Milstead & Co.

Really solid spot for third wave and a large selection of beans from a variety of roasters. Good pastries too. It was very pricey ($8 for a latte and $7 for drip) but it’s Seattle so you just have to accept that for the most part. Pour over is aero press unless you request the V60

Some of the best coffee in Seattle, just across the Fremont Bridge. Brewed with beans sourced from top roasters around the country, the coffee is rich and flavorful. The space is open and welcoming, with plenty of seating. Street parking is available. Definitely worth a visit!

A conveniently located coffee house, just under the Aurora bridge on highway 99. Casual 90's and 00's pop music punches the atmosphere, but it's not overwhelming. The industrial decor is a bit cold, but common for many coffee houses today. I found the staff to be happy and attentive. The 70% dark chocolate mocha is thick and rich, less sweet than many - very good. The blueberry scones are tasty, also not overly sweet. Locally sourced.

Great vibe, super nice (and talented) baristas, and the drinks are next level. My wife and I both had lattes (vanilla for me, lavender for her), and my daughter had what was quite possibly the best apple cider ever. Highly recommended for doing some remote work, meeting with friends, or just getting a cup of coffee.

To be fair I got matcha but anyways didn’t like my matcha, was very try watery and milky with not much flavor. They didn’t really have a lot of speciality or seasonal drinks. Overall just your average coffee shop with nice seating.

Cute cafe that focuses on quality! We ordered the matcha (it had a hint of Madagascar vanilla that was the perfect touch). They also sell a variety of beans from different roasters (both local and out-of-state). They all give a roast date and region too (roast dates were recent too)! We did not order an espresso based drink, but they list the region and notes of the beans on the menu, which is a good sign of high quality.

The 70% Mocha (Bitter chocolate) was fantastic! Squash bread was really good too. Lovely ambience, good service.

Great coffee and vibe, what can I ask for more. The baristas are all excellently talented. They also have an amazing view outside area

My partner and I have stopped in more than a few times now and must say we always enjoy it. Their seasonal lattes are incredible (their PSL tastes like a cozy cup of fall), and the vibes are always super chill (even on the weekend mornings). The baristas are super friendly every time! I will mention that their matcha with black sesame was a bit disappointing, but the coffee is clearly the real star here. They've also got a lot of really great space to work or hang out. Love!

I wasn't thinking of a review when we walked in to Milstead to try a new coffee place in Seattle this morning but events forced me to start writing. Our go to coffee place which is 78 steps above our condo in Fremont has annoyed me recently because of their overly friendly canine policy. More about that later. Mlstead is everything that anyone could want. The staff is welcoming, the space is brilliant including a water view, lots of places to sit and sip or work, inside and outside, a wide selection of beans, etc. What else could I possibly ask for? Ceramic cups and dishes is the answer to that one. I really don't like drinking my espresso from a cardboard cup and explaining that it is an "eco" cup does not make the situation any better. When my partner asked for a decaf latté and hearing that we don't have any decaf right now, would you like a single shot of coffee instead made us get the feeling that they waned to be nice but company policy is what it is, whatever the customer would like. The espresso was not bitter but then again it wasn't too strong either and the Latté with the single shot tasted mostly like milk. The scones were just OK. So despite the fact that I don't like the prospect of possibly sitting down at a table where the previous customer had his snout and paws on the dining surface, and where the animals leap up with their forepaws on the cashier's station where the food is passed to get their treat and the very friendly staff has not been recently seen wiping the tables, where the coffee roaster makes a god awful noise most of the day and where there often is not a place to sit, we will continue to get our morning workout on the way to the neighborhood coffee shop . We might even be able to make some new friends there.

