****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Caffe Migliore – Downtown

Description on  Caffe Migliore’s website: We are an independent coffee roasting company and coffee shop. Coffee is fresh roasted weekly by owner and operator. Please visit us to enjoy a truly Italian coffee experience.

Neighborhood:Downtown

Address: 1215 4th Ave #100, Seattle, WA 98161

What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso and Apple Filled Croissant

Comments: Caffe Migliore is centrally located in downtown Seattle. It’s closed on the weekends, so that gives you a pretty good indication who their main clientele is – people working in downtown during normal business hours. Caffe Migliore is centrally located, which makes it a great place to meet up for coffee if you have other friends who work in downtown. It’s also a ideal to meet up, because although it’s a very small space, there always seems to be space to sit. That’s because most people take their drinks to go back to their offices.  So many times, especially in the morning, they’ll be a line out the door, but many seats available.

Caffe Magliore definitely gets lost in amongst the vast sea of Seattle coffee shops.  We rarely think about it unless meeting another downtown working friend for a coffee meet up.  They have outsourced pastries and their website states they have paninis for lunch from DeLaurenti in the Pike Place Market, although I’ve never had one here.

We didn’t know this, but they roast their own beans and I really do like their espresso, which I believe is an Italian Roast.

Not much else to report here. It’s a convenient downtown spot that is rarely packed that serves really good espresso with some food options.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  They make a damn good espresso.

Atmosphere:  4.00

Service: 4.50

Food Options: 4.25

Overall: 4.25

Eavedropping  Convo:  Two gals having a coffee at the table. One of them hears a woman with an Australian accent ordering a latte and then yells to a man, “Do you want a watah(water)?” One of the gals at the table turns to the other and says, “Oooooh. She has a Australian accent. So hot!”

Related:

• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
• Our New Seattle Coffee Shop Discoveries in 2019
• The Relationship Between Coffee and Cycling
• Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts – Updated/Revisited 2020

• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
• Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating
• See what a 24 year old from Taiwan thought of Seattle

Fonte Coffee Roasters Cafe

Description on  Fonte Coffee Roasters Cafe’s website :Our story begins in 1992 in the Pacific Northwest coffee capital of the world — Seattle, WA. It was here that founder and owner Paul Odom followed his passion and started Fonté Coffee Roaster. Our name is Italian for source. We help coffee lovers brew the freshest cup of coffee.

Neighborhood:  Downtown

Address: 1321 1st Ave, Seattle WA 98101

Music Playing: Always Forever by Cults

What we ate/drank:  Macchiato

Comments:  Fonte Coffee Roasters Café is connected to the same building as the Four Seasons(I actually used their wifi while at Fonte), right across the street from the Seattle Art Museum(SAM) and two block aways from Pike Place Market, so similar to Seattle Coffee Works there are a lot of tourists as opposed to locals that come here. It’s always crowded because of it’s proximity to the aforementioned places, but also because it’s right on First Ave. Anybody walking along this main avenue going to Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square or vice versa will pass Fonte Coffee Roasters Cafe. It’s also one of the few places open at 6am in the area, so you see a lot of business people or a lot of people with suitcases getting ready to head to the airport having breakfast here.

The morning is not so bad but by mid-morning on, it’s normally crowded. Caffe Ladro , which is right around the corner doesn’t have this problem, because it’s not directly on 1st Ave and also doesn’t have the food options or drink options or space that Fonte Coffee Roasters Café has.

For Seattle standards the cafe is rather large. It has a modern-romantic vibe due to the warm lighting and use of dark materials-dark woods, dark leathers, and a dark ceiling. One really cool feature is the dark wood two by four lighting running the length of the cafe. For contrast most of the upholstered seating are a light tan.

As you enter Fonte Coffee Roasters Cafe you’ll notice they have two small elevated patio areas on either side of the door. Once you enter, on the left are upholstered seats that run along the store front and and individual chairs and  tables that probably seat around 15 people.

