I love independent coffee shops. I spent a long time in the Northwest (Portland, OR, Seattle, WA) and by living on the Eastcoast, I really missed the small coffee bars from the northwest. This is definitely one of those places. Coffee. Chairs. Friends. Good music on radio. Good Baristas who know what their doing, and they have liqueurs to sap you coffee bevrages with potency. Definite good spot in Burlington. Recommend it to anyone. read more

Back when college actually meant something, this was they type of coffee house that you'd imagine everyone from philosophy majors to poetry workshoppers to mech engineering fans getting their caffeine fix on. The seating is fantastic (if limited) and conducive to conversation and reading. The coffee is some of the best in the Northeast at Least (I'm a little more partial to Uncommon Grounds, but these people know their beans--my all-time fave is Bard in Portland, Maine, but apples and apples here). The pastries are really good. They have a great tap with some great local brews (always recommend Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout). The music--well, everyplace in Burlington plays killer music, but I really love it here. I wish that BU had a coffee shop this cool and that Harvard hadn't Abercrombie-and-Fitched its soul about a decade ago. I know Abercrombie and Fitch is long gone. It killed the Tasty, so good riddance. You can't go wrong in this place. I think they have live music some nights, though i'm not sure. Fuckin' great. EDIT: I don't know if anyone here remembers or has been to Jimmy's (Woodlawn Tap) near U of C? Imagine that smaller, as a coffee shop, with no pinball and fewer shady homeless dudes outside. That's what this Muddy's is to me. Reminds me of one of the only things about Hyde Park, Chicago, that I really can say I love. Also, you can't get a brat there, oh. read more

This place has really good coffee at a great price! Lots of vegetarian options and a really cool rainforestish atmosphere.

hipsterish vibe, a cafe with a place to study and a good tiramisu .. amazing people.. love this town read more

Muddy Waters - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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This place has a great vibe. Coffee was good and it's a perfect place to read a book. No WiFi makes it a hard place to do work, but if you just wanna sip a coffee and read, this is the place. read more

Muddy Waters is my favorite cafe in Burlington! I'm always impressed by the friendliness of the staff and the quality of their drinks. My friends and I come here all the time during the school year & it's one of the reasons we can't wait to be back in VT! read more

I love this place. I can imagine decorating my house in a similar way. Perhaps in another life I was a druid. But right now, I'm just a hipster. So the place really caters to my aesthetic preferences. However, that isn't to say that it doesn't have broader appeal. I'm sure rugged/bearded dudes and professors prefer it to Starbucks. Though, it doesn't often have live music (I've only seen live music once, here), there's usually something good playing. And if not, there' always enough ambient noise to keep it from being unbearable anyway. The only reason I give it four stars, instead of five, is because it isn't wheel chair accessible. Unfortunate. Oh right, and the coffee's good. Haha. read more

A unique coffee shop experience. You actually feel like a character in Zelda while sipping your organic Ethiopian blend. The food is pretty good too! This place is a must if you are a coffee or tea drinker exploring Burlington. read more

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A great atmosphere to get your morning going. Perfect for quiet conversation with colleagues and getting a few thoughts together for work. Frothy cappuccino and just s black coffee started the day! read more

Favorite coffee shop. The atmosphere takes me away to another place. The muddy shake hits the spot on those warm days. The white hot chocolate with whip cream perfect on those cold winter days. A great place to just relax. read more

Worst. Customer. Service. EVER. I have been to Muddy Waters at least half a dozen times and the only reason I keep going is because it's the closest place to where I work that I can get coffee that isn't a gas station. Now I just go to the gas station. If you want to see a barista flirt with a customer, text, chat with another barista, do basic addition on his fingers or screw up your order then Muddy Waters is the place for you! If you want a cafe with atmosphere and no wi-fi then COME ON DOWN! If you love a staff thats more interested in showing off the latest fashion than making you a simple cup of coffee then there is no better coffee shop than muddy waters. I would rather drink luke-warm gas station coffee. read more

This place rocks! The coffee was absolutely delicious, and the service was quick. We really enjoyed the ambiance-- the decor is awesome, and the plants make it feel like a cool refuge! read more

Love the ambience and all the plants! Such great service, and I always look forward to my hot cider.

