Nearly 46K votes cast! Here’s the Lexington coffee shop you selected as your favorite

It was stiff competition through the final hour as Lexington Herald-Leader readers weighed in this week on their favorite coffee shop in the area.

By a slim margin, Scooter’s Coffee — a chain drive-thru first opened in 1998 and situated locally at 120 Hope Court in Nicholasville — came out on top, with more than 10,000 votes in the final round.

Over the course of five weeks of voting, the coffee chain raked in thousand of votes. In addition to coffees, teas and smoothies, the drive-thru’s menu also features light food offerings and “Dollar Delights,” including mini donuts and drip coffee for a buck.

Runner-up and local staple Nate’s Coffee didn’t lag far behind in voting during the championship round, however. With a standalone location, at 125 Cheapside, thousands of vote were cast for the local business, which also offers its whole bean and drip coffee for purchase at numerous retailers and eateries.

The Lexington-born coffee roaster offers a variety of blends, including a sample pack for those just trying them out, as well as a subscription service advertised as starting at $14 each month.

We appreciate all the readers who participated in our competition, which was launched as a fun (and nonscientific way) of highlighting the many local offerings in and around Lexington. In all, 45,800 votes were cast.

Here’s the final tally, as of close of poll noon Thursday:

Scooter’s Coffee: 10,221, or 53%

Nate’s Coffee: 9,156, or 47%

Be sure to check out all the coffee shops, which we’ve featured below.

How did the bracket competition work?

At the start, we included not only local businesses but a few large chains, because we know you stop there. That said, we’re aimed to highlight local businesses and have a bit of fun.

You’ll find a list and link to all the coffee shops featured at the bottom. We didn’t include any gas station coffee stops, but if you’re looking for one, one reader recommends Speedway’s coffee, because, “who needs to spend $4 for a cup of coffee?”

The competition isn’t scientific; you could vote as many times as you’d like.

You can find information about each coffee shop featured below, and if you’d like to see some of the community’s previous top picks, readers have selected the best craft brewery, the best tattoo shop and more in the past.

Emailed votes were not tallied.

Coffee shops and offerings in Lexington

Old School Coffee: This shop has two locations, 380 S. Mill St. and inside the Fayette Mall near Coach. Old School gets its beans from a Cincinnati roaster, the company says on its website, and focuses on robust support of local enterprise. Hours vary by location.

A Cup of Commonwealth: You can find A Cup of Commonwealth at 105 Eastern Ave., where it offers caffeinated treats alongside a selection of food. A second, weekday-only location can be found in the Commonwealth Exchange building at 401 S. Limestone.

HIGH on Art Coffee: Located at 523 E. High St., HIGH on Art combines its food and coffee menu with the opportunity to shop artisans. Its hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii: This shop has two Lexington franchise locations, 685 S. Limestone and 3070 Lakecrest Circle. Its “Winter Wanderlust” seasonal menu is available weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Nate’s Coffee: This Lexington business offers it roasts at several locations, including a standalone location at 125 Cheapside from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. They also offer a subscription if you’d like to brew Nate’s at home.

Coffee Times Coffee House: This coffee house has been in business since 1983, according to its website, and offers a tea selection as well. It’s located at 2571 Regency Road and open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Brevede Coffee Co.: Offering drinks, baked treats and an event space, this business opened in 2020, according to its website. Its two locations include the Distillery District at 1170 Manchester St., Suite 110, and 859 E. High St. Hours vary by location.

Common Grounds Coffee Co. and Roaster: In town since 1992, Common Grounds has two coffee houses. Hours vary by location, but one is at 4772 Hartland Pkwy., while the other is at 3100 Old Todds Road, No. 100.

Leestown Coffee House: Offering organic and fair trade ingredients, Leestown Coffee House has been open since the onset of the pandemic, its website says. It’s open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1416 Leestown Road.

The Human Bean: This chain has two Lexington locations, one at 2644 Richmond Road and another at 1946 Harrodsburg Road. It opens at 5 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. The drive-thru only coffee shop was started in southern Oregon.

