Evoke Coffee
Description on Evoke Coffee website : At Evoke, we strive to offer the best in food and drink. We use Heart Coffee to craft the highest quality espresso drinks, infused with a broad selection of our house-made syrups, and utilize fresh ingredients to make stunning dishes to order.
Neighborhood: South Lake Union(SLU)
Address: 235 9th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Music playing: Hate The Real Me by Future
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments: Evoke Coffee reminds me of a situation we have in our own household. When we host visitors via Couchsurfing, they always mention our dog in our reviews, love to take pictures with her and try to conjole her into sleeping in their room. If we see our Couchsurfers again, they always ask how our dog is doing. Wait a minute?!? We opened up our house to you, gave you shelter, a place to sleep, a clean bathroom, use of our kitchen all for free! Don’t you remember us or want to know how we’re doin? No, it’s all about our dog. I feel that’s the same quandary that Evoke Coffee has. Everybody will remember their Bernese Mountain Dogs, Pablo and Pedro. I’m no different. If somebody asks me about Evoke Coffee, I’ll probably say, “oh yeah, the place with the dogs”. Their dogs are super friendly and well behaved and add to the enjoyment of having coffee there. And if you know anything about Seattleites they go ga-ga over dogs.
Pedro, the shop puppy 
Pablo, the shop dog
The location is in South Lake Union and takes industrial/minimalist to the max. It feels like it’s still under construction with black tarp as a ceiling, concrete floors and white walls with not art or pictures. Their lighting are hanging lamps with multiple Edison bulbs. Their table tops, chairs and stools are all metal and all black with the exception of two couches. The space is big with a high counter with six stools and a long bench with individual tables to the left and the aforementioned couches, a community table(with 6 outlets in the middles and USB jacks), and a high counter with 3 stools on the right. Besides their dogs, they are also known for their sign, “but first, coffee”.
They use Heart Coffee from Portland, OR which I’ve never had before. The macchiato I had had a distinct sweetness. It was quite different. I love that they use Delonghi double walled thermos glasses. Not only does this keep the drink hotter longer, but it also allows you to see the color and texture of the drink that you get in a Gibraltar glass, but not in the normal ceramic cups. For food options – construct-your-own omelettes, pastries and acai bowls. They also have sandwiches.
The weekday morning I went, there was one person taking orders and making drinks, so if you have a bunch of time consuming drinks ordered in a row in front of you, it might take awhile. This is where the two mascots definitely help. People were petting and playing with them while waiting for their drinks and even after getting their drinks, hung around to play with them some more. We enjoy industrial/minimalism, but this was a bit too industrial/minimalism. I loved the coffee, loved the Delonghi glasses and of course, loved the dogs, but it’s out of the way for us and not a “comfy” place to relax. We’d probably take visitors who love dogs and a good cup of coffee.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Loved the coffee, loved the Delonghi glasses and of course, loved the dogs, Pablo and Pedro
Atmosphere: 3.50
Service: 5
Food Options: 4.35
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: No conversations to report here. Just a lot of fawning over the dogs. A guy did come in with his dog and stayed awhile to let his dog play with Pablo and Pedro. Then he and his dog left, but came back 5 minutes later. Apparently, his dog wanted to play more. He let them play a bit more and then said to his dog, “Done with your morning social visit, buddy?” and they left for good.
Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Cafe
Description on Seven Coffee Roasters website : Seven Coffee Roasters was started in a small cafe/roastery in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle in 2006 by Sean Lee. Seven is named after Sean’s grandmother, affectionately called “Nana” by grandkids. Nana, in Japanese, means Seven.
Neighborhood: Ravenna
Address: 2007 NE Ravenna Blvd, Seattle, WA 98105
Music playing: Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald
What we ate/drank: Macchiato, Iced Latte, Iced Mocha, Full Tilt Raspberry Popsicle.
Comments: Plopped in the middle of the Ravenna neighborhood is an old unassuming general store. Unless you are looking for it or happen to be driving through the neighborhood, you will never find it. I remember the first time we “found” Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café. The moment we walked in, we fell in love with it. It really is just a neighborhood general store, but there are a few but very distinct differences from your usual general stores(although there aren’t many that have survived). First, you won’t find your normal name brands, but you will find local products. No Cheetos or Dorritos, but you will find Kettle and Tim’s. No Haagen Dazs ice cream, but you’ll find Full Tilt. No Sutter Home or Gallo wine, but they do have 8 Bells(located right down the street), Matthews, Januik. For the size of the store there is an amazingly wide variety of wine, beer and snacks. I also love their old school refrigerator that houses their cold drinks. I wonder if it’s the original from 1922(see below). The other thing that sets it apart is that they’re a coffee roaster, which makes their coffee drinks far, far above average for a general store. The actual roasting is done offsite. I’m not sure if due to Seven Roasters roasting their own coffee as well as having lower costs due to it’s location, but their prices are $.75 to $1 cheaper than your normal Seattle café. The first time going to Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café was in the evening, so we just had beers. At the time, they had taps, but our latest visit only had beers in cans.
