Herkimer Coffee

It's pouring rain and it's exhausting looking for a new hard drive, so we pull over on Greenwood Avenue, right in front of Herkimer Coffee. It's bustling with people, despite the rain, and we anticipate a long wait. To our surprise, the line moves lightening fast and we're soon faced with two adorable and cheerful baristas. If you want to feel trendy without being surly or "holier than thou," Herkimer Coffee is your place.

Although we're newcomers, the two baristas on bar make us feel like we're regulars. A bun-headed gal barista confesses to being a clown (a real, bonafide clown!), which makes us wonder if the real secret to service is hiring a bunch of clowns.

We take our Top Pot donut and Essential Bakery muffin (pumpkin) to a long counter which faces out the store front. While perusing a Chick Tract titled "Bad Bob," found on the community bulletin board, we nibble on our sweets, balanced with unusually tart and medium bodied espresso.

After amusing ourselves by watching episodes of the Muppet Show on YouTube, we peer through a window where you can view Herkimer's new roasting room. We tap on the window, like bad children in a zoo, and get the attention of a guy in a knit cap, who identifies himself as Scott, one of the owners.

We learn that Herkimer started roasting their own beans in September and now does cuppings every Friday afternoon at 2pm. We get ourselves invited to this Friday's cupping, where they'll be picking a Guatemalan coffee to add to their line-up. We're reluctant to leave the clean, friendly, uncluttered coffee shop, but force ourselves back out in the rain to renew our search for the right hard drive. We'll be back on Friday, though, to slurp Guatemalan coffee and watch more Muppets.

Herkimer Coffee
7320 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, Washington 98103