Where to find best locally roasted coffee in Tampa Bay area?

[ospreycove]

I am using the coffee from El Molino in Ybor City; their "San Marco True Italian Roas"t is very good, but always looking for others who have a favorite. I have sampled some from Sarasota's "Latitude ??" and the now defunct Anna Maria Island Roasters, any recommendations?

[brentk]

I stumbled upon Buddy Brew Roasters when I was in Tampa a couple of months ago. They are located on Kennedy just west of downtown. Minimalist decor but these guys are serious about coffee.

http://www.buddybrew.com

[CFishman]

It depends how you brew your coffee. If you make espresso, Kahwa is very good. Fresh Market also sells Intelligentsia and Counter Culture; both are excellent.

[ospreycove]

CF,
I am looking for roasters, does Fresh Mkt have roasting in store? Another good one is Mazzaro;s in St. Pete, their dark Italian roast is usually good for espresso. Although. sometimes the quality varies from batch to batch.

[ospreycove]

Brentk,

Thanks for "Buddy Brew" this is new to me. Going to check it out this week!

[CFishman]

Kahwa is a roaster and they do a good job. Personally, I would prefer buying coffee that is shipped from places like Intelligentsia or Counter Culture over locally roasted coffee that is not sourced and roasted at the same level.

[ospreycove]

Cfish.....True, I find with the dark roasted espresso; some less than stellar sellers can hide inferior beans by the additional heat and color. Like you I am a 100% "short coffee" guy.!!!! I am going to try the 2 brands that you mentioned,
THANKS!

[CFishman]

You can see some reviews of both at the link below. If you are not close to Fresh Market, you might want to call ahead. They have been low on stock recently and I had to make a trip to St. Pete to go to Kahwa. Let me know what you think.

http://www.home-barista.com/reviews/f...