Coffee Exchange

This place has amazing coffee selection. I’ve never gone and it wasn’t crams and busy. But who can blame them, it’s so damn good! If you make coffee at home invest in some organic fair trade beans!

Excellent coffee and espresso drinks and a HUGE selection of beans available for purchase, but beware that the line can be long (out the door long) and seating can be hard to come by. A lot of tables are crammed into a fairly small space, so if you plan to stay to enjoy your coffee, be prepared to stalk a table for a little while and to be within earshot of several other tables. This is not the place for large groups or to sit comfortably for an extended period (note that wifi is turned off on weekends) — but you’re guaranteed a great cup of coffee and knowledgeable, friendly employees.

Love this place! Hands down the best coffee in the entire state! Coffee roasts are consistently fresh and delicious, and so is the ginger bread!
I’m never one to always order the same thing to eat, as I like variety, but that ginger bread is just way TOO good to pass up! Keep up the great work!

Great little coffee shop off Wickendon. They have a parking lot in the back which we used. Coffee was good and I loved the environment. You’re basically on the first floor of a house, which they have reconstructed in such a coffee-​ish way. I loved it and was very productive. The tables are quite small and it’s tough to fit two people at them with computers but they are perfect for just chatting and meeting for a coffee date. You can even buy coffee beans there, big perk!

Great mocha. Great ambiance. Your classic college city coffee spot.
My boyfriend got a regular black coffee and loved it. We ended up spending an hour and a half just hanging out and reading. We were never hassled to leave. I felt very welcomed.
The croissant I got was also very good. It didn’t even need to be warmed up to be buttery and delicious.
I would definitely go back.

I was at a meeting at Rhode Island Hospital and I wanted to get off the hospital property and have a cup of coffee before heading back to Boston. Coffee Exchange was right across the bridge, maybe 5 minutes from the hospital. But really it was a different world.
The smell of coffee in the building was awesome! No bad smells like you get at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. The staff was very cool yet very focused. The energy in the building is really conducive to working there.
They also have coffee paraphernalia which can come in handy when you want a good cup at home. Now I just wish it wasn’t an hour from my house. I could go there every morning to be honest.

Coffee shops like this reaffirm why one even drinks coffee in the first place. Dare I say it reaffirms life? Or is that the caffeine talking? Anyway, as an out-​of-​towner to Providence, this is a place you’d want to put on your list of things to see and do.

I previously wrote a review here about how horrible this place is and here I am again.
Well the ppl who work here don’t like anyone who isn’t part of their elitist hipster snob a** club. They don’t offer their wifi during peak hrs which is silly ((they should just make better use of their space and redesign cause it sucks waiting in line there)). Again, the snobby people who work there just absolutely make the experience one I would never want to have again. I ordered Mocha Lattes there for a month or 2 then they randomly just stopped serving them to me it was absolutely insane. They told me they didn’t offer the beverage and would serve me plain Mocha Coffee. Which was tasty — don’t get me wrong, but bitter coming from the hands of a snob a** wanna-​be. So obviously I stopped going there and started making my beverage purchases at 3 sisters. Which is out of the way for me but I don’t give a f***. So yeah screw this place ^-^

Hands down the BEST coffee I have ever had– and I’ve drunk a lot of coffee! All of the drinks have deep, intense flavor. My personal favorite is the soy mocha. I also buy the beans to brew at home, especially the French Roast Sumatra. The atmosphere at Coffee Exchange is cozy, and the snacks (including vegan-​friendly and gluten-​free treats) are delicious and fresh as well.
Since moving out of the Providence area, I’ve had the coffee beans shipped to me (at no shipping fee). The flavor-​rich coffee is impossible to beat for any coffee aficionados!

I could smell Coffee Exchange from around the corner! Mmmmm. So I recently moved to the area and am constantly searching for the best spots to eat and drink. Coffee exchange will definitely be on my list for nearby coffee spots. Plenty of seating and delicious coffee. The staff wasn’t overly friendly but I guess I wouldn’t be either if I was dealing with a long line of customers at 7:30am. They were definitely quick though.
Anyhow, I’m definitely not an intense coffee drinker but this place is not too shabby. I would definitely go back with a book or my laptop to get some work done while sipping on some tasty coffee! It also looks like there’s outside seating in the summer so I’m looking forward to coming back in the warmer months!

Simply put, Coffee Exchange serves the best coffee in Providence, perhaps even in the New England area. What I love the most about Coffee Exchange is its ability to maintain a homey and nostalgic vibe, that essentially effervescent in the state of Rhode Island. Located in Wickendon, it is a good 10 – 15 walk from RISD campus. I personally enjoy the stroll to Wickendon especially if it’s on a nice sunny day. I have since left Providence and I have to say that a lot of my fondest memories goes back to the many cozy afternoons I had spent at Coffee Exchange.
Coffee Exchange’s interior is intentionally meant for a simple chitchat with local residents (who all come here for coffee) or with a friend. The tiny circular tables are not particularly comfortable and are rather limiting. Note that the café is constantly overcrowded, especially on weekends. I’ve waited a good half hour or so to score a table or seat! If you are truly intent on looking for cafes with the best work environment, this isn’t it.

Nice little coffee shop with plenty of seating and free wifi. Came here after having dinner down the street. I had a hot coffee and my friend had the café mocha. Coffee was good — if parking wasn’t a hassle I wouldn’t mind coming here more often in the future.

Tastebuds pleased!
The barista picked my coffee for me, since I told him I had never been here. The mocha latte was amazing. Strong taste of amazing coffee followed by sweet white chocolate taste. My husband isn’t a fan of coffee and he loved it when he tasted it. Glad to find this gem so close to our hotel!

