Simple, Dunkin' Donuts.....and, being a Jersey guy originally, I get a coffee, regular (i.e. with cream and sugar)...Now, if DD served a buttered roll, or one with Taylor Pork Roll on it, with the coffee, that would be perfect.

Zeke's at the Baltimore Farmers Market. Best cup of coffee in town.

Java Mamas in Reisterstown on Main Street. I love the ethiopian blends that they have there. Their fancy drinks that I seldom get are very good and they even have good decaf. The place is cute and the regulars are a friendly crowd. Rebecca and Nollie (sp?) are great and always professional friendly and nice. The only time to not go is when the middle school lets out - YIKES!

Dunkin Donuts has the best coffee in my opinion. Eight O'Clock is great for making it at home.

Best coffee I've had, hands down, is at Woodberry Kitchen. I wish it was still open for Lunch.

Other than that, Daily Grind in Fells point is a good place to chill out and get some work done.

Best cup of coffee I've found in town is at High Grounds, in Highlandtown. He roasts his own, buys quality beans and knows his stuff. He even cleans his espresso machine.

Every other place I've had coffee in town is ok, at best.

This list could get 4000 suggestions. I am a big fan of Cafe Latte Da on Aliceanna. Sweet owner, casual friendly atmosphere, a handful of different roasts per day, all the fancy girly coffee drinks, and homemade goodies.

Just like the Coffee topic on the Chowhound Board.

I'm with Lissa on this one. High Grounds is where I go to pick up a cup of coffee and a bag or two of beans on a pretty regular basis.

I suppose I should mention that my usual cup is drip black.

Patterson Perk is pretty solid, if not outstanding.

Most other places I've gone to trend towards a darker roast than I prefer or just bad quality.

Baltimore Coffe and Tea: Black Raven Blend.

Carma's in Charles Village. Especially when Carma makes the espresso!

Royal Farm. I don't do frou-frou coffee, although I had a caramel (3 syllables) cooffee at the Golden Arches once.

Grind-On Cafe...corner of Harford and Grindon Ave
Great place, nice people and Zeke's coffee

The Turkish at the Helmand.

Sure, you'll be be picking grounds out of your teeth for three hours. And up for twenty.

But the exotic tang of cardamom always leaves me playing chicken with the black sludge, fighting to get just one more sip.

Love Zeke's. Miss the atmosphere of Bluehouse (where they served Counter Culture if I remember correctly).

I don't know if this counts, but my favorite place to get ground coffee to make at home is Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company on Aylesbury Road in Timonium.

donna's in mt. vernon

I second Daily Grind ... reliably good, and the staff is always friendly. Its a great place to sit down and read the paper or check your email with good, strong cup.

I also like One World Cafe on University, and Patterson Perk on Eastern.

This Top 10 ought to get a variety of interesting feedback.

While I'm guilty of stopping at national chains when I need a cup to grab and go... my vote for the best has to be Baltimore Coffee & Tea.

I appreciate quality coffee and it is impossible to find the variety they offer anywhere else. I think they have 8 or 10 different flavors brewed fresh each day and over 100 types to have ground and take home.

Daily Grind in Fells Point. Although I miss the grunge of it's earlier incarnation. Reliable coffee, nice space. Could do with some comfort seating instead of just chairs and tables.

I miss Galleria. The owner used to run the Fells Point Coffee and Cheese in the Broadway Market. Since I moved out of Fells Point though I wasn't getting daily coffee and news. When I was back to visit a few months ago it was something new. Any word on Des?

List me among the fans of Zeke's. I drink their coffee every day, although I usually make it myself unless I'm at the market.

I'm probably being unfair to judge them on one visit, but the time I went to Daily Grind I was served horrible bitter sludge that was completely undrinkable. Never again.

Hmmm... gotta agree with Turkish @ Helmand, the Daily Grind, and Grind On (I love that place - Zeke's coffee and Sylvan Beach ice cream? Heavenly).

