BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD!!! Incredible coffee, the kindest employees, and the most amazing owner. Beautiful art and gifts to shop through as well. I can't wait to come back to Fuel. This is DEFINITELY a business you want to support!! read more

I order coffee from Fuel by mail because their stuff is so good! Plus they have an array of fun gift items like journals and jewelry. It's a great spot to visit in Mountain Vernon, Iowa. read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Grumpy blend from Fuel Coffee Roasters - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

I love the Chai tea Latte and Cherry cream soda! Everything is very delicious the decor is very nice and the staff work very quickly despite it being very busy! I would say that some items are overpriced but some are worth it. read more

When I say I have had coffee all over the world I mean it. No matter where I go fuel is still hands down my FAVORITE place to get a caramel latte macchiato and a scone. The scones here are to die for. They have a variety but I'd recommend cinnamon or lemon as my two favorites. This place is a MUST stop if you're ever driving through mount vernon! read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

See all

This place is cool! Come for the coffee, stay for the vibe. Filled with trinkets to peruse. Kind service is provided as well. Big fan of this little escape within the town of Mount Vernon. read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

I love fuel especially the atmosphere and the chai tea latte. The location is also quite convenient!

A small town coffee shop in Mt Vernon. It's off highway 1. The staff were friendly and polite. The coffee shop had a rustic interior. I got a cappuccino and it was very good. read more

See all

Fabulous place. Excellent latte and scone and friendly, capable service. But the goods in the shop make it a magical place for reading or hanging out with friends. If you don't find passage to Middle Earth or Narnia here, or an old lamp to rub, it's just because you're not trying. read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Elixirs, bags and journals for reluctantly endured adventures, chalk for incantations. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

An eclectic, cool as hell coffee shop living in downtown Mount Vernon is a must-have as far as I'm concerned! Their shop is one-of-a-kind in the small college town, the coffee is tasty, service is friendly and prices are right on the money. We were driving through town on a Sunday morning and let me tell you, the downtown was not a very happenin' place. BUT alas, Fuel was open. My partner and I got a vanilla latte and pour over. In and out. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Stop in Fuel if you need some to get through your day. You won't regret it and you may even walk out with a cool antique. read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Store front - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

Such a quaint and adorable little coffee shop. While not much for size, the ambience and staff more than made up for the lack of seating. Plus, the coffee was really really good. I also highly recommend getting a chocolate chip cookie. It was one of the softest and most tasty cookies I have had. If you find yourself in downtown Mount Vernon and in need of some coffee, you can't go wrong by stopping in here. read more

Fuel Art and Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Mount Vernon, Iowa

See all

Love finding excellent, local coffee shops while traveling from Oregon. Had the best americano since arriving in Iowa days prior. Will definitely visit again anytime I am in the area. read more

Strong, delicious drip coffee. Baked goods that will drive you to forget your diet. Ridiculously friendly service. TONS of tschotchkes to look at (and purchase). Comfortable welcome-to-my-awesome-home feel about it. Really, what more is there to say?! read more

I originally made sure I stopped in here because I met the owner on a art walk. I bought a really cool necklace from her. If you are looking for a unique gift look no further than here. I was very excited to find out the coffee shop was connected. Great cappuccinos! read more

i am in love with this place, it's one of my favorite places to get coffee or tea. The baristas are amazing, i love the decor, their jalapeño cheddar scones are to die for and the family owner is so kind. 100% should try if you haven't already. I have tried many things on the menu and it is all delicious!! Cookies and Scones!!!! Perfect! Great place to grab breakfast before school or work, great place to study in. read more

Atmosphere was welcoming. Barista's friendly taking orders with a little bit of a busy time. All but one table was taken. Walked around looking at antiques and coffee in bulk. Reading fun things around the store. Got a latte with almond milk iced and brought my own straw.took coffee to go coffee was very weak felt like I was drinking almond milk. Coffee was so weak it took me all day to drink because it wasn't what I wanted so next time I would ask for a darker roast or ask for a couple extra shots. Would go again for atmosphere and ask for something different. read more

