Shenandoah Joe Coffee Roasters

I absolutely love the coffee here– possibly my favorite in Charlottesville. I love finding them at the City Market, too. The iced coffee has to be my favorite, and when I’m deciding to boycott caffeine, I do love their decaf.
The service is usually pretty friendly here, and the vibe is basically the definition of a hipster coffee shop with random yet comfortable furniture.
To be honest, this is not my favorite location, though I believe it is the «main» or original location. I would rather head to the location on Ivy Road, mainly because the seating is very limited on Preston. Most of the seating involves over sized comfy chairs, too, which is just not the best working space. I’m usually heading to a coffee shop to grab delicious coffee and do some work, so I’d pick the Ivy road location over this one for seating reasons.
However, you can get the same quality coffee at any of their locations, so I don’t hesitate to stop in at this one when I’m nearby!

This is my favorite coffee shop out of all of Cville’s coffee shops! If I ever move I would need to take SJ with me. Their coffee is SO GOOD and strong. I usually get an iced Americano and it’s wonderful each time. A large one of those will have me set throughout the whole day. Also, the people who work there are awesome. So nice, goofy, and welcoming. I can tell others like this place too because it’s packed all the time yet it’s still peaceful and has room for more. I love SJ!!! Try this place out, you won’t be disappointed.

Delicious coffee! Hipster vibe. Many characteristics of a local coffee shop exist there. Mismatch furniture that all comes together. People hanging out with laptops. Even the staff and how they dressed matched the vibe of the décor.
I was quite pleased with the iced mocha that I ordered today. A perfect blend of coffee and mocha minus the heavy sugar taste.
The Justin Timberlake looking guy with long hair was friendly but didn’t give off a very welcoming feeling. I ordered and paid and then took a seat on the bar stool adjacent to where he was making my drink. When it was ready he looked at me and said it was ready but placed it on the counter next to the register where I had to get down from my stool to grab the drink. No big deal. From my experience in most coffee shops, that same person would have kindly grabbed the drink and handed it to me instead of the very minor inconvenience. Again, no big deal but I would have to do this anyway to grab a straw from the island counter of all the coffee additions they had. But I’ll say this. Said barista gave me a weird look that felt as if he was telling me, «get up and grab your own damn drink.» Even the person I was meeting got the same feeling from her impression and response.
It’s still a good coffee shop with quality products.

Good coffee! Nice open interior. The place has an eclectic hippiesh (is that a word?) vibe. Was full of students who took up all the sitting spaces :-(
Nice cool place to check out for coffee. It’s a local Ville institution — as much as Bodo’s, I’d guess.

First had the coffee at Bluegrass Grill so we stopped in to buy a pound of beans. Ended up with two pounds of two different types and I enjoyed a velvety chai latte at the bar. Great conversation from the staff led to recommendations for the rest of our day in Charlottesville that were on point! I’ll definitely make a stop when I’m back in town.

I’ll put it out there, right up front: I hate that this location is closed on Sundays. Hate. I can understand wanting to give your employees a break — but many of them are students, who relish the chance to get in hours outside of days they have class. Besides, what are Sundays for if not coffeeshop-​ing?
The hatred ends there. Best coffee in town. Best espresso in town. Best baristas and best parking situation. Their seating area is large and cushy, and the ceramic cups for drinks kept in house are homey and Instagram-​worthy. The espresso brownie is heavenly, but aside from that the baked goods are not particularly memorable.
For coffee snobs in Cville who can’t stand how crowded Mudhouse gets, or who want something a little less moody, Shenandoah Joe is a sure bet.

This is my favorite coffee shop in cville. It’s a good environment to get work done and the lattes are definitely the best in cville in my opinion! Plus the staff are always super friendly.

I’m pretty sure they have their other store in Corner, the one I usually go to.
Their espresso coffee is usually a Sidamo based mix with some other coffee beans.
I always order a classic latte to review coffee places, so ordered a small latte here. Something I like about this coffee place is their espresso drinks has a unique rich fruity taste to it which I found it pretty unique.
If you are into buying imported freshly roasted coffees, this is your place. Prices are very decent and quality is excellent.

Oh I enjoyed this place! We only stayed long enough to Order, Wait and Pick-​up our Drinks to-​go! In that time I very much enjoyed the Musik and the Super-​Calm vibe this place had on a Rainy (Hurricane Joaquin) Lazy Saturday Afternoon, made me think either everyone: Had Smoked a lot of Pot, Was just getting out of Bed or, OR they have the Same (Second) Common response to Caffiene as I do (Tranquilizing) or maybe, Maybe I was in the Twilight Zone!
Hot Chocolate
Made at the Bar! Not SuperGourmet though pretty Good
Coffee
So how was the Coffee? Well, um, ug, I will give it another chance, I think! My first impression was that it was OFF! A little too bitter, maybe slightly burned, still it was BETTER than many I have tasted, though as far as Coffee I have LOVED before this one gets a fraction better than 3 Unilocal stars

Their coffee is delicious but soo disappointed in their mocha. Need to use a better chocolate. Maybe a ganache. Using crappy chocolate or syrups in coffee shops is a thing of the past. Coffee goers expect more, not Starbucks quality chocolate. Please change this! If you guys need inspiration check out SF’s blue bottle coffee. They are famous for their mocha. That’s how good it is. Check out their chocolate and improve yours!