I work at the Pine Street Speeder & Earl's. As both a student and Burlington coffee slave I end up spending 75% of my life in cafes, either self-administering my vice or repeatedly preparing the drug for the masses, Burlingtonians and visitors of our lovely city. In my mind I LOVE Muddy's. The decor is beautiful with its salvage wood, dimly lit yet somehow still warm. There's no wi-fi, so you could walk in even when they're packed and make eye contact with every human in the spot-- kind of a rare thing nowadays. Try it next time, fun! You might actually spot a person staring at a book or a crossword puzzle, or even just into space!!! It's unbelievable. The only cafe around without wi-fi. I really love that. They boast juice offerings, an interesting selection of baked goods (with bakeries and cafes in close proximity, the variety here is appreciated), a happy little cocktail list and a truly KICKASS espresso milkshake. Prices are reasonable, it's the 3rd closest cafe to my house, AND I'm one of those who likes to keep things fresh, I keep my shit in rotation is what I'm sayin'! So many good things, and yet I avoid Muddy Waters. Why? 'Cause the Muddy's staff's got scowls in SPADES, that's why. We should really be calling this place Moody Waters. It's the only uncomfortable part of the Muddy's experience. With such a cozy den of a cafe, it's off-putting that the staff does not seem at all pumped to work. I would love to get back behind that bar. I imagine it'd feel something like a shift-long belly rub. No? Alright...do you need a belly-rub? I'd love to offer my services. This sentence will serve as the not-so-subtle transition from Muddy's Review to a rant about grumpy people. All I'm saying is the staff at Muddy Waters are not helping the barista cause any. I'd love to knock the stereotype of the barista with the butthead affect, but for now it's stickin'. Coffee culture has gentrified in the most annoying way. Customers are afraid to try new things, and it's not because they don't want to. It's because they're afraid to ask questions. Because they don't speak Italian, they'll never know how delicious a macchiato is (someone actually pronounced it "MUH-chAIEE-TOE" the other day. And you know what? I didn't laugh. What kind of customer service representative uses their attitude to discourage questions that could ENCOURAGE further sale of their product? Wake up, people, and breathe deeply. Everyone's got to get up, and some 50% of all Americans over age 18 drink coffee on the daily. Potentially a fun exchange: me, hooking you up with yo' drug of choice, and oh-so-special you, hooking me up with your cash money. So many people rallying around our beloved stimulant. This is a plane on which we have an opportunity to meet and cheerfully interact! Else we risk those two minutes together becoming another social letdown in what sometimes feels like a long-ass day of humanity ignoring itself. C'mon. At least gimme a smile. Nevermind if you're on one side of the counter buying coffee or the other making it. You're wasting a lot of your life discontent if you treat every interaction with people as an inconvenience. read more

I've had coffee here in the past and I used a lot of difficult stairs with my walker. Now I'm in a wheelchair but I don't see a wheelchair ramp? Is there an alternate entrance? You take stairs to get in and then there are stairs to use the restroom or order...I'm not down for crawling...lol. The coffee is great though, just not sure I'll be able to return if I can't get in and order. Can someone fill me in on whether or not they comply with the ADA regarding accessibility? It's worth a couple more stars... ;) read more

Good products, but the service here sucks. I stop in for coffee before work a couple days a week. The service is always spotty - indifferent, if you will. If you are part of the in crowd that knows the staff, they'll chat all day and let others stand in line. Today, this went to the extreme. Only one person was manning the counter in morning prime time. The guy in front of me ordered a drink and chatted about health care. Then, he suddenly remembered he needed another latte. That's fine. He's in line in front of me, but as usual, with the conversation, it's taking forever. A guy walks in behind me and gets an acknowledgement from behind the counter. Then a question about what he wants. The guy at the counter then goes in the back to get that guy's order started. If there was someone else available to help a customer, why wasn't that person out front? Basically, I was bypassed while someone else, apparently part of the right crowd had his order accelerated. I walked out. It had taken so long that my parking meter had already expired and I had nothing to show for it. I will never return. If you're there regularly enough to be part of the special crowd, good for you. I don't have the time to spare in my mornings to be treated as if I'm invisible, which happens more often than not here. read more

Good service, good hot chocolate, and damned amazing ambiance... especially on a snowy day when the streets are abandoned... This place is so warm and cozy! read more

Probably one of the most unique coffee shop/cafes I've been to. We got milkshakes and the barista special made them for us with alcohol combinations that she recommended. Their milkshakes are regularly $5 and ours ended up being $10 each after adding in the whiskey and Godiva liquor but it was totally worth the extra cash. SO GOOD! Be creative with their menu, because they'll be willing to help you out and make your own kind of specialty drink. read more

Quinteseential urban, collegiate, hip, artsy coffee shop. Highly recommended for its atmosphere and eclectic patrons.