Am I missing something? I ordered an americano and the quality of their espresso pull definitely needs some attention - it was dull and doesn't do justice to the quality of beans they're using. The place claims to also be a bakery but only had two plates of cookies and one plate of pumpkin bars. Those are standard coffeeshop snacks and don't constitute a bakery. The atmosphere was very hippie-eclectic and fun but not expected from the modern-minimalist design of the storefront sign. Props for being open on a Sunday though! read more

Best coffee between here and SF! Doing a roadtrip across the country, I came through little Mt Vernon: just to find the best latte since leaving the Golden State! Who would have thought. Good is: it's hot (not Luke warm like the hipster Blue Bottle in SF) and strong. Mind u - if u like Starbucks' hot milk aka as their latte, this place is not for you! read more

I moved to Mt Vernon Iowa 2 years ago, and I have no idea why it took me so long to try Fuel/The Nest. Fresh scones made every hour? Generally still warm from the oven anytime I get there? Carrot cake for breakfast? Oatmeal with coconut and chocolate chips? Add some cream to that please? Would you like a side order of flea market and high speed internet? Friendly staff, family owned and operated + great coffees = a $100 a month coffee habit. read more

What a fun little coffee shop. Spent a few hours here recently after having breakfast next door. Was able to get some work done - it wasn't very loud in there at all, and when I needed to stop looking at the computer screen for a bit there were interesting things to browse and shop for. I could spend many more afternoons here. read more

This is where it's at in Mt Vernon. Great baked goods and drinks, better urbane coffee shop atmosphere than the cafe at Big Creek, and it's decor of hip antiques and collectables for sale make it a great hangout for everyone from students, to professors, to local residents. If getting coffee someplace that feels fuddyduddy and old just ain't your bag, I recommend this place. Plus, sometimes they have cool open mike nights full of Cornellians and local artists. Check it out! read more

This is a great cafe that makes you forget you're in Mt. Vernon for a while. The atmosphere is cool, and very up-to-date as far as what the 'in' places in other more populated locales look and feel like. I think the artistic nicknacks along the front window of the store (and elsewhere) are pretty cool too...though a tad overpriced. The music is fun and not canned crap like you find in other places, which is refreshing. The drinks here are solid. If you think of good tea, coffee, or espresso drinks then you know what this place has in that regard. There's nothing else to say there, unless you don't know what good tea, coffee or espresso tastes like. In that case, I'm sure you'll love everything. The pastries or baked goods that they sell are awesome. I had a cranberry tart there the other day that blew me away. Also, they have a nice little set up for one-cup-at-a-time (Cornellians might get a kick out of that hyphenated phrase) coffee. That is, you get specific grounds for YOUR cup of coffee and don't have to trust that whatever is left in the pump carafe is good. Personally, I think this is the best way to brew coffee, period. A lot of different people seem to hang out here too, which is cool. I have to say that it is a complete pain in the *** that they close at 5pm a lot of the time. I imagine this is a good decision for the owner to make financially, but it kills me to get out of class, head down to the cafe and then have 1 to 1.5 hours maximum to hang out. I'll just have to get up early I guess. Definitely stop in and check it out. read more

Just had coffee, but it was top shelf. Good feel indie coffee shop. Double latte they made for someone else looked good. In a town full of pleasant surprises, one more. read more

Driving from Galena IL to Iowa City we stopped here. The best coffee I've had!! Blueberry scone was delish too.

Great coffee, great atmosphere. Truly a place for the community to congregate. A must-stop if visiting Mt. Vernon or Cornell College.

Adequate bean. Its roast is comparable to Starbucks or Dunn Brothers. Decent coffee preparation. Coffee to milk ratio mimics Starbucks. Price is high for quality. Whipped cream was soured. Unique ambiance. read more

I got in while on my way to Iowa City. Really nice place and nice atmosphere. I got one chocolate chip cookie and a double espresso. The chocolate chip cookie was good but not great, the espresso was the worst I've had in a long time: watery, way too much coffee, no aroma, tasteless. Atmosphere 5 stars, cookie 3 stars, and coffee 1 star. Hence my rating. read more

