Zoka Coffee Roasters and Tea Company -- Greenlake

The Basics:

206-545-4277
Zoka Coffee

Where is it?
2200 N. 56th Street
Seattle, WA

When are they open?
Every day: 6:00am - 10:00pm

Is there parking?
On the street for free, no limits! Usually plenty, even when it's busy.

Is there wi-fi?
Yes, and it's free!

What's the price range?
On the more expensive side for coffee; the cheapest drink is $2.50 for an espresso, 8 oz. americano, or a cup of tea. A 12 oz. latte starts at $3.50, but when you add flavor and tax, the total ends up closer to $5.

The Experience:

Zoka has long been one of my favorite coffee shops. Its coffee quality is second-to-none, its baristas are well-trained, and its atmosphere is unbeatable. I had forgotten, however, how expensive it is.

For this review, it is worth noting that I refer only to the Zoka in Greenlake; Zoka has been expanding in previous years and also has locations in the University district, Kirkland, and in (of all places) Japan.

Zoka's strongest point has always been their coffee. On this visit, I ordered a hazelnut latte, and though I was shocked at how expensive it was--it had been a while since I'd visited, and they have raised their prices--the drink itself was worth it. Zoka roasts its own coffee beans, and their espresso roast is dark and fruity, which when mixed with expertly prepared foamed milk (with foam art on the top, none the less), creates perfection in a cup. My one complaint about Zoka's drinks in the past has been temperature, as they tend to be a bit cool for my taste.

When I visited, around noon on a Saturday, Zoka was extremely busy; I was able to snag a seat, but it was not without some quick moving and a watchful eye. This tends to be a problem, especially at the Greenlake location, but it is beatable with a little patience and a little knowledge: by the time I left, around 3, the place had tolerably emptied out and there were plenty of seats to be had.

The atmosphere is split between social gatherings of friends, business associates, and young families, and young adults and college students taking advantage of the free wi-fi. If you're lucky enough to get a seat along one of the edges of the room at Zoka, there are ample plug-ins for a computer cord; in many ways, Zoka is a studier's haven. The music is relatively quiet, but typically has an edge to it, rather than something softer like jazz. However, the 50-50 split of studiers and talkers could be distracting if you really need to focus, so I recommend headphones.

The service was relatively quick considering how busy they were; I got my drink in about 5 minutes.

Zoka is an excellent 'third place' and study area, if you don't need silence and do need wi-fi. It's growing pretty rapidly now, and seems to be modeling itself after Starbucks, which means its original touches are slowly eroding away; when I first visited Zoka they had a signature orange-cinnamon (I think?) drink which has long since disappeared from their menu, as has their erstwhile enormous flavor collection. Expect for more homogenization to follow.

But at this point at least, Zoka still has the feel of a community gathering place that Starbucks has lost, and beyond that a very high quality of coffee, both in their espresso drinks and in their wholesale coffee beans, which are the best I have ever tasted. Zoka is going somewhere big, and it's worth checking out before it gets there, if only so you can tell your kids someday that you tried Zoka when its coffee was still good, and it wasn't on every street corner! Look out, Starbucks: for now, Zoka has you beat.

{Post by Bekah}

Chocolate Box

The Basics

206-443-3900
Chocolate Box

Where is it?
108 Pine Street
Seattle WA 98101

When are they open?
Spring Hours:
Sunday: 8 am to 7 pm
Monday-Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm
Friday-Saturday: 8 am to 9 pm

Is there parking?
Street parking right in front of the shop and downtown garages

Is there wi-fi?
I think so....

What is the price range?
Their 8 oz. latte is $2.60. In general, prices go from $1.90 (Espresso) to 4.25 (Tuxedo Mocha).

Experience

The coffee is really sweet and chocolaty. We got a White Mocha $3.75 + tax, one of the house favorites. The strong taste of chocolate overpowered a little the taste of coffee, but since we love chocolate and sweet drinks, it was perfect for us!
Their signature drinks are all hot chocolates with real whipped cream, in which you can add a multitude of flavours such as peanut butter, orange cardamom, salted caramel, flavored marshmallow, etc...for just $0.60. They also introduced a special iced white chai for warm days.
The baristas were extremely nice and helpful. One of them even offered to bring our coffee to our table!

The Chocolate Box is a lively, modern and energetic place. The store is really spacious and bright, with the shop's colors being mainly white and brown. The modern style is seen through their chairs', tables' and lamps' cool designs. They have small glass or silver tables and bigger white ones. There is plenty of seating as there is a large table in the back and several smaller ones facing the street at the front of the shop. The seating is not the most comfortable as most
chairs are hard plastic, however their designs make up for it!


Half of the store is specifically dedicated to selling chocolate with hundreds of flavors (like bacon :) ), while the other half sells ice cream, cookies and coffee. This place is a paradise for chocolate lovers, but should be avoided by those who want to stay away from temptations!

While we were there, they had jazzy music playing. They also had opened their front windows which allowed us to benefit from the ambiance of the store while enjoying the good weather and the liveliness of the street.

This place is good for homework if you do not mind the busyness of the street, but it is even better to get together with (a) friend(s). It is also perfect for a break from touring the streets of Seattle.

We went at night but it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. The possibility of sitting outside and the choice of ice cream make it the perfect place for a sunny afternoon. Moreover, most people just come and go which prevents the shop from getting crowded and adds to the liveliness. While we were there, two families came in to eat ice cream and the children did not seem to be a problem at all. There is room for a little rough housing, but you will have to watch their hands since the shop is full of chocolate and sweets...

(Review by Alexandra)

Welcome!

On this blog, you will find reviews of Seattle and other area coffee shops. We are Seattle-dwellers ourselves, but will try to mix it up and report on coffee around the country and the world, according to our experiences. We have tasted the coffee of many continents, and hope to taste more in the future!

We know that, in Seattle, your coffee choices are wide open. Every coffee shop is not created equal; each has a unique personality that may or may not jive with what you want. We hope that our reviews help you find exactly what you're looking for in a coffee shop--whether that's the ideal study spot, or a "third place" to catch up with friends. After all, who has the time to try out new places? At Seattle Coffee Snob, we'll do the leg work for you, so you can have more time for sipping.

To keep it simple, we've compiled a list of what we'll be investigating for you in our reviews. The Basics we'll keep short and to-the-point, but you can expect a few more details in the Experience section.

The Basics:

Where is it?

When are they open?

Is there parking?

Is there wi-fi?

What's the price range?

The Experience:

How's the coffee?

How's the service?

How's the atmosphere?

What is their signature/featured drink?

Is there enough seating?

How comfortable is the seating?

When's the best time to go?

Is it kid friendly?