The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

For a guy who lives his coffee life simplistically nothing is really more complex than really trying to upgrade a computer that just doesn’t want to leave the safe confines of the Tiger operating system for Leopard. (For you non-mac geeks that is going from 10.4 to 10.5).

But, while my laptop was getting re-imaged I decided to check out the latest incarnation of Wicked Cafe located on Hornby St. This cafe certainly came to play with the other kids in the sandbox. (As that bully Starbucks is throwing sand a few store fronts away and Artigiano tracing a few rosetta’s sand mandala at the other end of the box).

This Wicked Cafe is a long, slender beast with a comfy bench along the length of the right side and small, two-person tables that parallel the benches down to the coffee area. This  cafe has not one but two Clover coffee machines and a pair of 2 group La Marzocco GB/5 espresso machines that are used depending on how busy it gets.

It opened early in 2009 and I have been to it a few times since it opened, I also took Erica Hill to the cafe in our  Girl in the City coffee tour we had in the new year.

This time I had a Clover 12 oz. Rwanda Zirikana from Intelligentsia which had a really nice flavour of a dried berry but not over bearing in acidity and yet balanced equally as well in body. It had a really clean finish that was complex and yet refreshing second cup of the day. This was one of the best Clover coffee’s I have had since my first in 2005, as I am usually an americano type of guy.

Being that Wicked is the Canadian distributor for Intelligentsia it is not surprising to see a huge Intelligentsia logo on the back wall of the cafe and Intelligentsia info on the tables and machines. I have always been impressed with Intelligentsia’s transparency and accountability to produce a better product and a better way of life as a number of roasters have a paragraph to describe their roast and origin of the bean. Intelligentsia has an entire product data sheet where you can totally geek out on coffee info.

Its coffee is damn good and the location is really decent and a quick jaunt from the Robson and Hornby mecca of activity. The cafe doesn’t have wireless, or more than one power outlet on the outer edge, but not a big concern as there is plenty of “Internet Cafes” Downtown to chose from. The cafe serves food, along with the unique selection of muffins and sweets in a menu that is unique to other Downtown cafes. On this visit along it wa playing the music a bit too loud to carry out a business meeting if I were to have one.  But I am sure it has full control over the volume and can adjust accordingly.

Is it coffee I’d sell my soul for?

Well since the bank, VISA and Apple currently have equal shares of my soul at the moment I am not in a position to negotiate but it certainly is worth a trip.

Update – Aug/09 Black Cat Espresso running quite nicely and macchiato.

Where this blog was written: Wicked Cafe
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz. Rwanda Zirikana from the  Clover
Discount on to-go cup: 30 cents
Barista Skill: Solid skill
Barista friendliness: Cool and very Intelligentsia
Website: wickedcafe.ca

Address: 861 Hornby, Vancouver, Canada

I  once again had to return to the Sunshine Coast to pick up some documents and get my taxes done. (Thanks again, Peter). I decided to review one of the longest running coffee shops of recent times in Sechelt called The Daily Roast. This cafe has been a stable of coffee consumers in Sechelt since the mid 90s.

Its first location was a small place on the main street corner. It has an all wood interior, half a dozen tables and one of the first cafes that had an internet connection. Wifi had yet to become mainstream, but the marriage of cafes and internet had begun its courtship.

The Daily Roast was also the first time I tried the Swiss Water Process for decaf coffee and even to my untrained palette at the time I enjoyed the difference. And it was the first time I had ever tasted a decaf coffee that came even close in taste to the regular cup of joe I was used to.

Blast through the next 12 years, four provinces and one territory and The Daily Roast has doubled in size and moved across the street. The Internet station is gone, but they have free wireless and is more of a cafe with soup and sandwiches with beans provided from Beans Around The World.

Crema What Crema

The girl behind the counter took my order quickly and orderly and if anything the price was right. I received two cookies and a 12 oz americano for just over four dollars. But when I saw the americano I knew the price was too good to be true. Their wasn’t an ounce of crema shortly after the double shot was poured on top of the hot water. ( Those of you in the know always pour the shot on top of the hot water to show the quality of the crema to your customer).

As I sat down I let it cool for 30 seconds and took my first sip of what I can only describe as under extracted, no depth, little body and a poor finish of no discernible taste. I would have been happier with a drip coffee spending the extra for poorly extracted espresso.

