What's your favorite 'non-starbucks' coffee spot?

While I'm not completely "anti-Starbucks", there is something to be said for the independent coffee house... As is the case with any good franchise, when you've "seen one, you've seen em all", so I don't feel the need to do any Starbucks reviews here...

Given that, what coffee spots in Denver do you like? I'll keep on posting my reviews, but let me know where I should go to feed my addiction and content for this blog!

Post your responses here

A Flamingo and Two Chicks

***UPDATE: Now "Mr Lucky's Cafe"***

I decided to check this place out after driving by it not too long ago. I didn't stay long, and that's because there was no WiFi. I also checked, and there is no website. Because of my bias toward establishments with both of those features, this review will be quite limited.

Overall, the establishment was nice. The guy working was very friendly and helpful, and the iced coffee I had on the patio was great. I'll have to go back and check it out again, but probably not until they get WiFi.

Location: Flamingo and Two Chicks: 3504 12th Ave Denver

Perks: Seems like a nice place. Will have to go back to review in more depth.

Website: None that I could find.

The Monkey Bean | Everything a funky city coffee house should be and more!

Monkey Bean
2470 Broadway Denver, CO 80205
See it on the BUZZ Coffee Map

I just went to Monkey Bean the other day. I had to make a little trip to get over there, but it was great! I love the "funky coffee house" feel, and Monkey Bean has this down! Evyerthing from the plaster/brick walls to the mismatched furniture adds to a great atmosphere at Monkey Bean.


The patio is also amazing & they now have hammocks. They have created a nice little "oasis" here. It is right on Broadway, so traffic noise outide is a factor if you are talking on the phone or need some "peace and quiet" but I enjoyed it, as it just adds to the uniqueness factor of this place.



The "Perks":

• Monkey Bean has a great menu! I had the BLT&A (a BLT wrap with avacado). It was great, and I look forward to sampling more of their fare. **UPDATE: their Bistro wrap rocks!**http://www.monkeybean.com/eat.aspx.
• Free Wi Fi
• Great Patio
• Books
• Ice Cream (made by a local! They even have their own flavor)
• See the website for more... I'm impressed with this place (if you can't tell).

Website: http://www.monkeybean.com

Overall Comments: This has to rank among the top coffee houses I've ever been to. They have managed to create a truly unique and enjoyable atmosphere, and back it up with everything you could want in a place to work or hang out.

Monkey bean patio

Perk Hill | A community shop with a family feel

Perk Hill Coffee House
Location: Park Hill (22nd and Kearney)
2202 Kearney Denver, CO 80207
See it on the BUZZ Denver Coffee Map

Overview: I 'discovered' Perk Hill recently, and I have since become a frequent customer. This has the best "neighborhood feel" of any coffee shop I have seen here in Denver. The owner's name is Darren, and he and his staff make the patrons feel welcome. This spot is very "kid friendly" and at any given time, there tend to at least a few little tikes running around.

"Perks": Free WiFi, Excellent coffee, Great Liks Ice Cream! Udi's sandwiches & burritos. Fun atmosphere, very friendly and courteous staff, Outdoor Patio, Great Coffee!

Website: http://www.perkhillcoffee.com

Overall Comments: The residents of Park Hill and surrounding neighborhoods (like mine) are lucky to have an establishment like "Perk Hill" serving the neighborhood. This is the kind of "community" feel that every neighborhood should have. Whether you are a mobile business person like myself, or someone who wants to get out with the kids, Perk Hill is a great destination. They have a nice patio, toys for the kids to play with, games for the kids at heart, and even have a drop down screen where they will show movies out of their extensive movie library (they also rent movies)!

ARMAZEM | Colfax Coffee House & Bookstore with a Brazilian Flair

**UPDATE: Now under new ownership - Hooked on Colfax***

Location: 3215 E. Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80206

"Perks": Great atmosphere, wonderful staff, free WiFi. Good selection of books. Good coffee, good food selections (pastries, burritos, shakes, etc - including great stuff from Udi's). Armazem also has a great community meeting area, so if you want to host a meeting for your group, the basement is a great funky (and free) place to meet.

Paris on the Platte

Paris on the Platte
1553 Platte StreetDenver, Colorado 80202
See it on the BUZZ Map
(303) 455-2451
Weekdays - 7am to 2am
Friday - 7am to 3am
Saturday - 8am to 3am
Sunday - 8am to 2am

Paris on the Platte is a great place to hang out if you want to try out a unique coffee house environment. Billing itself as Denver's oldest coffee house, Paris offers a great selection of coffee, and is open until 2 and 3 am to serve the late night crowd.

*EDIT: The Denver Daily News article about this blog quoted me as describing Paris as "Goth" which is not really how I would describe it. What I like is that you have all types of patrons there. You could have a server with a "goth" look, with some skaters hanging around, next to someone doing office work on their laptop. Very ecclectic.) Free WiFi and ethernet on a T1 connection. They roast their own coffee and have a great menu. Smoking is allowed here, (EDIT: Even though the smoking ban passed in Denver, my understanding is that Paris found some sort of loophole and you can still smoke there - I don't know if this is true or not as I haven't been there in a while) so if you are sensitive to smoke, it may not be the best spot for you. Read the replies below for some great reviews.

Location: 1553 Platte StreetDenver, Colorado 80202 (right by Shakespeare's, and also near My Brother's Bar). There is also an attached wine bar next door.

Website: http://parisontheplatte.com/home.html

Oh My Goddess Coffee House

**UPDATE** Now "there Coffee Bar & Lounge" See profile here.

**UPDATE** Oh My Goddess is now closed. See this article in Westword.

I checked out "Oh My Goddess Coffee House" the other day. It was a 'nice place', but that's about all for me. It did have free WiFi, which is a must for me, but nothing really stood out.

Location: Oh My Goddess Coffee House 1526 E. Colfax Ave.Denver, CO 80218

Website: http://www.omgcoffee.com/ (when I checked it was down).

Overall comments: I wasn't overly impressed by OMG, but won't get too critical, as it may have just been my experience there that day. They opened late, the employee wasn't friendly, and the place was uncomfortably hot.... it does look like they have established themselves as a good community meeting place, and I'll give them a second try sometime in the not-too-distant future.

Why a Coffee Blog?

I am a self described coffee fanatic. More specifically, I love coffee shops. I would probably be a coffee shop fanatic even if I didn't drink coffee (which by the way, I do... I'm on cup number 2 today - from Perk Hill, which I will certainly post about later.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place to rate, describe and discover Denver coffee spots. :-) It is also a way for me to learn more about blogging and review some of my favorite spots.

Mile High Buzz

Playing around with CafePress