The Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene

With the end of summer upon us there has always been one event that my family looks forward to, the opening of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE). Co-author Erica Hill arrived and it was important to get her up on a trip that everyone makes at least once in their Vancouver lifetime.

The Superdog show, the pig races and those little mini-donuts are all tried and true traditions of the PNE, but can you find a good cup of coffee on the grounds of Vancouver’s longest running fair? To be honest, we weren’t all that hopeful about finding a good cup of coffee but thought, “Hey why not?” With the free admission on the first day we’d have some extra cash to do something else while walking between shows and events.

We decided to rate coffee on PNE’s grounds an out-of-10 scale. Please note that we are grading our experiences against other cafes on the grounds only.

So, we joined the long line of people to get in. Once we were first checked in we ventured to the show mart to look for any coffee retailers that might have a few things to sell us. We saw lots of sham-wow knock offs, ginzu knives and more than a few locations that sell fudge. But, no coffee.

We thought, “Hey, let’s ask guest services”. . . It was the first time I have been back since the demolition of the food pavilion.

“Ahh, there is coffee near the Coliseum and a bunch of concession stands, but I don’t know where the good coffee is. I don’t drink the stuff,” a very nice attendant said.

So we decided to stroll the street leading to the Coliseum and it wasn’t long until we found Jimmy’s Lunch, which proclaimed Good Coffee. How could we not try it?

Jimmy’s Lunch
“Don’t lose your slip”
$2.50
Boyd’s Coffee Service

We didn’t order lunch we were only here for the coffee, so we were never given a order slip but every employee, all 15 of them, asked, “Where is your slip?” But at the end of the line we were laughing about the lack of a slip. We got the coffee and all we could smell was the fried onions on the grill, something we hear Jimmy’s was famous for. They have been at the fair since the 1920s.

Well at $2.50 a cup we found Jimmy’s Lunch coffee burnt, devoid of any flavour and it could not be improved with any amount of cream or sugar. It could be said that the quality could only go up from there, and was horribly expensive for what we actually got. Neither of us even finished half of a cup. On the plus side, it had a really nice grassy seating area behind the stand. Just remember, do not lose your slip.

Erica	Robert
3	2

As we continued down the walkway to the Coliseum we found a very busy kiosk powered by espresso according to the side wall.

Cheyenne Coffee
“Best cup of the Day”
$2.25 – $2.50
Cherry Hill Coffee

They were really moving behind the counter of this kiosk and four people were constantly running out to serve people.

“This was much more than I thought we would find here, they have an espresso maker and not the push button automatic machine I was expecting,” noted Erica.

Although I was concerned by the lack of crema on my Americano, I also wondered if the hot water was on top of the espresso, which dissipates the crema. We couldn’t see what was going on behind the counter.

“It lacks a real punch of flavour, which is only a result of under extraction, but really better then I was expecting to find at the PNE,” noted Robert.

After the coffee had cooled a bit it was a little more enjoyable and had some subtle notes and a sweet acidity. Erica enjoys more of a full body coffee than I, so she felt a little less satisfied. We did actually drink most of the beverages from this location as they have two locations on the grounds.

Erica	Robert
6	6

We then toured Hasting Race Track and sadly found Hastings Deli and Cappuccino bar closed. Erica really enjoyed the view from the grandstands and hopes to return to lose her money to the ponies. . . .

Continuing into Playland we thought we could find at least one coffee stand amongst the Hellevators, Rollercoasters and Midway Game. We did find a concession stand that sold coffee along with burgers and fries but the 15 person line up and the $2.75 a cup kept us at bay.

We basked in the warm goodness that is the PNE mini-donuts and we walked back to the PNE section of the fair only to find this cute little booth advertising independently home-roasted organic coffee. Needless to say we got our hopes up!

Earth Club Factory
“Shot time of minutes”
$3.50
Earth Club Factory Roasters

We showed up and found a three-group machine and everything at this cafe other than the unknown roaster said this was going to be a great cup of coffee. But once again our hopes were dashed in a big way. First there was a price difference between a 12 oz. cappuccino and 12 oz. latte by .25 cents. Why? The other thing was we saw the shots running very slowly but yet got our drinks extremely quickly. This proves that just because a coffee shop offers organic, fair trade, small batch roasted coffee doesn’t mean it is any good.