On the right the high upholstered seats with a foot rest continue along the store front and then forms an “L” along the north wall. There’s a  group table in the middle and then booth seats that round out the area. This area probably seats about 30 people.

Kudos for making a concerted effort for wheelchairs/stroller access both having ramps inside and out on the patio. One qualm I had was the cleanliness.  As you can see from my pictures on this particular day and time, it was not busy in the cafe, yet many of the tables were not clean and there were newspapers all over the floor near the ordering counter.

There is a huge variety of food-For morning options they have pastries, but also savory dishes for breakfast -breakfast burrito, vegetables hash, scambles, french toast, omelettes, frittata. For lunch options there’s Italian sandwich, baguettes, salads, grilled cheese, chicken club. fried chicken Caesar wraps. Food is brought to table after ordering, but drinks are called out at the counter for pick up, which can be confusing. Nice touch of self serve water in recappable bottles that you can take back to your table. They also have beer, wine and mixed drink option.

As you can tell by their name they roast their own coffee. Actually, the person in charge of roasting at Fonte Coffee Roasters  was one of the first roasters trained under the original owners of Starbucks and earned the title of Master Roaster before coming to Fonte.

I don’t mean this to be a slam, but Fonte’s not a place I’d hang out at for relaxation, but it is a place I’d bring my parents or non coffee drinking out-of-town friends. It’s not because the coffee is bad. It’s really good and they do have some coffee drinks you can’t find anywhere else such as Desert Rose Latte, Aztec Mocha Latte, Turkish Latte. It’s just that usually it’s too packed/busy with tourists to relax or meet up for a nice conversation. To prove a point, just go to their Yelp reviews. Look at the last 10 reviews. You could look today or a year from now I’d bet the majority of the reviews are from out-of towners. The reason i’d bring my parents/non coffee drinking out of town friends is due to the fact that it’s a very nice place and has a lot of drink options besides coffee. It also has a lot of snack options and is in close proximity to places I’d take out of town guests-Pike Place Maket, SAM, Pioneer Sq.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  High upholstered seats with foot rest. This might seem like a weird favorite thing, but it makes a huge difference to have the foot rest.

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 4

Food Options: 5

Overall: 4.35

Eavedropping  Convo:  

Guy 1(G1) – I’ve been going to Barnes & Noble a lot lately and reading a bunch of investments books. I’m addicted. It’s the only type of books I buy now.

Guy 2(G2) – No fiction or any other non-fiction? Only investment books?

G1- No, just investment books. I thought it would be mundane, but it’s really interesting.  It’s all I read now

G2- Why are you into it?

G1- I never really was interested in finance, but I’m working now, saving some money finally and I want to put it to work. You know? I want to get to a point where I can buy a house too.

G2- Good luck with that(sarcastically)

Related:

• Caffe Ladro – Union Street
• Seattle Coffee Works
• Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating

Victrola Coffee Roasters – The Most Heavily Guarded Cafe in Seattle

Description on  Victrola Coffee Roasters’s website : Victrola Coffee has been sourcing, roasting and serving premium coffee since 2000. Shop our coffee online or visit one of our Seattle coffee shops.

Neighborhood:  Downtown

Address: 300 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Music Playing:   Challengers by The New Pornographers

What we ate/drank: Macchiato

Comments:  

Like most Seattlites, I try to avoid  3^rd and Pine (aka 3^rd and Crime), which for as long as I can remember has been the de facto crime spot in all of Seattle. I actually had some visitors from France who witnessed a stabbing here.  If I ever want to scare straight my daughters, this is where I’d bring them and say, “If you don’t listen to your parents and study hard in school, this is where you’ll end up” and then I’d point to the plethora of shady characters who hang out here.  I had an appointment and was walking to my office and took a path that took me by 3^rd and Crime. What is this I see?  Lo and behold, what is this new place in the Macys building?  A Victrola Coffee Roaster?  I had to rub my eyes to make sure it wasn’t a mirage.