How I heard of this place: A little venture to Fremont to enjoy coffee with friends, I asked one of my coffee connoisseur friends to recommend a local spot. Milstead came highly recommended by more than one. Type of cuisine: A small selected of baked goods and coffee/espresso. Ambiance: Large, spacious, open and well lit with natural light streaming in through the gloriously high windows. The space is beautiful and welcoming, minimal in style, yet robust in patronage and the sounds of espresso creations. What I ordered: A mocha for me, an Americano and ham and cheese croissant for my sister. The mocha was dark, rich and smooth. My sister said her Americano was nice initially, but too sour/acidic as it cooled. The pastry was flaky and crispy, yet unwarmed, so less satisfying overall. What I loved: The tables offer mostly bar-height seating, so we were happy that in our party of four, we found a more traditional height where everyone in the party could be more comfortable. The space is mostly quiet, with the majority of patrons on their own laptops, but allowed for conversation and laughter at a reasonable volume throughout our stay. Why I loved it: The space is large and the outdoor seating at the base of the stairs gave way for more opportunities to laugh, engage in dialogue and enjoy the spring/summer air with quiet views under the bridge, looking out toward the water. Cost: High

Loved this place! Pretty chill on weekend afternoon. We got the seasonals - pumpkin spice and black sesame lattes - the flavors were so good! Just the right amount of sweetness and complex flavor. It's a great place to get some work done as this place has WiFi. The staff are very friendly and the space is clean and modern.

After enjoying a meal next door, we decided to walk over to Milstead for a cup of tea. [Ambiance] Tranquil with tasteful decor and plenty of tables, making it an ideal spot for working or studying. The cafe was moderately busy, but service was efficient - there was only one person ahead of us in line. [Drink Quality] I ordered a Chai and it tasted a bit under-brewed, but it was delicious. It had a good amount of spiciness and it wasn't too sweet. Overall: 4 stars. This is a great spot for a coffee or tea break.

Some of the best coffee in Seattle, just across the Fremont Bridge. Brewed with beans sourced from top roasters around the country, the coffee is rich and flavorful. The space is open and welcoming, with plenty of seating. Street parking is available. Definitely worth a visit!

To be fair I got matcha but anyways didn't like my matcha, was very try watery and milky with not much flavor. They didn't really have a lot of speciality or seasonal drinks. Overall just your average coffee shop with nice seating.

Walked in after yoga next door. Really spacious interiors with a whiff of coffee that fills up the whole space. Removed a star because they're not doing mugs as of June 2025. Drinking from a paper cup weakens the experience for me but the barista made a joke about it "sorry paper cups only but we make amazing cortados " which helped a little bit:) The cortado was good, Nutella brioche was alright. Cortado+nutella brioche costed $11.50 so slightly on the higher price range, which is expected since it's so close to gas works park. Parking is difficult. Has both indoor and outdoor seating.

Love this coffee shop! Great selection of local and regional coffee beans, great natural light, and really good customer service. One of my favorite coffee shops in Fremont!

Came here on a Sunday around 9am. Street parking. Space was big with a view under a bridge. Service was friendly. 2 bathrooms in the back. Got an 8oz vanilla latte hot. It was on the stronger side but still good. Like the design in top. For size to price it was good.

Was there on a Sunday afternoon. There was a lot of seating (not that busy) and it had a nice vibe. Also, our drinks were fine. However, the restroom was in a super unacceptable state. One was purposely locked and i confirmed that with a staff. Would have made sense to put a sign on it. The other went from very bad, to very, very bad. Looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a week, and the floor was also flooded.

Really friendly staff and a nice place to work with lots of seating. Though, I thought it was really expensive -- like around $7 for a 12 oz pour over. The pour over tasted good, but it wasn't well filtered, so it had a lot of rough small particles.

This is my go to spot to grab an after lunch coffee when I visit the Seattle office for my work. The drinks are excellent. I'm a cold brew drinker, and I usually prefer a little cream and simple syrup, but to my pleasant surprise I can have them as is here. The staff are always friendly, I feel welcome every trip. I'll have to come here in the future when I'm not on business because it's one of the most spacious coffee shops that I have ever seen. Always clean, reasonable noise levels, good acoustics. For the rare times that I order a hot coffee, they use Aeropress which I like (I have one at home). I find it to be a good compromise between an espresso and a pour over. The only drawback is that the process limits hot coffees to one size only, which makes sense. They make an excellent cup so in this case, size doesn't matter.

