Best coffee shop in Stanislaus County is ‘intentional’ and cozy. See which won
Stanislaus County’s No. 1 coffee shop is intentional, delicious, cozy and will make you feel like you’re in Europe, readers say.
In fact, that’s one of the first things I told owner Hannah Souza when I walked into the patio area of Galletto Ristorante for our interview: “It doesn’t seem like we’re in Modesto.”
Flora Cafe won the weeklong contest with 547 out of 1,113 votes. Alma Oscura came in second place with 437 votes.
“The coffee is delicious, and you can tell that each cup is made with love,” Stacie Starr wrote about Flora during the nomination period of the contest.
Matcha — both original and strawberry flavored — is one of the most ordered drinks at Flora, Souza said.
“We hand-whisk it fresh every day for every order,” she said. “It’s a lot of details, but it makes the best matcha.”
Other top sellers include the cinnamon roll latte made with Transcendence Coffee’s Cinnamon Social syrup and the double pistachio latte made with pistachio syrup and pistachio milk.
The 26-year-old herself was a commonly cited reason readers said they liked her shop. Readers praised Souza’s friendly and knowledgeable service and her care behind every ingredient.
Souza sources the beans she uses from Pachamama in El Dorado Hills. Pachamama is a farmer-owned company that grows organic Arabica coffee.
The syrups used at Flora are natural, agave based and purchased from small businesses. Even the milks are intentionally sourced, with “no added gums or anything you don’t want in your body,” Souza said.
“My goal is to make the drink you know and love, but that also makes you feel good and loves you right back,” she said.
Flora Cafe celebrates one year of business
Souza said she fell in love with coffee shops while attending college because of the “safe space” they created. When she came home to Modesto, she wanted to create that same sort of space for others.
She opened a coffee cart called The House of Well in January 2024, selling at farmers markets.
Months after opening, The House of Well was part of a wellness event at Mobaak Aroma Co. in Roseburg Square that featured candles, coffee and flowers, as well as yoga in the adjoining unit. It was so successful that the owner of Mobaak asked Souza to move her cart into the shop, so she did, in November 2024.
It was then that Souza changed the name to Flora Cafe. She operated out of Mobaak for nine months until she got an offer from Galletto to use its patio while the restaurant is closed.
Flora Cafe is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Galletto is open from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
“I feel like this place also represents my brand,” Souza said. “It’s like a sanctuary of wellness and calm and the safe space. You see people studying and reading and making connections and that’s been my dream.”
Flora Cafe will be at Galletto indefinitely. Next, Souza hopes to open her own brick and mortar that can be a one-stop wellness shop for things like coffee, groceries and yoga.
With the new year, Flora Cafe will host a series of yoga events on the patio and add decaffeinated drinks to its menu.
“I’m happy the second I step foot inside Flora Cafe,” Madeleine Lehikainen wrote in the nomination form. “The perfect start to a work day.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM.
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