Elm Coffee Roasters -South Lake Union (SLU)

Elm Coffee Roasters -South Lake Union (SLU)

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Description on  Elm Coffee Roaster’s website : The world is full of incredible coffee.  And we love that it’s our job to roast and share our favorites with you. Working with amazing producers and importers, we bring you vibrant coffees from all around the world.

Neighborhood:  South Lake Union

Address:   230 9th Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Music Playing:  Cath by Death Cab For Cutie

What we ate/drank: Cortado

Comments: I’ve enjoyed the coffee at Elm Coffee Roasters in Pioneer Square, so when I found out that they opened a branch nearer to my work, I had to check it out. Little did I know that it was in the lobby of an Amazon.com building, so it’s actually more of a coffee stand then an actual cafe.

There is some seating dedicated to for Elm Coffee Roasters to the left of the coffee stands that has individual tables and a high counter, but because it’s located in the lobby of the building you can make use of the comfy chairs and sofas to enjoy your drinks. Just a bit of a warning for the seats located near the stand, I saw only one outlet in case you are thinking of working there.

I was planning on ordering one of their combos- The One & One, which is a macchiato and an espresso, but it didn’t appear to be an option here. At least it wasn’t listed.

While I was sitting there enjoying my Cortado, it dawned on me. I don’t know if this is common knowledge amongst locals and I’m just behind the times, but it appears Amazon picks local coffee purveyors to inhabit their new buildings, which explains why these places exist – Caffe Ladro (1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!, Cascade Coffee Works, Victrola Coffee Roasters-The Most Heavily Guarded Cafe in Seattle. I also know there’s Fonte, Zoka, Caffe Vita and Rise(Farestart) in Amazon buildings. I definitely applaud Amazon for getting local companies in their branches and not the typical Starbucks that’s in my building lobby.

Going forward, I’ll keep these coffee shop reviews within a building lobby to a minimum unless they really are stand alone cafe such as the Cascade Coffee Works and the Victrola Coffee Roaster on 3rd and Pine. It’s not really fair to grade against stand alone cafe. I mean it’s a lobby so you can’t expect a whole lot in terms of atmosphere, but in this particular case, it’s Elm Coffee Roasters, so I’m sure I’ll be coming here regularly since it’s way more convenient for me than the Pioneer Square location.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  Having the option of enjoying a coffee while sitting in some luxurious chairs/sofa.

Atmosphere: 3.50

Service: 4.50

Food Options: 2.50

Overall: 3.75

Eavedropping  Convo: Two guys sitting have a coffee inside when a guy passes the window rolling down the sidewalk on a Solowheel.

Guy 1(G1)- Dude, that same asshole almost ran my ass over last week.

Guy 2(G2) -Really?

G1) Yeah, by Whole Foods. There’s like a million fucking people on the sidewalk during lunch and this asshole is going full speed weaving in and out of people. Stupid fuck.

G2) This guy who used to work in my office had one. One day he came in on crutches because he munched it trying to avoid a dog.

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