It’s actually not that unexpected since Amazon just leased the floors on top of the Macys store and you know Amazonians love them some good coffee.  So this Victrola Coffee Roasters is located in the lobby of the entrance to Amazon offices, but it really is on the corner of 3^rd and Crime. This is where you can witness the ultimate Seattle worlds clashing and why I’ve named this coffee shop, “The Most Heavily Guarded in Seattle”.  After seeing this Victrola Coffee Roasters, I decided to visit it a few weeks later.

UPDATED 9/14/19- If you still don’t believe me about 3rd & Pine & here.

UPDATED 2/23/20 –Another shooting and fatality. The Seattle Times article even talks to a Victrola employee. More  here.

The first thing you notice are the security guards everywhere. When I went, there were two guards stationed outside of the doors. Inside there was a desk with another security guard sitting and one guard standing. Near the elevator to the offices there was another security guard and a another guard sitting having a coffee in Victrola.  That’s six security guards total!  In the café sat four patrons, including myself. If these security guards were not there, I’d guarantee you this place would be teeming with a cast of 3rd and Pine characters.

If you’ve been to the flagship Victrola Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill you would never have guessed this is another Victrola Café. It is the exact opposite.  The Capitol Hill Victrola is cozy, with worn wooden furniture, exposed brick and feeling of yesteryear. The 3^rd & Crime Victrola is sleek, modern, new and I don’t want to say sterile, but it’s not as inviting as the Capitol Hill Victrola. It has pendant lighting and modern straight line furniture.

Take a look at the picture below of the long table with a purple neon light running down the center. Is this really Victrola? I understand that the feel of this café probably has a lot to do with matching the aesthetics of the company that inhabits the offices upstairs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very nice café, but I wasn’t expecting the huge difference in atmosphere and décor.

Another difference is they have no Mighty-O Donuts! What? But they do have Soco Tacos, La Parisienne pastries. They also have drinks such as Izze, San Pellegrino and Naked Juice.

The definite highlight of the café is the corner facing out on 3^rd & Crime is completely all glass and quite impressive.  It makes that part of the cafe bright and airy. You can sip your coffee and watch the drug deals going down right in front of you across the street at McDonalds.

Although this Victrola is closer to my work, I’d still prefer to walk a little further and go to the one in Capitol Hill. I’d most likely come here if I were shopping at Macys or Westlake Center and needed a coffee break or if I needed to scare my daughters straight.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:   The huge all window corner of the cafe looking out on 3rd & Pine

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 4.00

Food Options: 5.00

Overall: 4.35

Eavedropping  Convo:  None

Related:

• Victrola Coffee Roasters
• Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating
• Green Lake Park Secrets- Murder, Crocodiles, Led Zeppelin, Ted Bundy, Secret Skateparks?

Storyville Coffee – 1st Ave

Description on  Storyville Coffee’s website : Find us on the bustling corner of 1st Avenue and Madison Avenue in Downtown Seattle. We are located at the base of the renowned Kimpton Alexis Hotel; a center point to the city’s landscape, just blocks away from the waterfront.

Neighborhood:  Downtown

Address: 1001 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

Music Playing:  Same music as their Pike Place Market location-some type of new agey jazzy instrumental spa like music. 

What we ate/drank: Macchiato and Cinnamon Roll($9.76)

Comments:  We dubbed the Storyville Coffee Company in Pike Place Market the Best Coffee Place to Impress Seattle Visitors. This is pretty much a smaller version of their Pike Place Market location and similar to Fonte Coffee Roaster Cafe  because this Storyville is right on 1^st Ave, so it’s very visible to visitors and is nearby a  few hotels.  This one doesn’t have the “secret” nature of the Pike Place Market location though.  While sitting at this Storyville, I noticed it was part of the cashier’s greeting to ask if the person ordering was from out of town and more times than not, they were. The Kimptom Alexis Hotel is right next door and Hotel 1000 is right across the street.

