The Seattle Coffee Shop Awards-Part 1
As you know Seattleites have the stereotype of being coffee drinking fools. This is no stereotype, we take our coffee seriously. And if you ask 20 different locals what their favorite coffee place is, you’ll most likely get 20 different answers.
These are our choices for Best Seattle Coffee Shop Awards. With two young’uns, we’ve had to trade in our frequency of night life in Seattle bars and pubs to morning life in a lot of Seattle coffee cafes.
In doing so, we’ve gotten to revisit a lot of coffee shops we hadn’t been to in a while and also got a chance to visit a lot of new places that had always been on our radar but never been able to go to. We Seattleites are so lucky to have so many varieties of roasters and cafes in such a condensed area.
You’ll notice in our Coffee Shop blog posts we rarely mention how good the coffee is in each place, because we feel like it’s a given we’re going to get exceptional coffee. If we happen upon a coffee shop in which the coffee is not good, we will not review it. This might be the reason you may not see a particular coffee shop on our blog.
Part 2 – Best Coffee Shops for Groups or You Want To Be Alone.
Part 3 – Best Seattle Coffee Drink Sets, Best Views
Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
Part 5 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops for Food Options, Friendliest Service
Part 6 – Seattle Coffee With Most Character, Best Seattle Coffee Shops Overall.
Best Seattle Coffee Shop Neighborhood – Pioneer Square
There are only really two choices. Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square. South Lake Union has ton of satellite branches of local Seattle cafes, but they’re mainly in the lobby of Amazon buildings and don’t have the atmosphere that most cafes have. I also don’t consider Downtown Seattle a neighborhood. We’re giving the nod to Pioneer Square. You’ve got Convoy Coffee, Slate Coffee Roasters, Elm Coffee Roasters, Zeitgeist Coffee. In our opinion you have the best Caffé Vita, Caffe Umbria and Cherry Street Public House locations in Pioneer Square. You also have a wide variation of styles. You’ve got the old cafes with tons of character in Caffé Vita and Zeitgeist Coffee. You’ve got the more modern cafes with great views in Caffe Umbria and Cherry Street Public House. You’ve got the bright little start up spot of Convoy Coffee. You’ve got the hardcore roasters of Slate Coffee Roasters and Elm Coffee Roasters.
Most Mentioned/Most Popular Seattle Coffee Shops – Espresso Vivace and “The Caffes”
When talking favorite coffee shops with local friends, there four names continuously pop up. These are the granddaddies of the Seattle Coffee Shop scene.
This actually makes sense because they all have an empire of multiple locations and all have been around for a longggggg time. And of course they have great coffee and roast their own beans. In no particular order……
- Espresso Vivace– 3 Seattle locations. Established 1988.
- Caffé Vita– 6 Seattle locations. Established 1995.
- Caffe Ladro– 15 locations in the greater Seattle area(incl Bellvue, Kirkland, Edmonds, etc). Established 1994.
- Caffe Umbria– 3 Seattle locations. Established 2002 , but family behind Umbria has been involved in Seattle cafes since 1986.
Caffe Umbria
Most Underrated Seattle Coffee Shops – Tempsta Coffee, Convoy Coffee, Ghost Note Coffee
These are the exact opposite of the popular coffee shops. We never hear anybody mention these coffee shops.
Tempesta Coffee(RIP)- Convoy Coffee
- Ghost Note Coffee
- Realfine Coffee
- Seven Coffee Roasters
- Anchorhead Coffee Co
- Analog Coffee
We believe these places are never mentioned, because they have never been visited by most people. There are a lot of reasons why. Here are our theories. In the case of Tempesta Coffee (RIP), they’re in a super small unassuming space in the middle of Belltown. It’s so small there’s not even a single seat, but damn, do they have good Americanos. Convoy Coffee is also a small place and might be drowned out in a sea of great more established coffee places in Pioneer Square(see above). Most people know them as the bicycle coffee bar at the University and Ballard Farmers Markets. Ghost Note Coffee is off the main streets of Pine and Pike in Capitol Hill and is relatively new. And although Realfine Coffee is not new to West Seattle, it’s very new to Capitol Hill and perhaps just gaining it’s footing. Seven Coffee Roasters is roaster in the middle of the Ravenna neighborhood and is disguised as a general store. Most people pass it and don’t even know it’s a roaster. Anchorhead Coffee Co is probably the most Instagrammable of the bunch, but it’s also relatively new being open for only two years. Lastly, I think Analog Coffee has actually gotten a lot of accolades and publicity, but nobody ever seems to mention it. Perhaps because it’s also in the middle of a neighborhood and not on a main avenue. We’re totally fine with these places being underrated and undiscovered, so we have them all to ourselves.