According to their website, “the store was established in 1922 and unofficially the second oldest market in Seattle, Seven Market & Cafe now sits where the former Boulevard Grocery once stood.” & “ Seven Market & Cafe sits in the quiet and charming neighborhood of Ravenna, near the University District. Ravenna Boulevard was once a main thoroughfare in Seattle for loggers hauling their goods from Green Lake to Lake Washington. The market served those loggers and others using the boulevard as a passage.”
It’s a tiny little place that might fit 12 people max inside, has a few small tables outside on the sidewalk along with a bench and an adjoining patio that maybe seat 6 or 7. The left side of the storefront has a garage style door that they open. This gives the high seating counter the prime spot to sit to enjoy both the inside and looks out on Ravenna Blvd, which I love for its median that’s lined with trees.
As mentioned in our Best Seattle Bars To Impress Out of Towners and Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts posts, out of town visitors love these hidden local gems and Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café is no different. We had friends come from out of town and they actually went to Starbucks Reserve twice. We took them to our little hidden coffee roaster, Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café and they loved it. No crammed cafe with tourists, just laid back conversation on the patio and great coffee. I’ve even mentioned this place to locals and most have never heard of it or seen it, but even those who have driven past it and knew about it said they had no idea it was a coffee roaster. They normally say, “We just thought it was a small convenience store”. This is our normal stop when going to our dog sitter, who lives in the area. It’s also the de facto hot chocolate source when visiting Candy Cane Lane during the holidays.
Their blog is a good source for their history and a blog that profiles the rotating local artists who sell their art in the café and also provides profiles on the various local businesses who serve their coffee- Bryant Corner Café & Bakery, Honest Biscuits, Sod House Bakery and Flying Apron Bakery.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing:
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Food Options: 4.75
Overall: 4.85
Eavedropping Convo: None. Only that the barista made my macchiato and when handing it to me said, “Let me know if it’s good”. It was.
Analog Coffee
Description on Analog Coffee website : Modern American coffee shop located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Serving a rotating cast of exceptional local roasters and Fresh Breeze Organic dairy.
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Address: 235 Summit Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102
Music playing: 4th Chamber by GZA
What we ate/drank: Macchiato & Mighty O Sprinkled Donut
Comments: First of all, all hail the WU! When I walked in 4th Chamber by GZA/Genius was playing not on Spotify or Pandora, not from a iphone playlist, not from a CD even. It was playing on a motherfucking turntable, yo! This is the 3rd coffee shop I’ve noticed with a turntable, Slate Coffee Roasters and Convoy Coffee, being the others.
If you’re not looking for Analog Coffee, you’ll miss it. There is huge burgundy awning that wraps around this corner spot, but there’s no signage with the exception of a small wooden sign they place on the sidewalk. Because this is smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood, finding parking might be a challenge. But being on a nice quiet street away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway Ave and the Pike/Pine corridor is a major part of it’s appeal. My understanding is that it used to be an old gym, but it feels like an old general store that you might find in Mayberry.
It has an intimate feel, but it doesn’t feel crowded. The walls, ceilings, stools are all white and there’s art/posters hanging on the walls, but the linoleum floors and weathered counter sure does make it feel like an old general store. Outside, there are a bunch of chairs out front and also around the corner. There’s a high counter with stools that run all the way from the door to the back of the café. Along the wall above the counter are the days paper and some magazines clipped to a cable for your reading enjoyment. On the left near the front is a L-shaped wooden bench with a coffee table stacked with comic books. My nerdy jr high school self would be jumping for joy. The very back has a community table that fits about 8, which would be the best place to work on a computer if you needed to. Also in the back is a standing counter if you want to watch the barista do his thing. I also noticed they have a projector so they could show videos/tv on the white walls if they ever wanted/needed to.
The food selection was pastries. Unfortunately, I didn’t peruse the selections once I saw one last sprinkled donut from Mighty O and ordered it. Add Analog Coffee to the long list of coffee places that carry Mighty O. On the day I visited they had two brews from Herkimer(Honduras Benigno Mejia, Ethiopia Kochere) and Camber(Honduras El Tanque & Ethipoia Guji Uraga) each, but I ended up getting a macchiato. They also sold beans from each of the roasters.