“This cappuccino has no taste. It is watery milk and the milk is burnt,” concluded Erica.

Although my cappuccino was slightly better tasting espresso there was barely half an inch of foam on either drink.

Erica	Robert
3	3

Hopes dashed we threw out the drinks and went to watch some pig races, which were quite popular. With barely an inch of space to be found, after the pig races we went to get some real food and found a French crepe’s place near Jimmy’s Lunch. It was the best crepes we have ever had and the best value bar none at the fair.

Full of junk food, legs weary from scouring the entire grounds and tired from the crowds of people we left the 99th annual PNE and came to the conclusion that although they had some definite room for improvement Cheyenne Coffee was the only place to go once on the ground of the PNE.

I have no idea how the food vending application process worked for the PNE or what type of revenue sharing occurs, but if JJ Bean, Salt Spring, 49th or Wicked ever decided to put a kiosk in the PNE they would certainly give the current vendors a run for their money!

Footnote: I was riding home and saw a number of people walking from the Starbucks on Kaslo with trays of drinks to the fairgrounds, understanding that yes that is certainly your second option.

The Main Street JJ Bean is one of seven in the string of cafes that are part of  JJ Bean Coffee Roasters. They have a large wholesale and distributing arm which services a huge number of independent operated cafes across the lower mainland.

But the house that I am talking about is exclusively the JJ Bean Cafes located across Vancouver and are owned and operated by the parent company. These cafes are where a lot of barista’s in Vancouver have gotten their start and some cafe owners like Amy York were taught the business before going off to start new cafes.

This is also an exclusive review of the Main Street Cafe as chains go one cafe can not speak for the entire brand.

A short walk up from Broadway you’ll find yourself at East 14th and a bucks on one corner and a JJ Bean on the other. The JJ’s has a large wood finish on the exterior and a huge portal for people watching along main street. Walking into the cafe the wood theme continues with high wood ceilings, a central fire place, with a green titled and  wood bar.  As far a cafes go this is quite the large one with a pair of La Marczocco Linea three group machines and a large fireplace in the center. Their is a roaster in the corner and it is used on a weekly basis for small batch roasting.

Song bird style

The cafe has large garage style windows which open up to the patio during the summer. I must admit I whore for this style of windows and with the type of climate Vancouver has it suites the cafe perfectly. Small little song birds who are quite cheeky in their pursuit of muffin crumbs perpetrate through the large garage bay windows. Personally I think it adds to the cafe. If a seagull came nibbling around my feet I might have a different opinion, but the sounds of the song birds are certainly sweeter then roar of traffic IMHO.

The JJ Bean Coffee Roasters has been going through a re-genesis of sorts the have shorten their line up and refined their purchasing, the Espresso Nero Organic has been really kicking it in high gear lately. I think were coming into a great time for coffee drinkers in Vancouver as the roasters are really challenging each other in terms of quality.

The Americano ordered on the first visit was rich in crema. As it cool I found it kinda mellowed out a bit with a clean finish. I had to down it as I didn’t realize the time, but even doing that I didn’t ruined the finish, although I wouldn’t recommend it.

A Roman Indulgence

I returned a week later to have an espresso macchiato. The milk was steam perfectly with a decent amount a micro foam and both the espresso and milk melded perfectly together. It was one of the best drinks I have ever had from a JJ Bean. I find it hard to sometimes describe the perfect drink as their are so many variables that can’t be judges or quantified. But everything came together, quality drink, the environment, service, music, mood.

In my second drink I decided to go all out and ask for an 8oz Dry Cappuccino and they delivered in my estimation a perfectly crafted dry cappuccino of which I fully enjoyed from the spoonfuls of foam on top to the perfectly heated milk below.