And while I sat and drank my coffee through the cooling stages, Corey Hart “I wear my sunglasses at night” was streaming through the cafe only to be followed up by Celine Dion . . . I just tried to go to my happy place.

Just before I left I decided to go back and get a 12 oz latte to go, again it was amazingly cheap in comparison to other cafes in Sechelt and yet I was completely disappointed. The drink was made with a single shot, the milk was over heated and the taste was more heated milk with the after taste of coffee. Sadly I couldn’t even finish it and had to drink some water to get the after taste out of my mouth.

I went back a couple days later just to make sure they weren’t having a bad day and this time I tried a 12 oz Kona medium roast of drip coffee. It had been on a heater for some time and it was luke warm, briny, and very weak in taste. I did sample some dark roast and it seemed to have a less briny taste and seemed to hide the imperfections better than my medium roast. In almost everything I tasted at this shop it seemed old, woody or muddy or just not anything desirable in a coffee. Luckily it wasn’t playing Celine on my last trip.

I would suggest cleaning everything with espresso machine detergent (also known by the brand name espresso magic), I have had some Bean Around The World roast since then and the taste was a lot better then anything servered here, Or maybe a change of your water filter?

Barista to blame?

It is always hard for me to give a bad review, because generally I really like finding good cafes, but I also wonder if it is the fault of the barista or if they are just not trained properly. The girls behind the counter were no different in age then their counterparts in Vancouver and seemed to enjoy serving customers and being sociable and cleaning up tables in an orderly manner. But for what ever reason this level of service just doesn’t follow through to the most important part of the cafe. . .  the coffee.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: The Daily Roast
Drinks ordered: 12 oz. americano & 12 oz latte & 12 oz med roast
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Skill: sadly none
Barista’s friendliness: sincere, courteous and friendly
Website: none

Short story: I sold my car. I live on The Drive. It is one of the best areas in town to live with out a vehicle. When I need one I use a Car Co-op, take the bus or call a cab. And while this has worked quite well it wouldn’t in a lot of areas. As I used to work out of my car, (and have slept in it on one occasion) it was a proof of concept to show I could really live with out it. And I have been able to very easily …

When I take the number 20 into downtown I kept on seeing this cafe on Richard Street, called Taxi Cafe. Like thousands of cafes in Vancouver I didn’t know a thing about it. But as my visits downtown increased, I kept walking past Taxi Cafe and really wanted to check it out.

I had my opportunity to check out the cafe and noticed it was much much more than a cafe. One of the most successful and award-winning advertising agencies in Canada opened up a Vancouver Office and along with Taxi Vancouver came the Taxi Cafe.

Why a cafe instead of a waiting room?
Why a professionally trained barista instead of a receptionist ?
I asked cafe manager Chris Reynolds and barista Yvon about this concept.

To paraphrase they wanted to open up the front space of the offices and make it more of a public space; something where they can; one, showcase the work they have done for clients; and two, instead of meeting with a client outside a cafe why not have their own cafe? Also if a client has arrived early for a meeting, why not offer them an espresso or latte? I think this makes perfect sense actually and having the cafe open to the public helps the bottom line a bit and because the agency is all about marketing a brand (Yes those Viagra Commercials are a Taxi creation). So why not show your clients what you can do with a brand and market your own coffee shop in a city that has one of the most competitive coffee environments?

Yes but what about the cafe?

Walking in, you are met with concrete floors, white walls and marble counters. The word Taxi is written on a light wall from across the back wall. But the cafe still has minimalistic aesthetic appeal. There are three screens on the front wall showing the advertisements that taxi has worked on.
The coffee is a dark roasted espresso and is made to a professional standard. I am not a huge fan of the dark roast espresso as it loses some of the subtle flavour you can find in a roast, but overall I was happy with it. Taxi is currently packaging its own coffee and using a roaster based in Toronto called Mountainview.

Yvon was very diligent about keeping her machine clean and well timed. There isn’t a whole lot of traffic from the street that enters into the shop so she isn’t that busy but the beans are fresh and the service is personable and friendly. There isn’t any free wireless for the general public, nor is there any plug-ins.

Is independent a brand?