Sometimes you go to different branches of the same café and it’s completely different.  One might be vintage cozy and another branch might be sleek modern. This Storyville on 1st Ave is the exact replica of Pike Place Market version, but smaller.  Like the much bigger Storyville in Pike Place Market, the 1^st Ave version has the same dark wood panels, orange hue lighting and new agey jazzy instrumental spa-like music.  They also have a kitchen in the back. And also similar to the Pike Place Market version, they make a damn fine macchiato and cinnamon roll.

This Storyville Coffee only has one regular table that seats 4. The rest of the drinking area are 3 individual standing only tables, a patio area on the sidewalk that seats 8 at a wooden high counter and a beautiful wood L-shaped counter that can probably accommodate 10 stools. The L-shaped counter looks on to 1^st Ave & Madison through a massive floor to ceiling window that lets in tons of light. The rest of the café is rather dark due to the deep colors of the walls, floor and décor.  Although they are pretty close to Pioneer Square, they are not quite in it, but they do have the prerequisite exposed brick wall that most Pioneer Square cafes have.

There are a couple things that stand out about this location

• They bring you a cup of water as soon as you sit down. This is even prior to your coffee drink being made.
• They bus the dishes/cups for you. I touched about this being a rarity in Seattle cafes here.
• Because the place is so small and due to the acoustics, you can pretty much hear any conversation going on, so having an interview here probably isn’t a good idea. Shout out to the graphic designer being interviewed. I hope you got the job!
• The cashier was super friendly and helpful. As mentioned I heard the cashier ask where most patrons were from to see if they were visiting. (Eavesdropping conversation below)

I find the prices to be a bit on the high side with espresso being $3.65, macchiato being $4.10 and cortado being $4.65.  On average I would say this is about $.25-.35 higher than average.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  They bring a cup of water automatically to wherever you’re sitting and they bus your dishes. Just like a real restaurant!

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 5.00

Food Options: 4.50

Overall: 4.65

Eavedropping  Convo:  Cashier(C) asked where the patron was from and he said Philadelphia. The guy(G) said he didn’t drink coffee, but he was getting one for his wife back  at the hotel room. She then asked what he wanted to order.

G- Looking at the drink menu on the wall.  I’m not used to these fancy drink names.

C- Well describe to me what your wife enjoys drinking.

G- I think she just wants a regular black coffee, but since we’re in Seattle she wants something different and better than what she normally has.

C- Well, I think you should get an Americano or a French Press. Both are more flavorful than a normal black coffee, but it doesn’t have any cream or foam or additional flavors like vanilla, you know?

G- What’s the difference between an Americano and French Pass

C- Americano is espresso shots with water and a French Press is a pot with a plunger with a filter on it and we press the hot water through the coffee grounds.

G- Which is quicker?

C- The Americano.

G- Give me the Americano.

C- No problem. You can’t go wrong with either. They are both really tasty.  I hope she likes it.

Related:

• The Best Coffee Place to Impress Seattle Visitors-Storyville Coffee Company in Pike Place Market
• Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating

Cafe Hitchcock & the CBD Latte Drama

Description on  Cafe Hitchcock’s website :  There’s really no info on their website besides minimum address, menu, email/contact info.

Neighborhood:  Downtown

Address:818 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104

Music Playing: Feel It All Around by Washed Out

What we ate/drank: Cinnamon Roll($3.50) ‘and Caffe Vita Doppio Espresso($2.75)

Comments:  Hitchcock on Bainbridge Island was opened in 2010.  We always called it “that really nice restaurant on Bainbridge Island at the end of the main street”. Although it was located on Bainbridge Island,  it always seemed to pop up on various Best Seattle Restaurants lists regularly. Then there was an expansion of a Hitchcock deli in Georgetown.  Then last summer Café Hitchcock opened in downtown.

The one thing Café Hitchcock is known for among Seattlites is the serving of CBD(cannabidiol) Lattes, which are cannabis infused lattes and the subsequent Seattle & King County Public Health issuing of a cease and desist to stop serving the lattes. And the owner of Cafe Hitchcock comparing the cease and desist on CBD-infused drinks to that of the dance ban in the movie “Footloose” Drama, yo! Hand me my popcorn! I regret not trying theses CBD Lattes prior to the cease and desist to see for myself. Because these drinks are available in other cities without issue, I’m hoping I’ll get to try CBD-infused lattes in the near future.

