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What better way to start a winter adventure in the mountains than with a warm cup of coffee? Truckee is home to a variety of one-of-a-kind locally owned coffee shops and cafes that are cherished by locals and visitors. What makes these spots special isn’t just the high-quality coffee and food, it’s the welcoming community they foster, turning first-time visitors into regulars.
Photo: Indulge in unique blends and cozy up in a creative space at Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. Photo Credit: Dark Horse Coffee Roasters.
Whether you’re looking for a delicious cup of coffee to kickstart your day, healthy and sustainably sourced meals, or a cozy environment to work, read or converse with your loved ones, I have created a list of six spots to put on your Truckee bucket list below. Enjoy!
Make Mountain Brew your pit-stop for local adventures! Photo Credit: Mountain Brew.
Mountain Brew
Local entrepreneurs Jaime Legare and Stacey Larson founded Mountain Brew to create a convenient and community-focused coffee shop and restaurant for ethically and sustainably sourced coffee, specialty beverages and healthy food to fuel their customer’s local adventures. Located at the former historic 76 station on Donner Pass Road, Mountain Brew makes a welcoming pitstop for locals and visitors. Mountain Brew also has a Coffee Club that delivers coffee straight to your door every month, with the option of whole beans or ground coffee in your favorite flavors. They have a variety of sweet and savory grab-and-go foods as well.
Location: 12373 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
Coffeebar
Inspired by the coffee shops in Italy, Coffeebar doesn’t just strive to make memorable blends to help you start the day off right, it wants to foster a culture of hospitality and excellence. Coffeebar believes that coffee is an entire experience as each sip invokes various smells, tastes and emotions. Beyond the cup, they pride themselves in hiring passionate baristas and sourcing the highest-quality beans in search of the perfect roast.
Greg Buchheister, champion ski racer and founder of Coffeebar, learned from an early age that taking risks is an integral part of success. What started off as a coffee-importing venture turned into 20 coffee shops, roasteries and bakeries in California, Nevada and Colorado, but the first one was located in Truckee.
Today, Truckee isn’t just home to the original Coffeebar location. It also has a separate bakery, and they offer delivery of your favorite blends straight to your house.
Location: 12047 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
Bakery: 10120 Jibboom Street, Truckee
Enjoy the "Zuri Experience" with a warm cup of coffee and pastry. Photo Credit: Zuri Coffee Company.
Zuri Coffee Company
Zuri Coffee Company isn’t just a coffee shop, it’s an experience. The moment you walk in, you feel right at home. With rustic decor, a cozy atmosphere and friendly baristas, it’s no secret why Zuri has seen so much success.
Hailing from Switzerland, owners Esther and Wener Ospelt wanted to bring a taste of their homeland to Truckee. They take pride in being known for high-quality coffee, delicious fresh food and exceptional customer service. And don’t let the lines fool you! Their baristas are not only passionate about crafting the perfect cup, they’re also extremely efficient and make sure you get your order as quickly as possible.
Although highly regarded for their coffee and espresso menu, they offer a variety of hot and cold beverages, pastries, paninis and salads.
Location: 11357 Donner Pass Road, Suite G, Truckee
Dark Horse Coffee Roasters
Since 2014, Dark Horse Coffee Roasters has been an integral part of the Truckee community. Set in a unique stone building that used to be a saloon, Dark Horse is a welcoming, creative and cozy space that prides itself in welcoming and serving every customer that walks through its door.
Dark Horse isn’t just a space to try diverse blends of coffee; it’s also a space where creatives, digital nomads, entrepreneurs, regulars and tourists come to cozy up in the coffee shop that established a cult-like following in their original Southern California location. They also host a variety of eclectic local events, such as concerts, art shows and open mic events.
Location: 10009 W. River Street, Truckee
Wild Cherries serves delicious locally roasted coffee, hearty bagel sandwiches, and more. Photo Credit: Wild Cherries.
Wild Cherries Coffee House and Bakery
Owned by local legend and two-time Olympic skier Kristin Krone, Wild Cherries has been a staple in the Truckee community since 1998.
Kristin, who spent her childhood in Truckee, wanted to give back to the community she loves so much by not only creating a space that serves delicious locally roasted coffee, specialty beverages, freshly-baked in-house pastries and paninis, but also by becoming involved in local schools and various athletic organizations.
Wild Cherries strives to be a place where everyone feels like a part of the community. On any given day, you will see families enjoying delicious sandwiches and soups, local athletes conversing on the patio, first responders taking a coffee break, and students and digital nomads utilizing the vibrant space to get their work done.
Location: 11429 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
Drink Coffee Do Stuff
Drink Coffee Do Stuff was founded by Nick Visconti, former professional snowboarder and current coffee entrepreneur and enthusiast. During his time in the Swiss Alps, he was intrigued by the coffee shop culture and the integration of coffee as fuel for an active lifestyle. He wanted to bring exceptional coffee blends to the Truckee-Tahoe region, with an emphasis on locally and sustainably sourcing and roasting coffee in the mountains, hence the term “altitude roasting.” This high-altitude process helps to create a uniquely sweet flavor of the coffee instead of a bitter one.
For some festive winter flavors, they currently have seasonal blends such as peppermint mocha on their menu.
Location: 10115 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
About the Author Kirsten Alexis
Kirsten is an outdoor adventure enthusiast, writer and photographer. You can typically find her hiking, paddleboarding, cross-country skiing and checking out new spots to share in the Tahoe Donner region. She has been lucky to call Tahoe her second home since she was a child and aims to inspire people to experience Tahoe and fall in love with the beauty and adventurous spirit of the region through her blogs and content. 
