Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Shortwave Coffee

    4.4 (107 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee & Tea
    Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Shortwave Coffee Takeout or Delivery

    Shortwave Coffee Photos

    Business Info

    SHORTWAVE COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Shortwave Coffee

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Shortwave cafe
    Meredith A.

    Shortwave Coffee has a great location - a corner shop in downtown Columbia. It has a large cafe with lots of seating and phone charging stations, which didn't work, but were a great idea! The barista was friendly and accommodating. I ordered two shots of espresso over ice and my son got an iced chai. Both were good, but the espresso was pretty acidic for my taste. The merch is cute and we ended up buying a t-shirt, the perfect souvenir from our trip to Columbia!

    Tatum L.

    * editing to add I finally got refunded, they did not respond any further or apologize but I appreciate that they finally made it right. definitely solidified that I am not coming back though. Shortwave has declined steadily over the past year or so. I used to like them as a decent option with pretty good espresso, not my fave but if you got a solid barista it was a pretty good experience overall. not the case any longer, as the last 3-4 times (spread out over a few months) I have gone it has been worse each time. the espresso is burnt, the steaming if you get a hot drink is usually subpar, and one time I got their beans and they quite honestly already tasted pretty flat and old (off-gassed for 24-48 hrs before use). now here's my biggest frustration, and why I'm done going for good. I had not complained the last few times, even though my lattes or cortados were consistently not great. this time, I got a latte with their autumn spice as last year I had liked it a lot. the espresso was so burnt it genuinely tasted like charcoal, the drink was terrible. I had already left, so I emailed their customer service email which they encourage at the bottom of their receipts if anything is unsatisfactory. they tried to insinuate it might be me not liking the autumn spice syrup, which is quite honestly felt quite undermining. then they essentially dropped off the grid with no offer of a refund. receipts of this email thread attached below. I genuinely should've stopped wasting money on them a while ago, but was overly hopeful that a barista was having a bad day/bar wasn't dialed in properly. this was a very sour end to my patronage at Shortwave.

    Matcha latte
    Samantha F.

    Shortwave is and always has been one of my favorite coffee shops. I started coming here with my dad before school sometimes in the morning when I was young and ended up frequenting it all the way until moving out of Columbia. It's still one of my first stops when I return for visits and the place I recommend to everyone who asks. Their service is top notch with a focus on quality and personal touch for every customer. The coffee itself is fantastic and roasted in house. They make all their own syrups and brew a mean tea too. The owner Munir obviously cares very deeply and he and the baristas curate a very special space that gives that feeling of home and community. I love the newer space on 9th street with a full bakery and big open spaces, but the cozy alley location will always be my favorite.

    Coffee and Danish
    Marie M.

    Something about the vibe of this place gets me. It's ultra-postmodern and it can be a nice place to veg-out and work or study, unless you have loud Midwestern women who go on about whatever they want to share. Inside voices please! Anyhow, I enjoyed the fresh drip coffee. The service was really good too, friendly people. The only thing that I was disappointed with was that they didn't have much to offer in terms of something to eat. I ordered an apple Danish, and it was about the same type that I would have purchased at a grocery store.

    This is their logo
    Declan C.

    I absolutely love Shortwave Coffee!! My favorite drink to get is their Iced Matcha Latte's with Oatmilk and 1 pump vanilla. Their cheese danish's are literally so delicious. My server today was literally the nicest person on this planet. She recommended to try their hot matcha latte's. She even made me one to see how they make them! This store gives cozy rainy day vibes. /10 absolutely recommend!!!

    interior
    Vicki W.

    Excellent vibe at both locations of this coffee shop in downtown Columbia. They feature a modern, hipster interior, comfortable seating and lots of outlets, making it an idea place to meet and chat or work. The standard coffee and cold brew were a bit bitter for me, as I prefer a lighter roast, but I got an Ethiopian pour over and it was delicious. The aptly named "secret recipe" chocolate chip cookie had a little something extra that made it extra addictive, worth every bite! Baristas at both locations were patient and speedy, despite being very busy.

    Alley
    Jubal H.

