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Cafe Steam

4.6 (174 reviews)
ModerateCoffee & Tea
Open • 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

Cafe Steam Photos

CAFE STEAM ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for working
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Steam

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Flat white
mark y.

Thoroughly enjoyed the coffee that was served. Had a flat white that was done well. Beans are light-medium roast and roasted by their sister company Colorway. I'd say even their regular brewed coffee is so good--they used an Ethiopia the day I was there. I got it for my friend who discarded her other (ahem) coffee immediately. Although not particularly picky, she could taste the difference.

The main board and counter
Kevin L.

Wonderful coffees, pleasant staff and thank goodness for backup espresso machines! When I visited, their main espresso machine was offline, but they soldiered on with their small backup machine while remaining calm and attentive.

Turmeric Ginger iced tea
Ana B.

Cafe Steam is such a cool vibe. This is the type of place I'd spend hours, people watching, reading, working, or writing Yelp reviews. Except, shortly after I had to fly home. There are so many beautiful plants right when you walk in. There's a whole wall of Polaroids, I'm imagining they must be of the people who love Steam. I got a Tumeric Ginger iced tea. This was exactly as it should be, invigorating, cool, tangy and a bit spicy! I really enjoyed! It was an hour later when I returned to Steam and I picked up a hot mocha. This tastes just like the best coffee in all of Connecticut, Giv coffee. It's rich, flavorful, foamy, and it arrived beautifully presented. Cafe Steam makes delicious coffee and tea. Please stop by when in the area.

Menu
Joan L.

Loved visiting this coffee shop! Absolutely warm and welcoming vibe from the doorway! I love espresso but don't enjoy the sour or bitter ones. The baristas informed me that they use a light roast to ensure it would be enjoyable, not bitter. The espresso was pleasant from start to finish. No sour or bitter notes whatsoever. Absolutely delicious! The cold brew was also smooth and would highly recommend! The apricot scone was also moist, delicious, and not overly sweet! The barista mentioned they come from a local bakery and they revamp the recipe regularly, ensuring high quality with taste and texture. I highly recommend this coffee shop! I am glad I had some time to explore around the Mayo Clinic and find gems like this shop!

June 2025
Tiffany W.

Amazing! Cafe Steam checks all the boxes. My friend suggested we bike here and I'm so glad we did. There are bike racks in the back alley complimented by a backyard patio that was serene and peaceful. Inside, there are large vaulted ceilings, giant windows allowing for natural lightning, a Polaroid wall with images from staff and visitors, light local reading material such as newspapers, board games, exposed brick walls displaying art from the shop and other local artists, free stickers (yay) by the cashier and a plentiful menu including varying pastries, pop tarts, breakfast sandwiches and croissants. There are a handful of house made syrups which is always fun to see. I opted for an Americano with a shot of the house vanilla and it was perfect. Cafe Steam is the type of coffeehouse one goes to sit for hours to do computer work, read, people watch and enjoy the atmosphere. If I was local, I'd be a frequent visitor. Bravo, Cafe Steam!

Front seating
Kangni X.

Double check the opening times because google was not accurate. Thankfully I was running late and got there 2mins before opening. This place is busting! I was the first person to walk in and after I placed my order, there was already a line out the door! They offer for here mugs (16oz - medium is the biggest they can offer). Make sure to specifically ask for the mug if you want it or else it's assumed you're doing a to-go. The baristas are great about clarifying. The menu has a diagram describing the different types of coffee which makes ordering more approachable for people curious to try new options. The decor is very cute. Plenty of seating. A lovely, pleasant vibe overall.

Tea Service
Katherine G.

A charming coffee shop, easy walk from all main buildings. Creat coffee and tea, some nice breakfast pastries and a lot of areas to lounge and decompress between stressful appointments. Appreciate Cafe Steam for being a little island of sanity.

Seating/Photo Wall
Emily N.

I got a flat white double. Thoughtful art on top was a nice touch. Customer service was average, but quick. Very cute inside!

a long room with a table and chairs
Jessica S.

Our favorite shop to visit Rochester for coffee, pastries, teas, and breakfast sandwiches. Scone from prescots, pastries from sweet house and sandwiches made in-house! Milk is local. The beans are roasted in Rochester too.