As far as independents go, I would consider Taxi Cafe one. They are owned and run by a large advertising agency, yet the shop is unique and different and very much has its own flair. Reynolds has plans to open up a second cafe in Toronto that is completely detached from the agency itself. Would I want to see one on every corner? No, but then I don’t like seeing a Blenz, a Waves, a Starbucks and a Tims on the same four corners of every block and in every city. And in saying that I believe Taxi fits the bill as an independent cafe in Vancouver.

Update March 2009: I have been to Taxi Cafe a number of time since this review and although they have changed their roastry to Mountainview, out of Toronto, Yvon still tends shop and I still get a great Americano.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written: Taxi Cafe
Drinks ordered: 12oz. Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: med priced at a small
Barista Skill: solid
Barista’s friendliness: informative and friendly
Website: www.taxi.ca

Address: 515 Richards Street, Vancouver, Canada

The Elysian (pronounced E·ly·sian) Room is one of the great homes for coffee lovers in Vancouver. It is home to one of the best traditionally poured cappuccinos in the city.

The Elysian fields in Greek mythology is the final resting place for the gods’ chosen ones. It is not a far stretch to see why Alistair Durie named his cafe after it. The free pour cappuccinos are to die for and the mellow mood of this cafe plays a mix of Zero 7 and Thievery Corporation in the background.

The Cafe is located just behind the Fifth Avenue Cinema, strangely enough on Fifth Ave. It is tucked into a corner of the building and has a very warm feeling once you enter. I love coming to this cafe just before a show to sip a nice americano before attending a flick with a good friend or partner.

Seating is limited as it is barely the size of a one-bedroom apartment, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality with 49th Parallel beans. There is also free wireless, but because of size don’t make it your home office.

I felt horrible for guys like Alistair Durie who put time and effort in to perfecting and marketing the Clover, only for it to be sold out to Shultz and the green machine.

What I also love about this cafe is that it is inset from Burrard Street. It fits the mellow mood of the cafe. It could almost be missed if you don’t go looking for it and it contrasts most cafes. I rather like that this cafe is arms distance away from the hubbub, much like the Elysian fields themselves.

Faces and Places

Where blog was written:The Elysian Room
Drinks ordered: Traditional Cappuccino and 12oz Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: large for price of a small
Barista skill: Top Notch
Barista’s friendliness: Cool cucumbers
Website: http://www.elysiancoffee.com

Address: 1778 West 5th Avenue, Vancouver

Well, my loyal readers, Geoff Howe decided to stay on the Island for a couple more days and so I delayed the Expresso-thon. This is kind of a good thing since I have been out with a cold for the past week.
But I decided to go out and meet a fellow blogger, Peter Van de Reep. He writes Pulling Shots, (The blog has been in Stasis since January) a barista view of the world and works weekends at Wicked Cafe on West 7th and Hemlock. Wicked Cafe was started by Brad Ford back in circa 2004. I had been to Wicked a number of times before, so coming in today was a complete surprise, but not really in the best way.

• Please see the update at the bottom of this review •

Brad Ford is the Canadian distributor for Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea, who starting roasting in 1995 and is completely a direct trade shop even before it was chic to do so.
I first had a Madagascar Vanilla Rooibos tea supplied by Steeps Tea, which helped relieve my ailing cold. Then with Peter at the helm, I had a 12 oz foamy latte with some awesome foam art going on. The quality of their coffee is really on par with the top cafes of Vancouver, and their baristas have the knowledge to back up any questions you might have.

Quality does not equal comfort

When I first entered the cafe, the door was left open, and brought in a lot of noise from the street. When some one went to close it because they were cold they were quite boldly stopped by one of the staff.
I found a seat at the large communal table in the centre of the cafe and had a large chill run down my back from the open door. Peter later told me that behind the counter it is really, really hot from all the machinery and well I sympathized. It didn’t increase the enjoyment of my stay.

I also remember a couple of years ago that most of the seating were comfy chairs. I saw only two chairs (there is actually four), a huge table that could sit many people. I think the comfy chairs suit Wicked a lot more then the large table.

But the thing that bothered me the most about my visit to Wicked was how loud everything was. From the noise of the traffic on the street, to the yanking of the grinder, to the sound of the cash register. There was also a large tube coming from the kitchen into the front area. It looked as if the kitchen was under-construction.

The end of this story is that although there is a lot of room for improvement on Wicked’s ambience the real proof, is in the quality of the roast, the knowledge of the barista, and the quality of the pour. All of which were top of the line.