Next: Stay tuned for our next installment of The Seattle Coffee Shop Awards.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
Part 2 – Best Coffee Shops for Groups or You Want To Be Alone.
Part 3 – Best Seattle Coffee Drink Sets, Best Views
Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
Part 5 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops for Food Options, Friendliest Service
Part 6 – Seattle Coffee With Most Character, Best Seattle Coffee Shops Overall.
Ventoux Roasters – Ravenna
Description on Ventoux Roaster’s website: Providing the highest quality coffee, and promoting our love for cycling in everything we do. Nestled between Seattle’s University District and Wedgwood neighborhood, we’ve supported our community in the Bryant neighborhood with specialty coffee and a gallery of fine racing bikes for 3 years. Come by and meet your neighbors!
Neighborhood: Ravenna
Address:3404 NE 55th St, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Cortado, Macrina Fresh Fruit Muffin
Music Playing: Sade – Hang On To Your Love
Comments: Ventoux Roasters is on a small quiet corner of 35th Ave NE & NE 55th Street. As soon as you walk in you can tell the owner’s love of cycling. There are hanging bikes from the roof and on the walls, cycling jerseys displayed and bike-themed posters. The cafe name is derived from Mont Ventoux, which is one of the stages in the Tour de France.
Their name implies Ventoux roasts their own coffee beans, but on this particular day they were using Everett-based Veltons coffee. They had a small variety of Macrina Bakery pastries. We got the Fresh Fruit Muffin. There’s definitely a neighborhood feel to Ventoux Roasters and I get the feeling most of the people hanging out here are regulars.
The space is long and narrow, so you’d expect the seating to be limited, but surprisingly there’s a lot of seating. You’ve got the store front Adirondack chairs, counter seating looking out on 55th and in towards the back, a few individual tables and bench seating. As you would expect the front of the space is very bright from the store front windows, but unlike many other long and narrow spaces, there is actually windows that let in a bit of natural lighting in the back too. One thing I did notice is that they have electrical outlets all over the place, so if you’re planning on working on your laptop here, you’re covered.
I have a question. There seems to be an inordinate amount of coffee places in Seattle that are bike-themed. In addition to Ventoux Roasters, there’s Meiter in First Hill, Peloton in Capitol Hill, Rapha in Capitol Hill and Good Weather Bicycle also in Capitol Hill. This cannot be a coincidence. I also have a friend overseas and his two passions are coffee and cycling. What is the relationship between coffee cafes and cycling? Perhaps I’ll research and create a post on my findings. I’m curious now.
Here’s a Youtube video that best describes Ventoux Roasters:
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Quaint neighborhood spot with a distinct bike theme. Least Favorite Thing– Owner is a SF Giants fan ;). Go Dodger Blue!
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.30
Eavedropping Convo: Two older gentlemen talking right after the 2019 snow storm in Seattle
Gentleman 1(G1) – You still got snow at your place?
Gentelman 2(G2) – Yup. I also live on a slope, so it was a bitch getting in and out of my place. My idiot neighbor tried driving in the midst of it all, hit an ice patch and nearly hit my parked car. No chains, no nothing. Luckily he only hit the curb and slid down the hill until hitting a level area. What a moron!
Related:
Woodland Coffee
Description on Woodland Coffee’s website : Good Coffee Good People
Neighborhood:Frelard (Fremont/Ballard)
Address: 1417 NW 54th St #101, Seattle, WA 98107
Music Playing: Nothing Breaks Like a Heart by Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus
What we ate/drank: Cortado
Comments: Stumbled upon this place when going to the El Camion Taco Truck(which is not there anymore!) on 54th. Woodland Coffee is in a newer building(Studio Works) which houses a lot of small businesses.
