Coffee may share a name with the average Joe, but not everybody can make a good cuppa one, especially because Americans’ palates for more gourmet beans have grown in recent years. Sure, corporate coffee operations offer polished, consistent delivery on almost every convenient corner. Trekking through town to find local sources of great coffee, though, can be a rewarding adventure.

Our safari turned up four newish options with distinct characters. And the good news: The food alone is worth the trip.

Cafe Corto Coffee Gallery115 E. Kiowa St.577-4347, cafecorto.com

In the eight months since it opened, Cafe Corto has certainly made a name for its most talked-about sandwich, the Cuban ($7). The sandwich’s moist, slow-cooked pork earned Best Cuban Sandwich from The Gazette in 2012, aided by supporting players of grilled bun, ham, pickles, spicy mustard and Swiss cheese. Such Hispanic grilled sandwiches – called bocadillos – are the core of Cafe Corto’s food menu, and they offer some great flavor combinations. The Kathmandu ($7), for example, is a warm, earthy sandwich of turkey, sprouts and briny, quartered artichoke hearts. The house macaroni salad, on the other hand, is skippable.

Corto brews up a signature blend of Spanish Peaks coffee, often complemented with unique milk and “milk” selections. Coconut milk is the variety featured in the dairy-free Coco Loco ($3.80 for 12 ounces), and it and chocolate brighten and lighten the two shots of Arabica-based beans.

Much like the burlap coffee-bean bags that decorate the counter and serving area, the operations at Corto can sometimes be a bit spotty. But an indie spirit pervades the shop, which consists of a coffee bar and a separate lounging room, both ornamented with swirling custom paint, local artwork, comfy seating and public books and games. The mom-and-pop service tends toward slow, but that very mom-and-pop-ness is charming and memorable. Those that come for the Cuban may just stay for the community.

Kawa Coffee2427 N. Union Blvd.473-5295, kawacoffeecs.com

Polish cuisine does not rank among the world’s most mainstream, but this Polish-inspired cafe should rank among the best coffee shops between downtown and Powers. Stroll through a strip mall breezeway into a space that’s both industrial (ductwork, concrete floors) and cozy (sets of mismatched chairs, couches grouped for conversation).

The Polish influence is revealed in the name (meaning coffee), the Polish-language newspaper pages that decorate sandwich baskets and a slopper of a sandwich called the Polish Boy ($6.50). Kielbasa sausage slides between layers of bacon coleslaw, barbecue sauce and Swiss cheese.

The cooking method, not the nationality, but t makes all the sandwiches shine: They’re assembled and then steamed, which warms but leaves the Olde World Deli bagels soft. The flavors – like the turkey, roasted red peppers, spinach, olives and feta of the Hercules ($6.50) – also meld and complement in a way toasting can’t match.

High Rise Roasters supply the beans, but Kawa alone is responsible for some unique specialty drinks. For example, the iced Canuck ($3 for 12 ounces CKD) heads north to Canada for a shot of maple spice syrup to mix into the espresso and half and half.

Ski Barista124 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.576-7542

Broadmoor’s ski resort may be a thing of the past, but the cafe named for its legacy is bright and shiny new, as befits the upscale neighborhood it inhabits. Sunny windows overlook outdoor tables and fresh flowers, and lodge décor cozies up the somewhat sterile, large space. Sadly, the display cases were also a little sterile, in that they were sparsely populated with foodstuffs.

Those on display, though, totally satisfied. The raspberry sour cream muffin ($2.75), baked in house, exploded vertically from its paper cup. Light and fruity, it didn’t succumb to many such muffins’ gooey density. Several daily quiches’ fillings are similarly made on site ($4.95), the green chile variety was roasted but not spicy, and the herb in the tomato, basil and goat cheese quiche was fresh and sweet. I specify “fillings” because the quiche crusts are corporately sourced, though they’re crisp, flaky and even gluten free.

On the side, you can order Ski Barista’s Lavazza coffee in almost any known espresso beverage, but prepare to be surprised by the massive menu of flavor syrups on tap. Other menus – meaning the food options – are harder to find and should be better displayed on the wall or explained by staff.

While sweet as that aforementioned basil, service goes over the line from slow to downright sluggish. After only one year in business, I hope they’ll soon pick up the precision and speed of the downhill sport from which they take their name.

Stir2330 N. Wahsatch Ave.418-6188

Remember when blue-collar trucker hats became the ultimate in hipster apparel? In a similar move, funky coffee shop Stir has reclaimed a former auto garage, but with a sense of taste and style that keep it far from the former trend’s eye-rolling annoyance. Menu items are written on the glass of reclaimed windows, the counter is faced in reclaimed wood and vintage chandeliers are vividly spray painted. Lounge in yellow and green vintage-inspired lawn chairs indoors and out, which is divided by the original auto garage doors.

Easy to miss as you drive by, the style should prove that even when everyone discovers the small auto garage (including the totally un-hip among us), it’s not possible for Stir to lose this much cool.

Though hip, Stir softens any edge of pretension with fluffy baked goods and an old-fashioned display case of locally baked pies ($3.75). Topped with shiny droplets of caramelized sugar, the lemon meringue’s airy tartness wipes away the heat of summer in one bite, while the oozing blueberry was refreshing instead of over-sweetened. Both crusts cracked perfectly into buttery flakes. Specializing mostly in desserts, breakfast burritos ($5 ) are the only other food offering.

Beverages, however, are supplied by Black Forest Coffee Roasters (aka R and R Cafe). With only one staffer, the daily special latte (S’mores on Ice, $4.50, with 50 percent donated to the Red Cross) took some time, but was worth the wait. Toasted marshmallow and chocolate turned out to be an ideal sweetener for the rich coffee.