list were located on the West Coast, specifically in California and Hawaii.
The coffee shops that did make the cut are some Bostonian favorites. West Roxbury’s Recreo Coffee & Roasterie took the 79th spot on the list, while Polcari’s Coffee in the North End nabbed no. 98.
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Recreo, located at 1876 Centre St., is a family-owned coffee shop by husband-wife Hector and Miriam Morales, and they source beans from their family farm in Nicaragua.
Those beans are available for purchase online or at various shops around Greater Boston. They’re also available at the cafe, Miriam Morales said, and buying a bag of beans to take home comes highly recommended from the owner.
Their West Roxbury cafe also roasts those beans into hot and cold coffee drinks, including seasonal specialty drinks like maple-spice latte, iced pumpkin mocha, and an autumn-spice cold brew.
Miriam Morales said Thursday the news came as a delightful surprise, and she thanked her staff and customers for helping Recreo earn such praise.
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“We’re known as the living room of West Roxbury,” Miriam said. “What an accomplishment it is to be living out what we wanted to stand for.”
At the other end of Boston sits Polcari’s, which has sold coffee beans and other Italian goods in the North End since 1932.
Located at 105 Salem St., it’s more of a general store than a cafe. You go there to buy coffee beans, which include 100% Hawaiian Kona, Costa Rican-sourced beans, and a French roast. But if you are in need of brewed coffee, Polcari’s offers its house blend hot.
Other New England coffee shops also made the list: Dog Bar Jim in Brunswick, Maine (no. 49), Neil’s Donuts in Wallingford, Connecticut (no. 75), Elephantine Bakery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (no. 82; the owners of this popular cafe also opened a second location in the Seaport this fall), and The Baker in New Bedford (no. 96).
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