Great coffee but even better service! She gave great suggestions on coffees and I'm glad I listened! Super friendly and attentive. Great little treasures throughout the shop! In Mt Vernon gotta stop here! read more

Great coffee selections and baked goods literally made by the owner's mom. I can't get enough of the Cheddar-Jalapeno scones. And, the atmosphere is both homey and stimulating, with a wide array of unique items: jewelry, cards, clothing, art, furnishings, and garden sculptures. LOVE FUEL! read more

Fuel is a fun and eclectic coffee shop in beautiful downtown Mount Vernon. Fast friendly service. Delicious coffee and food. Lots of seating options. Interesting selection of antiques. read more

Every time we go to Fuel I tell myself "if I owned a coffee shop I would want it to be just like this." We have a college student at Cornell (which is a great college, by the way) so each time we go to visit we must go to Fuel. Coffee is really yummy, lovely older building fitted out with extraordinary decor and art. A lot of attention to detail, from the hand drawn menu sign on brown paper on the wall to the loyalty cards that are made from shipping tags and filed in a wooden box on the counter. Great finds including international art and fun vintage items. Small town friendly. We LOVE Fuel. read more

One of my favorite coffee places in the corridor. Great coffee and baked goods, reasonable prices, and nothing can top it's atmosphere. My children love the coin-operated horse ride. read more

Awesome little coffee shop. We stopped on our way they town for a coffee. Ended up buying some antiques as well. Friendly people and great latte. read more

I really like the interior of this coffee shop!!! When I were still in Mt. Vernon this was definitely the place to go for a morning/afternoon study, but sometimes it's hard to find a table near a wall socket for my laptop. Not very impressed with their coffee though. read more

Every time I go to this place, I keep hoping of all hopes it will be good coffee, but I would drop an "o" from good and add the word awful. I truly wonder if the reviewers, outside of Rachel, have actually been to a good coffee shop and I am not talking about Starbucks or Java House. I find the inside of the place interesting, but the wife calls it scary. It is as if a barn full of junk vomited on a coffee shop and someone attached price tags to it. Onto the main product of a coffee shop, coffee. Starting this past summer I went there with my wife for mochas before meeting a wedding minister. When we got to the car, we realized that half of our mocha's were foam and the chocolate wasn't stirred into the drink. We were running late and did not go back inside. My second experience was this past weekend. The wife had an espresso, which pulled horribly. I ordered a light roast that tasted so acidic that I wondered if they had filled their coffee beans with whatever the Casey's store had rejected. If you think looking vintage has osmosis properties of improving coffee, this is the place to go. If you like good coffee, go to Prairie Lights in Iowa City. read more

Wonderful coffee, wonderful people, great atmosphere. One of my favorites, if not my favorite coffee shop in the country.

Great coffee, groovy atmosphere. Baked goods are rustic and delicious. Convenient to antiques and Cornell College.

Probably the best coffee shop in Iowa. It's my daily stop. The coffee varieties are the best, organic love being my favorite, and the espresso drinks are done with care. Pat, the owner's mom, bakes a wonderful variety of cookies and scones. The jalapeño cheese scone is not to be believed. The atmosphere is eclectically comfortable and the friendly regulars compliment this. Plus the owner, Tommie, has a heart as big as the sun. I don't know what I'd do if it ever left. read more

Best coffee in Mount Vernon/Lisbon and an amazing décor store all in one. I exclusively buy my coffee beans from Fuel. The Rocket coffee is the best, hands down, and while it is pricey ($17 a pound) it's so worth it. The whole shop is a treat for the senses, I can't help but wander around looking at all the neat trinkets and art around Nest while I wait for my drip coffee to be ready. Fuel/Nest is also the perfect place to meet friends for a cup or do some necessary reading. read more

Fuel is a great little coffeehouse located in downtown Mt. Vernon. The coffee is amongst the best in Eastern Iowa and they have great baked goods. The shop is filled with eclectic antiques and nick-nacks for sale. However, their hours are somewhat limited - especially in the evenings. A great place to visit in you're in Mt. Vernon. read more

I always stop here when in mt vernon. Great coffee, delicious baked goods, friendly staff, interesting and fun shopping