Here’s the history of how Woodland Coffee came to be from their website:
Woodland Coffee began in 2016 out of our family’s love for coffee and a nonchalant place to get it. It all started with our mom and dad’s love for coffee in Seattle in the 80’s, 90’s. The coffee scene was small but growing, and we went to the places that got it right, like Allegro. Our weekend ritual was to grab the dogs, drive to the U-district for coffee and head to Woodland Park. The dogs would run, we would get muddy but at least we were caffeinated. Twenty or so years later, while we don’t spend every weekend together, the tradition of grabbing coffee and getting outside persists. Finally in 2016 our dad built StudioWorks in Ballard with a small allotted space for his dream coffee shop. The youngest (of us) runs the store and the rest of the family pitches in. At Woodland we want everyone to be able to have the feeling of the good old 90’s coffee shop, where we want no snobbery just good coffee.
I like it. It’s a mish mosh of styles and seating areas. You have the modern 4 leather chairs in the corner, the long high counter for single seating looking out on the patio. You have a oval community table that has 8 chairs in the middle and few bar type high tables for four and then the bench seating near the store front. As mentioned there’s also a patio area, which is rather large.
There are plants throughout which makes the space feel fresh and there’s a lot of decorative woodwork on the wall. It’s a dog friendly place, so that’s a plus. They use Olympic Coffee Roasters for their beans. There is a small case of pastries and a few sandwiches.
I have a few qualms, but this is more personal preference, so others may love it. 1) The music is really loud. 2) The lighting is a bit on the bright side. It’s probably due to the fact that it’s north facing storefront, so not much natural light gets in. My preference is warm lighting when going to a cafe. The lighting here reminds me of being in school. 3) The other thing might be small issue, but may be important to others. The website menu is off by about 30% to what is being charged in the actual store. For example, a Cortado is listed as $2.50 on the website, but is actually $3.25. It’s only .75 cents, right? So why quibble? But……
This is an area(Frelard between Fremont and Ballard) rife with breweries(Reubens, Lucky Envelope, Stoup, NW Peaks, Lagunitas, Peddler, Popluxe) but it is a wasteland for coffee. I think it’s because it’s more of an industrial area moreso than a neighborhood. But if you want a good coffee and a cafe to relax in after visiting all the breweries, Woodland Coffee definitely fits the bill.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Really the only option in the area as far as we’re concerned and it’s a good option.
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.25
Food Options: 4.00
Overall: 4.25
Eavesdropping Convo: Couldn’t eavesdrop due to the music volume.
Related:
Cafe Lulu – Greenlake
Description on Cafe Lulu’s website: A fun, cozy, welcoming atmosphere might just become a natural extension of your own home.
Neighborhood: Greenlake
Address: 6417 Latona Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso, Cinnamon Roll.
Comments: It’s actually been awhile since we’d been to Café Lulu, the small little neighborhood coffee shop in between Greenlake and Roosevelt neighborhoods. They just recently did a remodel which really changed the feel of the café. Before it was a cozy colorful spot with orange walls, chalkboard menus and lots of art. Now Café Lulu has been transformed to a more modern clean café with white walls, bright lights and no artwork. Perhaps the remodel is not completely done? One thing that remains at Café Lulu is their collection of travel books. I remember coming here a few years ago and reading through a Japan travel guide right before our trip there.
Here are the before and after comparisons:
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
The seating quantity is about the same as before, but the quality is much nicer. There’s some stool seating along the front counter looking out on Latona Ave. There 5 tables of two and 1 table in the front that starts at the wall and goes perpendicular to create a table. The wood tables are quite stunning. The counter between the customers and the barista is much more open and lower now, so you can more easily interact now. Before you could only see their heads as they were making drinks.
The coffee machine they have has a Caffe Vita sticker(yes, I finally figured out Vita vs Ladro), so I assume that’s what they’re serving.Some of the food options are yogurt, banana, oatmeal, breakfast burritos, bagels and I think some bagel sandwiches. One other thing they added with the new remodel is the selling of wine by the glass and bottle. With the addition of wine it only makes sense that they extend their hours from 2:00 closing to 6:00 on weeknights starting in February.
I’ll be honest, even with the upgrades in lighting and outlets, I kind of miss the cozy environment prior to the remodel. Perhaps, it’s just something we need to get used to. I give kudos to any coffee shop that’s been in business for 21 years especially with the plethora of coffee in Seattle. They’re obviously doing something right maintaining their customer base.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Library of travel books
Atmosphere: 3.75
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.15
Eavedropping Convo: There must be a Microsoft Connector bus stop nearby. 2 Microsoft employees waiting inside Cafe Lulu for the bus. I think they had just figured out that both of them were both waiting for the Connector.
