So Vic’s downtown didn’t make it, but they’re taking another shot in South Boulder. At Table Mesa and Tantra Vic’s is looking to open a sister shop to it’s wildly successful flagship at Ideal Market. We certainly ranted our fair share about Vic’s downtown and it was bittersweet to see them go. And yet we’ve raved about Vic’s at Ideal (ok, one of us has? others on this blog have bashed; i like Vic’s Ideal for the record). They’ve got the right formula and I admittedly dig the Newlands vibe. We’ll see what Vic’s SoBo unveils, but if Vic’s stature in the community is any indication, the new shop will be worth a visit.
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[This will be another ongoing post. Please comment with updates and added intel.]
Alphabetical listing….
Allegro Coffee (consistently bland)
- Joe’s
- Ozo (they know how to serve Allegro, though)
- Vic’s
Boulder Organic Coffee (just so-so)
- Burnt Toast
- Dish
- Espressoria (Jet’s)
- Tee & Cakes
Conscious Coffees (consistently the best roast in Boulder)
- Coffee Sanctuary
- The Cup
- The Kitchen
- The Rail Car (Nederland)
- Sidney’s
- Tea Spot
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Yeah, I know it’s tough leaving the bubble, but it’s Moab in the spring. How can you go wrong? I was stoked to get down there for the scenery, biking, river and what else? Coffee. I did a little bit of recon before getting down there, followed by some local insight. Here’s a recap of what I found…
Arches Book Company
78 N. Main St.
These guys better be good at selling books because it’s going to be tough to succeed as a coffee shop. The seating/work area is super small, plug selection limited, coffee way inconsistent w/ no “love” in the preparation, and wireless is weak/slow. On the plus side their tea selection is good (substantial organic menu), friendly and cute baristas, and for a distraction, they look right onto downtown Main Street. They support local artists and have a great small town book store book selection, but the service leaves a little something to be desired. The sales/coffee process is super inefficient and I found myself waiting in line for about 5 minutes watching my tea water cool before they got the tea bag in it. Yeah, lukewarm is not the way I like it. But the thing I really dig about the place, they roast their own coffee. Yeah, probably not the same quality as some of the finer roasters mentioned on this site (Conscious Coffee, Novo), but you know it’s fresh and it’s great to have that ability for process control and refinement throughout the whole process.
Mondo Cafe
59 S. Main St
They’re just starting to figure it out. They’ve got a good internet connection and friendly but grungy baristas (I know, to be expected in Moab). Their layout is sterile and there really isn’t a cohesive “theme.” And for those tea lovers…better find somewhere else, they’re pretty minimal at Mondo. They make good coffee though (at least from my conversations with other patrons – I was sampling their tea) and open earlier than the other coffee shops in town – great for those looking to catch an early ride. They also have a great breakfast menu, making it a great one-stop-shop for the morning caffeine-food-blog routine, because really, how many stops do you want to make before you get going with what you came there to do – bike/camp/climb/raft/hike?
The other thing I found? More BO per capita than in any city I’ve found in a long time. So don’t waste packing space with your deodorant and know, you’ll be a long way from the comfort and variety of Boulder coffee, but close to a community with a growing coffee culture.
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[ed. note: We realized (in a flash of utter brilliance) that a real Boulder coffee guide would actually list all of the shops we've mentioned in one post. So here's another permapost, to be updated continuously as new info and opinion trickles in. Comments will of course be considered in editing this post.]
Where to go when you want….
The best in coffee
The Cup (Pearl between 15th/16th)
Sidney’s (Walnut between 13th/14th)
Inconsistent coffee
almost every shop….espresso quality can be very barista-dependent
Saxy’s
Folsom St.
Organica (let’s just say: bad drinks all around)
A really busy work scene
Saxy’s
Folsom St
Vic’s @ Ideal (don’t go before 11am: no wireless)
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