They don’t have wi-fi, but they do serve food and this place can get dam busy even at the slowest of days. I have been really enjoying JJ’s coffee as of late and these latest cafe visits has certainly excelled in quality from previous visits.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: JJ Bean Main Street
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz Americano & 6 oz. Macchiato and 8 oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount on to-go cup: 15 cents
Barista Skill: Top notch
Barista friendliness: personable and sociable
Website: www.jjbeancoffee.com

Address: 3010 Main St, Vancouver

Last summer, almost a year ago I ask Gio Corsi to help me review a famous cafe and attraction on The Drive. Cafe Calabria.

You might know Gio Corsi from some of his other rolls on the Internet. He plays the Russian Ambassador on the famous Tiki Bar TV. He also writes wrote a food blog called Vancouver Eats (he now writes Singapore Eats) and has been know to take some damn popular flickr photos.
Gio had also just returned from a trip to Italy and who better to help me review a cafe then a Italian-Canadian who just got back from Italy?
Well that summer came and went and still not a post was updated, I felt horrible, but was so behind the 8-ball in way to many project I still let this one slide. Come the new year both Gio and myself found ourselves unemployed due to the recent economic downturn.  I had decided to relaunched the coffee blog and I was determined to make good on a promise and concluded this review.

I just keep moving on…

Well as luck may have it, I found work just down the street and Gio well he found work in Singapore. Yes our lovable ambassador of food and all things tiki has moved to Asia and while we couldn’t fit in a return visit to Calabria. I promised to return a finish what we started and save some face.

Finishing what we started

Cafe Calabria has been an establishment on The Drive for 32 years and they have the memorabilia to show for it. I first tried the gelato, it was the tiramisu a little pricey and fresher could be had on The Drive although in the heat of the summer this is nothing to complain about.

Gio arrived and we went up to the bar and ordered a cappuccino and double espresso.

“The crema was a bit weak but it tastes like Italy, appearances can be deceiving,” said Corsi.

We both though the Italian of the year was a bit cheesy but it plays to the theme of the place well.

“But baring that this is the great melting pot of european goodness… Italian coffee across the street from a Thai take out and a Greek resturant.” said Corsi.

It is places like this that really make The Drive.

“You can tell a good place from everything else because it always has all the old Italian guys sitting out front.” said Corsi.

Calabria is always busy I have never seen it empty or without people sitting outside although I am sure it happens occasionally.
Going back a year later I had both a Americano and a 8oz Dry Cappuccino and both were decent I also had a biscotti that hit the spot. I have had a variety of quality and service at Calabria as it almost depends on their mood. The roast is also quite dark but something you would expect from an Italian roaster, overall quality is decent and drinks are consistent to their style, oh and character, nothing in Vancouver comes close to this cafe in terms of character.

I did enjoy my last visit and hope to see Gio back in Vancouver with in a couple years where I sure will toast his return to The Drive.

Where this blog was written: Caffe Calabria
Drink that was ordered: 8 oz Americano and 8oz Dry Cappuccino
Discount on to-go cup: none
Barista Skill: Old Skool
Barista friendliness: A little rough around the edges (but not ball busting)
Website: none

Address: 1745 Commercial Drive

I always like a challenge. Sometimes I think a little too much. But when my friend Suzanne Stunder said, “I didn’t know there were any other places other than Starbucks that are worthy of my money.” Well, you’re just asking for it.

I also thought this was the perfect opportunity to multitask and check out the new Elysian Coffee location at Ash and Broadway. (Check out the review the original the Elysian Room). So on a beautiful Friday morning I jumped on my bike and rode through the beautiful cherry blossom lined streets of East Van to this new local just before Cambie street.

Walking in to this joint you get a very minimalist laid out cafe with subtle tones of brownish gray and white walls. The bar really showcases two clovers when you walk in. They are unmistakable in shape and size.

At the counter the barista tried to guess my drink. Man do I love that. . . It shows just how much they love their job. Although he was third-time lucky (wet cappuccino) he also handed me a glass of sparkling-carbonated water while I was waiting for Suzanne to show up.