To me, the vibe is definitely a relaxing-coffee-in-the morning place, but not really a working/studying place. I don’t know it just has a relaxing nature about it that would make me not want to work/study. We just love these neighborhood cafes that are right in the middle of neighborhoods and not on main streets like most coffee places we review. I understand that putting cafes on or near main streets get volume customers, but there’s something to be said for these neighborhood cafes that either rely on the people who live in the neighborhood or have such great drinks or atmosphere that people will travel from outside the neighborhood to patronize the spot. I’m talking about places like Seven Coffee Roasters, Lighthouse Roasters and to a lesser extent, Zoka in Tangletown. Add Analog to the list.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: What makes Analog Coffee different-The comics, the newspaper/magazines hanging from the wall, the fresh tunes on the turntable, the neighborhoody reel.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.5
Eavedropping Convo: Two guys having a coffee. It appears they hadn’t seen each other in a while and may have been ex-coworkers catching up.
Dude 1(D1) – I’m been consistently working over 40 hours a week and every two weeks I have to turn in a timecard, so if I have over 80 hours worked in a two week period I leave early, so that it comes out to an even 80 hours a week. So I worked 83 hours the last two weeks and so I told my boss that I was leaving 3 hours early on Friday.
Dude 2(D2) –Ok
D1- He told me I needed to deduct 3 hours from my time card and report 77 hours!! I explained to him that I worked an extra 3 hours and because he didn’t want me to go over 80 hours I was leaving 3 hours early. He just couldn’t understand and insisted I deduct 3 hours if I left early, so I just stayed and worked til 5:00. Then on Monday I submit my timecard with 83 hours, but I didn’t send it to Human Resources, I only sent it to him because I knew he’d blow up. Sure enough, he came to me and said, “I thought I told you that I didn’t want you working more than 80 hours every two weeks?” I told him, “yeah, but you wouldn’t let me leave early and told me if I left early I needed to deduct 3 hours. You can’t have it both ways. You either pay me for the hours worked or you let me leave early so my two weeks come out to an even 80 hours worked.” He knows he was wrong, but was trying to scare me into working longer. I’m one of the top salesman in the company. I just saved this company millions by talking a customer out of leaving us and to come back when they already made the decision to leave us!
D2-You really need to tell this to Rick to make sure he knows.
D1- Oh, I did. Another thing my new boss wants me to do. If I make a sale, he wants me to double check with him before agreeing on the terms and price. I’m not gonna act like a used car salesman, where I have to pretend to check with my boss to make the deal final. I told him if he wants me to check in with him before finalizing a deal with a customer, he’d better call them himself and explain the situation. I’ll look like a spineless dumbass if I don’t have the authority to seal the deal with a handshake right there on the spot.
Zeitgeist Coffee – Pioneer Square
Description on Zeitgeist Coffee website : Designed different. We work hard to present a warm, pleasing place that is more in keeping with a traditional coffee house—a place for the exchange of ideas and a meeting place for the community.
Neighborhood: Pioneer Square
Address: 171 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104
Music playing: Mean Streets by Tennis
What we ate/drank: Macchiato and a Top Pot glazed doughnut
Macchiato & Top Pot Doughnut
Comments: It’s become apparent to us that Pioneer Square has become the epicenter of quality coffee shops. Cherry Street Public House, Caffé Vita, Slate Coffee Roasters, in our opinion, have their best cafes here. Convoy Coffee and Elm Coffee Roasters have their only brick and mortar locations here. Now add Zeitgeist to the list.
I’d been to Zeitgeist before, but because it’s rather far from my work, it’s normally packed and there are so many other choices in the area, I don’t come here often. In talking to the baristas at Pegasus Coffee Bar about their favorite cafes to go to once they are off the clock, one of them mentioned Zeitgeist, so I’d thought I’d stop by.
There are a couple things I noticed right off the bat when ordering. This is the first cafe I’ve seen that offers both Mighty O and Top Pot(see Fun Fact below) doughnuts. The doughnuts are showcased side by side! Most places offer up one or the other and in most cases it’s Mighty O. You notice I never really talk about prices when doing these cafe reviews, but the second thing I noticed is that their drinks are on average about $.75 -1.00 cheaper than most cafes in Seattle. For non-coffee drinkers they had juice, a large selection of teas(15ish) and even bottled beers. For food options they have breakfast sandwiches, eggs, fruits(bananas,apples) and dedicated menu for sandwiches, soup and salads.
Like many of the Pioneer Square cafes, the location has exposed brick walls and wooden beams. Wow, these are some massive columns! The space has very tall ceilings(25-30 feet high), big windows for lots of natural light. The place is already big for Pioneer Square standards but the ceilings and windows make it seem massive. The natural rich colors of the wood used on the walls, counters and furniture add to the brightness of the space.
The space is divided by the front door and counter into two seating sections. There are two L-shaped high counters with stools that seat about 8 people each that look upon Jackson Street. Every few minutes you can watch the First Hill Street Car go by. The rest of the cafe has individual tables and chairs.
I’d say 1/4 of the people who come Zeitgeist Coffee have come from the King Street Station getting a cup of coffee while they wait to board their train. The other 3/4 are locals/regulars. There always seems to be a line as I mentioned up above, which is one of the reasons I don’t often come here, but I have to say the line moved pretty quickly considering most people are not ordering a quick brewed coffee, but an espresso based drink.
