Ok, I retired from writing reviews but you know…read more..
I started this third-wave coffee journey after realizing I was mostly buying coffee from larger stores where the roast dates were usually two to three months old. One month old if I got lucky. And listen, there are some great third-wave coffee roasters on those shelves but the problem is freshness.
At the time, I was deep into the pour-over coffee rabbit hole, and I kept passing this little coffee spot with a sign that basically said "Need more coffee? We roast it here," with arrows pointing down.
And for some reason, I kept ignoring it.
The sign wasn't fancy. It wasn't trying to be trendy. It didn't have the polished third-wave café aesthetic from the outside. It was just a simple roadside sign telling you exactly what mattered: they roast coffee here.
Eventually I thought, "Wait a minute. If they're roasting coffee right here, why am I still buying bags from bigger stores with roast dates that are two to three months old?"
So one day, I finally pulled in.
Immediately - and I mean immediately - I realized I had completely judged this place wrong. This was a serious third-wave coffeehouse. And honestly, when you think about it, the sign is actually genius. A sinple sign that says "Need more coffee? We roast it here" is probably only going to attract people who actually care about proper coffee.
Classic case of don't judge a book by its cover.
Because now? I can't really get my coffee anywhere else.
I've had some of the best coffees here. One year they had this Colombian Santa Maria light roast, high-elevation that totally changed my mind about Colombian coffees. I had always thought of Colombian coffees as more medium-roast, classic coffee profiles, but that one opened my eyes.
Right now, they have this Fara Estate Nicaraguan light-medium roast that is absolutely delicious.
They have a serious-looking pour-over setup with custom V60 holders and gooseneck kettle setup, so you can tell this is not just a place that sells coffee. This is a place that actually understands coffee.
If you're the kind of person who checks roast dates, owns a V60, argues with yourself about grind size, or has ever fallen way too deep into the coffee rabbit hole, this place is worth stopping for.
And if you're not that person yet, this might be the place that turns you into one.