oh my god - one of the worst mochas i've ever had (got it last night friday 11/14/09) and I've been buying mochas in boulder for 15 years. And i will say i went to The Cup in once in the past and quite enjoyed my mocha. but whoever was the barista last night must've ground hi coffee with a chainsaw, tried to steam the milk by just blowing through a straw and while holding a match under the container, and used dishwater to pull my espressos. The mocha was terribly watery, it was totally flat, i.e. no foam (strangely, since i even heard/saw the barista steaming it, not that hard people), and not even topped off. For $5, $4 for the mocha and $1 tip for a minor amount of work, i really expect more. Barista should've stayed home with his Bob Marley tapes. i can pull a better espresso with my $5 thrift store bought espresso machine than the one i got last night. I honestly hate to be harsh and am really not the type of person to be uptiht about my coffee (I'm usually even happy with watered down gas station coffee), but seriously I'm pretty diusappointed at this 5 dollars i'll never get back and don't think I'll be going back to The Cup anytime soon - I'd rather spend my 5 bucks on another thrift-store espresso maker than give it to a barista who needs to be trained. oh, one other side comment: annoying that the cup cant just give out cards for frequent buyers. read more

Make sure to specify a hot shot for your iced latte. Otherwise you are overpaying for a cold brew.

Decently sized menu, good tea selection, but a little too pricey, especially for inattentive and unfriendly service. With so many great coffee shops around Pearl Street and in Boulder, I don't think I'll be returning any time soon. read more

I stopped here because I was waiting on someone and the cafe was right next to my parking spot in front of Pearl Street, so I will say they have a phenomenal location. The place was pretty full and busy but everything seemed to be moving fairly quickly. The interior is really well set up with a mixture of chairs and high tops, and outdoor tables as well. The guys behind the counter were nice. I ordered a standard medium latte, it really isn't much to brag about and was slightly overpriced for the quality. Generally, when the medium latte is over $4 (with tax) I expect something flavorful and nice to the last sip, this one was a bit bland and not necessarily bitter but had a bit of an odd taste to me for some reason. I had a coupon at home and didn't realize it until later, next time I will try another latte and bring the coupon. read more

In my opinion, this is the best Boulder has to offer. The coffee is divine, the location is wonderful, and the food is always tasty. I love to sit outside, book in hand, sipping coffee and lifting my head from the pages only to people watch (the delightfully eccentric of Boulder are in no short supply) read more

Stopped here twice during our trip to boulder. LOVE the coffee and the staff was super friendly. It's a busy spot so be prepared for that but otherwise the best on pearl street. read more

A nice variety of foods and beverages (my iced tea was well brewed and the blueberry coffee cake was fresh, moist, and delicious), a friendly and helpful staff, and a pleasant atmosphere with appropriately relaxing music. read more

I can't even begin to explain how amazing it is working 1 block from The Cup. Their coffee is amazing and cheap and I love the selection of bagel sandwiches- great for breakfast or lunch! I'm a fan of the feta artichoke cream cheese- out of this world! My office frequently sets up shop in here for a change of scenery and I love that amount of space they have in here. There's a great front room, bright and airy, for people watching and a backroom that's great for hunkering down in when you've got something to accomplish in addition to your caffeine fix! The people that work here are super nice and friendly and love what they do- it doesn't get better than that! read more

The Cup is my favorite Boulder hang out! The roll up doors help to make the atmosphere awesome and is such a treat when the weather is nice. Also, the sidewalk seating is great for people watching. The bagels are fresh and come with a bunch of different cream cheese options. My favorite thing to eat is the turkey brie sandwich. And the nitro coffee is truly unique and tasty. The only gripes I have is that there seems to be no sense of urgency from the staff; even when it is slammed, they move very slowly. With that being said, I just make sure I only come here when I'm not pressed for time. Also the ice tea is vey weak; like water with an slight essence added to it. All in all, I will continue to come here and stick to ordering my favorites. read more

I received a few days after writing my first review an email from the owner. She seemed sincere in her personal apology, alerting me if she had been the one to make my drink my experience would have panned out differently. She mentioned talking to that manager, who clearly should be fired or at least demoted from this position. She even claimed this was not his first offense. She offered to send me a gift card, which would be nice however I know that in going back to The Cup I could potentially run into this manager again who has received next to no consequences. I'd rather not take my chances. Instead, I asked for a refund for my $24 breakfast shared with my girlfriend and I have seen no response since. I continue to be left with a bitter taste in my mouth. read more

