Perk Up in Putnam County With These Four Must-Visit Local Coffee Shops
Your Guide to Local Brews, Waterfront Views, and House-Roasted Beans in Palatka, Crescent City, San Mateo, and Melrose
From outdoor adventures to shopping, arts, and exploring Old Florida, there’s a latte to love in Putnam County. As you weave through the backroads and explore the county, you’ll find that each community has its own character. In all of them though, you’ll find a friendly, welcoming vibe – and one of the best ways to experience it is by checking out our local coffee scene. Here are four communities and four locally-owned coffee shops in Putnam County that we love. We know you will, too.
Crescent City, FL: This community is full of aquatic adventures, as it is positioned along the shores of Crescent Lake, which links to the St. Johns River through Dunns Creek.
Address: 1304 County Road 308 Crescent City, FL 32112
Why we love it: The folks at The Crescent are always dreaming up creative seasonal recipes. Whenever you visit though, you can always find a variety of coffee, matcha, tea, dirty soda, and energy drinks. They also offer a variety of lemonade-based drinks such as the Aloha, that’s made with dragon and mango lemonade. You can pair any of these with a tasty pastry as well. This is also one of the places where you can find Yaupon Brothers Tea, which has its headquarters located in Crescent City. We also love that The Crescent offers online ordering. Adventures don’t wait, and when you want to grab a quick coffee before heading out on the river or the trail, you don’t have to wait, either. Place your order ahead of time, and then just stop in and pick it up.
Although the Crescent opened in 2024, it is housed in a building that has been a favorite hangout where locals have gathered for years. The establishment was previously home to B&M Grocery, Buster’s and Panchos. Now, it has transformed into Crescent City’s first coffee shop. The bones of the place that locals grew to love are still there, but now it has a funky vibe with cozy Florida-inspired decor complete with one-of-a-kind murals painted by international artist, Jules Muck, also known as Muckrock.
Make sure you try: Try The JoJo. This vanilla and caramel latte has a caramel drizzle on the cup. The Floridian is another tasty option. It is made with orange-infused espresso and honey.
Palatka, FL: The largest city in Putnam County, and the St. Johns River runs right along its historic downtown.
Address 1: 3711 Crill Avenue Palatka, FL 32177
Address 2: 102 North 1st Street Palatka, FL 32177
Why we love it: Coffee with a waterfront view? Yes, please! This local coffee shop in Palatka has two locations, and one is located just steps away from the St. Johns River. The location on North 1st Street is in Palatka’s historic downtown and is connected to The River Center. Grab a seat outside and take in the views of the river – or even better, head to the rooftop to enjoy your beverage of choice. You can also stroll along the river while you sip, or do some shopping at the cute local boutiques.
The drinks are tasty, too. They serve coffee, matcha, and tea, and have some fun seasonal favorites. One of our favorites that has popped up on the seasonal menu is the Banana Pudding Latte and Matcha. It tastes just like the scrumptious Southern dessert. We also really love that they serve Pup Cups that are made with their homemade whipped cream or cold foam. There’s also a variety of food items such as sausage biscuits, grit bowls, and pastries. They are open every day except for Sunday.
Make sure you try: The Honey Badger Latte (made with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla), the PCC (made with caramel and vanilla), and the Dirty Latte (made with salted caramel, white chocolate, and caramel) are some of their best drinks.
Melrose, FL: You can’t help but feel the artsy and creative vibes that radiate through this community.
Address: 307 State Road 26 Melrose, FL 32666
Why we love it: The coffee shop located inside The Melrose Center is operated by a local non-profit group called Common Thread International, Inc. They help provide services to the community, including free healthcare. They offer a robust menu with breakfast items that are served all day, as well as some tasty lunch options. There are many unique, nutritious menu items, and we are big fans of the Purple Sweet Potato and Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. The coffee is excellent, too. They brew a special blend that uses fair-trade beans. You can also purchase bags of the Good Morning Melrose ground coffee in the on-site gift shop. They serve a variety of other beverages,too, including tea and smoothies.
The Melrose Center serves as the home of The Lake Area Welcome Center. If you’re visiting the area, you can stop in and get information about what to see and do in Melrose. There’s live music on Thursday and Saturday nights, and an Art Walk that happens the first Friday of each month. Local art adorns the walls of the coffee shop, though, so anytime you visit, you’ll get to see the creative works of the area’s artists. Just note that they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. The Studios of Melrose Gallery & Gifts is also open Tuesdays and Thursdays, and is located on-site, offering more opportunities to grab a coffee and see local art.
Make sure you try: The Cafe Au Lait (which consists of equal parts steamed milk and coffee) or the Cafe Con Leche (which consists of equal parts steamed milk and espresso). You can’t go wrong with either.
San Mateo, FL: Offers an Old Florida feel that embraces farm-to-table culture with local growers and producers.
Address: 631 U.S. Highway 17 San Mateo, FL 32187
Why we love it: Beanz N’ Cream roasts their own signature Better Beans Florida Coffee in San Mateo each week using a special roasting technique they invented. They utilize a variety of organic, Arabica, and Robusta beans that they acquire from small coffee farms across the world, and you can also take home bags, or K-cups, of their locally-roasted coffee. They also have all-natural, homemade energy drinks, tea, frappes, smoothies, and more. You can even pick up a Pup Cup for your furry friend.
Go hungry if you visit, because they have a large variety of food items, many of which have ingredients from their own farm, or other local farms in the area. You’ll see different items pop up on the menu at various times based on what’s in season and in abundance, but there are many tasty, permanent staples to try. Their homemade donuts are made fresh every day and are very popular, as is the Smashed Potato Bowl that includes potatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese, and sausage gravy. The Breakfast Burrito is another local favorite, but we are also big fans of the Blueberry French Toast that’s topped with whipped cream. There are also lunch items and yummy ice cream. If you’re in a hurry, you can come through the drive-through, or you can place a delivery order through DoorDash. They are open Wednesday-Sunday, and you can also call and place orders in advance.
Make sure you try: They have over 50 different flavors that you can mix and match, but one of their signature drinks that we love is the Sweet and Salty, which is made with espresso, caramel, coconut, and toffee. The Blondie is another top seller, and it is made with caramel and white chocolate.
As you’re sipping your way through Palatka, Crescent City, San Mateo, and Melrose, you’ll discover plenty of adventures and local treasures along the way. Download the Visit Putnam FL app for Apple or Android to learn more about all of the great things to do in Putnam County.