John D.
Yelp
Sip Happens
What started out as a covid lockdown side project has (relatively) quickly turned into a way of life for a reformed tech worker husband and wife team. They've gone all in on their home roasting and farmers market coffee operation into a full-fledged roastery and café in San José's Westside at the former longstanding 7-11® (RiP?).
The Good:
*Baked goods from SF's Neighbor Bakehouse (https://yelp.to/tXWUFbexw3)
*Shared private lot, as well as street parking.
*There's a Holder's Country Inn in the same strip mall so if you want to get some good ol' American 2k+/kcal breakfast after coffee then that's a decent spot.
*Still appearing at the Cupertino De Anza College Farmers' Market every Sun 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
*Great vibe and ambiance, with simple modern décor and a buzz of jazzy lo-fi vibes in the background.
*All coffees are roasted in house on the premises.
*The flavors of the drinks were just OK. Nothing too sweet, which is good, but the flavors were kinda muddled. I wouldn't have minded more cardamom in my Cardamom Orange Latte, as I could barely taste it.
The Meh:
*50¢ oat milk tax =(
*If you like your coffees tepid (at best!) then this is the place for you. Admittedly, I don't like it as hot as my beloved--who loves it lava hot!--but even my tender baby mouth could easily handle this room temp brew.
*The employee at the register misheard me (slip off the finger?) and ordered the wrong pastry, as I wanted the Savory Pull-apart Bread, but ended up with Pistachio Berry Croissant. Which was whatever, I don't like to make a fuss, but they forgot about the order and I had to stand there for five minutes staring at the top of the barista's head as I was trying to get their attention.
*Place gets very busy, especially on weekends, as we were there just a few minutes after opening and within twenty minutes the place was filled.
The Ugly:
*Speaking of the Baristas, the two I dealt with were very too-cool-for-school, which frankly kinda goes with the hoity nature of the business. Lots of berets and skinny jeans in the audience, if you follow my meaning.
Conclusion: I get what they're trying to go for here, but something about it just seems a bit off. We've been to many great coffee shops around the country, and, sadly, this ain't one of them. Soft pass, but I might be back to try their matcha.