This is a really lovely spot. I'd definitely recommend and return here! They had a special, which was the triple berry cream soda with all house made elements, which is what I got. It was really delicious! The inside has a nice ambiance, with it mostly being people working. Outside you can sit and see the water and people watch (or dog spot if you're like me!). Their patio is pup friendly too! The staff was helpful and kind and was really lovely about answering my questions and chit chatting with me a bit. The only slight downside for my personally was that this is more a drip coffee spot than latte spot in terms of selection, but that's more a me thing since I'm like the only Seattle it's who doesn't like drip coffee lol.

The best hazelnut latte ever! Get it iced and you won't regret it if you like hazelnuts :) they make it in-house and it tastes super genuine and delicious. Sweet baristas and great views of the city and water plus the skyline. Highly recommend!

One of the best coffee places in Seattle. It goes down smooth and not bitter at all. What can I say. Seating can be limited inside tho during popular hours.

Great spacious cafe with big windows and lots of natural sunlight and seating. Would love to come back here to get some work done while sipping a creamy chai latte, which I highly recommend. They were super kind and let us host a small birthday get together here. For those of you out of town, this is located within a couple blocks of the Fremont troll, the Burke Tillman bike trail, and some cute house boats on Lake Union.

Nice ambiance and seating, good drinks, overall a great coffee spot. Taking one star off because they have no decaf coffee or espresso options, so if you don't want caffeine, you're stuck with tea or golden milk. They acted moderately offended when I asked for a decaf cappuccino. Perhaps my request revealed a lack of sophistication and under-appreciation for the nuances of a pour over, because who on earth would go to a coffee shop and not want caffeine? Egad! I'd still go back, as long as I want a buzz.

Space is big, clean, modern with a view under the bridge.Kind of expensive but I think the coffee is some of the best in Seattle. I love the attention to presentation- beautiful latte art!

The food they had no variety awful drinks and worst food options I do not recommend they just have coffee options and they do not have good food

The latte that I ordered was delicious. Unfortunately, the service wasn't very friendly, and the pastry was way too dry. It probably would have tasted better if they had offered to heat it. But they said it wasn't an option. I loved the open air setting, just wish it had felt more welcoming. And too bad that they only use disposable cups.

I really like their ambience and unpretentious vibe. The service is a little inconsistent depending on who is working which can be a deterrent from frequenting more regularly. It seems like their business is going down and this makes me sad. I really hope they can pull through because this is a great local shop!

Been wanting to visit here for some time but I was always in the area later in the day when they were closed. Of course the day I have time to finally visit I had an ice tea cause I was meeting a friend for coffee later. I went with the plum ginger ice tea was refreshing and just what I was looking I didn't want caffeine since I knew I would be having some later. I love the bright open space there are different types of seating spaces and some outdoor seating as well where I selected to sit. Great service staff was friendly and welcoming. Will definitely visit again for the coffee program and a bite.

Love stopping by here for my morning coffee or matcha. High quality drinks and yummy pastries.

Loved this place. I ordered a hot vanilla bean latte and it was absolutely delicious, not too sweet or bitter. It was just perfect! I loved the syrup flavor and I can't stop thinking about it!

It's okay. Friendly staff but coffee is very pricey just for a brewed coffee. And they don't have decaf. Lots of big tables and it's pretty spacious in there, however none of them have outlets. So it was not a good coffee shop experience for me unfortunately.

Another great Seattle coffee shop :) Cappuccino with oat milk ($6 something with tax) had perfect latte art on top and very nice micro foam. I think the pastries are from Macrina, I had a Ham & Cheese croissant (also $6 something) which was insanely flakey and I think was multigrain. Beautiful, bright interior with plenty of seating. Located in Fremont with lake views.

A coffee shop in a nice area with great views! Good amount of seating areas inside and a handful of people on their laptops and groups of people meeting up. Milstead has standard coffee options. I ordered a latte with their homemade lavender syrup and the lavender didn't really come through. It was hard to tell the lavender was there. I ordered a hot one for my boyfriend to go, and he couldn't taste it either. Service was fine, they were quick to make and ring up. Interesting that their food safety was "good" though, I would have thought it would be higher than that.

