I first discovered Cloudland Coffee at their popup booth at the Saturday Alpharetta Farmers Market…read moredowntown. Their location near the entrance caught my attention, and I especially appreciated that they were serving pour-over coffee on site--a nice touch that sets them apart. I've enjoyed their coffee and hospitality for several years, but only recently visited their brick-and-mortar location off State Bridge Road in Johns Creek. The shop is tucked away in a hidden retail center that could certainly use some redevelopment someday, but that's a story for another time. Cloudland Coffee is truly a standout business in the center and well worth seeking out. Over the past few months, I've stopped in regularly for a cup of coffee and to purchase freshly roasted beans. My favorite so far has been their Honduras Dark Roast, which offers a smooth, rich flavor profile and is roasted to perfection. I was also pleased to learn that Cloudland is a locally owned business--something I always enjoy supporting, especially when the product and service are exceptional. Do yourself a favor and visit Cloudland Coffee at the Alpharetta Farmers Market or stop by their Johns Creek location. Whether you're looking for a great cup of coffee or a bag of freshly roasted beans to take home, you won't be disappointed.

The latte and service were good but do not get the pastries. 2 or 3 days stale and not edible.read more

Ordered their online 4-pack gift box for a variety of whole bean coffees. Enjoyed the various…read moreoptions particularly the low acid coffee option. I have yet to visit their local store.

VOLCANICA 7/5/24…read more EAST AFRICAN COFFEE STATUS & OUTLOOK Based on the USDA's latest outlook, Africa accounts for 11-12% of the world's total coffee production, including 10.5% of the Robusta crop and 12.5% of the 23/24 Arabica crop. There are 54 countries in Africa, but only about a dozen produce coffee. While Ethiopia accounts for most of it, the high-quality specialty grade Arabica coffee production is limited to 6-7 East African countries, including some very small countries with problematic histories. Located in the equatorial coffee belt, East African coffee benefits from ideal coffee growing conditions, including volcanic soil, high altitude, climate, access to fresh water and tradition. Conscientious processing, disciplined coops and dedicated smallholder farms also play a role. Coffee is a subjective topic and while good coffee can be found throughout the equatorial belt, the acid rich East African coffees are recognized as the world's most distinctive. The traditional varieties and grade from Ethiopia (Yirgacheffe) and Kenya (south-central highlands) are particularly noteworthy and often compared. While some would include 100% authentic Kona (miniscule production, hard to get & subject to fraud), the best Tanzanian and the crazy expensive Geisha (Panama & elsewhere) among the best, the coffee from Kenya and Ethiopia is widely viewed as the world's most consistent, distinctive and recognizable. Regardless of source, it is important to note that countries producing the most distinguished specialty coffee also produce average or worse coffee. In a way, East African coffees are like finalists in a beauty contents, it's hard to pick the winner. The contest is also dynamic, i.e., this year's crop winner could be next year's loser. While the demand for specialty coffee continues to grow, small coffee farmers have been burdened by an exploitive value chain. Living on a few dollars a day, Africa's small coffee farmers have had little incentive to produce the low yielding crop. If impoverished farmers do not get a bigger piece of the value chain's pie, higher prices and a shortage of high-quality coffee seem likely. FINDING REPUTABLE RETAIL ROASTERS When purchasing country of origin coffee, the quality will vary by crop year, terroir, region, sub-region, botanical variety, grade, processing, storage, logistics, roast and freshness. Excluding effective auctions, higher prices may not guarantee a better tasting coffee. Storage and freshness are key because coffee does not age well. Indeed, assuming the flavor has not been compromised by logistics and storage, fresh green coffee has a 6-12-month shelf life while fresh roasted whole bean has a 30-day window. As the importer of these potentially fine coffees, IT IS THE RETAIL ROASTER WHO DETERMINES THE QUALITY AND FRESHNESS OF OUR COFFEE. Finding a reputable retail roaster with good customer service, a good menu of single origin coffee and consistency is a Herculean task. Given the limited shelf life, always looming new crop and roaster inconsistency, the ongoing journey never ends. Organic, free trade, direct trade, sustainable, certified, relationships and consistent buying all make sense, but coffee that shoots the lights out on the cupping table is really what the specialty coffee game is about. While there are exceptions, roaster websites are not generally well developed or organized and many do not disclose all the information required to make an informed purchase, including the origin, roast, ounces per bag, processing, etc. Some lack contact information while others fail to follow up on inquiries. Many also use a poor choice of colors and fonts that make the websites difficult to read. Fortunately, many roasters specializing in East African coffee provide more detail and organized information, including the granular source, varietal, processing, roast and roast date. Blends are being hyped by roasters and while they might be relevant to coffee drinkers, they are not very relevant to coffee lovers that already know what they want. Affordability is another issue because there are high-quality single origin coffees that are affordable and offer real value. Indeed, many blends are priced higher than good single origin coffee. VOLCANICA EAST AFRICAN COFFEE: As Good As It Gets Volcanica is currently offering nine East African single origin coffees, including the Kenya AA (Nyeri Hill Estate), the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and the Tanzania Peaberry (Nitin Estate, Ngorongoro Crater). All are washed and roasted light or medium light. In addition to being among the highest quality East African coffee on the market today, they offer real value. Indeed, Volcanica's 16 oz pricing is less than what many of their competitors are charging for 12 oz. Volcanica's website is also developed, organized and provides granular details appreciated by coffee lovers. JBC has also done a good job with their website development and disclosure. I have chased

This has become my new favorite spot for coffee when visiting Georgia. The coffee is amazing and…read morelove the little foam they add at the top. I specifically vouch for the cold brews, both the Stout Truffle and Panama Black are winners in my book. I got my wife the Matcha Latte and she seemed to like it as well. The service is top notch too, everyone behind the counter has been incredibly sweet. Emily the manager is great in particular. Wide space with plenty of seating inside so it's a great spot to get work done or catch up with a friend. This place is a must visit if you're in the area!

