Ann Arbor
Mighty Good Coffee
217 N Main St | Vibe: Chill
Ann Arbor’s most popular cafe for grownups. You will find a mix of Ann Arbor’s elite literati having meetings and working on their laptops while enjoying excellent and elaborately produced coffee and snacks. A great place to go to get something done. It has four locations, each one with its own vibe, including a popular campus hangout at 1335 S. University.
Comet Coffee
16 Nickels Arcade | Vibe: Chill
Arguably the best coffee in Ann Arbor, Comet has a fiercely loyal following who will go out of their way to come to the tiny shop in the historic and beautiful Nickel’s Arcade, and if they can squeeze in, will work and chat with friends for hours while drinking their smooth, low acid brews.
Lab
505 E Liberty St | Vibe: People watching
Lab is a trendy spot where you can find the latest in experimental coffee drinks and some quality snacks too. The white-walled, light-filled space is sparsely decorated filled with some of UM’s more atmosphere-conscious students and profs, chatting and working on their Macs. Lab hosts arts and film events on evenings and weekends.
Roosroast
1155 Rosewood St, Ste B
117 E Liberty St
Vibe: People watching
Owned and operated by true blue towny John Roos, this company is deep local. They roast their own sustainably sourced beans and distribute their original blends with distinctive artwork to higher end grocery stores across Michigan. Lobster Butter Love has acquired a true cult following that has brought the brand beyond Michigan. Both cafes are great places to work or meet with friends, and they also have healthy snacks if you want to stay for lunch.
Beer Grotto
303 S Ashley
8059 Main St, Dexter
Vibe: Chill
You may think this is an unusual spot to hit the books but drinking and writing is a time honored tradition. These joints have wifi and encourage people to linger with their laptops over one of their many quality draft beers. Raise a glass to Ernest Hemingway and let your creative juices flow!
Ypsilanti
Cultivate Coffee and Tap House
307 N River St | Vibe: People watching
Voted Best Student Hangout for 2018 in Current Magazine. With a large open space and mix of long common tables and individual tables, Cultivate is a good place to meet people or hunker down and focus on your work while still feeling like you are out and about. And after drinking coffee and working, you can transition to drinking beer and listening to live music several nights a week. Cultivate is pricey, but it’s also a nonprofit social enterprise that does a lot of good for the community, so you can feel good about the money you’re spending.
Ugly Mug
317 W Cross St | Vibe: Chill
Artsy and studious vibe with lots of flyers, zines, and magazines laying about. Coffee is expertly brewed by elaborately tattooed baristas who double as DJs, so you can hear great music while hammering away at your term-papers.
Hyperion Coffee
306 N River St | Vibe: Chill
A back to basics cafe that roasts their own beans on the premises. Hyperion cares a lot about fair trade and sustainable sourcing, and they care a lot about coffee. So much so that they teach coffee labs for the true coffee nerds among you who are looking for a break from academics. The cafe is small, quiet, and no frills where you can produce quality work while drinking quality coffee.
Cute places for a study field trip
Chelsea
Zou Zou’s
101 N Main St | Vibe: People watching
This cafe has been around for decades and the benefit of being a coffee shop where you can get lunch, delicious homemade pastries, and a good selection of Michigan beer and wine. Their large and newly renovated space is in a pretty brick building on the corner of Main and Middle Streets in the heart Chelsea’s extremely quaint downtown. You won’t run into any of your friends here, but it’s a lively spot where you can work for hours while watching all of Chelsea come and go.
Saline
Brewed Awakenings
7025 E Michigan Ave | Vibe: Chill
A locally owned neighborhood cafe with lots of personality. The cafe offers baked goods and a wide selection of specialty coffees. The walls serve as a gallery for local artists, and special events range from book readings to open mic nights and live music.