Skyelar N.

Vegan reviewer! I've come here twice now. The first time I came here, I ordered a basic latte. Service was good but my drink came out really sour . The second time, I had a matcha drink that was very low grade/poor quality matcha. Overall, I really don't like the drinks here but the vibes are immaculate!Very pretty place with all the plants, stickers supporting queer community and businesses cards of local businesses. Loved the Polaroid picture wall as well! My friends enjoyed their drinks so maybe I just got a bit unlucky. Will try again at another time.

(The skyway location)
Kate S.

I was planning to go to the main location but accidentally stumbled upon the one in the skyway on my way. The barista was super nice and helpful, and ultimately recommended their PSL with their house made pumpkin spice seasoning. I got it with oat milk and it's delicious. Great location and convenient, and a really well-balanced espresso drink. If I lived here and worked on Mayo's campus, I would be here multiple times per week. I may have to try the on-ground location, too, before I leave town.

Tanya P.

Cafe Steam is a cool and enjoyable place to both visit and hang out in :-) Over and above the fun atmosphere, they brew some completely Legit coffees and teas, so how can you go wrong? Tip: Cafe Steam is only a short walk from the Mayo Clinic, and totally worth the excursion.

Cold brew...yes this is coffee. Maple sweetener and a SPLASH of oat milk.

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14 days ago

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6 months ago

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6 months ago

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2 years ago

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7 months ago

Need a place to work so popped into Cafe Steam. Nothing special but a cute little coffee shop.

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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9 months ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Staff were SUPER friendly. Simple but elegant menu. I got an Americano and it was delicious.

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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7 months ago

Cafe steam is the best coffee in town. Parking is a little tricky would be the only negative aspect.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Tasty coffee and scones! Friendly staff. Always people hanging out socializing. They have a punch card system for frequent shoppers.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Great combination of friendly service, great coffee options and a small local atmosphere. You won't be disappointed. Also artwork by locals

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

The coffee was outstanding, very hip vibe, and they allowed us to sit there and do our work.

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

Very good expresso this morning, it nice to get there early and avoid the lines weekedays.

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

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8 years ago

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2 years ago

Best coffee in Rochester! The vibes in the coffee shop are excellent, and they have nice outdoor seating for when it's warm.

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Loved my breakfast sandwich. I love how the beans are so fresh roasted locally. The location is the best from mayo.

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6 years ago

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Ask the Community - Cafe Steam

Can I bring my own lunch food?

They sell sandwiches and pastries so you may want to ask permission. If you really want to eat your own food, get your beverage to go and then use the communal tables in the University Square Mall nearby.

Is there a lunch available?

Unfortunately, no (outside of bagels, pastries, oatmeal, or power bars).

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Forager Cafe

Forager Cafe

3.8
(20 reviews)
1.0 mi

A friend highly recommended Forager Cafe, which is why I went there with high expectations. Hmmmm,…read morehow can I say this....I was disappointed. I ordered their black and tan beer. A tasty choice (check out the photo). Then I asked for a reuben sandwich with a side of fries. I really liked the two-tone rye bread. There was modest amount of corned beef. Notice I didn't say 'generous.' The kraut, Swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing were a solid compliment. BUT the fries.... Check out the photo and look at the fries. These were double dunked in oil, greasy and sogged out, slightly charred, and meh tasting. I looked over at another patron's plate of food and saw her fries looked perfect. Golden, single dunk in oil, and crisp. Can I add a sad face emoji here? I called over the bartender and had him look at my fries, then look at the other patron's, and tell me the difference. He saw what I saw. I told him what was wrong with mine and asked why. He apologized and said he'd take 50% off my food bill. I saw him go back to the kitchen and have a conversation about my fries, which I appreciated. He didn't blow me off and let the kitchen know they dropped the ball. I've eaten at a lot of places from dives to fine dining, and I think the sign of good eatery is one that can excel at the basics.....like french fries. Plus, when you have your "A" staff working in the kitchen, but your staff sends out subpar fries to a customer...what does that say about the kitchen staff and leadership? Will I go back? Not sure, but there other places I've eaten at in Rochester that are consistently good. If I ever have family or friends in town and we go out to eat, we're not going to Forager Cafe.