No Drip Here

Once she arrived she immediately asked for a drip coffee and was surprised to hear there wasn’t any available. I told her the coffee was on me so she ordered a macchiato and was impressed by the little heart she received, (don’t get that at Starbucks now do ya?). After we caught up on state of the world, I started to ask her about her love affair with the bucks (or any other chain for that matter). Suzanne was also feeling a little camera shy during the review so we have this substitute photo from her facebook page.

“I feel like home when I am in a bucks. It is my second home no matter where I go, I know what to expect. But what else is there?” asked Stunder. “The problem with me is that I am not a conoseiur of coffee. I think McDonald’s coffee is great. I reheat my folgers after it gets cold. It is not all about the coffee for me, I am much more about the experience.”

We discussed what experience she had at the chains that she liked.

“It is not about being cheap, it is about enjoying the experience. [For example] I’d rather have a $20 dollar bottle of wine with good friends then a $100 dollar bottle of wine with a bad date,” said Stunder. “My life is too busy for unrealistic expectation. Especially from my coffee… I want to get my coffee, I don’t want to be let down first thing in the morning.”

A mate by any other name

While we both agreed on this subject, the topic of a 60 oz cup commercial coffee urn came up and our paths show that we both drank our fair share of bad coffee. Apparently Suzanne started drinking coffee at the young age of six at her dad’s autobody shop and she was quite the fan of the coffee mate back in the day. She surmises that this is why she is not a coffee aficionado. . .

Well, I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy fight. so I decided to bring out the big guns and persuaded her to try a sample of the Karmaro Tanzania Peaberry from the clover without any cream or any sugar.

Excellently prepared and served by other barista on duty at the time, Jonathan and if only I could capture the expression on her face. . . It was priceless.

“OK, that is good, what is that, how can I order it?” she asked.

I then explained that this coffee was similar in price (actually it is .50 cents more a cup) and how the clover actually works. When she first heard there wasn’t any drip coffee admittedly she thought it was odd. So I also explained how it wasn’t about being an elitist when it comes to coffee but more enjoying the fine experience of a great cup. If you are going to pay two dollars for a cup of coffee, shouldn’t it be awesome?

I did forget to mention that Starbucks purchased the Clover from the Coffee Equipment Company for exactly this reason, in my opinion. . .

Once Suzanne had left for the beach I chatted with Matty Kolehmainen about the future of  Elysian Coffee as the canadian dealer for the clover machine. Basically, what they were able to do was purchase as many machines as they could before the sale to Starbucks, and they are all but sold out (Alistair confirmed he has two left). Now with a future that is uncertain for the machine and independent cafes.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Elysian Coffee
Drink that was ordered: 6oz capp & 12 oz. Karmaro Tanzania from the Clover
Discount on to-go cup: You get nothing!
Barista Skill: Top notch
Barista friendliness: Awesome
Website: www.elysiancoffee.com

Address: 590 West Broadway, Vancouver, Canada

During a brief stint working in Gastown, before the horrible thing called a recession hit, I would take a walk down Water Street and hit this cafe called Cafe Luna. But what I didn’t know at the time was it wasn’t even Cafe Luna anymore. The cafe got a new name, new owners and a new roast.

What has captured my attention about Smart Mouth was what they always have written on the sandwich board out front. This has ranged from how hot the staff is to how Britney Spears isn’t allowed in, to suggesting you need to call you mom. . . (The author did call his mom after reading the sign, she is doing fine).

A funny sandwich board might get me in the door once, but the experience is what made me come back. The cafe is two levels with the bar and counter in the top level and a seating area on the ground level. The walls are all painted black with tiny little halogen lights hanging everywhere.

What did you say your name was?

Both inside and out on this cafe you’ll see the double branding Smart Mouth Cafe and Cafe Luna. Did this cafe developed a case of schizophrenia? Multi-personalities or is just a little bipolar? Well actually none of the above. Apparently it is just a little hard to remove all of the branding of one cafe and replace it with another when you have a 100 pound sun disk hanging behind your bar.

This is a saucy little joint that will poke fun of anything happening in the city. Most staff wear T-shirts that say “Hello my name is Smart Mouth” and these cast of characters are lead by Ron Downie, and he is usually found behind the registrar making fun of something or someone. . . but don’t worry most of it is actually self deprecating.

