Java Joints of Jet City: Lottie's Lounge

Lottie's Lounge, located in Colombia City, is a coffee shop, diner and bar, rolled into one. It's an experiential panacea for those who like to center their lives around one neighborhood joint-- not that Colombia City doesn't already have a lot going on. Lottie's is smack dab in the middle of a re-gentrifying neighborhood, filled with junk stores, boutiques, dive bars and...Starbucks.

We walk in and are greeted by retro tables and chairs and what feels like a huge, western style bar in an old saloon. The clientele reflects the same eclectic mix of the neighborhood stores, butch ladies with spiky hair, an older African American man, funky tattooed hipsters and middle-aged ladies in cut-off jean shorts.

The owner, Josh, lets us know that the espresso machine is broken but that he'll be installing one later that afternoon. We see that their roasters are Victrola Coffee and happily order two tall drips. We're not sure what they're doing to it, but the coffee is pretty bad, acidic and thin. Coffee woes are forgotten while we muse over the daily breakfast menu, ranging from bagels to a breakfast burrito, all under $6. The breakfast bagel is standard and satisfying but we declare the fresh-tasting frittata delicious.

We consider sampling the bar portion of the Lottie's Lounge, but we're on our way to a friend's who has promised to feed us the best that Prague has to offer. This mysterious statement keeps us sober and prompts us to pay the check. The friendly and efficient staff smiles, fills our coffee cups and sends us on our way. We weren’t wowed, but between the free wi-fi and the DJ’s that play at night, we definitely see how Lottie’s could become the only place you’d ever need to go.

Lottie’s Lounge
4900 Rainier Ave S (corner of Rainier & Ferdinand)