Five Watt Coffee, Lyndale

First time here. Visiting the Cities and stopped in for a hot beverage and pastry. It's on a busy part of Lyndale Drive. Found a parking spot around the corner. The building is a burnt orange color with an inviting entrance and rainbow flags. There are a few patio tables and chairs outside. Inside, it has the feel of an independent local coffee shop. The tin ceiling, wood floors, vintage lighting, and modern art give it an eclectic energy. Plenty of small tables for independent work or quiet conversations. There's additional seating through a doorway that leads to another room. Got here about 9 a.m. on a Friday. There were already plenty of people inside. There is merchandise on shelves that is available to purchase. Got a friendly greeting from the barista, who helped me place my order for a London Fog Tea Latte. I saw that they had a Northeast Fog on the menu (with coriander and fennel), but I got my usual with lavender, vanilla, and extra foam. I also ordered an Almond Croissant. It took a few minutes (because they took their time with a good steep). The London Fog was very good, the right temperature and a nice creamy layer of foam. The Almond Croissant was nothing short of amazing. Along with the vanilla paste, they added extra toasted almonds inside. So yummy. Some of the areas (including the bathroom) could use some TLC. But overall, it was a very good experience. Definitely would come back again.

I come to this Five Watt location pretty often to meet up with friends. It definitely has that independent local coffee shop feel with classic wood floors, vintage lighting, and modern art that gives it an eclectic, creative energy. Parking can be tricky since it’s on a busy stretch of Lyndale, but there is street parking all around if you’re willing to look a bit. Inside, there are plenty of small tables, which makes it a good spot for working or casual meetups. That said, the space does feel a little run down in places, especially the bathrooms. Service is hit or miss. The baristas are efficient, but they’re not especially warm or welcoming and don’t really give off that friendly neighborhood cafe vibe. The drinks, however, are really good and are the main reason I keep coming back. They have a strong lineup of specialty lattes, and these are my favorites: Kingfield: vanilla, coriander, and black sea salt Pollinator: honey, lavender, and cardamom Busy Beaver: maple and cinnamon with molasses and black pepper Very creative, well balanced, and consistently well made. Overall, great drinks and a cool local atmosphere, but the service and upkeep could use some improvement. Still a solid spot if you’re meeting friends or want a unique latte.

I like this location a lot better than the Kingfield one. Employees are nicer, music isn’t as blaring, drinks taste better, and there is more seating. It is a bit expensive for a latte but probably one of the best tasting ones in the cities. There’s plenty of outlets and the place next door that used to be a boba shop has more seating. It’s a good mix of socializing and working customers so it’s a great environment for either.

Great Coffee, Limited Pastries Coffee here is excellent—rich with smooth, nutty tones. My go-to while I was in town was the “Shot in the Nutts”—fun name and a great drink. Just a heads-up: they don’t offer many pastries, so it’s more of a coffee stop than a full café experience. Still, definitely worth it for the quality brew.

I’ve driven past this location so many times and finally stopped in. It’s an adorable coffee shop with a ton of character kept from the building. The tall ceilings and giant windows make it the perfect place to work from. We went on a Thursday morning and it was empty around 9:30 but got busy by 10am. There are quite a few tables and booths. The WiFi was down that day unfortunately, so that made it tough to work there. But the pollinator latte was delicious and had a strong espresso flavor.

The coffee was delicious. I had the Atomic Blondie and I highly recommend it! It was very smooth and flavorful.

pretty decent coffee. food is mid. not always places to sit as it can get pretty busy. updated review- specialty drinks are much better so i changed my rating. also the staff are friendlier here than the one on nicollet. more room to sit too.

This place is o cute 😭 the baristas were so nice and welcoming. Very nice atmosphere, usually the cute atmosphere lacks good coffee but the coffee is great as well! Thank u so much!

Go here now, I'm just saying. This place has the best tasting lattes in town, and really cool baristas. Perfect ambiance for if you want to write a novel or short story, or work online for your corporate job. The music is always so good. I spend hours here just working on my writing or reading a good book, and pulling up my SoundHound app to add to my music library. I once asked a barista if they choose their music or if the company does--Five Watt was started by musicians. The barista said it was his music. I'm guessing they use Bluetooth and their smartphone. I would drink this coffee even if I had no time to hang around, but really hanging around is a great experience. I will say that I live on Grand between the Lyndale and Nicolette locations, and the Nicolette location is a nope for me. Totally different vibes. The Lyndale spot is where it's at, and they have a bubble tea place inside that I have yet to try. Just go, you won't be sorry.

