Sterling G.
Yelp
This place is some kind of incredible. So far I've tried four things, in order: their orange lavender latte, their decaf orange lavender latte, their chai latte, and their yeast raised waffles with 'the works'.
The thing is, I worked at Starbucks for a year, and in that year I dedicated myself to learning as much as I could about coffee. While I'm no Coffee Master (I was almost one, though... ALMOST) I would say that I became significantly -- intimately, even -- acquainted with coffee. Coffee and I ended up on a first name basis. Coffee and I told inside jokes that only we laughed at. Coffee and I began to understand each other deeply. One day I woke up from a nap, only to find that coffee had lovingly draped a blanket over my shoulders so I wouldn't get cold. My heart fluttered, and not from the caffeine (truthfully... it might have been the caffeine).
All that build-up to say this: I like to think I know a little something about good coffee, and they have now -- twice -- given me the best latte that I've ever had in my life. I'm not being sponsored by them to say this, but boy do I wish I was (Coffeeworks, if you're listening and open to retroactive sponsorship...).
I also like to think I know a little something about good chai lattes. I'm definitely no master of masala chai -- I'm so very American, and still have so very much to learn about tea in general -- but I HAVE been purposefully visiting every local cafe I can and trying their chai, because I love chai, and... again. They gave me the best chai I've ever had in my life.
I don't know what sort of demon deal they signed to make this place a reality, but oh my god. Gals, guys, and nonbinary pals... come visit this place. Multiple times.
The deets: The coffee was the smoothest coffee I have ever tasted. Before drinking it, I honestly wasn't even aware that I'd been missing out on some secret, elevated level of coffee. Some of my previous coworkers were district Barista Championship winners, so I'd been acquainted with dang fine coffee... and yet. This was genuinely next level in a very subtle but very present way. The latte art was beautiful, too.
I don't know if 's the locally sourced beans or the house-made syrup, if they have special machines or if their baristas are just that good. That said, the one criticism I do have (sourced purely from my own taste buds) is that the decaf espresso tasted more astringent in a way I really didn't love. They use different beans for each respective roast, so I'm not surprised it tastes different -- I just don't like the decaf beans nearly as much, which is tragic, as I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine. But alas, we must all make sacrifices for the things we love.
Next up, the chai. There was no latte art on this, I think because the drink itself is so white, but the taste... oh boy. It was nothing but smooth, creamy, frothy spice, and it was perfect.
And finally, the yeast raised waffles. The presentation on them was impossibly Instagram worthy, and the yeast added this tiny, sharp beer-like bite that gave it a hint of uniqueness. You're not given a separate syrup to pour on them -- you get the amount that comes out on top of them, although I'm sure they'd be happy to indulge you if you asked for more -- but the minimal amount paired with the natural sweetness of the berries, nuts, etc actually ended up tasting pretty perfect.
The service was speedy, as well. I was quoted a ten minute wait for the waffles since there was someone in front of me, and I ended up waiting about four. The chai, meanwhile, came out almost immediately after I sat down. It actually left me a little uncertain about the quality -- but then, of course, I tasted it.
That uncertainty lasted until the first sip.