I’m reviewing as a coffee space but I’ve been here for lunch and they have really good sandwiches . They also serve beer on tap.  At the time I visited, they had Fremont Brewing’s Lush IPA and Summer Ale, two of my faves. And the happy hour from 3-7 (props for not ending happy hour at 6 like most places) definitely looks interesting and we’ll have to remember it as a downtown happy hour option for the future.

Café Hitchcock is located on the bottom floor of the Exchange Building, which has a historic landmark designation. I actually used to work in this building many years ago and back then it was like walking back in time with it’s art deco feel.  It’s actually exactly the same, but Café Hitchcock has replaced the nondescript diner that used to be in the space. Despite the diner’s convenient location when I worked in the building, I never ate there. The Exchange Building is on 1st and Marion, which is directly in the path of all the ferry commuters,  so if you time your visit to Café Hitchcock right when the ferry has arrived, you might be waiting in line awhile behind said ferry commuters.

Off Topic:  Visiting Cafe Hitchcock actually brought back memories when I worked in this building. Whenever a ferry came in, there were a massive amount of ferry commuters who were too lazy to walk up the block between 1^st and 2^nd Ave, so they would come into the building and use the elevators to go from 1^st Ave to 2^nd Ave. Now you can imagine for those of us who actually worked in the building, how frustrating it was to see these people clogging up the elevators and causing massive lines to form, so they could avoid walking one block from 1^st to 2^nd Ave. What made it more frustrating is the building next door, the Norton Building, had an escalator from 1^st to 2^nd Ave so there was no waiting necessary, but nooooo….. these lazy ferry commuters could not even take the escalator, they want to take the elevator!!!  It boils my blood to this day.  Truthfully it was only a small percentage of ferry commuters that did this, but it was enough for it to be a running joke for all of us who actually worked in the building.

Anyways, back to Café Hitchcock.  It’s a huge improvement from the diner that used to be here. There’s subway tile throughout, concrete floors and exposed vents and pipes, which give it an industrial feel. The touch that gives it character are the ornate gold frame mirrors that hang on the south wall. Below the mirrors is a long wooden benches that runs along the entire wall with corresponding tables for four people and two people. Each of these tables has an individual spotlight, which makes each table really bright.

When you enter, there are 4 high counter stools looking out on 1^st Ave.  The left section of the space has an unfinished look with exposed brick and concrete and has 7 high counter stools looking out on the entrance way to the building. In the center are 4 wooden booths that seat two.

I ordered cinnamon roll and the cashier confirmed that all  pastries are baked in-house, which I appreciate since it ensures freshness. The coffee is sourced by Caffe Vita. I ordered both for here, but gave both to-go, which is fine, but there is something missing when drinking an espresso in a paper cup.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing:  Baked in-house pastries

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 4.00

Food Options: 5.00

Overall: 4.35

Eavedropping  Convo:

Guy 1(G1) – I just got through with a biography about Michael Collins. It was really interesting.

Guy 2(G2) – The Irish dude?

G1-Yeah. What was the last biography you read?  I’m trying to get ideas for the next one to read.

G2- uhhhh….

G1-I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.

G2- Ooh!! A few months ago I finished a biography on this lady who used to work with Ted Bundy at a suicide hot line in Seattle. She talks about their conversations, how he interacted with people.

G1 – The serial killer?

G2- Yeah, she said he was really normal, but in looking back at the way he spoke to people, his mannerisms she could see how he had some traits of a psychopath, but wouldn’t be able to see it in real time, only after the fact. It was fascinating. Did you know he went to Udub?

