Seattle coffee for picky coffee snobs?
July 21, 2024 6:07 PM Subscribe
I'm going to Seattle soon and have already gotten great suggestions from previous AskMes. What I still need: recommendations for coffee. I was last there years ago and Vita & Vivace were the top recs, but... I am a picky coffee snob and those do not meet my high bar. Surely there are better options now. If you're also as picky as me, what modern craft coffee do you like? Obv taste is subjective but if you already have a strong opinion about a specific newer cafe being better than the classics, I want to hear it.
Olympia, hands down. I find it so weird that so many spots in what most people consider a “coffee town” just aren’t that good; very stuck in second-wave Starbucks style. Anchorhead and Analog are okay if you’re stuck downtown.
Narrative up in Everett also has a very good selection of rotating roasters.
There’s also a few places that brew Camber which is my hometown roaster and general go-to.
posted by supercres at 6:14 PM on July 21
Narrative up in Everett also has a very good selection of rotating roasters.
There’s also a few places that brew Camber which is my hometown roaster and general go-to.
posted by supercres at 6:14 PM on July 21
Burien Press is South of Seattle but easy to visit on the way to/from the airport.
posted by matildaben at 7:29 PM on July 21
posted by matildaben at 7:29 PM on July 21
Bluebeard, which is from Tacoma is definitely a favorite of mine. And I can tell you how sad I am that the Anchorhead Coffee that was across the street from where I work closed down.
posted by brookeb at 7:54 PM on July 21
posted by brookeb at 7:54 PM on July 21
Nothing Boon Boona.
posted by spinifex23 at 8:13 PM on July 21
posted by spinifex23 at 8:13 PM on July 21
My brother used to live around the block from a zoka. Can definitely vouch.
posted by morspin at 9:30 PM on July 21
posted by morspin at 9:30 PM on July 21
Best answer: I liked Elm Coffee Roasters near Occidental Square. Vivace was roasted too dark in my opinion.
posted by Arctic Circle at 5:26 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
posted by Arctic Circle at 5:26 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
Are you still in San Francisco? What is the coffee that you like better there (or anywhere)?
posted by Kwine at 5:58 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
posted by Kwine at 5:58 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
I've had better coffee in Durham, NC after living in Seattle for over 20 years. It's not the coffee mecca it once was. And that's ok - still plenty of great joints to get your fix. Seconding Elm and Zoka (I like the Tangletown location but the neighborhood name is on brand so you might get lost), Milstead in Fremont is good, Herkimer was a regular spot for me in Phinney Ridge when I needed to work remote. Victrola (which has moved a few times, now in Ballard) has been pretty good, but has more of that old school dark roast Vivace approach, so it might not work for you. Ladro is good too, but I think their coffee drinks and coffee art is better than their beans.
Cherry Street was definitely my goto back in the '00s-'10s, the vibes were great, and they had trained the baristas really well (their use of Counter Culture beans is one of the things that got me looking at Durham). I went back about six months ago and it felt a bit ...off. Could have been the pandemic energy of downtown. They moved out of that original basement location and the new spot didn't feel "lived in" yet.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 6:36 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
Cherry Street was definitely my goto back in the '00s-'10s, the vibes were great, and they had trained the baristas really well (their use of Counter Culture beans is one of the things that got me looking at Durham). I went back about six months ago and it felt a bit ...off. Could have been the pandemic energy of downtown. They moved out of that original basement location and the new spot didn't feel "lived in" yet.
posted by SoundInhabitant at 6:36 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]
Olympia Coffee, definitely. Overcast, Anchorhead, and Broadcast are all good as well. And in U District, Solstice Cafe (the only place in the world where I order a mocha), though it’s a bit more of an old school feel.
posted by elanid at 2:39 PM on July 22
posted by elanid at 2:39 PM on July 22
Response by poster: @Kwine, I originally didn't include this because I didn't want to derail too much, but now that there are many interesting suggestions, here are my favorite roasters/cafes in SF & beyond:
Andytown, Coava, Extracto, Four Barrel, Grand Coffee, Huckleberry, Sweet Bloom
The common theme for me is that they're roasted with expertise, have balanced blends or at least a balanced selection (so not all light/fruity/floral but not all dark/Italian-style), and put as much thought into preparation as roasting (good technique, good equipment, make their own syrups/flavorings if they offer them).