Also, I would add Atwater's at Kenilworth - for some reason, that cup of coffee I had on Friday was one of the best I've had in ages - I think they also serve Counter Culture. Of course, the soup & sammich that preceded the cup were equally amazing...

Is it possible that one of the Top 10 places to get a cup of coffee is... at home? Honestly, there are few greater pleasures for me than a Saturday or Sunday morning in winter, cold and wet outside, with a fire roaring in the wood stove, sitting at our bar with a hot cup of coffee, a little cream, a little sugar... usually Zeke's. Or cool spring/summer mornings, sitting on the front steps with the dogs navigating into whatever light falls on the porch around us. I'm not sure this counts, but really, the coffee (and company) is never better.

Only if you want 1,000 people showing up at your front door. :-) EL

The only place I get a cup of coffee is Baltimore Coffee and Tea.

Zeke's, sean? Heck, roast your own! You can do it in a $2 thrift store popcorn popper (I do). Splurge on a decent burr grinder, use a Melitta or a french press, and you'll have better than anyone in town does.

I haven't posted in a long time but I compelled due to a new shop that just opened across from Hollins Market called Sweet Tooth. They're open early till late and serve Zeke's along with delicious desserts. The desserts are mostly Vegan but it's difficult to tell. Mojito mint sorbet, lemon poundcake, pineapple upside down cake and more with a great cup of Zeke's in a comfy setting is perfect for me.

Hi! EL

Lissa, we already grind our own & use a french press. Never thought of roasting my own, though... Where do you get the "green" beans? Also, is there any problem with smell & smoke? Coffee roasting seems like a pretty stinky business - I love the smell of Zeke's roasting down the street, but I'm not sure I'd want to fill my house with it.

Bluebird Coffee is the best for home brewing! Plus you can enjoy there beans at a number of restaurants. As for an establisment to enjoy drinking a cup, Daily Grind is great people watching - can't get anything done though if you have A.D.D. Too many great distractions.

sean, I get my green beans from Sweet Maria's. It is smoky - I roast outside now that I'm a renter. I think it smells like roasting gym socks, myself.

I agree with Christ that Bluebird is good. I like them better than Zeke's. But, the freshness you get with home roasted, not to mention the fun of the whole thing can't be beat.

honestly...when did everyone become such a coffee savant? (not referring to commenters here, just in general)

just give me my 711 for $1.35

Misha,
I believe she moved her shop to Aliceanna st. and then moved again. I'll see what I can find out and post tomorrow.

7-11 coffee and such definitely has its place, as does the $.05 bottomless cup you find on long drives. But if we're looking for the places where you can get a GREAT cup of coffee, we're probably reaching a bit beyond those. You can get pizza at Pizza Hut; you can get GREAT pizza at Iggie's.

...which prompts me to ask "what are the Top Ten best places for good muffins and baked goods?" While I like the coffee at Daily Grind, I am underwhelmed by the quality of their baked goods.

Red Canoe has great muffins and I had a wonderful bagel at Grind On yesterday, but had some seriously strange muffins (black sesame seed) at Atwater's last week.

What I am always looking for is a reasonably sized (not too big, not too cakey) item with lots of fruit or nuts. There's nothing worse than a "blueberry" muffin that is mostly cake with about 6 berries.

Here's a snooty coffee post:
http://food.theatlantic.com/coffee-culture/appreciating-coffee-like-wine.php

Drink it up java snobs.

Atwater's at Belvedere also serves Counter Culture. It's very good, but the service is not speedy. The bakery goodies are very tempting.

Mary Roby, Superfresh has the type of muffins you are looking for.

Forgive me, sandbox friends ... I have certain contractual responsibilities. (Though, I have to say, this was one of the better ads in the series, even though now it is clearly dated. Is American Express still around??)
Coffee

MD Canon -- I think Garrison Keillor once remarked that for the Unitarians, the Sunday service is never as important as the coffee hour following the service. Is it getting to be that way for the Episcopalians, too?