It reminds me of the Pioneer Square Caffé Vita in that there are lots of “things to look at”. As mentioned in a previous blog post, people call me a “Looker”. I don’t mean that as in, “wow, that guy’s a looker!” but more like “wow, that guy likes to look at things a lot.” The things at Zeitgeist I really enjoyed looking at:
- Their collection of old percolators that line their back wall from one end to the other. The way they have them displayed make it almost invisible. They’re all about the same size and all silver, so they almost all blend together, but it’s such a cool collection. At least, I think so.
- The old features/décor
- The art deco clock above the cashier/barista
- The old fan hanging from the wall
- The vintage percolator signage right behind the cashier
- The massive hanging lights
- The old school newspaper/magazine stand
- The ornate steel partition above the magazine stand. Remnants of a bank teller?
- The dictionary displayed above a map drawer that contain all sorts of little goodies.
- The small little counter in the middle of the space that has a banker’s lamp on it. It’s so out of place, but it’s not.
- Even the toaster near the coffee station is an older model.
Zeitgeist also closes relatively late at 7:00pm. Even though Zeigeist has gotten one of our highest scores, I’m still not sure how frequently we’ll come due to it’s location and that it’s always packed(for good reason). We will probably come if we are waiting to pick up somebody from the train station, First Thursday Art Walk or any other instance where we are in the area either super early in the morning or in the evening, when it’s more likely to be less crowded.
Fun Fact: One of the original founders of Zeitgeist, Michael Klebeck, went on to become the founder of Top Pot Doughnuts.
Fun Fact #2: Where did the name Zeitgeist come from? According to the Seattle Post Intelligencer(RIP), Founder Brian Yeck put the focus of the shop on art. “We always strive to show interesting, challenging and thought-provoking works,” he said. Zeitgeist means “spirit of the times,” and Yeck felt it fit.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: All the little “things to look at” mentioned above.
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 4.75
Food Options: 5.00
Overall: 4.85
Eavedropping Convo: Guy ordered his 16 oz Americano and waited at the hand off for the barista to make it. Gal after him also ordered a 16 oz Americano, but with 4 shots instead of 2. Barista calls out, “16 oz Americano”! Guy goes to grab it and is about to put in cream.
Gal calls out to the guy: Hey, I think that’s mine. I ordered a 16 oz American with 4 shots. Did you order 4 shots or a regular? I think you grabbed my drink.
Guy: Oh… sorry. I just ordered a regular Americano.
Gal: Yeah, I think that’s mine.
Guy: She just called out 16 oz Americano and I was next so I assumed it was mine. Sorry.
Gal: Yeah, no that’s mine. Goes to grab the drink from the guy.
Barista calls out: 16 oz Americano, 4 shots!!
Gal: Oh, There’s mine. Hands back the drink she just grabbed from the guy back to the guy. Grabs her drink and heads straight for the door. Didn’t even say, “Sorry for the mix up”. Really surprised how rude people are. The guy just took in stride.
*****Seattle Coffee Works has moved to 108 Pine Street. See our updated review here.*****
Description on Seattle Coffee Works website : Seattle Coffee Works is a place to experience and experiment with coffee in its richly diverse forms and varieties. Wine connoisseurs have tasting rooms; beer aficionados have brewery tap rooms; fine dining enthusiasts have five-star restaurants. Our goal is to create a dedicated tasting space for specialty coffee. All of our locations commit unrelentingly to making coffee better and providing resources to help our customers make and explore better coffee.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Address: 107 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
Music playing: The General by Dispatch
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments: Seattle Coffee Works first started a few yards down the block as a pop up in the touristy T-Shirt store on the corner of 1st and Pike back in 2006. It then moved into the old Johnny Rockets location where it remains today.
If you’ve ever been to Pike Place Market, you’ve most likely seen Seattle Coffee Works since you literally there when you step out the door. The first thing you’ll notice is that there is outdoor seating looking right on Pike Place Market. I’ve never sat there, but although you’ll have a great view, us locals know that it’s also a street that attracts a lot of, how should I put it, crazy people. Although I’ve got to admit it is 10 times better than it used to be now that Target and Hard Rock are there. It used to be a bunch of strip joints.
When you walk in you’ll notice two seating areas One is their ‘Slow bar”, which is where the manually brewed coffee drinks are concocted. Check out the cool syphon in the picture below. This area is comprised of high counters and about 8 stools. The other seating area is just a general seating that has a long bench with five individual tables. There are a few stand alone tables and your coffee shop commonplace leather seats. One thing I want to note about the benches. They are unusually high. My feet were dangling off the floor and the tables, which are normal height were up to my knees due to the bench being so high.
