Bought a bag of whole beans here, the 5x5 blend, and it was awesome the whole way through. Usually a bag dies out like a week in to opening it but this stuff continued to pull amazing shots the whole time (photo attached). They also offered a free drink with the purchase of a bag which would be awesome to capitalize on if I lived in the area. Its a cool experience walking into the alley and then descending down into the shop, and its deceivingly big in there. The people on there were very helpful and someone was just vibin roasting fresh beans, adding to the chill yet industrial ambiance.

Sure, the coffee and environment are awesome, but as a former employee I can attest that they do not treat their baristas well. I was paid below minimum wage and the tips never made up for it. I was told I would get a $200 deposit and a raise if I stayed past 3 months, but I couldnt stand being treated poorly by the owner. The work environment was draining and I felt uncomfortable by some of the business practices.

THE BARISTA AT ALLEY A SHORTWAVE MADE THE BEST CARDAMOM HOT DRINK EVER! THE DRINK TASTED OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING! I FOUND MY NEW FAVORITE DRINK!

Great coffee and nice little hidden away gem off an alley and down steps

Super cute coffe place hidden in an alleyway. Great service and they have decaf and dairy free options too! I got a vanilla lavendar almond milk iced latte and it was delicious!

Great little spot for some delicious coffee! A fun ambiance and really friendly staff. Cold brew vanilla definitely a great choice!

Amazing selection of light roast coffees and teas. Staff is full of knowledgable, friendly baristas and roasters.

Latte was really good and smooth. Great for interviewing, collaborating or just visiting.

Grabbed one of the many empty tables outside today and had some food not from shortwave. There’s a sign on the table saying that the tables were for shortwave customers only. I went inside, made a purchase, left a tip and sat back down. I was then asked to leave the property after taking one bite of the lunch I got. Staff member was rude and didn’t even consider my purchase or tip to qualify me as a “customer”.

The atmosphere was awesome along with the coffee!!! I recommend trying the Strawberry Basil seasonal drink. It was so amazing and I can’t wait to go back!

Every time that I get coffee from here it taste so watered down and doesn’t taste like anything. I always order a iced mocha or chai but it just taste terrible. Pastries taste pretty good though

Favorite COMO coffee shop. Hands down.

Awesome local coffee shop. Amazing and unique drink menu, great coffee!

The americano and latte were both well made and the roasts tasted good. The service was a little slow because only one person was working, but I assume this wouldn’t be an issue earlier in the day and/or during the school year.

This place is an amazing little coffee shop, definitely worth the effort to find. Great service from a local, family-owned business, and a charming atmosphere with everything youd want in a coffee shop. Ill definitely make this a regular stop each time Im in the area!

The Lavendar Latte is amazing! Enjoyable atmosphere.

Best Cold Brew in CoMo! Their beans are roasted fresh in-house. Cool downtown space with lots of comfortable seating and a great place to study. Check em out in Alley A!

As a barista myself I was excited to try this place. The pictures looked great, and the reviews were awesome so I thought I would give it a try. The ambiance was nice, but that’s about the only thing that was. I got a drip coffee which tasted like burnt Starbucks coffee. Then I tried to simply get a vanilla mocha. The cashier seemed super coffee illiterate. He seemed unsure of what I was asking for even though it is a super common drink that was written on their menu. When I did receive my drink it was was a half-full cup of liquid that tasted like burnt hot chocolate. Needless to say I wouldn’t recommend. Generally I am pretty gracious with people, but this experience was just odd to say the least.

The best coffee spot I have ever encountered. Cool, eclectic environment and the coffee is primo.

Great coffee joint located in a quiet but fun spot.

Friendly. Relaxing. I hope they keep this location too. It’s 100% of their charm. Underground and such a chill vibe. If they move Fretboard is a good replacement.

This is some of the best coffee Ive had in the mid-west. It’s also kind of a cool spot, being a basement in an alley. Its less sketchy than it sounds.