M1(Microsoft Employee 1): What area do you work in?
M2(Microsoft Employee 2): —-Sales. I just started two weeks ago so I’m still finding my way with the commute and the company. Note: I couldn’t hear the exact sales dept.
M1: It takes awhile to get the lay of the land that’s for sure. It’ll get better. I promise.
M2: Yeah, I’m sure it will.
M1: Where did you come from?
M2: I moved here from Atlanta. Man, this cold weather is another thing I need to get used to.
M1: This? This ain’t nothing. It’s actually been a mild winter. Don’t worry, it’ll get colder.
M2: Gee, thanks.
Related:
Caffe Ladro – Fremont
Description on Caffe Ladro’s website:Visit Caffe Ladro in 15 different neighborhoods in the Seattle, Washington area. Each of our cafés is unique and built to suit the neighborhood where it makes its home. You will find the same great coffee and fresh-baked goods at any Caffe Ladro location you visit.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 452 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Music Playing: It’s A Jungle Out There-Buddy Guy, Let the Good Times Roll-BB King, Bleeding Heart – Jimmy D Lane
What we ate/drank: Gibraltar
Comments: This is the 4th Caffe Ladro we’re writing about. In a previous Caffe Ladro review, we mentioned that each branch has a very distinct feel. For example the one located in downtown on Pine Street, we call, The “Jetsons Caffe Ladro”. This one in Fremont we call, “The Library Caffe Ladro”. Why? This one has three sets of long tables that have the little lamps on them that you see in university libraries.
In addition to the library style tables, there are 6 or 7 smaller marble tables and counter seating all along the front looking out on N 36th.
I’m not sure if they always play this type of music in this location, but on the morning we went they were playing the blues-Buddy Guy, BB King, Jimmy D Lane. The music definitely adds to the laid back relaxing atmosphere of this location. This location is the exact opposite of The Jetsons Ladro, which has a very futuristic feel to it. This Ladro has an old nostalgic feel-exposed wood beams, warm lighting from Edison bulbs, beautiful huge wooden window frames.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The library style lights on the bigger tables.
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: As you can tell by the pictures, we ended up going here very early in the morning. This would be the perfect time to have a personal discussion with your boss outside of business hours. The weird thing is this conversation happened on a weekend morning and it was definitely a boss-underling conversation.
Boss(B): Why did you want to meet this early?
Underling(U): I just felt I needed to get some things off my chest before I made any rash decisions.
B: The floor is yours
U: I feel that some of the things promised are not being followed through on. You said you would mentor me, but it seems you are spending way more time mentoring the others and I want to know why. Is it because I’m not as pushy? Are you too busy? I want to improve, prove myself and get promoted as I’ve mentioned before, so how do I do this?
B: Sure, sure Ok. Fair enough. I’ve probably been more occupied with some of the others because they’re more outspoken. They’re go-getters and you know actions speak louder than words.
U: I don’t want you to mistake my quietness for not wanting do improve.
B: Sure, OK. But in my defense, you have never asked to meet until now. I want to give you every opportunity, but you’ve never asked for feedback.
U: I feel like, you should be the one to provide feedback to me because I don’t know.
B: Sure, sure Ok. Well, first you need to improve your grammar in your correspondences. Your use of plurals and pronouns needs work.
B always started his responses off saying, “Sure, sure OK”. Also, as you can see B got quite defensive and once that happened B went on the offensive and was painfully blunt. Not only did he say U had to improve on her grammar, but also talked about her getting to work earlier, staying later, being more outspoken in meetings, meeting deadlines that she thought were unrealistic. Once B was finished, he asked U, “How will you prove this to me”? Savage.
Related:
Ada’s Technical Books Cafe
Description on Lighthouse Roaster’s website : One of Seattle’s original roaster cafes, Lighthouse has spent more than twenty years creating a loyal following of coffee lovers by treating the coffee buying, roasting and drink-making as a noble calling.
Description on Ada’s Technical Book Cafe’s website : Everything we serve is made in house and prepared to order. Tasty. Thoughtful. Wholesome.
Address: 425 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112
Music Playing: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
What we ate/drank: Cortado
Comments:
It’s not often we come to this stretch of coffee shops and restaurants on 15th Ave E. in Capitol Hill, so this was the first time visiting Ada’s Technical Book Café. Ada’s Technical Books Café was founded in 2010, but moved to it’s current location in 2013. It reminds me of Meg Ryan’s children’s book store in You’ve Got Mail, except Ada’s is a STEM-centric book store. It’s got that community feel in a niche book area.