Food options are packaged sandwiches from Molly’s, yogurt and pastries locally sourced from Standard and Macrina Bakery. They also have other drinks besides coffee -juices/water/carbonated drinks/cider/tea/chai.
There are lots of tourist due to proximity to the Market, but if you come early in the morning on a work day it’s nice a peaceful. While there on a Tuesday morning, I’d say most people were not locals/regulars, which is to be expected due to the location near downtown hotels, Pike Place Market, the aquarium, SAM, waterfront, cruise ship terminals, etc.
I can’t really put my finger on why I don’t find it a place I’d like to hang out at regularly or suggest it as a place to meet up. Maybe it’s the weird bench proportions/height, maybe just my mood on this particular day, maybe I like a sense of community, while this location seems to have a more transient vibe. I didn’t think that stuff really mattered to me, but maybe it does.
The coffee was great, cashier and barista helpful and cheerful, convenient location, definitely have the people watching factor, but…… I don’t know. I’m just not feeling it. In comparison, I really enjoy their other locations. Bright and airy Cascade Coffee Works and Capitol Coffee Works. Maybe it’s not fair to compare this location with those being relative new locations and probably without the space and building restrictions this location has. The Ballard Coffee Works has a neighborhood feel, is bigger and has a cool Brew Bar area.
Website: I love their Authenticity Reports that shows transparency of how much they paid and how much they ordered from each of their farms. They also go into great detail about their employee benefits. I don’t know if Second Pay is an industry standard, but I think it’s a really fair policy in which Seattle Coffee Works will pay a little extra to the farm if they determine the quality of the coffee is better than expected after the coffee has already been purchased! If it’s less than expected Seattle Coffee Works admits it’s their mistake an honors the original negotiated price of the coffee beans.
I also really enjoyed the short biogarphies of the farms they source from and their locations.
Super detailed Brew Guides on their website that gives measurements to the gram and timing to the second for Aeropress, Chemex, Hario, Kalita Wave and even a Syphon.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The above mentioned Authenticy Reports and Second Pay policy.
Atmosphere: 3.75
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Extra Credit: +1.25 for Authenticity Report and Second Pay
Overall: 4.50
Eavedropping Convo: No conversations to report here, but Duh! I just realized after all these years that the Seattle Coffee Works logo of the guy drinking coffee is a play on the Hammering Man in front of the SAM(Seattle Art Museum)
Source: SeattleCoffeeScene.com
Source: Dazzling Places.com
Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!
Description on Caffe Ladro website: At Caffe Ladro, we strive to provide profound service.
We believe that profound service improves the world.
Neighborhood: Pioneer Square
Address: 1800 9th Ave , Seattle, WA 98101
Music playing: Wild Horses by The Sundays
What we ate/drank: Latte, Gibraltar
Comments: Debated on whether or not to even review this Caffe Ladro location. I’ve been to many of the other Ladro locations and really this is just a coffee stand in a lobby of the 1800 9th Building. It has no real cafe feel. The lobby area does have nice seating and there are three high top tables against the window right next to the Caffe Ladro counter. And of course you get the Caffe Ladro quality coffee drinks, but the atmosphere is an “eh”.
I can see coming here for a to-go cup, if you were meeting somebody in the building and arrived early or if you worked nearby, but the “Jetsons” Caffe Ladro is only a few blocks away and has a better atmosphere to kick back for awhile. If I worked in this building I’d be super stoked to have a Caffe Ladro in my lobby though. The building I work in has a Starbucks in the lobby, so I’m envious. There were the normal limited bakery goods that are made in their bakery offsite.
Mystery Really Solved: You may remember how I made a fool out of myself at Caffe Vita getting mixed up where I was and asking them about the logo of Caffe Ladro. I was then determined to get the scoop on where the name Caffe Ladro came from. When I went to visit the Jetson’s Caffe Ladro they told me the logo of the silhouetted man represented a cloaked mysterious in-the-shadows thief since Ladro is Italian for thief. Well I got the real scoop now! I don’t know if it’s real but it’s a more clever origin. When the owner of Caffe Ladro decided to open his first cafe, he opened it right next to Starbucks in Queen Anne hoping to steal it’s customers with a better quality coffee and environment, so he picked the name Caffe Ladro or “Coffee Thief”.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: How bright the space is due to having windows surrounding on all sides.
Atmosphere: 3.5
Service: 5.0
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.0
Eavedropping Convo: Took place on May the 4th.
Customer(C) – Have you gotten any Star Wars references today? You know, May the 4th? May the Force?
Barista(B)- Ohhh…..so that’s why I’ve seen so many Star Wars themed shirts today.
C-Are you a fan?
B- I mean I’ve seen them all. but I’m not a Star Wars nerd.
C- Yeah, I’m a fan but I couldn’t name every single character.
B- Oooooh..I should come up with a Star Wars theme drink for the day. How about the “Death Star”?
C – How about “Darth Mocha”?