Tough call, The Cup. And so continues my LOVE/hate relationship with The Cup. First, the LOVE. Killer coffee (Conscious Coffee), expertly roasted, fresh, and, when properly prepared (foreshadowing alert!), rides with the best available. Also, amazing pastries, delicious breakfast sandwiches, frequently very nice folks working and baristerizing, interesting people-watching, in a very nice and convenient location (downtown, East Pearl). The hate? Inconsistent espresso, and occasional over-the-top snot- heads at the register, and at the espresso pull. As to the register, get over yourself. We all did it, at one time in our lives, some/many still do. It's honest, necessary work, and when done well with a smile (some nonverbal signal that our money voluntarily given to you, is appreciated), is a golden moment in our daily lives. True fact. Regarding the espresso: The Cortado is, by far, my favorite drink. I've had it 8 or 10 times at the Cup. 5 or 6 were pretty good, a couple were transcendent, and a few were AWFUL! The awful ones were the same price as the great ones. 20-30% failure rate. Same price. Is it incumbent on me to point the crappy ones out to you, or is it your obligation to be certain that, if you're charging a pretty huge sum for a handcrafted drink that 1) it's really good nearly always, and 2) you know when it's not, and make sure a bad one doesn't get to me? I'm going with the latter. The Cup doesn't seem to be dying for customers, but since it's unlikely that I'm singled out for the two aforementioned topics of hate, my guess is that the rates of odd behavior and quality lapses are probably consistent across the customer population at large. I'll keep trying The Cup, chasing the high of the incredible Cortados I've had there, but the gross ones don't seem to be isolated to one specific worker, since the best one, and the worst were made by the same bespectacled dude. Today, it's The Laughing Goat or Pekoe. Not in the mood for risk-taking on a Thursday. read more

Great coffee shop. The staff is always friendly, I like the vibe in here, and it is in a great location. They have amazing chocolate croissants!!! read more

Honestly had good coffee. So naturally was excited when I saw they were hiring as a college student. I noticed a now hiring signed. I patiently waited in line. A woman from the back sees me and slams everything she was holding on to a counter. She walked up and said "what?" Sharply. I replied "hey I was just wondering if you guys were accepting applications or if I could get a business card to contact you further" to which she snapped at me very rudely "just bring a resumé" snarled and then stormed off. She embarrassed herself and me. I was also going to buy coffee. And had a resume. It was the rudest I've ever been treated in customer service environment. I thought about calling her back to hand her a resume and then get a coffee but then decided she was so rude I'd never go back. Idk. It's hard to describe people being rude but this was like rude trust me read more

I had the Sumatra = very good coffee. A cool spot of typical old skool Boulder funk. Boulder funk is harder to come by as it's mostly just a rich town now. I'm not complaining, Boulder's awesome, just stating a fact. I digress, however, The Cup is well worth a visit and revisit. read more

The breakfast sandwich wasn't the best one I've ever had.. I'd probably give it a 4.5. It could have been fresher (non-microwaved, for example). However, the friendly service and excellent latte more than made up for it. read more

Simply the best local java shop in Boulder - must experience. :)

Another reason not to go to a coffee chain! Yes! (Picture me doing the fist-elbow score of happiness gesture). We stopped here because, while the day began with 60 degrees and spring clothing, a chill entered the air and made me want a hot drink from a cute little coffee shop. I was so cold in my short sleeves that I accidentally (and fortunately) walked past 15th Street where my car was parked (with a cute little parking ticket on the windshield; Thanks, Boulder.) At least the The Cup was there to comfort me before I knew I needed comforting. The atmosphere was busting with happy coffee sippers and a barista who wore a Maine tee shirt (which encouraged Mum to loudly exclaim "Hey! I'm visiting from Maine! Wicked Cool!" She's pretty cute.) I ordered a Bhakti Chai since I was afraid 4pm coffee would have me up all night... (I was still quite buzzy anyway, but it was perfect for keeping me alert during the very slow rush hour drive back to Denver.) Mum ordered her new favorite way to spoil herself (Americano) and Kaden ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream. I so do love it when hot chocolate actually means chocolate that is hot - I'm pretty sure they melted a chocolate bar in that thing. (Good for taste, bad for already energetic five year old). And I also love pretty steamed milk decorations in hot drinks. They do it so fast! That's an art I need to acquire. I would actually add a fifth star had there been a place to sit, but the place was packed with lap toppers and chatty hipster/hippies. By the way, is hipster the new hippie? I kind of feel like yes. Anyway, I guess full tables are a sign of a good thing so maybe I can add the fifth star with the update I write someday. read more

I like the Cup. I go here a lot to get my caffeine fueled work done. Pretty good espresso (probably the best in Boulder) and other espresso based drinks. The flavors are nice it just doesn't have the extraordinary body of the very best shots. The owner is really cool I've gotten to know him through the cuppings they host every month. Their whole bean offerings are fine, sometimes inconsistent (but they get Concious Coffee instead of roasting their own so you can't totally blame them!). Sandwiches are good and generous. Atmosphere is chill. You get the picture! read more

On the surface, this place pretty much looks like any other quaint/hip coffee shop in the world. Ordered a mocha, sat back and waited a bit, got it took one sip - and at that point everything changed. DAHAM!!! Thats pretty much the best mocha I've ever had - definitely not too sweet, full of yummy espresso-ness, just absolutely delicious. The carrot/coconut/raisin muffin top I saved for later was absolutely fantastic too. You better believe I'll be back!!! read more

Q-twerk hers. Asp hash L.E. G-Knee mer-reef hay! Hand and rue.

