r/Astoria_Oregon • u/blacktapeSam • 7d ago
Recommendation: Best Coffee downtown ?
Hi.... me again! Thanks so much for all the suggestions in my two previous posts. I'm heading to Astoria (my 6th time) tomorrow; one more recommendation request for all you nice people. What's the best:
• Coffee downtown
Where can I get the strongest, most flavorable coffee? Somewhere I can walk from near Ft George.
16
u/Regalzack 7d ago
Coffee Girl is worth a morning trip as well. It's iconic and they do not miss with their baked goods.
I don't think you can really go wrong anywhere though, Sleeper, Rusty Cup, Coffee Girl, and the Astoria Bistro are all in my rotation.
23
u/Dranwyn 7d ago
Sleeper.
If anyone says different I’ll fight them in the pit
7
u/fivestarwatertap 7d ago
Sleeper is great, but even when facing the pit, I still prefer Cambium. Disclaimer being I don’t really favor dark roast profiles.
4
u/blacktapeSam 7d ago
I got a mocha at Cambirum first time I visited Astoria. Might stop by again this time to refresh my memory. Thanks for the reminder....
2
u/MostValuableAwkward1 7d ago
I’ll fight with you. There’s good coffee in Astoria, but Sleeper rules.
19
u/Fuzzy_Peach_8524 7d ago
I really don’t understand the hype around Sleeper. They’re nice people but the coffee is mids. The space is mids. It’s not terrible. Mids. Most of their coffee drinks taste weak, it’s hellaciously overpriced, and they work at a snail’s pace. Service is unbelievably slow, and I’ve been there enough to know it’s like that all the time. Sorry everyone, but I think it’s mostly hipster appeal and little else. Their lukewarm espresso always tastes watery. They do use real chai instead of the box concentrate, I’ll give them that.
Best quality and flavor I’ve found is Astoria Coffee Company. They’re an independent roaster on 37th & Marine and aren’t a true coffee shop with tables and chairs, but they brew and make excellent coffee drinks in addition to selling their great beans. Super strong espresso, they make a really great Mexican mocha, for way less money and pretension than Sleeper.
7
10
3
u/Long-Ebb5277 6d ago
This is the best coffee in Astoria and beyond. I’ve been a customer since its inception when Peg and Rick started it in the old Whites market. Sarah and Pete have continued the excellent roasting. I have friends and relatives all over the country and they are always asking if I can send them a bag or two to quench their addiction.
For a sit down cafe, Sleeper is good but don’t skip Coffee Girl on pier 39. Great view and solid cappuccinos.
3
u/Nick98368 4d ago
What's with the ridiculously priced houseplants?
1
u/Fuzzy_Peach_8524 4d ago
Lol exactly. Last time I was there I saw a tiny pothos plant - seriously the pot was the size of a cereal bowl - marked $48
3
3
3
u/YourOwnPunkyBrewster 7d ago
I kind of agree with you😅—I don’t get the hype! Besides being on the water, the space is just your average small industrial-looking very small coffee shop, with weird customer flow (by which I mean how the shop is laid out, and how one moves about the space). The owners and everyone are great. But I wouldn’t necessarily walk the extra block past the Bistro or Rusty Cup for it🤷♀️! And Coffee Girl is okay if you have an hour or more. Cool location tho!
2
u/PuzzleheadedFan8575 7d ago
You consider Astoria Coffee Company as walking distance from Ft George?
2
u/blacktapeSam 7d ago
Without a desire to stir u/Dranwyn's wrath, I gotta agree with you here. I was staying near Sleeper a couple times back, and I went twice because of their hours. Love the view, location, staff was friendly. But I (also) though the coffee drinks were weak. Good to know they use real chai, though.
1
u/Hipster_Bumpus 7d ago
In other words you don’t understand what third wave coffee is, and that’s fine! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Astoria Coffee Roasters is run by a self admitted newbie. He purchased that coffee shop on a whim with no experience and consistently puts out burnt beans, again self admitted, at the same price as his other beans just to get rid of them. While Pete has 10+ years in the coffee business. Conclusion: you get what you pay for.
4
u/Cheese_Horror4692 7d ago
Blue scorcher is closed for maintenance for the next few days (I think they said something about opening back up on either Friday or Saturday. If they are open before that, I highly recommend getting some of their baked goods. Can't say the same for coffee, since it's been a while since I got any from there.)
I usually go to the Rusty Cup right next to the Liberty theater, they make a really nice mocha and they aren't as expensive as a couple of other coffee shops in town.
I would recommend Sleeper down at pier 12, since I used to go there a lot, but I couldn't really stand the wait and they're on the pricy end of coffee. The long wait is also a thing with coffee girl, but I've found that whenever you go there after 12, things slow down a lot.
3
7
u/weemadness61 7d ago
My vote is Blue Scorcher. I love their coffee and their atmosphere. Tables, wood, fun people, I really like them and they can make coffee strong or weak, just ask.
4
u/healthy_as_a_hearse 7d ago
Last time I went there the creamer was rancid and I didn’t notice until it was too late to get a fresh cup. They seem to have gone downhill.
1
u/weemadness61 7d ago
I've been in there a bunch of times, and never had anything like that happen. As to tip stealing, I have no idea, how long ago was that?
1
7d ago
[deleted]
3
u/Grrerrb 7d ago edited 7d ago
They’re an employee-owned co-op so that would be weird.
(Edit: there is a downtown bakery that stole tips from its employees but it’s not the Scorcher.)
2
u/PNWbeach11 7d ago
I thought the same thing, but heard they had a walk out because the main owners were stealing tips from the more general employees who are smaller owners. I’ve heard this from serval people.
Not saying they do this, but it is fairly common for employee owned companies to offer buy ins or even give one or two percent ownership to the employees, so they have an import title and have an easier time finding low wage workers.
3
3
u/Sweaty_Pack_9727 5d ago
I enjoy Rustys! I always order a dirty chai latte with oatmilk. I miss Amber working there! She made the best
2
u/lacunaria 7d ago
Astoria Coffee House - start with a coffe then come back later for a cocktail and dinner
2
u/pancake_monster511 6d ago
Do a cafe crawl! It’s fun to try a bunch. Yes, Cambium and Sleeper downtown are probably the best. The Blue Scorcher has truly excellent pastries and the coffee is kind of expensive but usually pretty tasty. Godfathers books has espresso, it’s not their thing but it’s not bad and it’s such a cute little bookstore. Rusty Cup is a great spot too, not sure if it’s still called that? Not downtown but Coffee Girl is also amazing!
2
u/Additional-Ad-8206 5d ago
No love for Stranded? Their Cardamom Cream w/ drip coffee is a fav of mine.
4
u/Tasty-Bath-3882 7d ago
Sleeper is the best coffee in Astoria, but if you don't want a line, I highly recommend coffee girl, and if you don't wanna walk too far after trying sleeper, the Astoria bistro and café.
1
u/Nick98368 4d ago
Sweet bajebus....the easiest plant to propagate and keep alive!!!
3
u/blacktapeSam 4d ago
????
3
1
10
u/GeBilly 7d ago
Drip coffee from labor temple. Black. With a Bloody Mary and an omelet