There are other roasters I like a lot for making at home, but I've either never been to their cafes or have only had their beans at cafes that didn't prepare them well.
posted by rhiannonstone at 3:42 PM on July 22 [1 favorite]
Andytown, Coava, Extracto, Four Barrel, Grand Coffee, Huckleberry, Sweet Bloom
The common theme for me is that they're roasted with expertise, have balanced blends or at least a balanced selection (so not all light/fruity/floral but not all dark/Italian-style), and put as much thought into preparation as roasting (good technique, good equipment, make their own syrups/flavorings if they offer them).
There are other roasters I like a lot for making at home, but I've either never been to their cafes or have only had their beans at cafes that didn't prepare them well.
posted by rhiannonstone at 3:42 PM on July 22 [1 favorite]
Andytown's a great place; I backed their Kickstarter back in the day and I don't regret it. Miss them now that I'm up here.
I like Lighthouse Roasters a lot. One store, very focused on quality. They roast with vintage cast-iron roasters on site. They tend towards darker roasts, which doesn't sound like it's totally your thing, but worth mentioning.
posted by Bryant at 3:54 PM on July 23
I like Lighthouse Roasters a lot. One store, very focused on quality. They roast with vintage cast-iron roasters on site. They tend towards darker roasts, which doesn't sound like it's totally your thing, but worth mentioning.
posted by Bryant at 3:54 PM on July 23
(I'm not a picky coffee person so I don't have any recs but I think your context is very helpful and not a derail!)
posted by Kwine at 6:48 PM on July 23 [1 favorite]
posted by Kwine at 6:48 PM on July 23 [1 favorite]
Also, Push/Pull on Union! I am only a moderate coffee snob but I am always thrilled by their weird roast techniques and amazing flavors. One barista in particular who is just excellent, as well.
posted by elanid at 1:40 PM on July 25
posted by elanid at 1:40 PM on July 25
Response by poster: Thanks for all the recommendations! Here's how it went:
Elm was stellar! Great beans, well-crafted espresso, perfect mocha with great chocolate and not too sweet, and just really nice folks while we were there. I brought some beans home and will definitely go back.
Anchorhead was fine. I'd go back to it (and did, since they were conveniently close), but wouldn't actively seek it out.
Ended up having an iced latte with Zoka's beans at a random shop that was focusing on efficiency rather than technique, but I tasted some promise!
I also ended up getting an iced latte from Monorail Espresso, and for an old-school early-3rd-wave place, it was still pretty solid.
This was a relatively short trip, but for the next one, Onda and Boon Boona are on the top of my to-try list.
(Bonus information in return, for future traveling coffee snobs: My time in Seattle bookended a week on central/South Whidbey Island, and I went through the roster of cafes there, too. It was bleak. But Whidbey Coffee was okay, Cedar & Salt had good pastries, and Beaver Tales is women- and indigenous-owned, with lovely people behind the counter and a great waterfront view.)
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:37 PM on August 9
Elm was stellar! Great beans, well-crafted espresso, perfect mocha with great chocolate and not too sweet, and just really nice folks while we were there. I brought some beans home and will definitely go back.
Anchorhead was fine. I'd go back to it (and did, since they were conveniently close), but wouldn't actively seek it out.
Ended up having an iced latte with Zoka's beans at a random shop that was focusing on efficiency rather than technique, but I tasted some promise!
I also ended up getting an iced latte from Monorail Espresso, and for an old-school early-3rd-wave place, it was still pretty solid.
This was a relatively short trip, but for the next one, Onda and Boon Boona are on the top of my to-try list.
(Bonus information in return, for future traveling coffee snobs: My time in Seattle bookended a week on central/South Whidbey Island, and I went through the roster of cafes there, too. It was bleak. But Whidbey Coffee was okay, Cedar & Salt had good pastries, and Beaver Tales is women- and indigenous-owned, with lovely people behind the counter and a great waterfront view.)
posted by rhiannonstone at 6:37 PM on August 9
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posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:13 PM on July 21 [1 favorite]