Monorail Espresso

The Basics

Where is it?
520 Pike Street, Seattle WA 98101 (right next to Banana Republic)

When are they open?
Weekdays: 6 am - 6 pm
Weekends: 9 am - 5 pm

Is there parking?
Not really, unless you can find a spot on the street...

Is there wi-fi?
Nope

What is the price range?
An 8 oz. Latte is 2.75 dollars. In general, prices for 8 oz. drinks go from $1.75 (Espresso) to $3.25 (White Mocha).

The Experience


Monorail Espresso has been "serving it up since 1980" and you can tell!!! Their coffee is amazing! We chose a simple Mocha but it was probably better than at anywhere else (Thanks Benji for the adress). Not too sweet, but not too bitter, it reminded me of the coffee we drink in France! It did not have the "burnt" taste that some coffees have and blended in the chocolate taste perfectly!

Their choice was more limited than in places like Starbucks or Tully's, but proposed interesting drinks such as the Frango Mint Mocha, the Creamsicle, or their Italian soda. We will have to go back to tell you more about those drinks! Other than that, they had warm drinks (coffee or tea) as well as cold drinks (Iced mocha, Iced Chai...), which makes the shop good for all seasons of the year!

Monorail Espresso is nothing like a traditional coffee shop where you can sit down and enjoy your coffee while doing homework or catching up with a friend. It is a window-like shop on the street comparable to a fancy coffee stand. You buy and you go. The dark interior, the design of the shop, as well as the black paint gives it an old-fashioned look. You could compare it to some European shops. I could definitely see it in one of the narrow streets of Paris!

Even though there is the possibility to sit down, there are only two small tables and a few chairs, and you are literally sitting on the sidewalk. People walk around everywhere, and you are right next to cars. Personally, I did not really enjoy this part of the experience, since I like to sit down in a cozy and warm place...(the rain probably didn't help, since it started raining right when we sat down). I might have had a different point of view if it had been sunny...However, this is the perfect place if you are in a hurry and need a little boost of energy! In fact, a lot of the clients we saw were bike messengers and probably local workers.

The best time to go would probably be in the early morning when the city is still quiet, on your way to work or to shop!! They offer a choice of cookies and other baked goodies that you might find delightful to accompany your coffee.

The barista was really friendly and relatively fast, but you have to remember that they only accept cash!!! The only thing I would reproach is that it is a little pricy for the quantity that you get, knowing that the shop does not offer a warm setting. The seating is not very comfortable as it is all in metal (which can get really cold, especially when it rains)...

Kids can go there as there is nothing to break or mess around with. However, I would not recommend leaving them unattended as there are many dangers (street cars, crowded street...).

(Review by Alexandra)