Ada’s is bright and airy, coffee and food, books to browse, display tables to discover. It’s the type of place that you can stay for hours and come back over and over. Ada’s is named after Ada Lovelace, a mathematician, who is considered the first computer programmer ever. She lived from 1815 to 1852. Her silhouette is the logo of Ada’s Technical Books.
Their pastries are cooked in-house and they also provide various vegetarian meals, such as Spicy Southwest Black Bean Burgers, Seasonal Potato Hash, Biscuit & Country Mushroom Gravy and Ada’s Breakfast Sandwiches.
So where do we begin. Once ordering your coffee(and meal) you can grab a seat at one of their various display tables. Oh, no tipping policy by the way. Each one is unique and interesting. It’s like sitting at a museum display case. Check out the one below with various old locks and lock picks. We truthfully wanted to go from table to table to see each one. You could come back multiple times and just sit at their various display tables and be entertained each time.
They have an area dedicated to puzzles and books for youngsters. When my daughters are old enough, we’d love if Ada’s became one of their favorite place to come to. Because this was a former residence, in addition to all the technical books there are separate rooms to sit down in. The first room off the main store area has a long bench and some counter seating along with a huge checkboard. There’s also an area called the Lab that offers a rentable event space in which cocktails can be served. That’s not all. There’s also an area called The Office, which provides desks that can be rented daily or monthly with 24 hour access.
Check out Ada’s Technical Books Cafe website for more details and their events. Some examples of classes that definitely foster a neighborhood feel – More Than You Ever Really Wanted to Know About Coffee, Seattle Music Machine Salon(discussion on aspects of making music with computers/electronics), Aphrodisiac Tincture Making Workshop(making aphrodisiac potions).
Ada’s Technical Books is definitely one of the more memorable cafes in Seattle. The geekiness of it, the fact that it’s for all ages, the interesting décor from the display tables to the hanging collage to the maze of rooms. It’s really unique. I’ll admit Ada’s might become our new Coffee Place to Impress Seattle Visitors.
Breaking News-5/21/20: Ada’s has acquired the three Fuel Coffee branches. You can read about the details here.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Everything!
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 4.75
Food Options: 4.50 (only because we like meat, but admittedly they have a good variety)
Overall: 4.75
Eavesdropping Convo: Guy and a gal who seemed to be doing a long distance relationship.
Guy: I can’t keep traveling back and forth.
Gal: Can’t you take sick leave? If you said you needed time off for your mental health, I don’t think they’ll say no. It’s not their culture.
Guy: Alright let’s see how it goes.
Gal: You never really thought about that in the beginning, so don’t just dismiss it.
Guy: I don’t feel right about it. It’s dishonest.
Gal: Ok then……..pouts. Where do we go from here?
Guy: Let’s see how things go.
Gal: Looking demoralized. Ok, but I’m not feeling optimistic though. I gotta tell ya.
Related:
Armistice Coffee
Description on Armistice Coffee’s website :We are looking to give back to the city of Seattle, the best way we know how- coffee!
Neighborhood: Eastlake
Address: 2201 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
Music Playing: In My Feelings by Drake
What we ate/drank: Cortado
Comments: The coffee shop choices have been pretty slim pickings in the Eastlake neighborhood for a while. Before the Link Light Rail at UW opened, I used to take a bus to work that would go through Eastlake, so I’d also know when a new business popped up. Now that I don’t take the bus anymore, I only go through the Eastlake area maybe once every month at most. The last time going through we noticed a new building and on the bottom floor of that building was Armistice Coffee, so we’d thought we’d check it out.
First thing we noticed upon heading toward the front door is that in the store front window you can see a small roasting machine and found out that Armistice Coffee roasts their own beans on the premises, so you know you’re getting fresh coffee. Because it’s in a new building, it has a new modern feel to it. The seating options are rather limited on the inside. You have a “living room” configuration with a leather sofa and four leather chairs surrounding a coffee table.
There are some chairs off to the side, a community table that fits 6 and way in the back are two secluded tables with a bench and some finished log stools. The real highlight are the seating options outside where they have a patio with tables surrounded by trees. They also have doors that open to the east and south, that would make it nice a breezy. We came in the winter, so although it’s sunny, when it’s 39 degrees at noon, you can’t really enjoy the patio or have the doors open. I’m sure we’d enjoy the space more if we came back in the summer.