Food: light to medium cakes and cookies. Great coffee. Ginger cake was so good we order another cake but this I believe it was carrot.
Location: didn’t see parking on premises but found some around the corner.
Traffic: plenty of customer traffic. there was always at least 2 – 3 people on line. We went mid afternoon on a partly cloudy Saturday.
Atmosphere: retro with great music. The volume was loud enough to enjoy but also can carry convo.

So, I kinda have a love hate relationship with the coffee exchange. So first, the loves:
It’s fair trade coffee, which tickles my inner hippie. The staff are all super friendly and efficient, and can give good advice and recommendations on their products. I like that they will also grind beans you bring in, so if you live nearby then it’s a convenient way to get fresh coffee. I’m not a coffee snob by any stretch, so I’m not the best judge of coffee as I’ll drink anything, but I do enjoy their coffee. Their cold brew is pretty excellent and they have a wide and rotating selection of beans and roasts. They have porch and outdoor seating which is also pretty rad.
So now, for the hate (really dislikes):
It’s it so crowded all the time! There’s gotta be a better way to organize the space. It’s a older building which I believe used to be a house, so I do get that the space itself is narrow and doesn’t really lend itself to an easy flow of traffic, but you cannot avoid bumping into everyone around you and you’re pretty much squished in and touching everyone near you. There is no personal bubble there. And the inside seating is impossible, because someone is going to bump into your table, and the tables are small to try to cram in as many as possible. For the price of their coffee and the business they pull in, they could afford to knock down a wall or something.
Well, I do hate to take off stars, but honestly I only go here if I’m in the area and usually because I’m buying ground coffee for someone else as a gift. Maybe it’s because I don’t like crowds, but I would rather stop at Dunkin for coffee on the go

While walking through providence by the water along the park views, we came across this little coffee place. The more time we spend here, we can see how busy this little place is. Many people seem to enjoy sitting on the patio or on the sidewalk, having a chat and enjoying the local scenery.
Anne is enjoying her iced brewed coffee and I am enjoying an herbal red iced tea with lemon.
The staff are very friendly and service is quick.
There is allot of seating on the inside and they have allot of beans from different areas. There are some bakery items and they are supporting bean farmers with collecting donations.
This is a very nice stop along the way and it is close to the water way.
They have wifi and it seems like a comfortable place to visit on many occasions! Enjoy! I recommend the teas!

Let me start by saying how dedicated these folks are… the power is out on the entire block due to a lightning storm, but Coffee Exchange has remained open, offering iced tea and coffee in candlelight, like we’re living in the 19^th century in the best possible way.
The baristas here know their stuff, crafting what I’m pretty sure are the best drinks in town. How could the coffee not be amazing, considering the fact that it’s roasted on site by Ben, one of the nicest guys in the neighborhood?
When Coffee Exchange is roasting beans or grinding them for a customer, the smell is divine, typically a mix between tree nuts and cocoa. If I still drank coffee, I would buy it here, particularly because all the beans are displayed out front in bulk and you can take the time to smell each one to figure out what you might like.
Aside from having amazing customer service and an excellent product, Coffee Exchange deserves a huge shout out for its charitable donations (they have asked customers to donate their tips) to The Coffee Trust’s La Roya Recovery Fund, which seeks to rebuild crops and communities which have suffered during the coffee rust blight in Guatemala. They have been actively raising consumer awareness about making coffee a more sustainable crop, an issue which many roasters consider but may not make a focus for their business.
The feeling of community in this large yet cozy space is unreal, with pictures of both celebrities and regular old folks adorning the walls. Come here for a meeting (though more than four people and you’ll struggle to get everyone around a table), a first date, or to sit by yourself on a rainy day.

I can’t say enough about this coffee shop hangout. Since I was in college, this place has been a staple for delicious, quality coffee in a fun relaxing atmosphere. At any given time, this place is busy with students studying, people on dates or friends socializing on the deck.
The food selection is limited, but the coffee options are extensive. Several of my favorites are the iced Mocha Blanca and the hot (or iced) Chai Tea. Coffee Exchange houses a great bean selection so that you can bring your favorite roasts home. Seating on the weekends at peak hours can be difficult, so come prepared to either stand outside on the deck, or bring your coffee to go.

You have to love Coffee Exchange. The shop ambience is great, they have many wooden items and decorations that give off cozy and welcoming vibes. They also have a porch that always seems to be getting sunlight. There’s enough room to fit many (if not all) of their varied customers (college students all the way to local elderly) without overcrowding the store.
Their coffee selection is very extense, they have all the roasts you could possibly want and beans from all over the world. I’m sure they’ll have something even for the pickiest of coffee enthusiasts.
As a huge plus, they seem to be very involved with relief funds and community service projects for the agricultural communities they get coffee from.
Tldr: yes, stop to catch up with someone, work, or buy coffee.

On such a brisk day it was lovely to find Coffee Exchange while window shopping on a Saturday afternoon. It was my first time and I ordered a Café Mocha and a blueberry muffin.
The place was overcrowded and it was difficult to walk through without bumping into someone sitting at a table. Despite the long line to the door and over crowdedness I didn’t have to wait for long. The muffin was large, flavorful, and fresh. The mocha was presented with a beautiful design and wasn’t overly strong and had the perfect amount of sweetness.
Despite the cold there were some patrons including myself sitting outside on the deck. There’s ample parking on street and their own lot. They also accept credit cards and while you’re waiting for your drink you’ll definitely be tempted to buy some beans to take home.