Every time I get a new work assignment the first thing I do is check out the coffee shop selection in the area. Lucky for me this place is right on the way to the office. Unfortunately the place is really slow so I have to leave extra early to ensure I get to the office in time...great Coffee is pretty good. My co-workers both approved and my iced-coffee from yesterday was exactly what I wanted. The latte I from this morning was O-K but there is a slight bitter taste to the espresso which will make me consider sticking to plain coffee tomorrow. The baked goods/bagels are absolutely great. The bagels alone would be enough to get me come back but the chocolate croissant and spinach scone were also awesome. Also -- any coffee shop place with no free wifi gets a star taken off. read more

Muddy waters is great! I love the atmosphere and its fun! and those Muddy Shakes are to die for (despite their 5$ cost and how addicting they are)! It is sometimes hard to find a place to sit, but if you are lucky, then its an awesome place. Definately beats Uncommon Grounds for me. o_o read more

While its not the best place for a coffee in Burlington, Muddy Waters does have something for everyone (even beer) and still manages to be pretty good at everything. The cappuccinos are solid even without being "third wave" coffee. The interior is what sets Muddy Waters apart. This place is Burlington's cozy, dark wood and plant wall covered reading parlor (during the day at least). read more

Decent coffee and comfortable unique decor. The staff knows they are way cooler than you.

Moved to VT just over two years now. On the day of my interview (which went really well clearly), I went to Muddy Waters afterwards. The barista (Caroline) was the friendliest person I'd ever met. She truly made me feel welcome to not only Muddy Waters, but to Burlington! I had a Muddy Shake their and it was epic (hands down the best shake anywhere). Two years later, I am still a huge Muddy Supporter! I bring my co-workers and student staff here all the time. The maple lattes are great and their bagel selection is awesome (best pumpernickel bagel anywhere). Great atmosphere, very hip, love it! read more

I love the cafe in the forest type atmosphere here to go along with the good coffee that they serve. The mocha is rich in chocolate flavor and the coffee comes piping hot. The latte and cappuccinos are just as good. Muddy Waters probably has the best coffee in Burlington. In addition, they also have a variety of unique coffee drinks such as Muddy's Shake (espresso with ice cream). A cafe that also serves hot food AND beer? Yes, Muddy Waters has that too. I know, why would you ever want to leave? read more

NO WIFI. They lose a star for that. Not sure why so many burlington coffee shops are trying to chase off their more academic minded patrons. I'd much rather study in a place like this than Starbucks. Great rustic, handmade ambience and tasty coffee. The barista made pretty star shaped flower on my latte. Their teas looked interesting too. The blueberry scone I had was nice but not amazing. I'll come back here if I want a casual place to meet friends, but most of my coffee shop time is spent studying on my lap top... :( read more

Great atmosphere, never too crowded, super friendly staff. No WiFi but I like to come here when I need to read or write without the distraction of the internet. Love that I can get a coffee, hang for a few hours, then switch to beer without leaving. It's also the only place in town open this late which is awesome for evening studying. read more

Still my favorite coffee shop in the country. Great interior, new art on the walls every month, good coffee, decent prices, friendly attractive staff, and comfortable seats. I spent almost every day of eight years of college in this place. It is simply the best. Some of the regulars are weirdoes, but I find that an enticement and not a detractor. read more

I usually don't give tips for counter service, but the service I received on a beautiful, sunny morning on the last day of my stay in Burlington was exceptional. The counter staff was just...sweet. They just added a sweet sweetener to my coffee, and I'm not talking Splenda. The treehouse interior was so fantastic I made like the tourist I was and snapped a picture. The brew in the iced coffee was a little strong to my liking and my husband's mocha was a little bitter to my tastes, but the options for add-ins was plentiful so one could balance it all out. TThey had cocoa powders, cinnamons, sugars in raw and refinement, and all and sundry things for your spooning in. Also, they had a ridiculous number of syrups for your lattes, espresso shakes, etc. My only sadness was finding this place on the last day of my trip :) read more

I cannot even fathom how many hours I spent here when I was in graduate school. Muddy Waters was my second home. It has the best atmosphere of any coffee shop. Hands down. It's great for small and large groups with varying seating arrangements. There were times when it would get a bit busy and be difficult to find a spot, but this place holds my heart despite that. Great local, homemade vibe, with ethical practices. I love places like this and wish there were more of them. read more

Loved the coffee here. I got a cold brew iced coffee and it was really smooth, not bitter. It has a really cool atmosphere inside. Plenty of seating and a nice selection. Prices were about average for a coffee shop. If you're in Burlington I recommend you come check it out. Also, walk by slowly and look out for it. I walked past it like 2 times before I realized where it was lol read more

I love the vibe and aesthetics of this coffee shop. They have plenty of seating and stay open until 9 pm most days. They lose stars since they don't have wifi and service can vary. Sometimes the staff are friendly while other times I'll receive attitude when ordering. It can be hit or miss. I also like that I can get a pot of tea instead of paying for just one cup. read more

