Our Favorite Coffee Place – Mr West Cafe Bar

Mr West Cafe Bar  

Description on their web: Easy Drinking. Tasty Fare. Morning, noon, night. 

Neighborhood: Downtown 

Address: 720 Olive Way, Seattle WA 98101 

Music playing:  Multi-Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra 

What we ate/drank:  Doppio Espresso, Apple Fagotinni, Americano

Comments:  As we stated in Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts, this is our favorite coffee place in Seattle. As mentioned it’s just a great combination of cozy and modern with tons of seating options, great food choices and great atmosphere. Honestly, when Mr West Cafe Bar first opened, I wasn’t sure it would survive. At the time, my bus stop was across the street, so I could see if it was full or empty inside and most of the time it was empty. It’s in a weird area right on the outskirts of downtown and South Lake Union, but walking distance from Capitol Hill. I’m glad they persevered, because now the place is always packed. The scummy Greyhound station used to be across the street, but now a brand new Hyatt Regency is replacing it, so I’m sure it will be even more crowded. It goes without saying the coffee is superb, but what separates Mr West Café Bar from the rest is their variety of food options and atmosphere. They have your normal sweet pastries, but they also have sandwiches, salads, toasts with cheese, avocado, cured salmon and cheese/meat boards. If you’re not in the mood for coffee, they also serve wine, cocktails and have beers on tap.   There are all types of seating-single seats along the front window, booth seating, long tables for groups, bar seating and patio seating. It feels comfortable whether you are working/studying, catching up with friends or having a group outing. The barista and food prep is located in the middle of the cafe and everybody is seated around them. If you are staying for drink and/or food, they will give you a number on a stand, which you place on your table and they’ll bring out your order when it’s ready.  

For me personally, what I really like is their music selection. It feels like I’m constantly Shazam’ing the music they play. They’ve turned me on to The Radio Dept, Whitney, Leisure, Tora, Real Estate, Day Wave, Hazel English, The National, Hooded Fang, Harlem, Skaters, 

Ratings:

Favorite Thing: Their music choice and atmosphere 

Atmosphere: 5 

Service:  5 

Food Options:  5 

Overall:  5 

Eavesdropping Convos:    

These were two co-workers having a meeting while having some coffee, but I couldn’t tell if it was a boss and subordinate or just two colleagues.

Girl 1: I just wanted to talk to you. It’s really nothing. 

Girl 2: Well it’s not nothing, it must be something. I’m a very blunt person so you won’t have to worry about me providing feedback. 

1: I get the feeling that you don’t like me and it’s fine if you don’t like me, but I feel it’s getting in the way of working together. I just want to clear the air and find out why. 

2: I fully admit I’ve been in a funk lately, but I’m not going to take all the hits. From the very beginning I asked you out to lunch a couple of times and it was never reciprocated. I also asked you to coffee before, I didn’t know if you drink coffee, but again never reciprocated. I’m the type of person where I’m going to try and if I’m ignored, I’m going to stop and not try anymore. Also, you know my cat just died, that was a big deal. I’m still not over it and you’re the only person who didn’t console me. The only person.  (long pause)……. As a woman that’s a big deal.  

1: I own that, but I feel that you’ve been very cold to me, so it’s hard to talk to you. 

2: We haven’t really worked on any projects together, so I don’t hate you. I don’t even know you. 

The conversation was getting juicy, but in a way it was uncomfortable and tried to tune them out. They were both rather loud, so it wasn’t like I had to lean my ear in their direction.  Girl 2 kept saying over and over again …. I don’t hate you, I don’t even know you. 

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