A rundown of Charleston's best coffee shops to enjoy a fresh cup

Updated throughout on January 9, 2011.

Ever wanted to know more about Charleston's coffee shops? Ever wanted to get to know a different one?

Here's a few of my favorites.

• Metto Coffee and Tea: Located on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, you're likely to think this spot is just a convenience oriented spot due to the drive thru — but far from it, go inside to the deck or recently revamped spare or deck and you'll find expertly made coffee drinks with Zoka roasted coffee. Free Wi-Fi. 354 West Coleman Boulevard, Mount Pleasant. (843) 216-8832. On Yelp, Facebook, and photos.
   
• Hope and Union: Located in what I like to call the "college district" of Cannonborough they opened in 2009 in a renovated Charleston single that's worthy of a feature in Dwell.
  
  They put a focus on sparse simplicity and well-done handcrafted brews (you'll not find pots of coffee sitting idly.) It's a great spot to come relax for a while whether you need to study, do a bit of laptop work, or just read a book. There's even a few small tables on the porch.
  
  Local's tip: There's parking in the back, if you can maneuver into the spots. Free Wi-Fi. 199 St. Phillip Street, downtown Charleston, look for the non-descript "coffee" sign. (843) 647-9058.
   
• City Lights Coffee: With tons of charm and a cozy hardwood interior this spot has my favorite bold cup of house coffee in town, and they're a great spot to bring your out of town friends when trekking around the historic district or shopping on King Street. Great local crowd with tons of personality too. Free Wi-Fi. 141 Market Street in downtown Charleston. (843) 853-7067. On Yelp and Myspace. 
   
• More: The Charleston City Paper's writeup from way back in August '09 remains a good overview to most of the area's coffee shop (read that here.) 

Also worth a look:

• Baked in downtown Charleston. Technically it's more of a bakery, but they pride themselves on their coffee, too. You could pull the baked goods (and tasty jam and butter slathered biscuits) from the displays and it would still more than hold its own as a coffee spot -- particularly when you're in the neighborhood from taking friends on the tour of Charleston. Free Wi-Fi. 160 East Bay Street, downtown Charleston. (843) 577-2180.
• Caviar and Bananas. They offer a full-service coffee bar  51 George Street in downtown Charleston. (843) 577-7757

And don't forget you can always get a second opinion on the best local coffee shop on Yelp.