There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi room after the Revolution.

It's funny how no one will say Starbucks - - but clearly someone is buying coffee from them... regularly... because they're still around and (from what I see) always pretty busy. Fess up.

But Gil Scott-Heron was wrong about the revolution not being televised.

RayRay, Thanks. I didn't have time to explore and see if she had moved from the Galleria location. Because she not only had a great cup of coffee but an amazing selection of pastries, sandwiches, and cheese. Plus she and her husband are such delightfully warm folks.

It's not just a great cup of coffee but the people who provide it that make the place excellent!

Daily Grind's Ledo-like franchising might explain Jon Parker's bad luck. The Thames St. primary location is always decent, but the now closed Falls Rd. and Canton locations were total losers. The operator, a lawyer, instilled fear in employees, and in front of customers (me, more than once) and the product suffered. The Canton spot is now Firehouse Coffee--
http://coffeeshopdays.com/2007/11/daily-grind-canton-firehouse.html

Either Red Canoe or Baltimore Coffee and Tea

hmpstd, reminds me of the old Jewish explanation for all our holidays (except Yom Kippur). They tried to kill us, we won and now let's all eat.

When our office was located in the 300 block of Charles Street, I'd go to Coffeeland for my morning cup. Once the Starbucks opened up two doors down from us, I'd still hit Coffeeland in the AM and occasionally pop in to 'bucks for a mid-afternoon macchiato (regular, not the caramel monstrosity) from the cute, flirtatious barista. Also, when traveling on I-70 or 95, Starbucks is often the only place for a decent cup of coffee. In general, though, I try to favor the locally-owned spots that serve locally-owned coffees.

The best coffee I have is my own, which is preferably a Mayorga (Rockville) blend brewed in a French Press for a creamy brew. When I go out, all other coffee is a small disappointment. But, Zeke's is very good. Second is the Daily Grind and Patterson Perk. Starbucks typically has very strong (which I like) and bitter (which I don't0 coffee, but the Pikes Peak blend is not bad.

Another vote for Java Mama's!

My problem with Dunkin Donuts is that without anyone that understands English waiting on you (or through the drive-thru) it's a crapshoot on receiving what you actually order (either coffee or a donut order).

I'm amazed at the number behind the counter that can't understand what a chocolate frosted chocolate cake, donut consists of even when you're pointing it out to them.

I recently moved to Ellicott City, and I love a coffee/sandwich shop in the historic part of town. It's on Main Street -- Bean Hollow. Nice atmosphere, pleasant servers and good desserts, too.

When I lived in Baltimore, I spent a lot of time at Evergreen. It was a great place to work, drink coffee, and eat their yummy muffins and cookies.

I also like Bean Hollow in old town Ellicott City.

I forgot about Bean Hollow. They've been through a couple of incarnations too. An earlier one stayed open a bit later which I wish this one did. But the pub scene in Ellicott City can't support it I guess. Bean Hollow does rock for coffee, pastries, and atmosphere though.

If going quite west of the city, the little town of Brunswick, Maryland has a coffeeshop in a converted church called Beans in the Belfry. Very good coffee and outstanding atmosphere. And every 3rd Saturday the Gaming Club of Maryland meets to play games, drink coffee, and munch on the yummy foods. If out past Frederick on Rt340, give it a try. You'll probably fall in love with Brunswick too. (BTW, this is the Brunswick of the MARC Brunswick line. It's a railroad town.)

Koffee Therapy, on Franklin Street, near The Sun. For those afternoons when you need some caffeine (oh, wait, that's every afternoon!).

Multimedia Editor Mary, do you have a stash of Penguin Mints for when the users won't let you get away to the coffeehouse?

Grind On Cafe @ Harford & Grindon (get it? grindon, grind on?). They serve zeke's (fresh from across the safeway parking lot!) and great baked good to boot.