We met some friends here for supper on Friday evening and were seated right away. Our server was…read morefriendly, attentive, made some good suggestions. The food was good, fresh and tasty. My only complaint was the size of the side salad that I ordered with my burger. It was by far the smallest side salad that I have received at any food establishment. In fact, I honestly thought it was a joke. Overall, the service was amazing the food was good. There was live entertainment there that evening and the performance was good, however when the volume is such that you cannot have a conversation with the people at your table, it's a bit too loud. I must be turning into my parents.

Photos
Forager Cafe
Avocado toast
Avocado toast
Latte

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Latte
The Fit Loon

The Fit Loon

4.6
(7 reviews)
0.4 mi

Friendly and welcoming staff! There are a variety of protein shake flavors as well as teas that…read morehave caffeine, however there are options for decaf. I try to stop in a couple of times a month. The shakes are a nice meal replacement if you are short on time and/or looking to improve your diet.

Whenever I return to Rochester, the city that I called home for two years, I tend to hit…read moreHollandberry Pannekoeken for lunch. It is one of my favourite spots to dine and it's now a habit. When I was there last month, the parking lot was pretty busy. I didn't park steps away from the main entrance, but way to the right of the main doors. After a wonderful meal, I walked over to my car. I passed by The Fit Loon and it stopped me in my tracks. It had the feel of ZeeV's Nutrition Studio, which is my place for healthy, low- to no-sugar shakes and teas. Could this store be one? Yes! I was so happy that I walked in without any thought. I was greeted by a nice man behind the counter. He asked if I had any question as I looked at all teas and shakes listed on the wall. I settled on the watermelon crawl tea. Since I didn't have any questions about the menu and knew what I wanted, he knew that I was familiar with healthy teas and shakes. "Where's your nutrition homebase?" he asked me. "Toronto, in Canada. I used to live in Rochester and found your store in passing," I said with a huge smile. I asked if I could sign in to the touch pad. He said of course. It helps that I'm registered on the Engage app, so associating my drink with me when I pay makes everything easier. He let me know that the store was celebrating its one-year anniversary. What shocked me was that I have been coming to get pannekoeken in this plaza for nearly a year and I had never noticed this store until now. Where have I been?! This place had so much excitement buzz happening thanks to its anniversary. You could get branded merchandise, from hoodies and t-shirts, to drink cups. It had cakepops that looked amazing. You could enter a bunch of draws, to celebrate the store's anniversary. The snack bowl had an assortment of protein bars that I had never seen before. The store is cozy. I loved the comfy chairs. The wall with What's shakin'? and balloons was the perfect place to take photos. My drink was ready for pickup. I thanked both staff members and left. The man wished me a good trip, which I appreciated. The watermelon crawl tea was excellent. It had watermelon and cucumber. I felt like I was at a spa, but was visiting my old 'hood. It was the perfect drink to keep me cheerful and hydrated in Rochester, and kept me energized when I left and drove an hour back to Bloomington. The Fit Loon was a wonderful find. I will be back. I'm so happy that Rochester has a place where you can get healthy drinks. Such a terrific edition to the city! (424)

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The Fit Loon
The Fit Loon
The Fit Loon

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Drift Dough

Drift Dough

3.8
(31 reviews)
1.0 mi

We got Drift Dough donuts by way of Old Abe's Coffee, and they were great! The raised donuts are…read moreunfortunately not vegan (I have an egg allergy, so I'm always on the lookout for vegan baked goods), but the cake donuts are, and they had a fun lineup of flavors when my husband and I visited. One thing to note is that the address for Drift Dough isn't the address for Old Abe's Coffee, and I am not sure if that's an address for the bakery or something, but all signs pointed towards the donut shop being inside Old Abe's, so that's where we went. I got the ube donut (the purple one), and as someone originally from Hawaii, it was really great to see ube flavor is making it out to the Midwest now! The flavor is not super strong in the donut, so if you haven't had ube before, I think this would be a nice, mild introduction. My husband got the raised Tiramisu donut, and while he liked it, it's definitely bigger than the cake donuts and was a bit too much donut and frosting for him, but your mileage may vary (I like to think my stomach has a special compartment just for donuts, because it always seems that way, LOL). We got a nice cold brew with oat milk to wash the donuts down, and we will definitely be back next time we're in town!

