Vita, a local shop on 4th avenue in downtown Olympia, is home to Olympia’s best and driest cappuccino. If ever one ever needs a quality pick-me up that gives no mercy to the stomach lining, Vita’s cappuccino is the way to go. They offer outdoor seating for customers and a variety of menu items, including water, fruit juice, and various baked goods (like most places).
Batdorf and Bronson
B&B, located on Capitol Way, serves the best chai tea latte in town. Rich and earthy like chai should be, B&B makes their Sattwa brand chai lattes with love. Another great thing about this cafe is the hospitality. It’s one of the biggest and most relaxing places to be on a week night, soaking up free wi-fi while catching up on homework. During the summer, the blended “chilly goat” makes for a treat even more refreshing than a milkshake or bubble tea (most days). The only big issue with this place is how busy it can get. Its sister location: Dancing Goats, which is also downtown Olympia.
As most students know, Espresso Mia is the on-campus coffee bar with two locations: one in the SUB and one in building 32 (Horticulture). The coffee comes from Olympic Mountain Crest, and is fairly mediocre in quality. Their regular brewed coffee is worse than the free stuff that banks give out. The espresso is decent, and the baristas are very friendly– it’s not bad for community college coffee, especially if you need it fast. However, their prices are higher than the coffee’s quality and anything you ask to be made with frozen yogurt or ice cream will be made with blended ice and cream.
This is the only zombie-themed coffee shop I have ever been to, but I’m pretty sure it’s the coolest bar in town. Though it lacks in size, it’s in a great location (Washington and 4th Avenue) and any drink you order will sound like a horror movie trope, with names like “Grave Moss,” “Ice Cold Corpse,” and “Safe House” (to name a few). The coffee is made by Roaster X, an Arizona-based coffee roaster. It tastes great and is extremely original in its blend of flavors. Other menu items include bubble tea, hummus plates, and other foods. Plus they offer occasional open mic night on weekends!
The only big flaw with this place is that the service is sub-par. If you’re looking for a quick order, you won’t get it here. My usual wait time ranges from five to 10 minutes per visit unless being served by one of the owners.. They’re open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.
C&D Gourmet Coffee
As far as I know, this is the only coffee place in town that makes their own fresh mini doughnuts in front of you. The coffee really doesn’t even matter when the shop makes fresh pastries at a low price. This shop is located a few doors down from Last Word Books on 4th Avenue in downtown Olympia.
The owner of Java Flow is very friendly, but the coffee is dull and expensive. It’s really nothing special as far as taste or location goes. Also, this place is host to weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and located right next to the Intercity Transit station. However, Java does provide punch cards for regular customers and has free-to-use chess boards.
Olympia Coffee Roasters
With two locations around town, one on Harrison Avenue (West Olympia), and one on 4th and Cherry, this roaster has made its name in the coffee business. It’s locally owned and has spectacular variety for coffee lovers. Their beans come from all over the world, and I encourage coffee lovers to stop by one of these locations for a bold new roast.
This is an espresso stand on Capitol Way, just two blocks away from Baskin Robins. Perks serves Batdorf & Bronson coffee, but also offers a wide variety of stand originals. Perks has interesting seasonal flavor combinations for your lattes (like grape) and the baristas make the best espresso shakes in town. The mochas are made with Ghirardelli chocolate instead of the usual Hershey’s or hot cocoa mix. Perks also carries baked goods such as muffins, bagels, and cookies. They’re open until 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Located on 4th Avenue, this coffee shop is unique in its hours of operation–it’s open 24/7! Sizizis offers many vegan and gluten-free food options and is the place to be for an all night-er.