Manchester Coffee Co.: Manchester Coffee is down to one location at 576 E. Third St., Suite 110, and offers a full menu of craft coffee and wholesale, its website indicates. The hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

North Lime Coffee and Donuts: Offering seasonal beverages and subscriptions, North Lime has two Lexington locations. The Greyline Station shop is at 101 W. Loudon Ave., Suite 160, and there’s also a shop at 3101 Clays Mill Road, No. 300 A. Hours vary by location.

The Creatures’ Cauldron Cafe: Open to business for wizards and muggles alike, Creatures Cauldron offers themed magical coffee options. It is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 128 N. Broadway. Note: After this bracket launched, The Creatures’ Cauldron Cafe announced via Facebook it would close the coffee shop and use the space in a new way. In a Jan. 30 post, the cafe said it planned to serve its full menu until ingredients ran out.

Dunkin’: Declaring itself “America’s favorite coffee,” this chain started in Massachusetts. There are several area locations including 1306 S. Broadway, 316 E. New Circle Road and 2213 Versailles Road. You can also grab a cup at the Bluegrass Airport.

Third Street Stuff and Coffee: Whether you want to browse or get a cup of joe, Third Street opens seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find the coffee house at 257 N. Limestone.

Starbucks Coffee: Nearly synonymous with takeout coffee across the U.S., this Seattle-born chain offers several locations in Lexington. You can find the complete list of locations and hours online.

Dutch Bros Coffee: This rapidly expanding chain coffee option recently opened in Lexington. You can find it at 234 E. New Circle Road starting at 5 a.m. every day.

7 Brew: This drive-thru only chain has two Lexington locations, 4265 Harrodsburg Road and 2895 Richmond Road. Its hours vary by day, but the locations are selling coffee by 5:30 a.m. each morning.

Scooter’s Coffee: Another chain, Scooter’s area location is at 120 Hope Court in Nicholasville. Scooter’s brewed drip coffee is on its “Dollar Delights” menu. It is open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.

Lussi Brown Coffee Bar: Lussi Brown offers coffee, tea, food and a selection of cocktails and beer at its 114 Church St. location. Its hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and alcohol sales start after noon.

Far Out Espresso: This shop offers a variety of caffeinated beverages, bagged coffee and a hefty food menu. Far Out is located at 497 E. High St. and open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Friday ad Saturday, when it remains open until 1 a.m.

McLeod’s Coffee House: Those close to Southland Drive can check out McLeod’s, a nonprofit, which has a small food menu in addition to coffee offerings. Located at 376 Southland Drive, it is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days.

Kenwick Table: This spot offers crafted coffee drinks, alcohol, charcuterie and more from 201 Owsley Ave. It also has events and live music. Kenwick Table is open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

PJ’s Coffee: Located in Gatton Business School on the University of Kentucky’s campus, PJ’s is open weekdays starting at 8 a.m.

Chaotic Good Coffee, Comics and Games: Chaotic Good serves Roadmap CoffeeWorks at its 545 S. Broadway location. You can bring friends to take advantage of on-site games or bring your own. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Genesis Coffee House & Eatery: Serving coffee and tea, along with breakfast and lunch, Genesis is located at 1403 N. Forbes Road, Suite 130. It is open Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Java Jukebox: Located at 640 W. Maxwell St., No. 130, Java Jukebox advertises locally roasted coffee and a breakfast menu. The business also has a food truck. Hours for the Maxwell Street location are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m on weekends.

Grounded All Day Cafe: This shop, advertised as a “gathering spot,” offers caffeinated treats alongside breakfast menu items from its location at 106 Burke Road. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Luna’s Coffee, Wine & Butterfly Cafe: This spot near Lexington offers your coffee fix, along with alcoholic beverages and food. The owners have a passion for nature, according to its website, and Luna’s butterfly house is home to species native to Kentucky. Luna’s is located at 109 Springdale Drive in Nicholasville and is open beginning at 7:30 a.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

4th Level Roasters: This business offers to-go drip coffee, along with beans, wholesale and more at its 2416 Palumbo Drive location. It’s open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 12:41 PM.