We love this cafe. It is such a wonderful stop after paying tribute to the Fremont Troll. As soon as you open the glass door, you are greeted with a warm, modern, clean, homey, well-organized, and inviting atmosphere. The aroma of coffee and the sweetness of their "assorted niceties" fill the air and trap you inside until you are forced to try what they have to offer. Cappuccino and drip coffee were wonderful and their bakery items were great. We enjoyed sipping our coffee, eating our pastries, and blending in the classic Seattle cafe crowd. When in Fremont, give it a try after visiting the Troll. We sure have made it our permanent pit stop.

Stopped by Milstead after a vet appointment with my sister and our dogs. I ordered an iced ginger latte and an Ethiopian pour-over, and both were fantastic. The ginger latte was perfectly balanced--not too sweet, with a great ginger kick. The Ethiopian pour-over was smooth and clean, with no residue, showcasing the beans beautifully. The staff was friendly, and the overall vibe was relaxed and welcoming. Definitely a spot I'd visit again!

I thought it was just okay. My friend and I aren't huge on coffee- we're more tea drinkers so maybe you can take this with a grain of salt. The Hamasho just tasted bitter.. and I just found it average in terms of taste? You get a really good view of the bridge here and also a close proximity to the town troll figure but other than that, I found it to be so-so. Service is polite and friendly!

So many special memories here. I would come here almost every weekend with a book or some work and perch myself by the window all day. So much people watching, and especially during the gloomier months, nice to have people around to keep you company. Staff are all super kind, and their drinks and croissants are lovely!

I'm kinda picky about my cold brews, visiting Seattle I've been on a mission to treat myself to the best coffee shops in each neighborhood (according to yelp). I got the cold brew here and paid an extra 1.00 for vanilla. The drink was super bland with a bit of cream in it, cold brew underwhelming, and I paid 6.50+ for it. The inside space has a lot of windows that are nice with seats to work on stuff. It's near the troll and in the heart of the neighborhood so location is good. The woman behind the counter seemed friendly and we got our coffees quick. Onto the next.

The view of the bridge from Milstead is really pretty and the vibe of the interior is cool took. There are a lot of baristas so you don't really have to wait long for a coffee. The coffee isn't bad and they have a good selection of beans.

Idk I've heard really great things about this coffeeshop, but maybe it was the profile of the beans they used when they roasted my coffee but it just was not that good. My friend also agreed it tasted a little weird. Granted neither of us are really coffee people so maybe we don't know what we're talking about haha. I went back a second time to try their matcha and the matcha was also just okay. I'm curious what kind of sweetener they used that also gave it a bit of an interesting taste

Man, caffeine in Seattle just tastes different. Especially when you can easily walk here and then go walk by the water. We got the Masala Chai Fog & another coffee special that is slipping my mind. The staff was super friendly and the drinks came out quickly. We went around the morning and there were already a few peeps at the tables. There is something just so peaceful about trying out a new coffee shop in the morning and going to a quiet coffee shop.

This place is ADORABLE!!! I love coffee shops and I've been to a lot but this one is so cozy and has great drinks! The location is super cool under the bridge, and you don't feel like you're in a big city when you step inside. The baristas were also super friendly and helpful and recommended a few things to try. I ended up getting a honey latte with oatmilk and it was delicious. Definitely tasted hand crafted with local honey. Only thing is the drinks are small - but I've found that's typical at most coffee places in Seattle. Definitely would go back next time I'm in town.

The coffee is great, but my one complaint is they only allow one bathroom to be used and there is always a long line. You would think on the weekend they would open the other restroom

I often frequent this place during my walks. The folks here really know their coffee! They specialize in pour overs so I say, if you're looking for something with extra pumps of syrup, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce (althoug quite delicious) this is probably not the place for you. The pour over options change regularly which isn't common for a lot of places. I enjoy my coffee black so this place is perfect for me! The view ain't so bad either!

Space is very open with tons of seating. Outside patio allows for beautiful view taking while enjoying a cup of coffee. Tons of retail coffee options, including local brands. Pastries were unbelievably good and paired excellent with a latte. Baristas were friendly and inviting!