It is just not a place I would go to study for an exam or read a book.

Update March, 09: I was in Wicked Cafe on Hemlock recently and found the place quieter, the service was quick and coffee was excellent. I found the barista working behind the bar weren’t as noisy either. Noise of a espresso machine and grinders can’t be helped, but what can be helped it how hard you are on your equipment. If you watch the girls at Prado or the boys at 49th Cafe you can still have a conversation over a working cafe. Music was pretty mellow too. 

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Wicked Cafe
Drink ordered: 12 oz latte & 12 oz Rooibos
Discount of own to-go cup: didn’t ask sorry!
Barista Knowledge: Best in Vancouver
Barista’s friendliness: friendly and knowledgeable
Website: www.wickedcafe.ca

Address: 1399 West 7th Ave, Vancouver

When walking into the Victrola Cafe and Roastery Pike Street location you see high ceilings, brick walls, large bay windows that let you look on to the street but also into the roasting area. this cafe has a large open feel to it as has a great subtle feel to it. Thanks to Amy York of Prado for suggesting it.

This is a place where I could get my groove on to throw downs some prose.

As smooth as honey, as sweet as love

After witnessing all that is Starbucks at Pike Place Market and needed some mellow moments of creativity and good coffee. The barista behind the counter was cool, not suggesting any special drink or trying to up sell me on anything. I knew I wasn’t in Starbucks country anymore, this was a good thing. . . . The Americano was smooth to the taste and a delight to experience with not a hint of bitterness. It was one the best decafe’s I have ever had.

I began a conversation with Chris Sharp about Macintosh battery life on the MacBook Pro and then asked “Do you worked here.”

His response was “ya kinda, I own it”

Fair Play

We had a good conversation about fair trade certification of the coffee beans and why direct trade is better then fair trade. I quite enjoyed my conversation with Sharp, I learnt more about the foundation of the direct trade agreements roasters like Sharp have and why it is more important to foster these types of relationship. I certainly agree with Sharp seeing what importers like 49th Parallel has done with the relationships with their farmers which has brought a lot of social conciseness to the coffee scene in Vancouver.

The café is certainly top of my list for Seattle cafés and has some nice soothing music to it. I certainly recommend this cafe to any visitor to Seattle, it is worth a visit.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Victrola Cafe & Roastery
Drink ordered: Decafe 12 oz Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: You get nothing
Barista knowledge: solid skill
Barista friendlyness: Nice, but not all that talkative
Website: www.victrolacoffee.com

Address: 310 E Pike St. Seattle, USA

Surprise surprise, I am not sure if the Piccolo brothers can get away from the Cafe business or was this the goal all along.

But I was finally able to check out the 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters new cafe in downtown Kitsilano and a few things surprised me while other remain the same.

This is very much not another Caffe Artigiano by a different name. The skinny cafe with high ceilings a wooden bench that flow the length of the cafe, but yet broken up by banks of lights build into the wall.

Word on the street is this will be the one and only 49th Parallel Cafe. In answering my own question above, why open up a cafe after just selling off the successful chain you started. Well the answer is simple, the hard work was already done.

Not just another Artigiano

The Artigiano experiment was to compete head to head with the green machine, serving hug volumes, but exceeding expectation in terms of quality. They mainly succeeded and have 49th Parallel to show for it. A brand that many coffee drinkers know and a brand that independent cafes look for. But I also heard that after starting the roaster, the chain was a real drain on the brothers and when the right buyer came along they made the right decision to sell.

I felt great coming into this cafe, as busy as it was, I ordered my drink from a wonderful Kiwi girl offered a pleasant amount of conversation while I ordered.

I ordered a medium Americano which weighted in at 9 oz in size. I walked over to the sparkling new expresso machine and with in about 30 seconds had my americano in hand.

True to form the Epic Expresso was rich with flavor full of body and had a nice aftertaste that was actually leaving me wanting more. So. . . I had more. . . but I decided to have something from The Clover this time.

No drip to be found here

After a cleansing of the palette The Costa Rican was a really smooth coffee with a hint of caramel sweetness. Americano’s and The Clover is usual fair, brewed coffee is only available on the weekends.