I've driven past this location so many times and finally stopped in. It's an adorable coffee shop with a ton of character kept from the building. The tall ceilings and giant windows make it the perfect place to work from. We went on a Thursday morning and it was empty around 9:30 but got busy by 10am. There are quite a few tables and booths. The WiFi was down that day unfortunately, so that made it tough to work there. But the pollinator latte was delicious and had a strong espresso flavor. There was pretty loud and pretty funky music playing, so would recommend to bring headphones if you like quieter.

Had a most fabulous morning working from Five Watt! This coffee shop has plenty of tables and outlets for all your WFH needs. I tried the "shot in the nuts" latte which essentially is an I iced Nutella latte and it was delicious! Highly recommend.

Favorite flavored drinks in town. The decaf is not good, the flavors and milk are excellent. Highly recommend as long as you don't drink decaf.

Such a classic go-to spot! Lovely staff, coffee, & atmosphere. Ordered the Pollinator & it was so yummy.

Five Watt provides a solid experience. Perfect amount of character, innovative coffee selection and great option for meetings or remote working. I had the Iced Pollinator with Oatmilk (honey-lavender syrup, cardamom bitters and espresso) and it was so great.

Had a good-not-great experience here recently, and that's okay! Met a colleague here to catch up, and had a few not-so-great touchpoints along the way. I asked for a chai, extra hot - I've been doing this for ages, and had thought nothing of it before - I like it piping hot! The cashier made an unpleasant comment to me about it, and joked about it with the barista in front of me as well. I could be in the wrong here requesting a beverage detail like this, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. The music was pretty loud in here that day, and the cashier was talking loudly with other staff throughout our stay. It made it a bit hard to concentrate on remote work - the purpose of my visit. They do not offer any gluten-free options for pastries or food, which was a huge bummer to me as well. I've visited this location before, but will probably go somewhere else next time. It's so great to read that others have had awesome experiences here, but unfortunately my recent visit was such that I will pass in the future.

And for my 1,001th coffeeshop review... this place was pretty decent as well. They make a fine cappuccino.

Great coffee place. Not many edible items but the ham and cheese croissant is delicious. The staff was friendly and the place was clean.

Maybe the vibes were just particularly good that day or it was the incredible playlist that the barista would occasionally belt out the lyrics too (with impeccable timing and confidence) or a mix of all that and the caffeine from their Kingfield drink, but I had the most productive Thursday afternoon I've had in a while. The drinks are amazing and give fun and exciting twists to classics. I'm a big London fog person and their Northeast Fog rendition was just perfect. The bitterness added from the Coriander Bitters in their Kingfield drink took a bit to get used to so I would maybe be cautious if you don't like bitters in drinks in general, but that mellowed out as I got to the second half of the drink. The only thing preventing this place from being a regular workplace for me is that there aren't a lot of indoor tables/seating to do work as it is a smaller shop. However, there are plentiful outlets and I was able to find a seat to do work and didn't seem to get particularly busy or crowded at any point so might revise this statement. Free street parking, wasn't too difficult to find some nearby.

Good coffee but pretentious. Twice I've been here and they've compared my drink request to Starbucks, both different baristas. It's almost like they're trained to compare to Starbucks. An iced cappuccino (second visit) or an iced coffee (first visit) isn't a Starbucks drink. You can get them at other craft coffee places. I don't think that's a Starbucks drink and also, it doesn't seem necessary to compare. I wasn't going to write anything after the first visit, but since this happened again, I wanted to share

Got the 1994 Boyz (Cold Press, Vanilla Syrup, Blackstrap Bitters, Cream, Cinnamon, and a Tootsie Roll) and unfortunately was a little underwhelmed. Pretty standard drink but it did drink very smoothly. Also tried the shot in the nutz 2.0 (espresso, milk, Nutella and brownie batter bitters) with almond milk which was delicious! The Nutella really made the drink creamy and decadent. Still love that the alternative milk options (oat or almond) are only 25¢ extra!

Awesome Coffee. Smooth & Flavorful!!!! Right on the corner and great outdoor seating. Would definitely recommend this coffee shop. The bakery items looked delish as well. Will come back to try something to eat next time.

They have good coffee, to be sure. Living in the neighborhood, I have frequented Five Watt for several years and have been comfortable there, however two out of three times that I've sent my out-of-town family members/ friends there, I was embarrassed to witness them being treated with rude commentaries on their orders. I just don't understand it. It seems very intentional. I couldn't comfortably send my friends or family members there again. It's my hope that they'll see reviews such as this and make some intentional changes for the better.