I love the coffee here and inside of cafe is great too. However I had such a terrible experience…read morewith their drive thru and I regret not going into the store. I was so excited to see they had a drive thru, so I went to it today. There were two lanes, but it was confusing whether both lanes were usable. Once I got near the front, one of the employees directed me to the outer lane then took my order. However, one by one the cars in the inner lane (closer to the cafe door) received their food and left when I was still standing there 20+ min later. I finally get my drink only for it to be the wrong one. So I had to wait even longer to get the correct drink then wait even more to get my breakfast sandwich. I don't know what happened but they need to improve their drive thru system. I really liked this place but now I'm doubting if I want to go back after today.

I bought Blue Mountain Coffee Beans second time. Good…read morequality of product of beans from coffee roaster and enjoyed my drip coffee. Will buy again.

Wonderful coffee shop with delicious pastries and drinks. Their case offers a variety of sweet and…read moresavory, and their ample seating with WiFi makes this a digital nomad play land.

Cortado is huge. Good coffee. Recommend. Service is quick place is small mom and pop place hissed…read moreoff the corner so it's a nice quiet place to grab a great cup of coffee. Small food menu and pasties but it's the coffee that shines here.

What a hidden gem!! This small family ran café is my favorite place to get coffee by far. They…read morewarmly greet every customer and also recognize if you've visited before. There is seating inside so you can work remote comfortably or also catch up with friends. I didn't order food yet, but everyone that came in before and after me did and it made me regret not getting something to eat but that means I'll try next time

Turns out they do serve drinks at night. And it looks like word of mouth has grown and months later…read morestill popular. I had the Ceremonial Tsuyuhikari Mie Matcha Latte. The first one on the list, 7.50, very tasty and not over sweet. Delicious. I would still pay more for a large. Overall very cool idea for coffee/drinks/brunch and perfect for the modern day hipster. :) Very cool paintings!

Cute spot to grab a quick bite. The menus had season items as well as make your own beverages. I…read morethink food was available I saw someone order a sandwich but I didn't see it in the menu so with missed it or there was another. I was greeted and allowed to take a moment to look over them menu. I got one of their seasonal items . It was a lemonade espresso or something of that nature. I unfortunately don't remember the name but it tasted exactly how it was described. Also got an earl Gray cookie, which was more like a biscuit, it's a nice eyes and a hot a very pleasant taste. They have a section for water so you don't have to go to them and ask for it. It's just readily available. . Love the set up and how they play their items. It's very homey yet Café vibes. Exaggerated nicely in the bathroom really nice as well. It is a one person bathroom so there may be a wait when it's busy. -random note - if you're using Uber or Lyft in the area, maybe it just was the time that I went, but there were hardly any available. I had to wait over an hour to get a ride so just to keep in mind if you're someone who doesn't have a car or plans to get picked up from the area

IYKYK... This was…read morethe closest one to where we were staying and I'm glad we came to the stand alone one. It seems like it's relatively new. The outside/inside is clean and fresh. The inside is a little smaller then Tim's you might be familiar with North of the 49th parallel... The selection of donuts is small... so don't expect a huge selection... only three varieties of TimBits... so if that could be enlarged that would be awesome. The coffee still tastes the same. The staff was very friendly and the decor inside was clean and modern. It's more nostalgia more than anything else.

Be patient! Listen, we sat here for 40 mins and watched how some people came in and expected to…read moreorder and get their food within 5 mins. Go to the arches for that. Our food came out within 25 mins. It was fresh, it was tasty and hot. Mackenzie did a fantastic job being graceful, patient and courteous to all costumers. They were slammed with orders, but each one of the employees was polite and working hard to keep the customers happy. I can't give this business enough praise. Give them a try, we tried the donuts, the fritters, sandwiches and coffees and it was fantastic!

It's a cute spot for coffee. Nice to come here with friends. Great coffee. Drip coffee is also…read moredelicious. Servers are wonderful and they have a cute display of miniature animals on their espresso machines. The porch gives a very nice southern vibe.

Warm Waves lives up to its name. You can't help but feel transformed as if you're near the beach…read morewith its bright interior and friendly staff behind the counter. Their regular coffee is good (out of an extensive drink menu including seasonal specials) and they have a decent breakfast menu. I like the variety of seating in this coffeehouse. There's the main room with lots of tables, high-tops, and couch. I definitely appreciate that there's signage on some tables to mind your time of 2 hours if you're working there. There's also a separate sunny porch area that is much quieter than the main room. When the noise level inside got a little loud with music and typical coffeehouse chatter, I moved outside. You'll find plenty of outdoor seating. I just wish there was a little more shade. I came here to meet with friends on a Fri morning. Thankfully parking wasn't too much of an issue but I can see the small private lot being a challenge for large groups. I'm definitely a fan of the pretzel roll I ordered - contrary to its name, it looks like a nothing like a roll but more like a savory flattened croissant which had some slight amount of protein (can't remember if it was chicken or ham) inside. The coffee was good - I try not to be swayed by the beautiful trendy drinks most coffeehouses are serving. I'd certainly come back to this cafe if I were in the area.