Great coffee in a slightly hard to find location (if you’re not a local).

Hands down the best local coffee shop in Columbia! Couldnt be much better! Amazing coffee, everything is done in house and the baristas really know their stuff. On top of that, they are very friendly! Great productive atmosphere, I have started going here daily to do college work. Great location too, love the alleyway location and also is an underground coffee shop, really couldnt be any better.

Great atmosphere! The coffee, Peruvian, is one of the best I’ve had. A great place to get some emails and work accomplished.

Great lattes, espresso, pour over. Some of the best prepared coffee Ive had, better than the vast majority of third wave coffee shops Ive been to in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, etc. Their baristas/roasters are legit. Highly recommended.

Excellent place!! Coffee tastes real fresh and just perfect!

Love the new space they have and the lattes are delicious

They have their own coffee. And, when it comes to flavors, they have a very good selection of homemade ones that you dont find at all the other places. I really enjoyed the cardamom latte with oat milk.Its a fairly quiet place with lots of outlets.They have some delicious pastries and such (from really good, local shops)... But not a massive selection.The folks were friendly, as well.

This coffee was horrible!! After reading the positive reviews my sister and I decided to give it a try. We ordered an iced mocha and a cold brew. We are both big coffee fans and love to support local businesses, but this place more than disappointed us. The iced mocha curdled within the cup and was absolutely disgusting that I was unable to finish it. The cold brew, for one, tasted foul. It may have just been a bad day for this place, but I definitely will not be returning.

This is the best coffee I have found in town, I bought a bag today for me to take home cause I do pour-over coffee at home but for days where I want some and dont feel like making it or when Im out with friends this place is always a great stop!

This coffee tastes very...premium. If youre in the mood to really taste your coffee in front of nonchalantly having a cup, come here - and the prices reflect that. When youre down here it sounds like theyre rollerskating upstairs sometimes. No ones fault but could be distracting if you want quietness...but its a cool space.

Excellent coffee, great atmosphere. Will come back!

Great coffee with an even better atmosphere. It is a quiet place to get things done with a lot of seating options. Employees are always so kind, one of my favorite spots in COMO for sure.

Great little coffee joint in Alley A. Comfortable, quiet environment perfect for working on the notebook.

The iced almond milk latte I had was great.

This is a hidden gem in Columbia. It’s a little bit hidden in the alley but a great find. Quiet where you can do research or work. The coffee is great too.

Great coffee and great service

Love this place. It has great atmosphere and friendly service. It is clear from the moment you walk in that coffee is their focus. No one who isnt serious about coffee puts their roaster by the front door. The relaxed atmosphere makes this the perfect place to work, study, or just relax with friends.

I love the ambiance of old underground Columbia. Excellent coffee and a great relaxing atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. Beats Starbucks by a long shot. This was my first visit but it sure wont be my last. Looking forward to going back soon.

Excellent espresso, cool alley location, warm modern decor, friendly staff.

Great atmosphere and even better coffee!

With out a doubt the best coffee in Columbia. Its also in a cool location downtown in Alley A. The staff is always very nice and quick. The interior is also very interesting. Would definitely recommend.

Great place in the coolest little alley in town! Cozy vibe and top notch coffee. And they’re the only shop in town that will accept Apple Pay. Great morning stop!

The ordering is easy and the seating area comfy and spacious (multi-room). I met my mother (a coffee drinker; Im not) for a late Saturday afternoon coffee (our first visit here). We were delighted with the quality of the lattes (she a vanilla and I a mocha): velvety smooth, rich with body, and served at a ready-to-drink temp. The owner even brought a clean saucer since a small amount of coffee had dripped during transit to the table. A jazz record was playing which added to the relaxing ambiance. I left with a cortado (recommended by another reviewer here) to-go. It was excellent.

I adore Shortwave! Ive been stopping here for 3 years in between classes. The coffee is roasted and perfected. The baristas are friendly and helpful, and give great recommendations.If youre a student, this is the perfect spot to study. There is usually some great indie music on the radio, and plenty of dimly lit cozy space to read and hangout.