If you are looking to get your coffee to go and in a rush you might have to wait more then a couple seconds because every cup is made independently on the clover and perfection take time.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: 49th Parallel Coffee Rosters Cafes
Drink ordered: 9 oz Americano
Discount of own to-go cup: you get nothing!
Quality and service: Extremely Knowledgeable
Barista friendliness: Always in good humour
Website: www.49thparallelroasters.com

Address: 2152 West 4th, Vancouver

For this review I decided to say a little closer to home, in fact this is the closest café to my house on The Drive.

Bump and Grind is a saucy joint that has been open for a couple of years on the northern most edge of the Drive. The café is run by Audrey and Joe ( Christine sold the cafe in May, 2008 ) who are business partners and can usually see most days behind the counter.

The surroundings of Bump and Grind give away that this is a little more counter culture then your usual fair. The café boasts a couch full of vocabulary one large table and a few smaller ones with art that changes on a monthly basis. The café has one of the most interesting art installations a while back where the entire café was covered in “2000 pages of handwritten study notes from a Doctoral Candidate” in political science. It was one of the best art displays in a coffee shop, I had ever seen.

DJ can now be seen in the cafe spinning vinyl on the turn tables in the back on the weekends and during the week Joe and Audrey seem to always have something funky playing in the shop.

There is wifi at the shop, but they had taken away all but one power plugins away due to abuse by some loitering customers.

If you just want to sit in a cafe for six hours and nurse one cup of tea go find a Waves.

Sleeves are for wimps

A while back I dropped in to ask if I could have a sleeve for my coffee, (I didn’t bring my own mug ) and it was a bit of a struggle to get one. Apparently Josh and Christine have something against sleeves of the world, Actually they are just trying to reduce the impact on our environment and they are pretty militant about it. But instead of just bitching about something they decided to do something about it.

At Bump and Grind if you want a sleeve you’ll have to pay a buck for one, and they’ll want you to keep it too. It is a cool concept and I wish them the best of luck with it.

Since selling the Cafe Audrey and Joe sell the Coffee Cuff

A little sauce with your coffee

What I really enjoy about the drive is the fact that you can a huge variety of people and viewpoints. I think it is what makes people come to the drive. Bump and Grind is no different. Just don’t ask for a sleeve. Josh and Christine sold the cafe to Audrey and Joe in May, 08. The coffee is still the same quality but is lacking the saucy and somewhat abusive attitude. Dam I will miss that.

Since purchasing the cafe last year Joe and Audrey have really captured the attention of coffee drinkers in Vancouver and it has become one of the top cafes in Vancouver, When some of the top Barista in the country go to Bump and Grind to enjoy an espresso you know they must be doing something right.

Faces and Places

Where this Blog was written: Bump and Grind
Drink ordered: 12oz Costa Rican Roast
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Knowledge: Top notch
Barista Friendliness: Awesome
Café website : none

Address: 916 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC

Well I figure it was about that time, yes time to do the impossible, time to review Caffé Artigiano. But what can I say that hasn’t already been said, and if your reading this blog then maybe your already a fan. . .

A few notes in point form:

• They always have a line up
• They are always busy
• Their barista’s are always really friendly (This means you Jacqueline & Arielle. sad note: both have now left Artigiano)
• Yes you will have to wait more then 30 seconds for your latte.
• Yes it really is worth the wait. . . .

Why has this micro chain of five cafes done so well and so popular, well that is a bit of a longer story, one I really don’t know all that well, but I give you what I know.

As the story goes the Piccolo brothers, (Vince, Sammy and Mike) wanted to create a different type of cafe in Vancouver, one that completely centered around quality, comfort and lively atmosphere regardless of how busy they where. It wasn’t meant to combat the huge trend of cookie cutter cafes in the Vancouver region, we don’t need another Waves or Blenz or Starbucks do we? But more to show what quality a café really can achieve.

They don’t have wireless at any of their cafes, but then what are you coming for the coffee or the Internet?

“If you want the Internet go to Blenz” One of the Barista said to me jokingly.

Back in the summer of 2006 when I was an actual barista and working for Seattle’s Best Coffee (in the Bental 5) I heard about the five dollar cup of coffee, how they weren’t even making a profit at that price and how it was the best coffee around.

Jen, a fellow SBC co-worker, and I had decided to check out this roast. It was the best coffee I have ever had in my life, it was a light roast, but rich in flavour amazing in texture and had this amazing lingering aftertaste that made you feel like it you were still drinking it, without a hint of burnt or bitter flavour, this is what coffee was suppose to taste like.