Always one of my favorite places to go for when I want a little treat for the morning or a change in my work routine. Their schtick is coffee with a bit of cocktail bitters, which leads to interesting flavors. The default is the Kingfield, which is a cool sea salt and eastern spice option, but they also have coffee/chocolate/caramel options if you need the sticky sweet. I do wish they rotated the drink ideas a bit more often, that's why only four stars, but it's still my favorite fancy coffee in town.

Iced Kingfield coffee with oat milk is amazing, according to my wife. I'm more of a Chai tea person, which was also amazing. The Baristas really know their stuff here. This Five Watt location has added an Amazon drop / pick up locker. Very convenient! Social distancing is encouraged for either hanging out or take out. Masks required!

I'm sure I've tried Five Watt before but it's been ages so this was like a new experience for me since I couldn't remember what I got last time. I needed something to get me to wake up after a night shift and their coffee definitely delivered! I ordered the Pumpkin Spice Lawsuit (can we talk about how this is the most clever and perfect name ever?!) and it did not disappoint. Not too sweet, not too bitter - but just right. I actually tasted the pumpkin in it too! Best part is that they use real pumpkin in it - not some fake syrup. I loved the whipped cream on top too - mix it all together and you've got yourself a treat. The place was filled with laptops and people just enjoying their coffee and keeping to themselves. Just what I needed. Plenty of space for seating here and lots of peace and quiet - not your typical loud coffee shop. If I was still in school I would definitely use this place to study. They have a bunch of pastries from Penny's I believe which looked tempting but I didn't get anything. Just another excuse to go back again!

Just went in with my kids and ordered a "megabus" which I've ordered at other 5 watt locations dozens of times. The female barista didn't know of the drink but was very nice and accommodating but the dude barista who made the drink was the opposite. Claimed "we don't really do quad cappuccinos" which ??? Instead he burned the espresso (how do you even do that) no foam on top and then got pissed when I asked for more milk. Terrible customer service on the back end.

These reviews lie. Lol. My son got the "pumpkin spice lawsuit", it says like coffee with creamer in it. No pumpkin, no spice. Not worth the $8. The service was meh, nothing special. My drink was a chaider, it's all apple juice, no chai. Super disappointed and will NOT return. Sad bc I live right up the street. Two thumbs down.

The coffee is AMAZING, however one of the employees was incredibly rude and condescending. To make this a safe and welcoming space consider treating ALL customers with respect. Visited at 12 PM on 09/04/2023.

The crew at five watt is amazing!!! They even keep pretty regular schedules so you usually see the same barista and they definitely remember your name and order. Sometimes you may wait a little in line as it is a small operation but it's worth the wait, by the time they take your order the conversation makes you feel at home and you know you're getting a hot (or cold) beverage made just right for you. Shout out to my Saturday crew, they slay!! Oh and the coffee isn't half bad either haha, kidding! It's amazing!

Great stop to get some mid-work work done. I love spaces with subdued background noise -- helps me focus to tune out the buzz. Plus the baristas were pleasant. :D

If you like local coffee spots you must try Five Watt. My favorites are the Kingfield (vanilla) and the Pollinator (honey lavender), which I order iced with oat milk. Their coffee is delicious and their menu is extensive, so many fun flavors!

Your posted hours on Yelp and Google say you are open till 5:30p. I came by to pickup a package from your Amazon locker @ 4:58p and arrived to locked doors. I knocked on the door, and the larger bearded man working just stared at me and refused to let me in. He then had the nerve to come outside and try to strike up some bizarre small talk that was chock full of homophobic micro aggressions. Besides being wildly offensive, the conversation lasted 3x longer than it would have taken to just let me get my package that I biked across town for. It would have taken me all of 20 seconds....

Nothing special, outdoor seating on the city sidewalk is not my idea of anything pleasant. I guess the word that comes to mind is - Meh.

Cute, friendly atmosphere but do NOT recommend getting the iced Northeast Fog! Paid $8 for a drink that tasted like water as it was not steeped long enough. Wish I could take it back.

Two stars only because they do 16 oz coffee with 4 shots of espresso. We got 1 large latte and 1 small latte, both of them were extremely hot. I am a coffee snob and the latte is not supposed to be so hot. We took it to go and when we finally be able to drink the coffee we were so disappointed. The milk was not fresh. We threw it away.