Definitely the best coffee in Columbia! I love the atmosphere and the baristas are friendly. I love stopping by every time I visit Columbia. Their Ethiopian pour over is everything I love in a coffee!

The absolute best iced Americano I have every had. Great service, great coffee, and a great space. Any time Im in the area, I make sure to make a visit.

I fell in love with Shortwave Coffee! It has the whole, quiet, cozy, warm, & welcoming vibe that you need in a coffee shop, especially now that the weather has turned cold again. The gentleman behind the counter was friendly & the space is perfect for studying, working, reading or having a chat. They have quite a few large tables for groups as well. There is a definite underground charm, and this was complimented by a yellow raincoat & a young couple playing a board game at a table in the corner, sipping delicious coffee from adorable white mugs. Color me impressed 😍

Shortwave is an amazing place to get coffee both if you just want to get one quick or if you want to sit around the shop and work on something. It does get busy during the school year but that’s to be expected of anything good in a college town.

Nabbed two delicious cappuccinos while passing through Columbia. Well worth the stop. Espresso was incredibly smooth and foam on top was perfect and velvety.

Its a intimately lit coffee shop right off the walkable Alley A. Its got your typical rustic feel contrasted by people focused on their Macbooks. Unlike most other coffee shops Ive been to, though, it has multiple split-out rooms, which makes it feel much larger and helps handle noise. The bathrooms are also way cool -- they have frosted glass which makes it really easy to tell if its occupied, and the doors remind me of a dungeon. Venue aside, the coffee is also fantastic. I ordered a sweetened latte and very much satisfied. Also, they do take credit card, Square specifically.

Quaint, comfortable, and the right amount of cool. Coffee was great, too. I mean, of course it was; this guy loves his coffee. And, as a coffee professional myself, I respect that more than most people. So, come on in and treat yourself. And stick around to enjoy the place, dont get it to go...

Had a latte and it was good. Ambiance was very “coffee shop”. Shop was a little hard to find from the road—but once we parked, we found it without too much difficulty.

In an ally. Dont let that steer you away. Had a Brazil pour over. Great coffee. Old radios, record player for music. Dont settle for Starbucks and Caribou! Support local business!

Best coffee in town!

The staff was very friendly and helpful, atmosphere was great for a coffee shop, and the coffee was great! Definitely recommend if you are coming to the Columbia area!

Perfect lighting, great seating options, and a productive environment. Also, Than the barista makes a killer pour over. Come to this Alley A hot spot to transform your life. All you have to do is let it.

The espresso drinks. Get them. The last time I had a cappuccino this good, I was in Brussels. So glad to have such an excellent coffee shop nearby!

This is truly a top-notch shop. The environment is cozy and quaint, the coffee is expertly roasted and prepared, and the staff is friendly, approachable, and knowledgeable. Some of the best coffee Ive ever had has been at Shortwave, and Ive had coffee from practically every top roaster in St. Louis, KC, and Springfield, as well as more than a handful beyond Missouri (to say Im obsessed with coffee culture is a bit of an understatement). Try a V60 pour over or a Cortado. You wont be disappointed.

Great coffee, atmosphere, and study area. Coffee selection is unique and delicious. Great local spot!

Fabulous coffee shop in Columbia. Hidden in the alley and a total gem. Im here so often I cant even remember if Ive reviewed this before.If youre super into coffee, you need to check it out though!

I have a new favorite coffee roaster in Columbia! My classic cap was fantastic. I stopped by on my way to from Kansas City to Saint Louis had a drink and jumped online for work for a little while. The environment was laid back, friendly, and very comfortable. I grabbed some beans on the way out to sample the drip, it was great as well. This will be replacing Lakota as my default coffee stop in Columbia.

Has a cool underground vibe to it. Great atmosphere. Quality drinks here, not quantity.

