Opinions are like… Well, let’s just say that everyone’s got one. And when it comes to America’s best coffee cities, Travel + Leisure magazine recently published theirs: America’s Best Coffee Cities – Articles | Travel + Leisure.

San Francisco ranks #3 on Travel + Leisure's America's best coffee citiesThe article opens with a rather puzzlng personal endorsement of Steps of Rome in SF’s North Beach, where a traveler is quoted as saying, “their espresso is the gold standard.” Just to prove that everybody’s different, Steps of Rome is currently ranked tied for #186 out of 677 SF coffee shops on CoffeeRatings.com.

This might help explain why a place like Los Angeles — with its Intelligentsia dominance and boutique shops like Lamill — didn’t rate relative to the likes of Savannah, GA. To spare you having to flip 20-some Web pages, here’s their ranked ordered list:

  1. Seattle, WA
  2. Portland, OR
  3. San Francisco, CA
  4. Providence, RI
  5. New York, NY
  6. Denver, CO
  7. Savannah, GA
  8. New Orleans, LA
  9. Austin, TX
  10. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  11. Portland, ME
  12. San Diego, CA
  13. Charleston, SC
  14. San Juan, PR
  15. Chicago, IL
  16. Nashville, TN
  17. Boston, MA
  18. Anchorage, AK
  19. Washington, DC
  20. Los Angeles, CA

Like Yelp, where ratings are often based on the cuteness of the baristas or perceived hipster douchiness of the staff, Travel + Leisure makes some odd nods to barista friendliness, comfortable chairs, and free Wi-Fi when talking about what makes a great coffee city. Of course, none of this is of concern to coffee geeks who cannot leave home without packing their own coffee luggage.

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