I will admit, I don't eat doughnuts often, but when I have the craving, this is my favorite spot. I…read morelove the large variety that, in my experience, are always fresh. You will always feel welcomed here and that you're appreciated as a customer.

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Donut selection/display at Old Abe's Coffee
Donut selection/display at Old Abe's Coffee
Ube cake donut vs. tiramisu raised donut--the raised ones are definitely bigger!
Ube cake donut vs. tiramisu raised donut--the raised ones are definitely bigger!
Ube donut "cross-section" via a couple of bites-- it's purple on the inside, too!

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Ube donut "cross-section" via a couple of bites-- it's purple on the inside, too!
Old Abe Coffee

Old Abe Coffee

4.6
(95 reviews)
1.0 mi
•$$

This was so worth adding an extra 30 minutes to go out of my way to pickup lunch before a 5+ hour…read moredrive back to Chicago. My vegan colleague told me it was a must-try, and I concur. The banh mi is indeed amazing. I had never had any banh mi before, but it was so good. I went with the "bacon" option and it was super tasty. Also, it was massive. Great portion size. My only regret is that I didn't go here for dinner the night before, because it would have made for a good dinner and leftovers. It was a bit hard to eat in the car on the drive back, so sadly I didn't get to finish it. The chips were also great. I also got two donuts (maple and the blueberry) to go. I inhaled the blueberry donut about 3 hours into the trip somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin, and the maple I managed to save until the next morning (I kept it in my fridge and then microwaved it for 10 seconds and it was delicious. I had to fight off my carb-obsessed cat, because she wanted it for herself). I will be back every time I'm in Rochester, probably multiple times per trip, and I will be buying a half dozen donuts (at least) to bring back home with me. I am eagerly waiting for the next work retreat just so I can come here. It's really that good.

"You can't refuse a request from a dying man." (Abe "Fish" Vigoda as Sal Tessio)…read more "I'm not dead yet!" (Abe Vigoda as himself, addressing rumors.) This super trippy coffee shop kills it harder than Abe in "The Godfather" when it comes to delivering the goods! Heavenly vegan donuts, that is. Wait...wrong Abe? My sister and I are not vegans, but we stopped here for breakfast several days in a row on our way to the Mayo Clinic earlier this year purely out of curiosity. It was really helpful in the ordering process to see the various pretty donuts labelled and strung above the counter. We purchased almost all the flavors to bring to the hospital for our family to try, and the consensus was that the ube and the plum lime were possibly the most delicious donuts we've had anywhere! Honestly! Other outstanding flavors included the tiramisu, the banana stand, and the blueberry crumble. As delightful as the donuts were, I was disappointed in my drink orders. I could only get through a few sips of both my dirty chai latte and the Almond Joy coffee. Old Abe gives some hardcore psychedelic vibes to the point that I wondered if a hallucinogen had been slipped into my coffee before heading into the ladies' room. 1,000 cats hissing at you from the walls will cause you to question your sanity! The rest of the décor was just as wild, from THE Minnesota Prince to an apocalyptic Godzilla declaring that the end was near. The question "1880's stage actor assassin or the bear" might apply in the polka dot room, so it's best to sit facing out with your back against a wall...regardless of which Abe the shop is named after. If the apocalypse, John Wilkes Booth, wildlife, the Chief of the Waponis, or the mob takes me out to sleep with the fishes, and I come back in my next life as the leader of a subversive cult, I'll have to revisit the book room of this shop to view their anarchist primers. Also, I'm sending these donuts to McConaughey as a bribe. He's a fan of Lincolns, so maybe he'll do an Old Abe commercial where he contemplates the meaning of life while noshing on a ube donut. Penny for your thoughts?

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Old Abe Coffee
Chopped Banh Mi bowl
Chopped Banh Mi bowl
Old Abe Coffee

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Cafe Steam - coffee - Updated June 2026

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