Nice coffee shop, coffee is hot and flavorful. Plenty of tables and a front patio that's nice.It sits on Pearl street, so its great for people watching. And I got the fanciest Latte I ever saw here. All in all, a real good coffee shop read more

Had a cup of chai tea here. First time I learned that there were two different chai teas - one with cinnamon & cardamom and the other with what I assume are the spicier spices. Yummy. Great seating area - there's a front and back that is extremely spacious. Wifi available. Friendly staff. Perfect for my Monday morning. read more

I love the Cup. I used to work across the street, and usually went in for my coffee and croissant every morning. I also loved the breakfast sandwiches. They couldn't have been nicer - I knew of the owners from their other place in Superior (Super Joe's!), and was pleased to see that they took the marginal Allison (never did get a good vibe from that place) space and instead brought their friendly, casual demeanor to Pearl Street. I don't work downtown any longer, but I still try to stop in every time I'm in the area. read more

Packed, which I suppose is expected for a college town. I appreciated the earth conscious disposal options and organic coffee. All I had was a cup of Rwanda/Columbia coffee but I was happy with it read more

This place had a great vibe and seemed like a nice place to read a book or get some work done on your lap top. I ordered an iced chai and while it had nice flavor, I wish it had been stronger. My friends had iced coffee and all enjoyed their drinks. read more

I liked my coffee, the price was right and the service excellent. It has an open, art studio, garage feel. The nightly street performers on Pearl Street is a welcomed bonus. read more

Great hip coffee shop with wide selection of pastries. My flourless torte and latte were perfect. The staff is energetic and friendly. The shop was bustling on Tuesday around noon. They were playing 80s music :). read more

Service was nice here, and the coffee was okay. What I really liked was the space though. There's a lot of open air room, plenty of tables and seating, it feels good. If you head down the back hallway, there is another largish room with tables, lots of local art up on the walls, and more open space for hanging out. Also- 2 very clean bathrooms, that always wins points! read more

A great pit stop for coffee. My almond latte was tasty. Didn't feel rushed. Place was popular with the rocker set.

I stopped by early one morning on a coffee tour of Boulder. I ordered the Bhatki chai and was really pleased. I had no idea Bhatki was a local company as Ive been enjoying their drinks in Nashville for a while now. Along with the chai, I had their blueberry coffee cake. I have no idea if they bake in house or what but holy cow there were a lot of blueberries. It was fantastic! Price is pretty comparable to other coffee shops. About $3 for baked goods and $4.50 for custom drinks. There is definitely good people watching as they have a garage style establishment! read more

Delicious pastries and great coffee. I found them to be very fast and friendly. I'll be back!!

I like Boulder so most things will get a good review.... you'd really have to be a moron-of-a-business to get a shitty review. That being said, the coffee here is really good, in any location it would be good. Sidewalk seating is a good thing too... read more

Been here several times now and haven't been disappointed. I suggest trying anamericano and a bagel with their spicy jalapeno and habanero cream cheese. read more

Just found my new favorite coffee house. Great coffee, fast and friendly service! I'll be back many times.

A nice Boulder coffee shop. Usually pretty busy, there have been a few times when I couldn't find a seat even though they are a fairly large coffee shop. The mocha is decent and the sandwiches look delicious even though I haven't tried one yet. read more

A smooth cup of Joe. Friendly service by hot chick. Stale ginger cookie

Just stopped in for a morning cup and was really impressed. Best coffee I've had in Boulder, and great service.

Stopped in here for coffee and regretted not staying longer for brunch. They appeared to have a number of very tasty options. The staff was incredibly nice and the drink selection is vast. On a Sunday morning this place was packed to the gills so you would likely need to either go early or be prepared for a wait. It appeared to be well worth the wait. read more

It's kinda funny. My friend and I walked in after roaming around Boulder for a day trip and noticed every single person in the place had a lap top. Not only that, they were all macs (not that there's anything wrong with that, because I own one too). Aside from that already really trendy fact, this place has great coffee, service, and a very friendly crowd that can definitely make anyone's visit (regular or tourist) very enjoyable. read more

The cup is my favorite of all the coffee shops in boulder (and there are many!). The baristas are actually friendly and the coffee is amazing. The owners, Wendy and Chris take pride in their shop and it shows. It's always bustling and can be difficult to get a table, but if you hang out at the community table long enough, one will open up. 4 stars instead of 5 bc they need more outlets. read more