Herkimer Coffee
Description on Herkimer Coffee website : At Herkimer Coffee our purpose is to create a coffee experience of the highest possible quality. Whether it’s your double espresso, latte to go, or the bag of beans you brew at home, we want your experience to be the best it can be.
Neighborhood: Ravenna / University District
Address: 5611 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
Music playing: Didn’t I -Darondo
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments: Herkimer Coffee is our go-to spot when our family walks over to Cowen Park or going to the Saturday University Farmer’s Market. We normally get our coffee to go and can only recollect one time where we met up with friends and actually stayed to enjoy our coffees. On this particular day, I decided to stay and enjoy.
Plus points for having “Didn’t I” by Darondo playing when I walked in. One of my favorites. Then some Vampire Weekend. Then some Shins. I asked the barista if this was his playlist and was about to compliment him, but alas, it was Spotify.
I got a Macchiato. Because it was late afternoon, their pastry selection at that point was pretty bare, but there pasties are from Café Besalu in Ballard. Note: As I delved deeper, I found out that Herkimer now owns Café Besalu as of last year! I had no idea.
One thing you’ll notice for some of their drinks is the strange pricing. For example, the Macchiato and Cortado are both $2.72. You may ask, why? That’s because with the tax, it comes out to an even $3.00, which I appreaciate. Keep it simple
The space is small like most places on The Ave, but I feel it maximizes the space with a long wooden bench that runs the entirety of the inside with 7 small tables . There are 4 stools running along the front of the space with a counter and one community table for 8. There are two tables out side on the side walk to look out on the northern part of The Ave. In the front it’s nice and bright, but towards the back it’s warm and dark with soft lighting
They had about some 3 tea selections. There’s local art on the wall for sale. And they got AC, yo!
Surprisingly, Herkimer only has 3 locations-Dexter, Ravenna and the flagship Greenwood location. It seems like there’s more locations, but I guess I drive down Greenwood and The Ave a lot. I don’t drive on Dexter much.
Like some other Seattle coffee roasters(Elm, Slate, Vita, Ladro), I was curious about where the name “Herkimer” and logo originated. Apparently it’s named after a town in New York, where the founder’s dad was born. Another fun fact: The founder of Herkimer also founded Caffe Vita. The bridge in the logo is an iconic bridge in Herkimer.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: I love the fact that there’s a quality coffee shop very near Cowen/Ravenna Park.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: Guy and a gal having a coffee. They seem to be UW students, It was right around end of the first quarter, so they were talking about plans for the summer and when they were leaving campus for home. They’d been there before I got there and were still there for the 45 minutes I was there, so they were there a while.
Gal) If you’re free, I was thinking about going……
Guy) Yes, let’s go!
Gal) You don’t know where I was going to suggest.
Guy) I don’t care. Let’s go!
Gal) It’s a place really close to here…….. Both walk out the door together.
Dude was super eager to hang out more I guess.
Diva Espresso – Greenwood
Description on Diva Espresso website: It was, and continues to be Diva’s belief that the inestimable effect human dignity has on anything produced through heart and sweat is essential to the quality and success of that product. By being involved in the process from inception to resolution, it is Diva’s belief that not only the end product be superb, but that all is right in the world…every step of the way.
Neighborhood: Greenwood
Address: 7916 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside
What we ate/drank: Double Espresso
Comments: As far back as I can remember since moving to Seattle, Diva Espresso on Greenwood Ave has been a constant on this ever changing street, which is a testament to how well the business is run. We all know there’s a lot of competition out there and to have been around for that long is an achievement.
Diva Espresso has 7 locations in the Seattle area. All their brews are from Highlands Coffee Co, which happens to be their sister company. There is ample parking in the back, which is rare for Greenwood coffee places. If I’m not mistaken Chaco Canyon, Coyle’s Bakeshop, Caffe Vita and Herikimer on Greenwood Ave have little to no dedicated parking.
It’s not that big on the inside, but there is a big patio in the back next to the parking lot and some sidewalk seating in the front on Greenwood Ave. Inside there are 6 square wood tables all the same size each fitting 3 people. There are also 3 stools for counter seating looking near the front counter. There are a some pastry choices and snacks for sale.
The inside is bright due to big windows and they are open relatively late until 8::00(7:00 on Sundays) for you evening drinkers. In the evening the space is filled with warm lighting from the “diva”ish chandeliers. The space does feel a little dated with carpeted flooring, peeling paint on benches on the patio and pink/mauve walls. We all have personal preferences, but I’d come here for a quick to go drink due to the ample parking and good coffee, but the atmosphere is not my cup of tea for working or relaxing. I’m sure others love the décor that some could describe as “comfortable”
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Ample parking, nice big patio for nice days although it needs a new paint job.
