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Acadia Café

Price: $
American, American casual, Coffee, Deli

This West Bank beer bistro is a Solo cup’s throw from the U of M campus, but hardly attracts a contingency of Jäger-bombing frat bros. The Acadia is a favorite among graduate students and beer-fluent flight-sippers — note its “no crap on tap” mantra. There’s no need to call over a waitress to fetch you a high-quality pint (or pitcher), as the food and drink is all counter service. While the Cedar-Riverside haunt caters to a cask-savvy crowd, it’s impossible to have live music in this town without offering PBR tallboys. Performers are typically of the singer/songwriter variety, and take the small stage most nights. Michael Rietmulder

At this laid-back coffeehouse, expect to find an ambitious live-music schedule (performed in an adjacent music room), a nicely retro setting and inexpensive fare that effortlessly swings from breakfast (burritos, oatmeal, waffles) to dinner (black-bean burger, smoked trout salad, aoili/three-cheese grilled sandwich). Beyond coffee, there's an impressive beer selection (including 24 tap choices, from Bell's Oberon Ale to Frostop root beer) and more than a dozen affordable wines by the glass.