Had some great coffee here! The selection is huge and seating is comfortable.
Baristas are hit or miss… one was pretentious and factually incorrect. The other, a wonderful knowledgeable person.

This is the BEST coffee in Charlottesville. Most other coffee shops and bakeries in Charlottesville use Shenandoah Joe’s beans. The lattes are my favorite, but they also have great iced chai and iced green tea. However, you cannot go wrong with one of their pour overs. Also, be sure to get a cherry scone if they haven’t run out. Mudhouse and Grit (formerly known as Para) are good, but overrated in comparison to this Joe. The Ivy location is my favorite, but the Preston location is cool too, that’s where they do the roasting.
Their iced coffee is good, but they use a Columbian roast which isn’t even on the menu for pour overs – so you aren’t really getting that *bang* for your buck because it seems to be a cheap roast.
I thought I liked coffee (aka Starbucks) until I tried Shenandoah Joe, now I know I was completely ignorant of what good coffee is. Shenandoah Joe is the place to go.

Nice cup of Joe. I like the large cups to drink from. Fascinating to watch how they roast beans and the aroma is heavenly! There are 2 locations in Charlottesville. Both are great.

By far the best coffee shop in Charlottesville (actually, only 1 of 2 that I’ll visit). Everything I’ve tried has been delicious. I’ve had about 10 drinks from there so far and they’ve been 9 out of 10 with drinks. One time my macchiato was made with a slightly burned espresso shot, so it was a tiny bit sour. However, that was a one off time and don’t expect ANY coffee shop to be 10 out of 10 with drinks.
Their pour overs are incredible. The Ethiopian was delicious and had a slightly blueberry flavor. Wonderful!
The Cortado (I think that’s what they’re called) are what we call «American style macchiatos» over in California. It’s my 2^nd favorite drink and they do them very well.
I HIGHLY recommend this place. Staff are friendly and helpful. Décor is really cool and internet is a decent speed. This is my Saturday place until I go back home! It would be my Sunday spot too… but they’re closed on Sundays. The coffee shop I own in CA is closed Sundays too, so I don’t hold it against them at all :)

The workers were great! Super friendly! I was studying there and they told me that I can stay as long as I want. It is THE perfect place for studying/​working although the traditional cappuccino was not as good as people say in the reviews. I would definitely visit again.

This coffee spot has a cool atmosphere with plenty of open tables and seating. One of my favorite things was the smell of freshly ground coffee in the air. I ordered a small iced mocha latte with a pumpkin muffin. Loved my latte — it tasted delicious but still did the job. The muffin was also yummy. The one thing that could have been better was more of a selection for food. Breakfast sandwich options would be a nice addition!

Fantastic coffee, dare I say the best in Charlottesville? The seating area is fantastic — comfortable choices no matter why you are there (work, meeting up with friends, solo down time). Parking looks tough, but it always seems to work… I’ve never waited for a spot.
The only improvement I can think of: more sweetener options. I am often irritated when a coffee shop decides what sweetener you should have. In this case, they don’t have blue (Equal) packets. I know it is t great for me, but that’s the flavor I like in my coffee. Other shops offer all options (blue, pink, yellow, etc).

I love this place. The staff is great. Warning, the owner is a die-​hard Blackhawks fan. … guess no one is perfect. ;)
The coffee is so good we gave it out with our wedding favors. You can’t go wrong here.

This is the only coffeeshop worth visiting in Charlottesville, VA and is a great stop off for coffee snobs. This is their home roastery, and they have a number of great coffees available including two varieties of espresso. The baristas are a bit slow here so a line forms quickly. There are lots of great seating, tables, and a steady flow of business. I got a pumpkin scone and it was pretty much the best pumpkin anything I have ever had. So 5-​star coffees, 5-​star pastries, 5-​star seating, clean restrooms, great teas (I had one of those, too), and parking in a lot. It’s basically everything you could want. The espresso and pour over were both dialed in to the correct flavor profile. It wasn’t the greatest espresso I have ever had, but it was good – sort of a Charlottesville style shot, in my opinion. It tasted… appropriate and was good. So if you are a coffee snob who likes to visit lots of shops (like me) then you should definitely swing by here and check this place out.
People are a bit hokie here, always saying hello and getting up in your business about stuff. I like to drink alone and play on my computer, so I wasn’t really into this scene, but it looks like everyone else who is reviewing the place LOVES the hellos. Good for you guys (groan).
So, I noticed that a few other reviewers have compared this to chain coffee places. If you are comparing this to a chain, you have no idea what you are talking about. This is a «Third Wave» coffeeshop with a much higher level of service than any chain. The coffee is artisanal, roasted on-​site within a few days of your drinking it, and where applicable for the drink, the milk is actually at the correct temperature. These are just a sampling of things not available at your average chain coffee place.

My husband and I came here to get a hot beverage in the morning. I thought the place was really cute, with the wooden décor, comfy oversized chairs, and even counter stools. There is a section with coffee bean bags and people roasting and grinding beans. I ordered a Chai Tea Latte and it came in this oversized white porcelain cup — the tea itself had a great hint of spice and it really hit the spot. It was delicious!
+Chai Tea Latte: D