The serious side of a smart mouth

What they are serious about is the espresso. I have had everything from a 12 oz latte to an 8 oz cappuccino and a 6 oz macchiato all the way down to straight shots of espresso and never had a bad shot. It has always been worth the trip into Gastown. (Any excuse to walk down Gastown’s cobblestone streets is a good one).

They also have some groovy music playing, something that according to Downie keeps him awake and sharp witted for those smart mouthed customers. The cafe also has wireless, is licensed and serves soup and sandwiches with a side of abuse.

In the long term I hope to see all of the Cafe Luna branding taken down or at the very least covered up. Branding is almost as important as the espresso served behind the bar but don’t judge a books by it’s cover.
I totally approve of this cafe, its horrible sense of humour and its really awesome espresso. It has certainly put its money where its mouth is.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Cafe Lu. . . . Smart Mouth Cafe
Drink that was ordered: 12 oz latte (amongst others)
Discount on to go cup: Medium for the price of a small
Barista Skill: Solid skill
Barista friendlyness: Sassy and smart
Website: none

Address: 117-131 Water St, Vancouver, Canada

A cafe in your kitchen.

After Geoff Howe’s and my adventures in the Espresso-thon, Geoff just couldn’t take the bad coffee other than Cafe Museo. So he took matters into his own hands and purchased his own espresso gear, but he didn’t cheap out on the gear either. Good thing for mail order from 49th or he would be up the South Saskatchewan River without a paddle.

I can only applaud Geoff for taking the bull by the horns to tell me he has had quite the learning curve getting the precise grind. He tells me living on The Drive has certain advantages, one of them being “I don’t need an espresso bar in my kitchen to have a great latte. I can just walk down the street.” Let’s just hope he hasn’t broken the bank on this little venture. Can a small cafe be far behind?

Marketing a brand…

I have developed a fridge magnet for the coffee blog that kind of pokes fun at one of the biggest misconceptions in coffee at home. Keeping your beans in the freezer.
I have about 30 or so of these magnets left (Sold out! Look for more soon.)
After leaving them around town and if you want one for your very own fridge, you’ll have to try Ebay. . .  and I’ll send one off in the mail to ya (postage is on me, unless you want hundreds or live on Mars, that will be subsequently more).

Monkeying around with my brew

Apparently 49th has brough some India Devon Estate SL-795 Arabica that brings out sourcing to a new level (just joking). The bean is picked by a monkey and only the ripest cherry that encompasses the bean is picked by the little dudes. Subsequently this brew has caused a bit of a stir. So much so that vancouveriam did a story featuring Colter Jones about the stuff.

The Future of Vancouver Coffee.ca

This blog has become more than I ever thought it would be and was started as a class project almost a year ago. But I totally love writing this blog, it has been a true education for me and some future improvements will include:

• Moving to a self-hosting blog (done! if your reading this welcome)
• Coffee Glossary of terms (done! check it out)
  
• Interactive map integration(done! check it out)
• More research into fair / direct trade to educate you and me.
• and as always, a bunch more reviews, rants and hopefully a cupping or two.

Yet another chain on the drive. Tim Hortons has decided to take over three stores in the mall and create a behemoth of coffee shops almost the size of Wazubee’s. This also comes at a time when Magpie magazine and Eastside Art Supply and Stationary are both closing its doors due to lack of sales.

Meanwhile, Magpie’s closing has more to do with the laptop culture of cafes. It signals a change to the drive. I have been know to frequent Tim Hortons on numerous occasions, but is ‘the drive’ really a place for Tim Hortons?

Bump and Grind Sold:

Bump and Grind was sold to Audrey and Joe. Christine needed a break from running the cafe and to focus more on her dance instruction.

Audrey and Joe are new to running the cafe. They are certainly no strangers to coffee, glad to see the old haunts are still in good shape. I will miss Christine’s cappuccino’s she had made some spectacular ones.