The cup was also made with a special brewer called a Clover, which uses a system like a French press, but instead of a plunger they use a vacuum to separate the water and the coffee. It really is an ingenious way to enjoy coffee and it’s more precise then a normal brewer. It is also $10,000 plus dollars, which is why most cafe’s can’t afford the machine.

I have heard some stories about bad service or long waits for service, but I have never had a bad experience in these cafes, especially the one off Georgia and Howe. When it is busy this cafe is quite noisy, so it is not for the studying kind.

They were using intelligentsia coffee at the Initial start up and it was the Piccolo brothers goal to always roast their own beans. They started to do that with the incorporation of 49th Parallel Coffee and in 2005 and have never looked back.

The café was sold in December 2006 to Willie Mounzer, former VP of operations for Earls. But the front end will always serve 49th Parallel Coffee, it is just a different owner behind the till.

Where this Blog was written: Caffé Artigiano on Hornby
Drink ordered: 12 oz latte to stay (pictured)
Discount of own to-go cup: You get nothing
Barista Knowledge: Extremely knowledgeable
Barista Friendliness: Awesome
Café website : www.caffeartigiano.com

Address: 763 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC

Well, after a couple days of R&R in Victoria I can see why people like this place so much. It is awesome.

While walking around downtown I checked out a cafe called Serious Coffee, any cafe with this name is just begging for a review.

Walking I was met with a nice looking cafe, pastel colours, wood floors and track lighting. I was pretty hesitant to think I was going to match the cafe I am use to on the drive, but do I love being wrong.

The americano I had could have been a bit stronger, but it did have a nice mellow body, it just wasn’t the smack across the face of flavour I was craving or was use to with the Organic Ethiopian I usually drink at home. But as I finished the cup, the body became more present to my palette leaving me fulfilled.

Serious routine

The reason I went to Victoria was to visit my friend Lucy Nicholson who was covering the U-20 and she was covering the teams practices in the mornings, so I have my mornings free to lounge around and just enjoy life. I decided to head to back Serious Coffee and make a second review of the cafe.

I got into a great routine of having breakfast at the hostel and then walking up to the cafe and purchasing the fair trade mexican which was a well balanced medium roast.

One thing I really liked about this cafe is that they offered the local newspaper The Times Colonist a 12 oz. coffee for two dollars even. It was really nice to sit down to a daily roast with a nice rag like the TC. I grew quite accustomed to this routine and hated to give it up once I left and had to return back to school.

The girls behind the counter were quite knowledgeable and never missed a beat with any question posed to them. They were light and bubbly and generally enjoyed the work they did.

I didn’t have my laptop but all locations have free wireless and a internet cafe setup.

But why a chain?

As many people know I am not much of a chain type of guy I am much more a independent cafe and local owned an operated business. I like the shop local additude, but after many years of living the land of nothing but Walmart (eg. Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) I know that sometimes searching for quality is important regardless of where it comes from.

But as my visits to Serious Coffee grew, so did my knowledge of the chain. I learnt a bit more about the company and their history, they started in 1994 in Duncan BC. They have grown through out the lower island to over 20 stores and as most of them are franchised. Again, I am not a big fan of franchised as it can really harm the brand if they are not controlled properly.

The Roastery has moved but is now back in Duncan BC and the chain is looking at expanding another 12 to 14 store’s over the next year.

I would compare this micro chain to JJ Beans in Vancouver, although they are in different markets, they are going after the same demographic and both do a nice job of it.

Is this your final answer

As I only went to one cafe, I can’t comment any more on the chain, but I’d be happy to have this cafe blocks away from my house, the staff do make the difference at this location they really did rock. So if your looking for a local cafe with a decent brew and some awesome customer service I would check them out. I would also note that unlike Murchies, the Serious Coffee location was more for locals, then tourist, it seems that they were more concerned with the providing really good product on a daily basis to locals then a single experience to a visiting tourist.

Faces and Places

Where this Blog was written: Serious Coffee (Yates & Broad location)
Drink ordered: Mexican Malinal Fair Trade 12 oz.
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Knowledge: Intelligent
Barista Friendliness: Personable, good sense of humour
Café website : http://www.seriouscoffee.com/

Address: 632 Yates Street, Victoria, BC