G1 –What? No way!  laughs

Related:

• Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts
• Best Seattle Coffee Shops For Each Stage of Dating
• Caffe Vita – Where I Made a Fool of Myself

Caffe Ladro – Union Street

Description on the Caffe Ladro website: CHOOSE WHOLE BEAN COFFEE YOU LOVE- Your personal preferences will determine the type of roast you choose. Many coffees provide tasting notes on their labels.  Tasting notes are quick guides to the aromas and flavors you will find while brewing and sipping those coffees. These descriptors are for flavors that naturally occur in coffee a result of the region in which the beans grew, the weather their harvest year, and the way the farm and miller processed the beans after harvest.

Neighborhood: Ballard

Address: 108 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Music playing:  Helicopter by Bloc Party

What we ate/drank:  Macchiato

What we ate/drank: Truthfully much like the Caffe Ladro on 1800 9th, there’s not much to report here. It’s a smaller cafe.

Comments: This review ain’t much, but I had a doozy of a eavesdropping conversation(see below).

This location has three natural wood tables all against the left wall with an upholstery bench running the length of the space . Each of these tables seats four. Then there’s one “living room” space with four chairs and a coffee table. The only other seating area are two stools at a high counter in the front of the space facing out on to Union St.

They have pastries that Caffe Ladro bakes themselves. This is a good place to come to if you are visiting Pike Place Market or the SAM(Seattle Art Museum).  Due to it’s small size, I’d recommend coming here for a solo pre-work coffee or maybe a solo after lunch coffee or if you’re meeting up with a friend, but it’s not configured for a bigger group setting.

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: This would be my number one choice for coffee if near the SAM(Seattle Art Museum) or Pike Place Market

Atmosphere:   3.5

Service:   5.0

Food Options:   3.75

Overall:   4.0

Eavesdropping Convo:  Since the review wasn’t much, I do have a doozy of a eavesdropping convo. This was definitely a recruiter for administrative roles. He was interviewing a candidate(lady in her 40s) for potential positions.

Recruiter(RR): Decaf right?

Recruitee(RE): Yes

RR: Bringing a to go cup without a sleeve for RE. I didn’t see any of those sleeve things.

RE: I don’t think they have them. I looked. I wonder if it’s due to the environment?

RR: Yeah, I don’t know why.  How are you? So we talked briefly over the phone and I mentioned there are plenty of positions. We currently have 5 opening for Amazon, 4 for Microsoft and one at Starbucks.

RE: I’m really shocked that Amazon has that many openings.

RR: They are hiring like crazy. We placed 7 last week and I think 4 the previous week.

RE: I don’t know if Amazon is the right fit for me. 15 years ago I did a stint there at the front desk, so I know the environment. I want to protect myself, you know. I don’t want to be in the hot seat. I want a job that is low stress with a good life balance. Otherwise, you just think about work while you’re at home and you can’t relax. I don’t want that.

RR: No, I hear you. But at any job there’s a level of accountability and with the wage range you’re looking at there’s going to be some level of expectations and deadlines. There are lower accountability jobs that are purely admin with little to no knowledge of excel, but those are below your price range. So you did work there before?

RE: Yes, it was 15 years ago. What would I do? I just don’t want to put myself in a position where I’m busy and frazzled all day long. 

RR:  Like I said on the phone I’m the main recruiter for Amazon, but they don’t really provide details, but it’s $20/hr. Amazon is very secretive.  There are some hospital admin positions, but those are on the east side and I know you wanted to be in Seattle.

RE: Do people stay?

RR: It’s hit or miss. Some, it’s not a right fit.  Others, get hired or stay long term.

My Commentary: It seems like with the unemployment rate being at record lows, companies are really competing to find positions lately.  It gives people who are available and looking for work getting to have their pick of the litter, so to speak.   When somebody says they want a high paying job without the stress, you know the area is doing well.  You can also see it in the restaurants and bars. People have money to spend right now, which is a far cry from 2008-2010 when it was a ghost town.

Related: 

• Caffe Ladro- The Jetsons Coffee Place
• Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!
• Caffe Vita – Where I Made a Fool of Myself

*****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)