Porto Rico Importing Co.

Greenwich Village
201 Bleecker St.
between MacDougal St./6th Ave.

P: 212.477.5421

East Village
40 1/2 St. Marks Pl
between 1st/2nd Aves.

P: 212.533.1982

Lower East Side
88 Essex Street
Essex Street Market
at Delancey St.

P: 212.677.1210

Williamsburg
636 Grand St.
between Manhattan/Leonard

P: 718.782.1200

Many New Yorkers would vote this the best coffee and tea store in the city. 

What's Great:

The selection of coffees and teas is impressive and they seem to always have at least one bean or blend on sale -- called "Peter's Weekly Sale" -- including some of the most popular which means these aren't sales just to get rid of stale inventory.  If you want to try something new, before going to the store take a look at their web site for a brief description about nearly every type of bean and tea they sell.  They also sell white and unbleached coffee filters for Chemex and Melitta coffee makers.

What to Avoid:

The stores on the weekend, unless you know exactly what you want and you don't mind waiting on line for a while.  If you want to spend some time exploring new choices, shop during the week.

What to know:

The store features an extensive selection of sustainable coffees which are produced for reasons of both quality as well as environmental concerns.  Teas are sold primarily loose but there's a selection of popular and sometimes hard-to-find tea bags, including Barry's Gold Blend, a robust black tea that stands up to milk and sugar and is an alternative to an afternoon cup of coffee.