Did you know there are nearly 60,000 coffee shops in the U.S.? I think it would be cool to do a coast-to-coast tour. Maybe someday, but for now my cafe visits are on the East Coast and there are some really great coffees being served up close to my home. Read below for my dish on the best 5 local coffee shops south of Boston.
On Mother's Day this year, my daughter and I visited one of our local coffee shops, Lucky Finn Cafe in picturesque Scituate Harbor (more on this gem of a coffee shop below).
After grabbing a coffee, we walked around the harbor and came up with an idea to try a new coffee shop each weekend over the summer. The goals - were to try new coffees, experience the vibe in different shops, and most importantly, make memories together. Between the town we live in and all the way to New York City, she and I visited eight cafes from May to August. I've highlighted five of the eight in this post. Pictured here, my daughter ("L") and I on Lucky Finn's back porch - moments like this make me so happy to live near the water.
Where it All Started
Lucky Finn Cafe started with its first location in Scituate Harbor but has since expanded to a second shop in Scituate and another in Hanover, MA. My favorite thing to order here is a Cafe Americano - which tends to be my go-to first cup of coffee each morning. As described on their website, Lucky Finn collaborates with single farms to deliver a wonderful coffee experience while also supporting women-run businesses. Kudos to them for this! One thing I love about the Hanover location is that they created a really cool space for folks to use when they need a quiet workspace - you can rent one of their five private offices for a half day or a full day. I spent a lot of time there in 2020 and 2021, while working on my Master's degree - drank lots of coffee and indulged in their delicious acai bowls - YUM!
Race Day
My husband enjoys running in local 5ks. In May, he participated in Evan's Run in Norwell, MA. This run raises funds and awareness for autism - so it's for a great cause. I was excited because this presented an opportunity for our next coffee shop visit! Pour Coffee & Bagel Co. has three locations in Norwell, Cohasset, and Hanover, MA. The Norwell location is just a few minutes away from our home but I hadn't stopped in here until the race day.
They offer a variety of flavored coffees, specialty coffees that vary per location, as well as fresh-made bagels, donuts, and muffins. The day we visited Pour, it was bustling with people stopping by for their morning fix - many were also heading to the finish line to cheer on the runners. I opted for their Snickerdoodle coffee - which is made with flavored beans, while my daughter had a decaf iced latte. If you're a fan of flavored coffees, Pour is a great choice - they have a nice variety to choose from and all are flavored beans - so no extra sugar from syrups. The donuts were also a hit with my kids - they get donuts from Donut King - a well-known donut company based in Weymouth, MA.
Coffee and Community
The next stop on our Summer coffee tour was Seabird Coffee & Co. This was a fun one to visit - in beautiful Cohasset, MA. Seabird is nestled in the heart of Cohasset's South Main Street - an area for shopping and where you instantly feel a sense of community. This shop kept popping up in my Insta feed, so I knew we had to try it. Before making our way there, I did a little research on how the shop came to be and was instantly connected to its mission - summed up as, making people happy from staff to customers - while serving great coffee. Their website is beautiful and I especially loved the featured video where founder, Brian McLaughlin shares a bit about Seabird's journey. As expected, the coffee here was excellent. Once again, I had my go-to Americano and L went with a decaf caramel iced latte. Thumbs up on both!
Good Vibes and Great Views
If you haven't checked out this next cafe, I highly recommend it. Welcome to Red Eye Coffee Roasters. This place has such a vibe and sits right on the water in Hingham, MA - the views are awesome. When you walk through the door you will find a long gathering table, window views of the harbor, and some really cool artwork on the walls - check out my Insta reel to get a sneak peek of the inside. While in line, I noticed there was a second bar that had a couple of pour-over stations - it didn't appear to be open the day I was there but I'm betting they make an excellent pour-over. For this visit, I went with a Cortado (equal parts espresso and steamed milk). L once again went with a decaf iced latte - this time, a salted caramel. We enjoyed our coffees on the back deck to catch the amazing views. This was a fun visit!
Hometown Favorite
I saved this one for last on purpose. Slacktide Coffee Roasters out of Marshfield, MA holds a special place in our hearts, as it is located in our hometown and is run by Marshfield natives, who treat you like your best friend every time you visit. Slacktide opened its doors in 2019, the small but mighty location in Marshfield is nestled in between the very popular Levitate and Levitate Backyard. On any given morning, you will find Slacktide super busy, whether it be for their AMAZING homemade donuts, delectable sandwiches, or freshly roasted coffee. By fresh, I mean really fresh. Slacktide roasts its beans in a facility located less than one mile from its flagship location - it doesn't get better than that.
I have a lot of favorites from here but my go-to for a morning coffee is an Americano with oat
milk and for an afternoon pick-me-up on a hot summer day, an iced latte with either oat or nonfat milk. They also make excellent lattes, cappuccinos, cold brew, and drip coffee. While you are there, you can grab a bag of their beans for at-home brewing. My most recent bag is
a dark roast from El Salvador-Izotalillo - which makes a great espresso, pour-over, and French press.
My kiddos would eat Slacktide donuts on the daily if I let them. They are made fresh and delivered each morning (they take Mondays off - donut makers need a day off too!) to the Marshfield and Hanover locations. Pictured below, are two of our visits over the summer. We had to share our favorite spot with our cousins when they stayed over! We just love Slacktide!
There you have it, five great coffee shops on the South Shore of MA serving up great coffee. There are so many more to visit but I recommend each one listed here if you're looking for something new. Cheers and enjoy your next @cupofamore!
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