    There are two Shortwave Coffee shops within a block of each other. One in an Alley, and one in a corner. Both had Students studying , Coffee , Music . Corner had sunlight and high ceilings. Alley had darkness and very low ceilings, and a homeless guy in front smoking a cigar. I picked ... the Corner. They claim awards for their coffee; it was very good. The coffee! I did indulge in any caffeine frou frou accoutrements.

    Karsten G.

    Literally in the alley. We're from out of town and it took a minute to find this on Apple Maps because it is literally in the alley along with several other businesses. A very cool idea for a college town. It has the feeling of a speakeasy. The coffee was very good. I usually just get coffee with milk and this coffee was very flavorful. My daughter enjoyed the lavender latte and homemade blueberry muffin. Will definitely visit again if we're in the area.

    a view of a coffee shop
    Justin S.

    I stopped by Shortwave while driving across the state, and was so glad I did so. Excellent beans. Unique vibe. Enter through the alley. When you buy a pound of beans you can get a cup of coffee for free. A quintessential college town coffee shop.

    Kara D.

    It would be my dream come true to own a coffee shop & roastery like Shortwave Coffee. I love the location and product. It's located within an alley (Alley A), which should be normalized in this country. Meandering through an alley filled with businesses and NO cars endearingly reminded me of being abroad. This shop is trendy, has a lot on their menu, a lot of different seating, and roasts their coffee onsite. I got a Special latte that had vanilla and sage, which was super good. We also got a bag of whole beans to bring home to MPLS. I believe when you buy a bag you get a free latte or cup of coffee? Nice! There are also baked goods and snacks for purchase. I bet this is a gem for local students to meet, study and enjoy this space. I'm kinda jealous!

    Outdoor seating and small flat white.

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nathan K.
    223
    76
    138

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John H.
    29
    16
    1

    1 year ago

    Quality of coffee is fantastic. Has to be the best in the area. Service was a little slow but might have just been a random occurrence.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Lavender latte! I wished the iced lavender lattes came in larger sizes! The caramel latte was also tasty.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kara D.
    4973
    931
    9944

    5 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maya Y.
    319
    21
    8

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zack G.
    41
    1859
    1965

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mads D.
    1
    20
    16

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paula B.
    2
    154
    11

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Zach L.
    151
    3
    2

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lora L.
    1
    387
    62

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Amazingly good coffee. I was surprised just how fresh and rich the coffee was. How often do you find in a small city a real roaster.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Shortwave Coffee

    You might also consider

    Main Squeeze

    Main Squeeze

    4.4(261 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $

    I was very disappointed as k expected to have a good juice. Upon entering there was a pleasant…read morearoma of food and the lady who greeted me seemed lovely. I placed my order and tipped and waited on my juice only to see her fumbling to make my juice and she seemed extremely stingy in filling the cup and even had to juice an additional apple and the cup still wasn't full to where I would expect. On the pic I will attach she filled it to right below the first line from bottom of the cup. By the time I sipped 2 times it was done. It's already small cup .... The least you can do is fill the cup. My goodness. Or raise your price and give a good portion or maybe the worker didn't want to work too much today. It was my first time in and I just say I was disappointed.

    My fiancé ordered all pre made items at 4:30pm on a Sunday instead of made to order …read more.. Food kept warm/ hot, the only thing left was left from the morning was 1 Vegan Black Bean -Sweet Potato Burrito. - Rating... great but needs the condiments that is provided at Main Squeeze to customize to one's preference. Came with salsa Frozen and Refrigerated, there was a lot more options to choose from. What we got.. Zoodle Salad with peanut sauce - Rating- great but needed sriracha (they ran out of this condiment and all others) since it flavor or needed more peanut sauce Vegan Egg Salad - Rating- I love egg salad, so this was amazing and surprisingly vegan. I would definitely order again, as as stated earlier condiments, such as hot sauce is needed. Especially with someone like me who loves spice and flavor. Pricing was decent for what we got between the two of us. Hospitality 10 out of 10.

    Photos
    Main Squeeze
    Main Squeeze
    Main Squeeze - Buddha Bowl (large)

    See all

    Buddha Bowl (large)

    Shortwave Coffee - coffee - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...