Best of Boston

Any java can wake us up in the morning—but Recreo’s also help us sleep at night. Though much coffee production is notorious for labor exploitation, this hyper-responsible West Roxbury café sources its single-origin beans from co-owner Miriam Morales’s family farm in Nicaragua, which uplifts area workers and their children with free lodging, schooling, and healthcare. Not only is this a coffee shop with a conscience, but Recreo’s rich, full-bodied espresso is so good, the team even won the chance to set up a high-traffic takeaway counter right inside Boston City Hall.