Hi there Florida residents. I'm heading to the Orlando area later this month with the family. Specifically the Kissimmee area. Are there any cafe/roaster suggestions worth checking out?

I've been there before. From what I saw, that area is *$ territory and there's no specialty coffee for many miles. Just big box store plazas and hotel resorts. I read about Lineage and Downtown Credo in Orlando's downtown. But I'll be pretty far from there.

Should I just pack some beans, my Aeropress, and hand grinder? Or is there hope for Home Baristas in greater Orlando? Help me Obi-Wan...

Sorry I know Orlando isn't in South Florida. But I don't want to start a new thread on a quest to find the magic elixir in Disney country.

Sorry, there is no hope. All *$ in that area. Lineage is in North Orlando, near Winter Park, and Vespr is in East Orlando, near Oviedo. All about 30-45 mins away from Kissimickey. At some point you might get desperate, so go ahead and bookmark those in Yelp.

If you want to get together for a shot, I'll be in town the 18-22 before I head out of town again. We can meet at one of the shops, or I'll pull you a shot on my Rocket at home.

Safe travels!

Hi Alan, thanks for the reply and the invite! We actually won't be there until the day after you're out of town. But thanks for the offer. To be honest, we'll have quite a large group of family members with us, and the kids, so my specialty coffee pursuits won't be high on the agenda. I'm going to pack some good beans, my Aeropress, and a hand grinder. That should get me through the week. Perhaps even Target has some specialty beans not too far from roast that could work for brew. I've heard they carry Intelly and others. Or I could get some U.S. roasters delivered to my hotel. Maybe even Sudden Coffee is worth a try.

EDIT: After looking online, looks like Target only sells Intelly pre-ground. Why is Intelly agreeing to pre-ground? Whole beans well past roast date are bad enough. But pre-ground? That's crossing a line. The horror! The horror!

I've seen whole bean stuff from Carribou and Peets at Target here, but never buy it since it's never clear how long it has been sitting there. If you order from Counter Culture it will take about 2 days to Orlando. Blazing Bean (HB site sponsor) is located very close by in Clearwater. I think they roast on Mondays and ship on Tuesdays; maybe contact them to confirm.

https://www.facebook.com/downtowncredo/

There are two locations in Orlando.


Blazing Bean - New Retail Locations Tampa Bay, FL

I'm near Blazing Beans, have to stop by on a Monday.

If you are in Tampa then Buddy Brew is a place to check out.

Headala wrote:I've seen whole bean stuff from Carribou and Peets at Target here, but never buy it since it's never clear how long it has been sitting there. If you order from Counter Culture it will take about 2 days to Orlando. Blazing Bean (HB site sponsor) is located very close by in Clearwater. I think they roast on Mondays and ship on Tuesdays; maybe contact them to confirm.

Thanks Alan!

In case you are, indeed, going to Disney...my wife and I are Vacation Club members and go at least once a year. Every coffee I've had at the kiosk at the transportation center over the past 2-3 years has been decent to good. At Epcot, BEFORE you go inside the park, the kiosk is pretty good. Magic Kingdom is more difficult (I.e. make your own - but I can update this next week ), and last time we were at Animal Kingdom the coffee was atrocious (not going there this trip)!

As an Orlando Native, I can sadly say the coffee scene isn't what I wished for. Though I can honestly say Lineage is roasting and brewing some of the best coffee I have had, ever. If your in the area, its totally worth a stop. Their coffee bar is positioned in a sort of mix use market called the East End Market. Theres a local bakery, produce stand, multiple deli/sandwich counters, a juice bar, cheese shop and even a plant stall, with Lineage sort of the crowning jewel. Though I live in Atlanta now, Im always at Lineage when I return home. Make a stop or even order a bag, I'm sure you'll be impressed.

That's spot on. I'm also a bit disappointed by the Orlando coffee scene, but Lineage (and Vespr) are bright shining stars in the dreary landscape. If anyone does go to East End Market, try the meatball sandwich at the cheese shop. It should come with a warning label...if you get any on your face, your tongue will beat you slap dab to death trying to lick it off!