We went there to enjoy a coffee, but if you are coming here to work on a lap top, there aren’t many seating option except for the community table of 6 and the two tables in the back, which is an area that is really dark.
There are limited pastry options. The Cortado was exceptional.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Having a sorely needed new coffee shop option in the Eastlake neighborhood.
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.00
Food Options: 3.50
Overall: 3.75
Eavesdropping Convo: None
Related:
Caffe Vita – Fremont
Description on their web: By creating an environment where the customer can see, touch, and taste the coffee they purchase, we provide a unique learning opportunity that allows our coffee to speak for itself. Caffe Vita is always fresh, imported directly from the farm and roasted on-site.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 4301 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen
What we ate/drank: Espresso and an apple strudel
Espresso & Apple Strudel
Comments: You may recall the fiasco where I made a fool of myself at the Caffe Vita in Pioneer Square when asking about their logo. There was no such embarrassment this time around, just a relaxing visit in my old neighborhood.
I actually lived a few blocks away from this location when I first moved to Seattle. Every single business on this cross section of Fremont Ave and N. 43th St has changed and in most cases multiple times. The only businesses that have not changed is the coin operated laundry mat and Eyes on Fremont. The Caffe Vita – Fremont location is no different. When I first moved here, this spot was a hair salon and it’s the spot I used to get my hair cut. It’s now odd looking out the window from Caffe Vita – Fremont and remembering the exact view when I was getting a hair cut.
This spot is much smaller than their Pioneer Square location, but the service is just as friendly and it definitely has a neighborhood feel versus a quick grab-a-coffee-to-go commuter spot. A lot of cafes near downtown/SLU/Cap Hill/Pioneer Sq can sometimes turn into a place for work meetings or freelance workers. Caffe Vita -Fremont feels like a place for neighbors to get a quick respite for relaxation. While here, there was a couple in which one was teaching the other how to read Chinese, a grandfather and grandson grabbing a hot chocolate(?) and few folks who stopped by for a coffee pit stop while walking their dogs.
On this visit, I had an espresso and an apple strudel. Caffe Vita – Fremont is a corner, so there’s lots of light that comes in through the windows. There are a couple of tables/seats out on the sidewalk and about seating for maybe 25 people on the inside.
If you are interested in the history of Caffe Vita and it’s owner, I encourage you to read this fascinating article from the Seattle Met Magazine. I had no idea the owner was also a restaurateur and behind Via Tribulani. It also references the relationship between he and the owner of Herkimer Coffee(a co owner of Caffe Vita at one time) and the owner of Espresso Vivace (a mentor).
Ratings(Scale 1-5)
Favorite Thing: It’s nice to have a neighborhood spot from one of the premier Seattle coffee roasters.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Food Options: 3
Overall: 4
Eavesdropping Convo: None
Related:
MIlstead & Co.
Description on Milstead & Co.’s website: A Rocket. Lenin. The Troll. Fremont has a unique personality all its own. For Fremonsters and visitors alike, every day in Fremont offers something new and different. And that’s why we’re here too.
Neighborhood: Fremont
Address: 754 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Music Playing: Let’s Get Physical by Olivia Newton John
What we ate/drank: Macchiato, Apple Pecan Muffin from Macrina Bakery
Comments: Milstead & Co. is a clean modern industrial café in the same vein as Elm Coffee Roasters, Broadcast Coffee, or Slate Coffee Roasters. It’s a multiroaster, which means they carry a variety of beans from a rotating list of roasters. I believe Convoy Coffee has a similar model. It’s been open since 2011 and is named after the owner, whose last name is Milstead.
They had a few pastry items from Macrina Bakery. I got the Apple Pecan Muffin.
The space is a big cube with a massive beam in the middle of the space, concrete floors and exposed venting. There’s plenty of seating, but the best seating is the high counter at the front of the store, that has you looking right onto Lake Union. Even with it’s industrial features, Milstead & Co. has a warm feeling about it due to the numerous hanging globe lightings. There are also floor to ceiling windows that keep the space bright and airy. We went in the winter, but I’m sure when the garage door located on the east wall is opened it would make for a nice breezy atmosphere that would be great in the summer. The opening would give access to the big patio that’s located right on Troll Ave, which means if you wanted to take a break, you can go up the hill to visit The Troll.