Espresso is good, but the pour overs are phenomenal. By far the best cup of coffee in Columbia.

Order is always great!

This is a great coffee shop. It has gently roasted coffee and a quiet atmosphere. A great place to have quality coffee and get some work done.

Great, roasted in-house, coffee. Each cup brewed individually with a V60. Real beans that arent over roasted like at Starbucks makes this place great.The place has nice comfy seats to sit and read a book, and some desk/table seating to get some work done.

Wow! This place has great coffee!! The environment is by far the best in town, and it is the most cutting edge coffee in the region. Nitro is coming here!

This place is worth every penny! The service is great and so is the freshly roasted coffee (which they roast almost everyday). The atmosphere is great as well. I like to read and study at coffee shops and this place was very conducive to that. Large tables, internet access, and wall plugs for laptops. And the pour-over options are awesome (V-60 and Chemex). I found my new home away from home. Keep it up, guys!!

Really friendly and welcoming environment.

Wow. Just Wow. The owner hand brewed Ethiopian coffee for us that he roasted this week. I consider myself a coffee connessieur, and it still blew me away. Best cup of coffee I have had all year.

Great coffee and great hours, but they keep raising their prices.

Me and my boyfriend had breakfast there today and its our new favorite coffee shop downtown.

Great place for coffee. They definitely know their craft. Additionally, the place looks and feels really cool.

The espresso was excellent, not burnt, with a different fruity? flavors.

The worlds best cappuccino. Great guys. Great spot!! Highly recommend!

Favorite coffee shop in Columbia. Really unique location perfect for getting work done or meeting with friends.

I have had coffee and some of the worlds greatest cities, and Dale knows his stuff. Highly recommend.

Great coffee and atmosphere,definitely ll be back

I got the Aeropress coffee with Costa Rican beans and it was unlike any coffee Ive ever had. Its very cool watching something as seemingly simple as a brewing a cup of coffee being so scientific, and the flavor really benefits as a result. As somebody who has really gotten into coffee I will definitely be coming back.

Shortwave has mastered the coffee. If you want to taste and experience the art of espresso, pour overs, and single origin roasting...this is your place.

Ive been looking for a good cup of coffee for a while. The latte and the espresso macchiato were both drinkable temperature when served!

Shortwave certainly has the best coffee in Columbia. The cozy, unique space on Alley A is a great place to enjoy a cup or two.

When I visited this coffee shop at the first time, I found it clean, not crowded, delicious coffee, and perfect customer service.

Shortwave is my favorite coffee spot in CoMO. Hidden away and off the beaten path, the atmosphere is great and its a great place to sit alone, meets friends or get work done.

Nice place to sit and read. Great cappuccinos

The coffee is amazing and the staff is as well!! Its a super chill space, in Alley A. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone.

Best bathroom paper towels in Alley A, handsdown.Im an espresso guy, so thats all I can speak to, but in that realm I can attest these guys (and girl) are grade A. Get a cortado. 10/10 would recommend.

Delicious coffee and quiet cozy atmosphere

Amazing coffee, excellent service, plenty of space to spread out and study. Best coffee and atmosphere in Columbia hands down.

One of the best coffee shops in Columbia. 3 nice, single origin pour over options at any given time, lots of space, awesome mid-century modern atmosphere

Wow, what an amazing lil coffee shop. I had the homade lavender syrup latte with coconut milk and it was heavenly. Our Barista was fantastic and took time to talk to us. Would definitely visit this place again if we are nearby!

Shortwave has a great, calm atmosphere and some good variety of flavors. Its my favorite coffee shop

My favorite coffee place in Columbia. Weve just moved to California, and are planning on mail ordering all our beans we like Dales coffee so much.

Nice cozy place to enjoy an excellent cup of coffee. Friendly staff and plenty of seating and tables.

Warm and cozy place. Great coffee and excellent service.

Awesome location

Great coffee, great service, and comfortable atmosphere.

Great place for premium coffee!