Atmosphere: 3.00
Service: 4.5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 3.75
Eavedropping Convo: None. There was nothing but people typing away on their computers. Although there was one property manager negotiating a lease with a new tenant with an offer of $3000 in a brand new apartment in Ballard.
Espresso Vivace – Alley 24
Description on Espresso Vivace website: Our charter is to research, develop, and prepare caffe espresso as a new culinary art. “Espresso Vivace” translates loosely as great enthusiasm and excitement for espresso, the new world coffee.
Neighborhood: South Lake Union
Address: 227 Yale Ave, Seattle, WA 98109
Music playing: Paris Latino- Bandolero
What we ate/drank: Americano, Glazed Sprinkle Donut from Mighty O
Comments: One of the surprising things about Espresso Vivace is that it only has two cafes(Capitol Hill and South Lake Union) and a cart(Capitol Hill). You hear so many people talk about Espresso Vivace and how it’s their favorite that you start to think there must be many other branches around town, but there’s not. To learn about the founder and the importance of Espresso Vivace on the Seattle coffee scene read this article:
They were also featured on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations episode when they highlighted Seattle. And Emeril Lagasse of the Food Network said, “Probably the best coffee I ever had in the United States if not close into the world… I gotta tell ‘ta, one of the best coffees I ever had in my life…they kicked coffee up into an art form… To see a place like the quality of Vivace is unbelievable.” So Espresso Vivace definitely has a fan base.
And just like Caffe Umbria and Victrola Coffee Roasters, they have a very robust Education section on their website and like Broadcast Coffee and Caffe Vita they offer training. They take it one step further by offering both professional barista training and home barista training.
This is the South Lake Union(SLU) location that’s right across the street from the Flagship REI store. It’s not quite in the heart of South Lake Union and away from Capitol Hill and Downtown, so it never seems to be crowded. It also might have to do with the place being so big for a café. I believe it easily fits 50+ people with all sorts of seating. I counted at least 5 group seating areas-standard tables, long high top tables, a couple leather couches. It even has a separate room. I noticed they have two stations to make any rush hour move quickly. The café has dark brown wood walls, dark table tops and dark chairs, exposed vents are even painted dark brown and the ceiling appears to be dark granite (brown of course). There’s even ample outside seating for nice days.
The vibe is relaxing and for me a place where I’d order a coffee, find a secluded area and read a book. This is also a candidate to meet up with bigger groups along with Cherry Street Public House in Pioneer Square and La Marzocco Cafe
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Big space for large group meet up.
Atmosphere: 4.5
Service: 4.5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: I guy and two gals were talking. I could only hear snippets, but the guy wasn’t whispering and it seemed like they were talking about a lot of sensitive subjects. I’m not a tech person, so a lot of the terms they were using was Latin to me-OEM, Linux, Qualcomm, CDA, GPU inventory,
He was referring to a well-known local CEO by his first name as if they were on a first name basis. Some comments he made:
- I’ve made that guy so much money!
- When we were colleagues coming up through the ranks, I always used to give him advise. Now he’s where he is and all credit to him. <<He didn’t seem jealous of the CEO. I think he was more just name dropping.
Comment made about a colleague either applying for a job or a consultant who’s starting a new project:
- He’s very childish. He’s dealing with Oracle. Larry’s(Ellison) issuing 20 million of company stock to himself.
Another comment:
- She’s a female CEO trying to make it in man’s world. Good luck to her. I got a give her credit she’s tough as nails, but my god, the drama there is off the charts.
Seattle Coffee Places For Each Stage of Dating
We’ve told you about our choices for the Seattle Bars For Each Stage of Dating, but a reader pointed out, “what if you don’t drink?” Valid question. Or what if you are allergic to alcohol, you have to meet up during work hours, have to drive home sober, are on medication or just don’t want to drink alcohol? So as an alternative here are our choices for the best Seattle coffee places for each stage of dating.
First Date Coffee Place-For sure you want somewhere casual while feeling each other out and getting to know each other. Our pick:Revolution Coffee. First order your drinks(to go). You can chill out for awhile and talk a bit. The reason for picking Revolutions Coffee is not due to the space, but the location. It’s right across the street from Green Lake Park. Suggest a nice stroll around the park while sipping your coffee. How much more casual can you get? Walking around the entire lake takes about an hour, so by this time you should know if you want to see your date again. If things don’t click, hey, at least you got in a good walk at one of Seattle’s most picturesque parks.
First Date Coffee Place(What if the Weather Sucks?) – You know sometimes Seattle weather doesn’t cooperate and a walk around Green Lake is out of the question. So if it’s pouring outside, our alternative picks: Slate Coffee Roasters. We have a specific order at Slate for the first date. Order the Deconstructed Latte, which is espresso, milk and a combination of both. It’s perfect for sharing. You can discuss the specific ingredients with the barista before trying and then after trying each ingredient you can discuss and review. We think it encourages discussion and since you are sharing the experience together it makes for a perfect first date.
