Elm Coffee Roasters

Elm Coffee Roasters-Pioneer Square 

Description on Elm Coffee Roaster’s website: All of our coffees are roasted on site, right in the back of our Pioneer Square café. Amid jute bags of green coffee from the best small-lot farms in the world, you’ll find us roasting, cupping and bagging our favorites of the season. 

Neighborhood: Pioneer Square 

Address: 240 2nd Ave South, Seattle, WA 98104 

Music playing:  Heaven or Hell by Waylon Jennings 

What we ate/drank:  Double Espresso and apple fritter from Mighty O 

Comments:  Elm Coffee Roasters is in the same vein as Slate Coffee Roasters and Broadcast Coffee, clean, minimalist and airy. They could have easily added more tables/chairs, but the way it’s configured keeps a nice airy feel. All together the place seats about 25 with bar seatings, a wrap around wood bench with individual tables for two and a couple of tables neat the front of the shop. The location has a kinda fancy kitchen in the country with marble counters and unfinished wood. And like many Pioneer Square businesses utilize the exposed brick walls in this old neighborhood. The walls are blank, the ceilings are white and the vents exposed. The storefront windows face south, but there are also some high windows facing east that let in a lot of light. The roasting equipment/area are located at the back of the location and is visible through a windowed partition.

There are pastries from The London Plane and  Mighty-O(they seemed to have cornered the market on supplying local coffee shops). I ordered a doppio espresso and apple fritter. When my drink was ready, they brought it out to me at my table instead of calling it out at the bar, which was nice. I didn’t notice this until after I ordered, but they have some “combos” we’ll get the next time we visit. 

• One & One –Macchiato and an espresso – $3
• One of Each-Espresso and brewed coffee – $5 
• One of Everything-Macchiato, Espresso and brewed coffee. -For only $5 

The barista said the name Elm Coffee Roasters is derived from the owner’s wife’s initials E.L.M. One last thing, if you are planning to plant yourself and work for awhile, don’t.  There aren’t many outlets, if any, which I believe was done intentionally to create an atmosphere of relaxing and chatting instead of a room full of silent workers on their computers.

Ratings(1-5) 

Favorite Thing:   Option of their “combos”-One & One, One of Each and One of Everything.

Atmosphere: 4.0 

Service:  5 

Food Options:  2.5 

Overall:  4.0 

Eavedropping Convo:  Two guys chatting 

Guy 1).… so I was going to offer my services or consulting help, but it sounds like you’ve got everything taken care of. 

Guy 2) Yeah, surprisingly things are going rather smoothly. Knock on wood. 

G1) Well, don’t hesitate if things change direction. Just reach out. 

G2) I appreciate that.  You’ve always offered some great guidance. I don’t want to end up like Gary.

G1) Wow, haven’t heard that name in awhile. How is ole Gary? Back on his feet?

G2) I haven’t seen him in awhile, but unfortunately last I heard he was still struggling. Had to downsize and sell his boat.