LOVE Milstead & co. Friendly staff and great coffee selection. They were brewing Ruby and Heart Coffee roasters when I went.

Good cappuccino here., but the sizes are small. Dog friendly but doesn't seem to have dog treats. The staff was not as friendly as other places on the day we went, but we didn't mind. The view here is pretty cool.

Upon a friend's recommendation, I decided to check this coffee shop out. It is situated at an interesting part of Fremont, next to the bridge and a piece of Berlin Wall, a different vibe from the standard busy streets. As autumn is here, it's pumpkin spice season so I decided to get a pumpkin spiced latte. As I always say, not too sweet is my favorite level of sweetness, and this is spot on. Quality of the coffee is decent as it is not really bitter or sour, and the flavors are quite subtle. However, this place, while likely intentionally minimalistic, fails to impress me as I am paying $6 for a small cup of coffee that didn't really distinguish from the $4-5 coffee I have tried. It's good, just a bit high on the price tag, but I'd still recommend to make one visit as it's in a unique area.

Great ambiance and lighting, cool bridge view out the window! Nice staff. Plenty of seating too. The hazelnut latte was absolutely spectacular. As usual, it was a bit spendy.

When I see masala chai on a menu I think it's going to be better than just a regular chai. A masala chai is an Indian tea beverage made with black tea, milk and a mix of aromatic herbs and spices. If I see chai I think its okay, but when I see masala chai on a menu I think it'll get a little more attention. Unfortunately Milstead just throws a tea bag into tea and milk and calls it a day. Disappointing as I could easily do this myself but I see it on the menu and feel compelled to try it anyway. Tea, like coffee requires special brewing times and instruction. Left too long and it's ruined, too many spices and it's just a lot, not enough flavor and it's just watery tea with milk. My husband ordered an iced vanilla latte. Basic and yet he was in love. The vanilla flavor was richer and creamier than his usual stops. He'd love to come get it again and if we do I will definitely try a mocha made with Theo's chocolate! If you haven't seen it around Seattle, it's a specialty chocolate shop and they have a few locations.

Without one, single doubt-the best coffee I have ever tasted. Could I justify what I paid? Absolutely not! Would I pay it again?! Not unless public sector workers somehow receive a livable wage. Until then, I shall curse every day that Google/ Adobe employees drive up the price of great coffee beyond the reach of sensible people. The tone of this review may have something to do with being 1/4 mile from a Lenin statue...

I haven't been here since my college days, which was around 2015/2016. A lot has changed and the remodel looks very good. It's exceptionally spacious and clean inside. However, I'm a bit sad that I came during COVID-19, as I didn't have the opportunity to sit down inside. I do have my top 5 coffee shops in Seattle. This list never changes and it's always the 5 that I recommend to people visiting Seattle. Now that I live in LA, I don't have the chance to frequent these coffee shops often. This time around, I wanted to try a spot outside of my top 5. After coming here about 2 weeks ago, I am convinced that my list needs to expand to a top 6. I am a recent converter to the matcha scene. I think it may have been due to the matcha drinks/desserts I've had in the past, which were not great. I gave the matcha latte a go here. Boy, was I pleased. The coffee is better than I remember and the matcha was not too overpowering or grainy/chalky. The barista that helped us was very nice and attentive! Parking is somewhat easy to find if you're ok with walking a relatively short distance. For my fellow pastry lovers, they seem to have a wide selection and they were well-stocked when I visited!

Friendly staff, delicious coffee and spacious interior! Fast internet connectivity and beautiful view on the bay and the bridge ! If you're in the area to see the Troll and explore Freemont , that's a good spot to take a brake and enjoy the view.

I've tried to come to Milstead a few times but it has always been crowded, so I stopped by on an early Sunday morning and while it was still 75% full, they had seating both inside and outside. Service was great, they greet you and seem to know their regulars. I tried the vanilla bean latte and chocolate rye croissant. The croissant was DELICIOUS! Highly recommend as it is unique. The latte was also very good and the vanilla bean has a subtle taste. Overall, had a great experience and would be back. Bonus that they allow dogs!