A good place to sit and have a hot drink during the winter months (in Burlington that would be basically early September til end of April really), but too dark during the summer, with the feeling of being somehow in a terrarium, and real life is happening outside. Inside very woody log cabin look with changing art shows on the wall. Plenty of tables, but often enough people stand around or leave again, as it is packed. Clients vary drastically depending on daytime, mornings the elderly gentleman feeling still young at heart but nothing to do really and nowhere else to go, lunch time everyone from the businesses around, after that a curious scenario of blue and some white collar people from apparently offices nearby, who choose this very place to hold interviews right there, in the cafe, with the applicants waiting in line on the various tables, sweating blood. That is really annoying, as I want to relax in there and also I would hate it to have my interview in the middle of a bunch of curious college students, that would be the other prominent group in there, especially during winter weekend afternoons. There are life jazz concerts on weekends. Serves alcohol for OK prices. Food is good and simple, small snacks, try a sweet potato knish with mustard! Homemade chili is also great, they sell a huge bucket of freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice, in case you felt like checking on some vitamins. Cakes and cookies are OK, different kinds, not overwhelming, and not super cheap either, but OK. Various coffees and loose teas, try vanilla almond or cardamom, but the decorative iron tea kettles spill at the beginning, so pour REALLY SLOWLY and have a bunch of tissues ready for clean up. Staff is a bunch of young, alternative, friendly people, the girls all noticeably good looking, guess that is a requirement to work there to attract the elderly gentlemen during the morning shift. Two toilets mixed gender, and occasionally they don't get flushed. Someone told me that is to save water, but I don't really like to sit in a cloud of bacteria of my fellow human, so a signboard "Please Flush After Yourself!" would be great and a brick in the water-tank would save water just as well. Other than that nice place, and glad that it's there. read more

My friend and I just went into Muddy Waters to get some work done, and just after we set our backpacks down, the owner approached us and told us we weren't welcome to stay, as the place was packed and customers were leaving because there wasn't anywhere to sit. This in and of itself was ironic because when we walked in there were multiple empty tables. He proceeded to talk about how this place isn't a study hall, and the space needed to be left available to customers, making it clear we weren't considered customers despite the fact we had full intentions on purchasing coffee and a snack. It was completely unprofessional and rather insulting, especially since we've given him plenty of business in the past. Definitely do not plan on ever coming back due to the owner's degrading behavior, and I suppose we won't be missed since we aren't real customers. read more

We hid out here on a Saturday morning as we waited for the rain to subside to go to the Farmers Market. I'm sure glad it rained because Muddy Waters was a gem to find. A beautiful wooden interior and big comfy chairs made our sit here very cozy and interesting. The coffee is good and the bagels are beautiful. I got steamed maple milk in my coffee, too - yum! read more

OMG!!! I can't tell you how AMAZING the milkshake I had there was. I would drive from DC for it I could. It's such a cute place too!

I've traveled quite some places in the world, and Muddy Water still stands well in my mind. This is the place where I tasted chai latte for the first time in my high school days. What I love about Muddy Waters is its unique drinks. From ginger apple cider to carrot celery juice (and of course coffee, chai tea..and all the standard coffee shop stuff).. their creative drinks inspire me! It's decoration is also very Burlington/Aspen - ish.. which makes it worth for visitors to come and feel the authentic local cafe atmosphere. People who serve drinks are very friendly and fun - and they will help you chose your drinks if you feel overwhelmed by the selection. Why do you need to go to Starbucks in Burlington when there is this AWESOME local cafe just around the corner!!! I am a big fan of Muddy Waters, and I hope you get a chance to experience the awesomeness of Muddy Waters. ;) read more

I really want to like Muddy Waters. I really, really do. But I don't. Most of the coffee I've gotten here has not been great and I'm not a huge fan of the "lodge" type feel of the place. read more

They have some of the best bagels and cream cheese in the Church Street area! Great drinks as well! The staff are always very friendly and polite. It is an amazing spot where the only drawback is how crowded it gets sometimes! Definitely go check it out rain or shine! read more

The best coffee shop in the Burlington area. They have good caffeinated beverages, soups and chilis (sandwiches I think too), some pastry items, and beer (and wine?). The ambiance is excellent. It is cozy with plenty of seating, which is rare in a coffeeshop. Oh, and did I mention they have alcohol? There is nothing like reading a book and having a beer in a cozy setting. The workers have always been pleasant and quick. They have a little permaculture/ag library station as well, which makes this a genuine resource center as well. Rumor has it they don't have wifi, but I have never had a problem getting internet service there. This place can get busy and the clientele ranges from all ages but you definitely feel a college and just post-college presence. A great place to meet people as well. Highly recommended. read more