Cascade Coffee Works

Cascade Coffee Works

Description on  Cascade Coffee Works website : From the get-go, we wanted Cascade Coffee Works to feel like an oasis in an otherwise bustling and demanding area.  Our signature Slow Bar is still in the picture as well, giving our customers the option to try some of our premiere single origin coffees on paired manual brewing methods.

Neighborhood:  South Lake Union

Address:  1130 Thomas Street, Seattle, WA 98109

Music playing:  Couldn’t hear due to the morning crowded trying to get their caffiene

What we ate/drank:  Macchiato

Comments:  We’ve not spent a lot of time here, because it’s out of the way for us and whenever we’ve come, it’s been in the mid morning or early afternoon and by that time it’s normally packed. On this particular day, I went earlier in the morning and able to relax a bit.  Maybe it’s unfair to compare this brand new location(opened in 11/17) to the older sister branch Seattle Coffee Works in downtown, but it’s as different as night and day.  Cascade Coffee Works is located in the Troy Laundry Building which was built in 1927 and established as a Seattle Landmark in 1996. It’s now been converted into Amazon office space.

The similarity to Seattle Coffee Works is the limited food offerings and a slow bar that had a syphon, Chemex, Hario, Kalita Wave and an Aeropress.  The differences are everything else. The space is industrial, bright and modern, it has a garage style door that can be opened for nice weather, white walls, and in the front, counter seating near the slow bar and comfy living room area with 3 leather love seats and a coffee table, In the back there are two hanging swinging chairs. In the middle there’s a community table for 8 and various separate tables for two. There’s also a few chairs/tables outside on the sidewalk and a few tables that you can use in the lobby of the building. There are plants throughout, along the back wall, hanging from high walls, in pots on the shelves.

Being in South Lake Union and in an Amazon building, as you would expect there are a ton of folks with blue badges getting their caffeine fix here. Like Seattle Coffee Works there’s a no tipping policy, although it’s made up with higher than normal prices, which I’m fine with. Unlike Seattle Coffee Works, Cascade Coffee Works is more my style. It’s bright and modern, but comfortable and has enough touches that make it different from other spots. There’s also cold brews and beer on tap.

And again, I want to point you in the direction of their website, which I explained in more detail on our Seattle Coffee Works post. It’s a great resource for where their beans are sourced and the huge effort they take in making costs transparent to the customer and fair to the farmers.  If I worked or lived in the area, I’d definitely frequent this location more. Also, if I’m meeting a friend who works at Amazon, I’ll surely suggest Cascade Coffee Works. Let’s face it, we all know at least one person who works at Amazon.

Ratings(1-5)Favorite Thing: Bright and airy with both modern and cozy touches.

Atmosphere:  4.75

Service:  5

Food Options:   3.75

 Overall:  4.50

Eavedropping  Convo:  Gal and a guy catching up over coffee. I don’t think they worked at Amazon based on the way they were dressed, but I think they had a meeting with Amazon.  I think they were killing time before their meeting.

Guy: He’s promised me this bonus and keeps comin’ up with excuses not to fuckin’ give it to me.

Gal: How about going to James?

Guy: I feel like a little bitch, if I go over his head for help. Thinking of just telling him, “Look, if you don’t give me the bonus by the end of next month, I’ll expect I’m not getting it and act accordingly”

Gal: Then what?

Guy: It’s not like I can really quit. I have to stay til next March to get my stock options. Then I’m fuckin done.