This coffee shop is adorable, clean, homey, and has delicious drinks. I think for how expensive the drinks are and for how long customers stay in the shop doing work, the seats could be a bit more comfortable. Maybe a few more pillows or a homey sitting area would be neat. But the drinks here are fantastic- with a good selection of drinks for both coffee and tea lovers I appreciated their London fog as much as I liked my boyfriends coffee. The servers were very friendly and easy to talk to which is always a plus when trying to find a go to coffee spot. I'm lucky this is so close by - but it will be dangerous for my wallet forsure :)

This place deserves yet another good review, the energy is always so lovely and the Americano coffees never fail. If you need a good energy pick-me-up or a literal caffeine pick-me-up... head here!!

My new favorite spot to work! The baristas are so friendly, there's plenty of space + a patio, and the coffee's good. Plus: the benches along the side have lumbar cushions for people with low-back issues. (I don't wanna talk about it lol but I sure appreciate the support!! ) I'd rate this 4.5 stars. Only a few things keep this coffee shop from five stars. The newest Five Watt is housed in the same location its founders met, but as of right now I don't see any speciality drinks specific to this location. I'd love to see a coffee concept that plays into Five Watt's history! The other issue is that the afternoon sunlight can get a bit much on the south side (aka the tables at the bench seats, aka my screwy back's fave spot). I'd suggest the shop put up some light curtains to uh....curtail that a bit. I'll be back many times and can't wait to see this Five Watt come into its own. P.S. Shoutout to the baristas for helping me out with sorely needed coffee when their Apple Pay was down and I'd forgotten my wallet!

They don't charge extra for non-dairy milk! Thank you thank you!! The baristas were in a great mood when I stopped in and they were super pleasant--one offered to help me decide on a drink after I took a while checking out their menu. Drink was ready in less than 5 minutes. There were many people working at the tables and some people were chatting. If I had some light work to get done I would definitely go here.

Like the other coffee shops that were in this space previously, five watt makes a mean cup of joe. There are little five watt amps around haha get it? Oh and they have a little radio booth, and even a radio station you can download to hear local music on which is a bit much. Good luck finding anything non-caffeinated and sugar free. That's definitely an oversight considering all the people on low carb diets who might not want to be up to the asscrack of dawn but whatever. if you're looking to get some work done, they have fast Wi-Fi, the vibe of a shared workspace and plenty of first Bumble dates for your people watching enjoyment and hard to beat brew.

Dang, I'm a really big fan of Five Watt ever since the Kingsfield original (great staff, several have gone on to other interesting gigs but the quality had kept up). The East Hennepin location is a little less personal but good for college students working. The one in Keg & Case in St Paul is an awesome addition to that food hall. Heck, even their Big Watt canned supermarket coffee is pretty good for what it is. The Lyndale location has some special history: the founder of Five Watt previously was an employee at the coffee shop that occupied this space (Bull Run, later renamed Vicinity). I had high hopes for this homecoming of sorts. Alas, this was the most disappointing of the 4 locations--it feels by-the-numbers, understaffed (one person at the front?) and the coffee menu was somehow shorter than the other locations. Have they expanded to fast too quick? At least the coffee is still decent. I guess I'll just stick to the Kingsfield and Keg & Case locations.

I visited Five Watt for the first time today and I'm so glad I did. When I arrived there were plenty of people seated outdoors enjoying the weather. I was also happy to see that there was available indoor seating with strict COVID precautions such as 6 ft distance between tables as well as mask wearing at all times (except of course when you're drinking coffee!). I ordered the Shot In The Nuts drink which tasted mocha-like and it was delicious! The employees were all very kind and it's a great ambiance to get some work done. I will definitely be back here in the future.

I am rating this based on the cold press coffee. It was weak and looked like tea instead of coffee. This is the second time I have tried it in the past 6 months and was a let down again. My partner had the americano and he said it was delightful.

This is a good coffee shop. It is very quiet, like a library atmosphere. The coffee was great and the scone was ok. I think it is a great place to have a coffee, read, work, or a quiet conversation.

Street parking, lovely drinks, lots and lots of space. Nice place to get some work done. Music is nice but a bit loud (so not the best place for work related phone calls, but who wants to be that person...)

Very cool atmosphere, great place to study or chat & talk. Very underwhelming cold press, but good drinks otherwise. A little overpriced, so know what you're walking into.

I have been to coffee shops all over the country. The drinks and ambiance here make it my favorite of all. 5 stars for 5 Watt!