Your Favorite Coffee Spot (Seattle, Bellingham: appointed, homes, neighborhood)

[dhpeter]

Hey Everyone,

Seattle has some extensive choices when it comes to coffee. Whether your buying whole beans at Whole Foods or just stopping into a shop along the way.

What are some of your favorite joints (for the coffee flavor, atmosphere or otherwise) and why, in the general Seattle Area?

I really have grown to enjoy Victrola and Stumptown but there are so many more shops I just haven't been to. I have heard a lot about Slate coffee - but not having a car makes it difficult.

When I buy beans at whole foods i generally cycle through them to try them all. I found that Twisted Fork and Cafe Vita are very good brands so far.


Where do you vote with your money?

[MafHoney]

Right behind me in Ballard is Toast. I go there almost every weekday morning to get a latte. They make their own syrups, and use Slate beans. Also, the staff there is very friendly (and they also have REALLY good waffles!).

On weekends I go over to the little coffee shop outside of Ballard Market. Great espresso there.

If I'm downtown I like Ghost Alley underneath Pike Place Market. It's tiny and you can't really sit in there, but they can make a great drink.

In UQA always a stop in to El Diablo for a mexican mocha (and coconut bread). Also a great spot to just sit out on the patio and hang out.

On the eastside, Mercury's, no contest. Ugh, I want a Hawaiin Silk from there right now.

If I lived closer to CH, I'd be at Stumptown everyday, and never think about another spot. But, I don't. I have been to Slate and eh. It's just very pretentious.

[GatsbyGatz]

I've tried so many coffee shops and have worked at a cafe before... Honestly, all I care about is how effectively a coffee can wake me up and feel pumped and that's Starbucks. I'm a sellout... At least Starbucks is a Seattle-based corporation, so I feel a little better about giving them my money.

[daily_mist]

I have a favorite place on Capitol Hill. But I won't say which one! It has juuust the right number of people. It's appeal to me is that it's most excellent for actually getting work done.

I have also found that Queen Anne is a great neighborhood for getting work done. It's far less busy.

[fnh]

My favorite is Broadcast in the Central District. Good coffee and friendly low-key service, and it is the perfect walking distance from my house. I like to sit outside or at the window counter overlooking Pratt Park.

[Ira500]

Victrola is pretty great. Macrina Bakery also has terrific coffee, as well as highly addictive baked goods.

[homesinseattle]

Makeda, Phinney Ridge

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Makeda, Phinney Ridge

I had some of that Seven Roaster (Makeda Coffeeshop) coffee and it was horribly burned and rancid tasting.. But, those were the beans sold at Ken's Market. Maybe, I shouldn't axe this small little local roaster yet..

Overall, I am pretty disappointed with the coffee in Seattle and feel the quality is subpar and even some of the long time roasters I use to like are going downhill. I still think Seattle is a decent espresso town and even find the heavily dark roasted coffees I normally hate seem to do well in well-made espresso drinks. For example, I still have a fetish for the espresso drinks, like Mochas, made by Woods Coffee in Bellingham. Caffe d'Arte is a roaster I couldn't drink by the cup if you paid me, but using those strong heavily roasted shots of espresso in a well-made, chocolaty rich and creamy mocha works very well for me. However, surprisingly, my favorite place for espresso drinks/mochas now seems to be one of my favorite places for coffee and beans, altogether, which is Caffe Ladro. They really make a wonderful cup of mocha and their darker espresso roasts seem to be perfect balance of strength, richness and retaining some sweet qualities to coincide with the ingredients they use for mochas. A Ladro mocha is a drink from heaven, itself.

Now, as far as favorite coffeeshops where I would want to order a straight cup of coffee with no milk or sugar or purchase the beans from this shop, the number has become limited. I am extremely picky and I know good quality beans and roasting consistencies. Since, the list is coffeeshops, instead of Roasters, I will list the coffeeshops, based on me enjoying the drinks (not the ambiance):

1. Caffe Ladro (Great roaster and atmosphere is good enough, plenty of outlets for laptop people. A word of warning about Ladro, blend coffees are low grade and over-roasted and some single origin roasts can be over-ripe, wee bit too soured. Most coffees are decent enough to drink and some are exceptionally mind-blowing. Ladro also is the most spread out high quality coffeeshop in the Puget Sound, from Edmonds down to Issaquah, there are Ladros. Thank G-d!)

2. Ada's Coffeeshop (Serves Kuma Coffee, one of my favorite Seattle roasters. Everything is to order.. The place gets an A+ for atmosphere as well, as the coffeeshop is located in the Ada's Technical Book store in Capitol Hill. They serve beer and wine too!)

3. Zoka (Serves Decent, BUT VERY OVERPRICED Single Origins To Order, THe Drip is Crap.. Zoka coffee in University Village has a nice atmosphere and is open late.. A good place if you want to work and be alone, a lot of UW students there. The Starbucks near by is overcrowded and where most of the crowds go and has a fraction the seating, plus horrible coffee .)

4. Milstead & Co (I hate going to this place, but if you do want a decent cup (or sometimes outstanding cup) of coffee and are willing to pay more for it, you will find the best selection of overpriced coffees here. Remember, here you pay for selection, not just quality! Hit or miss. Be warned, the cups of coffee at Milstead can range anywhere from like $4 to $30+/cup. Many consider Milstead to be Seattle's hippest coffeeshop.. YMMV)

5. Seattle Coffee Works/Ballard Coffee WOrks (One of Seattle's most reknown local roasters. This is one of the few large coffeeshops located right in Pike Place Market or another in the center of Ballard. Their consistency for beans can vary. A lot of the coffee they have is overly ripened, naturally processed and really sour and bad. However, they also have some very high quality stuff, but it is hit or miss. If you go, order one of the single origins from the coffee bar. Everything is French Pressed on the drip and usually way too sour to drink black.)


P.S.
Use to love Herkimer with a passion, but lately their coffee is tasting bitter, metallic and just not all so great. I hope they return to their original roasting style and can bring back some of the amazing coffees that had won my heart in the past, such as their Burundi, Congo and Yemen. It is sad when a beloved roaster goes down hill. I believe they are expanding and starting to roast in higher quantity and seem to have let their quality go to hell. Very sad, there will always be a place for Herkimer in my heart though. On another note, their cold brew coffees are still tasting good if that's your thing.

[Cedarling]

For lattes, my favorite place is Vivace. I used to frequent the SLU location. It's not much in the way of atmosphere but, if you're visiting the flagship REI store across the street, it's worth a stop.

[dhpeter]

These are all great recommendations. Some i have been to but most i haven't heard of. Cant wait to try these suckers