Direct Purchase Colombian:

My parents were recently on a cruise and had some shore leave in Cartagena, Colombia. They brought me back a pound of roasted coffee. It is a light roast with mellow body.

Cuppings:

I have been using it with my cone filter at home, but I was talking with Audrey and Joe at Bump and Grind and they wanted to put it up against 49th Parallel Colombian.

We put it to the French press test and had some fun in a cupping challenge. Without going into excessive detail we found that although the Colombian did have a nice body after it had been poured, it lacked the overall quality of the 49th parallel roast. Was it really a fair comparison? No not really. . . was it a fun thing to do on a boring cold and rainy afternoon in June. Oh yeah. . .

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

While on a little trip back home to the Sunshine Coast I decided to check out a little cafe called Wheatberries Bakery. This cafe started as a bakery and is home to the best cookies in the entire world, it’s coffee doesn’t take a back seat either.

The Sechelt location has an open wood feel with sunflowers through out the cafe. There is large bay windows through out the cafe seating area and both indoor and outdoor area’s are bathed in natural light for most of the day.

The company started in the garage of the Mark & Jane Yellowley Robert’s Creek home in 1997 as just a bakery and had quite the following from the early beginnings. They opened their first location in Gibsons (circa 2002) to foster more growth beyond what their garage could handle. At this time they started the cafe portion.

The little bakery that could

The Sechelt Location has been operating for about three years and is centrally located right behind the cenotaph at the end of Cowrie Street.

The little family run company now has two locations in Gibsons, a year round small kiosk at the Langdale Ferry Terminal and the Sechelt Location. I don’t think their after world domination (aka like the big green machine) but it is so nice to get a good cup of coffee before catching the ferry.

The Coffee is supplied by Straight Coffee Traders of Wilson Creek another family run coastal enterprise and is organic fair trade and offers a wide variety of roasts to chose from. I had dry cappuccino which had beautiful velvet foam and was perfectly made. I couldn’t of ask for a better cup anywhere on the Lower Mainland.

The Sechelt location has wireless and was working the last time I was in town. ( March, 09 )

Langdale where the hell is Langdale?

Langdale’s claim to fame is the BC Ferries terminal to Vancouver and for the longest time if you ever missed a boat all you had to look forward to was three sparsely filled vending machines and a dullsville of waiting room for two hours.

Well more then a year ago now Wheatberries took over a former hot dog stand and turned it into a coffee Kiosk which they decided to keep open all year long.

Anything, ANYTHING is better then BC ferries coffee and when I missed the boat a couple of times last winter it was the saving grace of a long two hour wait.

Faces and Places

Where this blog was written: Wheatberries Bakery ( Sechelt )
Drink ordered: dry cappuccino
Discount of own to-go cup: 10 cents
Barista Knowledge: Fast
Barista Friendliness: Friendly
Website: None

Address: 5500 Wharf Street, Sechelt BC & Langdale Ferry Terminal

Prado, which means open spaces in Spanish, hangs out on at 1938 the drive (right on the corner of east fourth) it’s has a minimalist appeal too with it’s all wood tables, metal chairs and a simple chalkboard menu with brick columns reaching to the ceiling. But don’t let this laid back appearance fool you. This place is all business behind the counter, with coffee from the local 49th Parallel Roasters and loose leaf tea from the very hip Metropolitan Tea company of Toronto. Their barista’s are also some of the most knowledgeable around, but this jewel of a café never seems to be too busy but yet busy enough that it sees a cast of characters through out the day. It is owned and operated by Amy York who is the delightful blonde (brunette?) behind the counter most day. Ask her anything and she’ll fill your head with coffee knowledge. The only suggestion I would currently make about Prado is that their washroom could be more attended to through a busy shift.

This place is also awesome local for some scooped dry cappuccino’s. Ask Leaf to make you one!

Faces and Places:

Where was this blog written: Prado Café
Drink usually ordered: Americano
Discount for own mug: 20 cents
Barista Knowledge: Top notch
Barista Friendlyness : Excellent
Café website : www.pradocafe.com

Address: 1938 Commercial Dr. Vancouver