There’s a few things that stood out to me when visiting Milstead & Co.:
- They have two La Marzocco stations. The only other place I can recall that has two stations is Espresso Vivace . This must keep the line moving pretty quickly when busy.
- They had 3 people working on a Saturday morning at 7:30!
- I’ve got to think a little harder, but Milstead & Co has got to have the best view of any café in Seattle. Lake Union right under the 99 Overpass.
Back in 2014, Food and Wine, listed their favorite Seattle Coffee Shops, one of which was Milstead & Co. They had a Coffee Snob Factor for each coffee shop listed. Milstead & Co. was the only coffee shop to get a perfect score of 5/5. They don’t really explain why Milstead & Co. garnered this snobby score, but I really don’t get that vibe here. It seems they’re really serious about the quality of their drinks, but that doesn’t make them snobs in my book. Perhaps it’s because they don’t offer decaf options?
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Dat View!
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.00
Overall: 4.40
Eavedropping Convo: None
Related:
Kaladi Brothers Coffee
Description on Kaladi Brothers Coffee’s website: What began as an espresso cart on Anchorage’s 4th Avenue in the spring of 1986, is now Alaska’s premier coffee roaster. Kaladi Brothers Coffee is made in Alaska, by Alaskans, for Alaskans.
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Address: 511 E Pike St Seattle, WA 98122
Music Playing: I Saw You Close Your Eyes – Local Natives
What we ate/drank: Macchiato and Mighty O Apple Fritter
Comments: First of all, this is our 50th review of a Seattle coffee shop! That’s a lot of coffee downed and a lot of cafes visited. Like Eastern Cafe, this is a place we always knew about, but never visited until now. Kaladi Brothers Coffee originated in Alaska and had it’s first Seattle branch in this very spot. It eventually moved down the block and just recently moved back to it’s original spot.
Because we never visited the old Kaladi Brothers Coffee location, we can’t really compare the two spaces, but we can say that the new place is massive. As soon as entering, my first thought was….Whoa, this place is big! Especially for a Capitol Hill spot on Pike St. Seriously, you could probably fit 4 or 5 fellow Cap Hill spots, Ghost Note Coffees or Realfine Coffees in here.
The main floor at street level easily fits 40 and has tall 20 foot+ floor to ceiling windows that make the space really bright. There’s also a rather large sidewalk patio area on Pike St. It’s the first coffee shop I can recall that has outlets in the middle of the floor for those not seated against a wall. Kaladi Brother Coffee would be a great place for groups due to its size and ample seating. It’s also a great place to grab a pre dinner or post dinner coffee(they’re open til 9:00) due to the plethora of hot dinner spots nearby.
There is a loft area that seats about 15 people with mixture of comfy upholstered chairs and wood tables and chairs. This second level reminds me of being in an attic due to the low ceiling height and dim lighting. One nice thing is that there are lots of outlets if you intend to work up there. As mentioned in our Capitol Coffee Works and Eastern Cafe reviews, we’re partial to spots in which we can look down on all the action below.
Besides coffee, which Kaladi Brothers Coffee brews themselves, they have can and draft beers as well as wine. They have a big variety of food options-Mighty O doughnuts as well as pre-packaged sandwiches and burritos. One interesting combo they sell is called a Brew and Brew for $6, which is a very strange combination of a macchiato and a Rainier Beer. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Anyways, the macchiato I had was perfect-smooth.
In some ways it kinda has a lodge feel with all it’s hard wood floors, tables/chairs and shelving. it also has a Zeitgeist Coffee vibe with its display of coffee pots, spaciousness and high ceilings.
One thing I appreciate is that there were 3 people working there at 7:30am. So often you see one person being a one person show-cashier/barista/food prepping/tidying up, which of course slows down the line.With three people working the line runs very efficiently.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing:
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.75
Overall: 4.55
Eavedropping Convo: There was this bearded guy there who seems to make Kaladi Brothers Coffee his everyday hang out. Whenever a regular came in, he’d shout their name to say hi.
Bearded Guy(BG)- So when do you go to court?
Lady Customer(LC)- The day after tomorrow.
BG – Are you nervous?
LC – No.
BG – I think you’ll win. I wouldn’t worry about it. Anyways, I’m going to sit in one of the comfy chairs, so I’ll see you tomorrow and if I don’t see you, good luck.
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