Impress The Date Coffee Place- You decided you’re interested and want to pursue the relationship. Time to impress. It has to be quiet, chill with some dark lighting to set the mood for romance. Our pick for the Seattle Bar choice for this stage of dating was Suite 410. Our pick for the Impress The Date Coffee Place is Anchorhead Coffee Co for many of the same reasons as Suite 410. It has a dark lighting setting the mood for romance, but it’s also a really impressive beautiful space. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of seating specifically for two, but there are plenty of spaces that you can feel secluded and whisper those sweet nothings. Awe, yeah, playa! They have a good variety of food options. It’s also a great place as a precursor to the evening as Paramount Theatre, AMC Pacific Place, Regal Meridian Cinemas or Gameworks are all just a few blocks away.
The Test Coffee Place– Now take your date to a coffee place to see if they’ll have a fun time. Do something a little bit more interactive besides just sipping coffee and talking. Bars around town have all kinds of things to do for fun-bocce ball, mini gold, shooting pool, ping pong, pinball, etc. What type of fun thing is there to do at a coffee place? Coffee shops are meant for quiet time, right? Our pick: Caffe Vita. Why? Every month on a Sunday, Caffe Vita’s roasting facility on Capitol Hill has a 2 hour Public Brewing School which focuses on manual brewing methods such as French Press, Chemex, Bonmac Pour Over and Aeropress. And for all you cheapskates out there, it’s free! You two can become experts at various types of coffee making, so you can make each other great coffee each morning. And, hey, if things don’t work out, these skills are portable, so you can impress your next dating partner with your coffee making skills. A win all the way around. The classes do fill up quickly, so plan ahead of time like any good person planning a date should.
Soure:flicker
Seal the Deal Coffee Shop Getting Serious Coffee Shop- To us, there’s no such thing as a “Seal The Deal” coffee place like there is for bars, so we’ve replaced it with a Getting Serious Coffee Shop. It’s getting serious. This one might stick around for awhile. Time to introduce the date to friends. In the future, you might be bringing them around to your game nights, camping trips and as a +1 to weddings, birthday parties and baby showers, so they’d better get along with your friends. Also time to introduce them to family. You may start bringing them to Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas get togethers, babysitting the nieces and nephews.
As you know most of the coffee places in Seattle are pretty small and difficult to have big group outings. You don’t want to introduce your date to each friend and family member one by one. Where should you introduce this perspective marriage material to your loved ones? Our Pick: La Marzocco Cafe. It’s a relatively new space and located in the Seattle Center. You may say to yourself, that only tourists go to the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle, EMP or Chihuly Garden, but there’s gotta be times where you are there sometime throughout the year? What about meeting up during Bumbershoot, events at Key Arena, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Bite of Seattle, International Brewery Festival, Folklife Festival or having a bite out in lower Queen Anne?
The place is huge with tons of seating, which makes it perfect for big groups. They have cool displays of various espresso machines, a record store onsite and the coffee and menu are ever-changing. Why? This is the concept of the cafe-“Each month, a new, renowned coffee roaster or coffee brand from across the US or elsewhere in the world will take over our cafe space, implement a new menu, train our staff on their coffees and drink preparation, and curate a new experience for guests. Join us for something refreshing and new during each visit.”
Introduce the friends and family to meet your date. Get their opinion, see if they approve or don’t. If yes, move forward. If they don’t perhaps take them to the next coffee shop…….
Drive Off the Date Coffee Shop- This is the opposite of the Getting Serious Coffee Shop. You’ve determined that it just ain’t gonna work out .You figured out this date is nothing special, just like the rest, a dime a dozen. That ain’t good enough for you! How do you tell your date it’s over? If you take your date to this place, they probably know what’s coming next. If you’ve been going to all these independent coffee places all over town, your date might think to themselves, “Why the heck are we going here?” What better coffee shop to symbolize to your date they’re just like the rest or a dime a dozen? A coffee shop whose locations are pretty much the same and so commonplace they’re like a dime a dozen. Our Pick: Take your date to Starbucks. Another reason Starbucks is our choice. You know when you’re just not sure about your date it can go one way or the other, but something just suddenly breaks the camel’s back. Maybe you heard her obnoxious laugh one too many times, maybe his last brag after enduring his constant bragging does it, you just found out her main job is a drug mule or he cuts the date short again because he has to meet up with his Xbox playing buddies. Who knows where you’re going to be when you’ve decided-“Nope, not gonna happen”. If you have one of these spur of the moment revelations, no matter where you are, there will be a Starbucks close by. Just say, “Hey, we need to talk. Why don’t we go to that Starbucks across the street”. Be merciful and make it quick. Wham, bam, thank you, Ma’am! And make sure you get your coffee in a to go cup just in case dumping your date has left them in a heaping pile of tears. You can just wish them a happy life and peace out. Ball on, playa!