A Seattle Coffee House’s Espresso So Good, It made a YouTuber Cry

Visiting Seattle? Here’s 10 Hidden Coffee Shop Gems

We'll tell you where in Seattle you can get great coffee and what specific espresso order made a YouTuber from Canada cry tears of joy.

Lots of people from around the state, country, and planet know Seattle is known for its drizzly days and its world-class coffee. Here’s our guide to finding great coffee and the great coffee shops in Seattle. And now an honest disclaimer. The tips you’ll see below - of who has great coffee come from two successful YouTube channels. I have personally recommended my favorite coffee shops around Wenatchee, Seattle, and other places with my favorite coffee shops in Washington State.

One of my favorite locations was echoed by BOTH YouTubers. We’ll get that in a moment. But first, we have to give a shout-out to Starbucks.

Try the Original Starbucks location at Pike Place Market. (1912 Pike Place)

Expect a long line to get in. You’re getting the very same product from any other locations found seemingly on every street corner, but yes, it is the original location- that opened up shop on March 30th, 1971.

 Starbucks Reserve Roastery (1124 Pike St)

This has been a bucket list item that I surprisingly haven’t ticked off just yet. It opened in 2014 and is one of only six reserve roasteries in the world. You watch the coffee beans move around the location in open tubes—a great experience to check out.

Herkimer Coffee (7320 Greenwood Ave N)

Founded in 2003 by Mike Prins in the Greenwood neighborhood of North Seattle. Mike named his coffee shop Herkimer Coffee to honor his dad’s hometown of Herkimer, New York. Herkimer now has three locations in the city. Check out the main roastery in Greenwood and enjoy the great ambiance. Herkimer Coffee’s prominent logo is the Herkimer Trolley Bridge. I love what one of the YouTubers gushed: “If Seattle were my city, I’d be here every single morning.”

Storyville Coffee ( 94 Pike Street Top floor Suite 34)

This is one of the great surprises for me.  I’ve walked through Pike Place Market many more times than I can count and never knew this special coffee shop existed. Walk into the building on the corner of Pike and 1st Avenue - then head up to the top floor.

This is where you’ll find the Storyville Coffee shop with arguably one of the best views in the city. I love the logo of the child running with a toy airplane.  If you scan a QR code upon entering the shop, they’ll give you a free mug with their great logo!

Fulcrum Cafe (590 Bell St)

Fulcrum Coffee is a roasting company with a couple of great locations in Seattle. Try the Fulcrum Cafe in Bell Town (590 Bell Street) location for great coffee and a great breakfast (try the sausage and gravy biscuits!)

Victrola Coffee Roasters (4 locations around town)

I couldn’t get a good read of which location our YouTuber friend visited. She went there at the advice of the book: "Espresso Perfection" by David C. Schomer: https://amzn.to/3yh8OrW

Caffé Vita (1005 East Pike Street)

Vita offers you seven locations in the city. The one I’ve known for decades is on Capitol Hill. The atmosphere and the coffee are top-notch. I love that Vita has partnered with Seattle Sounders FC’s player Alex Roldan, to bring you single-origin coffee, direct from El Salvador. The birthplace of Alex Roldan’s father. 

Lighthouse Roasters (400 N 43rd St in Fremont)

One of the icons of the early Seattle coffee scene. 

'Lighthouse Roasters is an independent and locally owned coffee roaster that has been producing fine specialty coffees in Seattle since 1993.' -Lighthouse Roasters

Milstead & Co. (754 N 34th St - Queen Anne Hill side of the Fremont Cut)

Just down the way from SPU, facing Lake Union and the Fremont Cut with big gorgeous windows, you’ll love the coffee and the view, under the Aurora Avenue Bridge.

Monorail Espresso (510 Pike St)

Great coffee is offered from their four locations. They claim to have the first espresso cart in the world.

Espresso Vivace (532 Broadway E)

The one place I and the YouTubers can agree on is Espresso Vivace. Order the Cafe Nico from Vivace and you’ll understand why a YouTuber got emotional and shed tears after finally trying it. 

INFO: YouTube channels: Sharing the Road & Liz Happybeans, Seattle Weekly