Becharas Brothers Coffee Co.

Royal York is the blend that put Becharas Brothers on Detroit's tables. The Highland Park family roaster has been supplying Greektown restaurants for years, and Astoria Cafe in particular has been pouring the Royal York long enough that the association is part of the brand's identity. If you've had coffee in Greektown and didn't think about who roasted it, there's a decent chance it was these guys.

The operation runs out of Hamilton Avenue in Highland Park as a family business with a long Michigan history. They grind beans fresh before delivery, which is the kind of move that matters more to restaurant accounts than to retail customers but tells you something about the priorities. The Royal York blend is what to order, and for most customers it's the only thing they'll order, which is fine because that's how the place built its reputation.

This is not a walk-in cafe. Phone and online ordering is the model for individual customers. Greektown restaurant patrons get the coffee whether they know it or not. Michigan locals looking for a long-running family roaster with restaurant pedigree have a clear option here, and the rest of the country can find the bag through online retail.

The absence of cafe atmosphere is the trade. What you give up in counter service you get back in a roaster whose blend has been part of Detroit dining for as long as most of the relevant restaurants have been in business. For coffee customers who care about that kind of continuity, Becharas Brothers earns a place in the local rotation without trying to be something it isn't.